Thunder charge floors Carlton
TERRITORY Thunder came from the clouds to beat a startled Carlton in yesterday’s VFLW game at TIO Stadium.
Down by 22 points and almost out at three quartertime, Thunder went back to the fundamentals and the skills of Danielle Ponter to record one of the best wins in the team’s short history.
The 7.5 (47) to 6.9 (45) win was Thunder’s fifth of the season and again highlighted the benefits of playing in front of their home crowd.
Midfielder Machaelia Roberts was one of Thunder’s best, taking her workrate to another level in the last term when the game had to be won.
“The coach told us to pretty much slow the game down and keep backing our forwards,’’ Roberts told the Sunday Territorian.
“To come back from nowhere was great and it was our best win of the season.’’
Ponter booted four goals in the last term after a quiet first three quarters, but it was enough to turn the game in Thunder’s favour.
Thunder spent most of the first quarter in their defensive half as Carlton used the three-goal breeze skilfully by forming a wall across the middle and continually driving the ball forward.
A Jessica Hosking snap opened the scoring before Sydney Cubasch found space to mark and goal for the Blues’ second.
The swirling wind made every contest important, as Carlton’s Marnie Jarvis discovered when she ran into opponent Anne Hatchard’s knee and was down for some time with what looked like sore ribs.
Thunder’s Hannah Martin was also crunched, leaving the ground with a damaged right knee that kept her off the ground for the remainder of the game.
Hometown fans expecting a Thunder comeback with the breeze behind them in the second term were left disappointed when Carlton kicked two goals against it to take a 13-point lead into halftime.
Thunder’s Stevie-Lee Thompson from an angle and Gemma Cusack, when her long shot cleared the pack and went through, goaled for the home side.
But big marks and goals from Blues pair Mia-Rae Cifford and Sarah Wright maintained their two-goal break.
The Blues had used the ball better in the first 2½ quarters by running in numbers and playing in front, testimony to their ability to control proceedings in windy conditions.