Woodside Women show they belong

Wildcats Push Premiers All the Way

WOODSIDE’S women’s side has continued to prove it belongs among the competition’s best despite suffering a hard-fought 10-point loss to reigning premier and ladder leader Boisdale-Briagolong on Sunday.

In a highly contested match where scoring opportunities were limited, Woodside pushed the competition benchmark all the way before eventually falling 3.7 (25) to 1.3 (15).

Boisdale-Briagolong made the early running with three first-quarter goals, but from that point onward both sides found it extremely difficult to break through in what became a fierce midfield battle.

Despite the defeat, the performance left Woodside full of confidence as the side reached the halfway point of the season with continued improvement evident across the ground.

The defensive unit again stood tall under pressure, restricting the reigning premiers after quarter time and continuing the group’s strong development throughout the season.

Bek Poynton returned to top form in the backline and was superbly supported by Emily Robertson, Lexie Frances and Marley Johnston as the defensive group repeatedly repelled Boisdale-Briagolong attacks.

Kara Askew’s presence through the midfield gave Woodside valuable flexibility, while senior debutant Manawa Apiata impressed with a standout performance and was among the side’s best players.

Laura Foat and Leah Simmons also continued their development, showing increasing confidence and skill in another encouraging display.

Woodside coach Amanda Hancock said the performance against the competition’s benchmark side highlighted how far the group has come in only five games.

“We were very pleased with the performance yesterday,” Hancock said.

“Playing the top of the ladder and reigning premiers, walking away with a 10-point loss is a massive win for us.

“Even more pleasing was the way we played. We challenged ourselves to improve our ground ball under pressure and our aerial contests and we achieved that.”

Hancock praised the growth and commitment of the defensive group, saying the side was continuing to gain confidence each week.

“Our backline has improved game on game and are very engaged in learning the defensive craft,” she said.

“The backline are a tight-knit unit and pride themselves on limiting the scoring against them.

“Every game we play brings the group more confidence.”

Now sitting halfway through the regular season, Woodside will take a break over the King’s Birthday weekend before resetting for the second half of the year.

“Knowing that we could contend yesterday with the premiership contender gives our group a great sense of confidence that we are heading in the right direction,” Hancock said.

“However, we are aware Boisdale were without some key players so we as always stay humble and will continue to work hard, and know our best football is ahead of us.”