Darby stars as Cats continue winning streak
GEELONG continued its unbeaten streak in the VFLW on Saturday night with a thrilling seven-point win over Carlton.
Scores had been tight throughout the contest and were even at three-quarter time, but with the Cats one point ahead midway through the final term, recently named AFLW forward Kate Darby stepped up with a goal from 40 metres out to extend her side’s lead.
The Blues kept pressing late in the game but when Darby took a superb contested mark and slotted home her second for the term the match was all but over. Coach Paul Hood said the message at the final break was simply to back in and execute the game plan.
“It was just about backing our methods and just doing it a little bit better,” Hood said.
“We backed the fitness and local knowledge of our team to be able to run over the top if they stayed in it. It was a good occasion and to have eight goals versus seven goals and have it nice and tight, it was a pretty good result.”
Hood said Darby, who split her time between attack and playing in the ruck, was rewarded for her persistence.
“She had been a little bit quiet and she had a bit of a different role this week playing as a second ruck with Maddie McMahon, so that probably made it harder for her to be effective forward,” he said.
“If we could have had nine players in the best players she would have been in, but it was one of those slippery nights where it was hard to mark the ball. As they say: As the game gets longer the big players don’t get any shorter, and she really stood up in that last quarter.”
Geelong now plays Melbourne Uni away on Sunday afternoon.