CVFL vows redemption for Ballarat loss

CVFL joint interleague coach Eloise Gretgrix says the senior women’s team will take some lessons from Ballarat defeating them last weekend, but will return more eager than ever next season.

Up against a BFLW team playing in its first-ever interleague game, Central Victoria was beaten 2.1 (13) to 5.9 (39) on a muddy Alfredton Recreation Reserve.

Down by 30 points at three-quarter-time, Central Victoria never gave up, with the side’s second goal narrowing the margin to 26 points at full-time.

 

But it was a pair of goalless quarters in the second and third that ultimately resigned Central Victoria to its first loss in its last nine interleague encounters.

Admitting to being disappointed, Gretgrix – who coached alongside Leigh Stewart – could not fault the side’s endeavour and resilience to push through to the end.

“It would have been nice to put a few more goals on the board, but it was a nice lesson learned for our girls,” she said.

 

“They gave it 100 per cent … no doubting that … and I felt we got better as the game went on.

“But Ballarat were clearly better on the day. Tellingly, they’ve been training for eight weeks and we’ve been training for three.

“They are obviously used to playing with each other and being around each other … and in this weather.

“They get to play in it a lot, which is an advantage, but there’s no taking away from what they did. We were trying our dry weather football that we are used to in Bendigo.

“We still went out and gave it 100 per cent, which is all you can ask as a coach.”

 

Gretgrix said there was merit in an extended interleague preparation as deployed by Ballarat for its first-up assignment, albeit not a full eight-week program.

“You could tell by the way they positioned themselves that they were definitely well drilled,” she said.

“They were getting around each other early and we didn’t quite get up today. We tried.”

A standout in last year’s 73-point win over Millewa in Mildura, Taylah Moore was again tireless in the ruck and defence and never waned in her efforts to lift her Central Victorian teammates. She was ably supported by fellow ruck Sasha Pearce, with the pair dominating the hit-outs.

 

The Wedge-Tailed Eagles’ Teagan Ainslie racked up plenty of the ball, while Eaglehawk’s Lucy El Hage, Castlemaine’s Eillish Cumming and Golden Square’s Gemma Roberts all toiled hard.

From Ballarat’s perspective, coach Danyel Waters said her side had fully embraced its underdog status.

“While it was great to break that (Central Victorian) streak, just the way the girls brought the heart and the pressure from that first quarter was amazing and we didn’t let up,” she said.

“I couldn’t be prouder of their effort.

 

“We’d been working on our game plan for eight weeks, so today we just needed to trust in what we had been training for.

“Speed, pressure and territory was our game plan today and we absolutely nailed all three of those.”

Gracious in defeat, Gretgrix said it was hard not to be happy for Ballarat experiencing success in its first-ever interleague game, leaving the door open for a return clash next season.

“One hundred per cent, I’d love to play them back in Bendigo, putting our best side forward,” she said.

 

“I’d love to play as well, but happy to go again as a coach if they want me,” added Gretgrix, who is closing in on a return to playing action for Castlemaine from the knee injury that has sidelined her through the first 12 rounds of the season.

Meanwhile, the CVFL’s under-18 girls team was also beaten by Ballarat, but in a thriller.

In a tense and absorbing battle, the BFLW held on for a nail-biting 3.5 (23) to 3.4 (22) victory before the senior game.

Scarlett Ward, Charlise McQueen, Akiva Morrissey, Maddison Collard, Kyah Spiteri and Jess Cox were the standout performers.