|
| |
Hard yards
By Barry Rollings
Volume 49, No. 14, August 09, 2007 |
| |
 |
|
SPOILER: SGT Katie Staines attempts to spoil this kick by a Victorian under-19 opponent.
Photo by LS Yuri Ramsey |
|
Beaten but better for the experience was how ADF coach WO2 Kim Beasland described his team’s efforts at the Australian Football League Women’s National Championships in Canberra from July 9-14.
The ADF failed to win against some hot competition but the yards were hard and the Defence women did them, although the scores taken in isolation would seem a hard arbiter of performance.
“I was pretty pleased with the performances across the board,” WO2 Beasland said. “We certainly had some winnable games.
“We were in front at half-time in our opening game against South Australia but our intensity dropped off in the second and we let them in. We were kicking ourselves for the rest of the carnival because we knew that was one we could have won.
“Day two proved tough, playing three of the four top sides in the championship. The girls’ resolve increased significantly and we were able to take that intensity to them throughout the day.
“We were one of two sides to have to play three games in the one day, so it was a hard day at the office but the girls did not disgrace themselves.
“Against Queensland, we held them scoreless for the first 15 minutes of the second half – no mean feat in matches of 20-minute halves.
“We took the game up to Western Australia and they were pretty impressed. The word out there was that we were not easybeats despite the fact that we lost by a big margin.
“The match against NSW on day three looked ‘gettable’ and the team seemed to perform very well in the hard games but intensity dropped off in the achievable games. WO2 Beasland said it was an “arm-wrestle for most of the game”.
“Against the ACT, I echoed my sentiments to the management that the umpiring left a lot to be desired. But the girls’ resolve and intensity remained high and I told them I was quite proud of their performance,” he said.
“It was a tough ask against a well-groomed Victoria, which has won the trophy for the past few years. That was tough but we never gave up. The only thing you can ask is that they don’t surrender and they didn’t.” |
| |
|
