Narrowest of finals misses, but youngest Strikers do themselves proud

NOT even the heartache of missing finals by percentage could take anything away from a wonderful season for Bendigo Strikers’ VNL Reserves team.

The youngest Strikers team’s season came to a frustrating end with a 52-52 draw against North East Blaze on 23 June.

Combined with Peninsula Waves’ 61-52 win over Hawks, the tie left them level on points with the Waves, but an agonising couple of percentage points short in the race for fourth spot.

With two games to go, the Strikers needed two wins to play finals, with only the top four teams advancing as opposed to six in the VNL Championship and 23-and-under divisions.

They were able to tick the first part of the equation off with a stirring 58-53 win over Hawks the week before

But with their destiny in their own hands, the Strikers did everything possible except hang on for a win in a tense final-round encounter against the Blaze, who finished the minor round season in second place.

In their second season of the VNL Reserves competition, after playing a handful of exhibition-type matches in the club’s first year in 2024, the Strikers lost no admirers, and in Richards’ eyes only enhanced their reputation by continuing to lay the groundwork for a bright future.

 

“Third year in, we’ve continually been working on the program and how we deliver it and how it functions alongside Champs and 23s,” she said.

“I’m not going to say it’s perfect, but it’s come a hell of a long way in a short period of time.

“We had 19 players play games.

“We had injuries and illness along the way and a lot of those girls are doing year 12 as well, so that’s a massive commitment for them.

“There’s been a few outs due to school events; that makes a difference when availability changes each week.

“But I’m rapt to see all those 19 girls get their opportunity.”

Of the four teams that qualified for finals, the Strikers beat two of them (Waves and Geelong Cougars) during the season and drew with the other two (Blaze and top-of-the-ladder Melbourne Lightning).

The final-round clash with the Blaze was in many ways reflective of the rollercoaster ride the team endured throughout a season that brought eight wins, five losses and three draws.

It was those draws which provided as costly as any loss.

“We were down early in the game, but fought back and were up by five or so at one stage in the last quarter,” Richards said.

“A few unforced errors and rushes of blood with ball handling and we let them back in and they went through to finals.

“Three draws over the course of the season leaves you open to missing finals.

“But we had a good season, just some really tight games that we couldn’t quite close out and they were the ones that cost us.”

The previous week’s win over Hawks, which kept their season alive going into the final round, was highlighted by a stunning 18-goal final quarter.

Encouragingly, the team’s 16 matches extracted an expansive mix of best players from week-to-week, with the club’s best and fairest voting tipped to be a wide-open affair.

“That’s reflective of a talented group. There’s a lot of girls who will feature heavily and will probably be taking votes away from each other,” Richards said.

 

In another positive, three players were promoted to the 23-and-under team during the season, with defender Gabby Moore now having played three games and staying on with the Strikers’ middle-tier team as they head towards finals.

Goaler Rose Byrne debuted in the 23-and-under’s round 5 match against Southern Saints and played two games, while Bridie Kelly played one game early in the season against Boroondara Express.

A win-win for both teams and the individuals, a handful of 23s players dropped back into the Reserves team at various stages of the season, contributing to their own development and that of those around them.

Among them, goal shooter Claire McGee was a key in the round 17 win over Hawks.

Three years in, Richards is in no doubt the club’s Reserves program is fulfilling its purpose.

“It’s such an important thing for the Bendigo region to have a VNL club,” she said.

“I love working with the athletes. They are a fantastic group and such a better team this year with how they bonded and interacted.

“We got the balance of personalities right, which goes a long way.

“I’m hoping to see some of them step up to 23s next year. I can see where some of them would fit in nicely.”