ADF player Lt Jada Bendall, 1CSSB, kicks towards the 50m line during the ADF vs NSW game at the Womens National AFL Championships held recently in Darwin. Photo by Cpl Ashley Roach, 1JPAU(P)

Girls give their all

By WO2 Kim Beasland

THE ADF women’s Australian football team took to its third National Women’s AFL Championship at the beginning of June, hoping to put the heat on the powerful state sides in Darwin.

After winning two games and finishing fourth at the 2002 championships in Sydney, the ADF team was unable to get a victory this year, but came close nonetheless.

The following is a breakdown of each match:

Western Australia 9.7 (61) def ADF 4.1 (25)

A hard task first up, taking on WA who played Victoria in the final. The ADF took the game to the West Aussies for three-and-a-half quarters before the opposition kicked four unanswered goals in the last ten minutes of the last quarter to seal the game.
Best – Cpl Paula Bunting, Lt Michelle Sheather, Cpl Emma Hender, Sgt Susan Osborn and Leut Thea Collie.
Goals – 2 Cpl Katie Staines, 1 Sig Sarah Siliwka and LCpl Renae Fritzel-Flint.

Northern Territory 8.3 (51) def ADF 2.4 (16)

A lacklustre effort on the part of the ADF saw the NT literally run over the ADF, which slowed to a walk and then almost to a standstill.
Best – Leut Thea Collie, Sig Emma Murphy, Lt Jada Bendall, Lt Michelle Sheather and Cpl Emma Hender.
Goals – LCpl Renae Fritzel-Flint and Sig Emma Murphy.

Victoria 22.11 (143) def ADF 0.0 (0)

Always a hard task against the Victorian team, which is the undefeated champion since the inception of the championships. The ADF players stuck to the game plan and had the Vics frustrated by their inability to achieve their self-set mission of kicking ten goals each quarter.
Best – Lt Michelle Sheather, Sig Emma Murphy, Sgt Susan Osborn, Cpl Emma Hender and LACW Sarah Booth.

NSW 4.2 (26) def ADF 4.1 (25)

A disappointing show against NSW as the ADF side exhibited difficulty in applying the team rules and adhering to the game plan. A match of lost opportunities as the Defence team had two shots at goal in the dying minutes of the last term for just a single behind as the return.
Best – Lt Jada Bendall, Lt Michelle Sheather, Sgt Susan Osborn, Cpl Emma Hender and AB Michelle Cannon.
Goals – 3 Sig Sarah Siliwka and Sig Emma Murphy.

NT 6.5 (41) def ADF 2.1 (13)

The hardest-fought contest of the week as the ADF went into the game severely undermanned with the late withdrawal of three key midfielders due to injury that left the side with just the run-on 18 as fit players.
Gutsy to the last and constantly on the wrong side of the whistle of the man in white, the ADF team never gave up all day.
Best – Leut Thea Collie, Sgt Susan Osborn, Cpl Vicki Block, Pte Chev Calver and Cpl Emma Hender.
Goals – Cpl Vicki Block and Cpl Katie Staines.

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