Wanderers in tune as Harmony sets tone
Winless or not, Dockers pose danger to Crows
WHAT a time for Wanderers to deliver perfect Harmony.
Coach Dave Totham repeatedly told everyone this Eagles outfit should not be compared with the one that took the club all the way to last year’s NTFL Women’s Premier League grand final.
That doesn’t mean they are any less of a threat.
Rookie Harmony Dinsdale led the somewhat new-look Wanderers to a 21-point elimination final victory yesterday over third-placed Pints in a statement win.
Dinsdale was so impressive she reminded Totham of Crows-listed Stevie-Lee Thompson in her first year.
“(Harmony)’s been improving every week. Her ability to find the ball and have confidence to run with it is exceptional,” Totham said.
“Pints led us into the tempo of the game and we were able to match it and take that tempo on and we got a good result.
“There are six teams in it (at the start of finals) and any of those six are capable of winning it ... we know it’s what you do on the day that’s going to have an impact.”
The Eagles started the season slowly, but yesterday’s result was their fifth triumph in 2017, to go with a draw against the Queenants and one loss.
The defeat was by only 11 points to minor premiers Darwin. They next meet a wounded Waratah in a rematch of the 2015-16 decider.
Sophia Mauboy and Deanna Peckham were typically influential, Lauren Motlop’s first half in particular was vital and ADELAIDE senior assistant Andrew Hodges says today’s AFL Women’s return bout with winless Fremantle in Perth is his top-of-the-ladder team’s “biggest challenge” yet.
Hodges joined vice-captains Ange Foley and Sally Riley, Heather Anderson, Stevie-Lee Thompson, Abbey Holmes, Tayla Thorn and PINTS V WANDERERS BEST 2.1 3.2 4.2 5.3 1.2 2.6 7.6 8.6 GOALS UMPIRES the De Satges – Keyona and Shekeine – were also good.
Wanderers failed to pierce their attacking 50 inside the first 10 minutes, but snatched control soon after and only errant kicking delayed their ascendancy.
A Kristen Smits major against the flow gave Pints an unlikely halftime lead before the Eagles kicked five goals to one in the third term.
Queenants star Katie Streader had more of the ball than anyone in a tireless effort, with the sole blemish some untidiness with disposal.
Sam Barnett and Cassie Henderson also shone, but coach Dennis Lew Fatt bemoaned his side’s errors.
“We were riddled with mistakes and you’re playing a cutthroat final against one of the top sides,” Lew Fatt said.
“But I take my hat off to Wanderers. They didn’t make any, and are a very good side. We just couldn’t get our good players combining all at once.” emergency Lauren O’Shea in flying out of Darwin last night.
Waratah premiership player O’Shea, who performed strongly in the NTFL last week in a ruck-forward role, would make her AFLW debut if she comes in as a late inclusion.
O’Shea and Jasmine Anderson are the only Territory Crows waiting for their first game. Anderson played in Darwin’s qualifying final against the Tahs yesterday.
“Lauren is pretty close and she’ll travel with the side, which is exciting for her,” Hodges said of O’Shea.
“She’s been training really well and doing everything she can do to get selected, so it’s a good reward for her this weekend.”
The Dockers have two losses and a draw so far, but beat an inaccurate and under- strength Crows line-up by 22 points in a practice match in the Top End last month.
“Freo are a really good side and played really well in Darwin,” Hodges said.
“That was our first hitout as a group and we gained a lot of experience getting out there and actually playing as an entire group.
“We worked really hard on fixing areas we broke down on in that game and the girls are going pretty well and take good confidence into this game.”
Unbeaten Adelaide’s Darwin contingent continue to impress, with Thompson and Foley the best of them in the last-start victory over Carlton.
Foley remarked during the week how different the players’ mood would be if their record was 0-3 instead of 3-0, but Hodges said he noticed little change since the pre-season.
“The group, even though they’ve had a bit of success the last three weeks, understands that doesn’t really mean anything if you don’t back it up,” Hodges said.
“One thing that’s impressed me is they’ve been very levelheaded and they follow a plan and don’t deviate from it, which is fantastic.”