Geelong’s VFL Women’s side has kept its finals hopes alive with a gutsy 11.6 (72) to 4.2 (26) win over Cranbourne Eagles at Osbourne Park on Sunday.
The Cats had just two on the bench for majority of the match after key players Elise Strachan and Jamie Woollett suffered serious injuries in the opening minutes of the second quarter.
Strachan (shoulder) and Woollett (knee) are both awaiting scans to determine the extent of their injuries after going down in separate incidents within the same minute.
Regular contributor Lily Mithen was rested, while Hayley Trevean and veteran Alisha Habib were also sidelined prior to the match.
But Geelong’s depth was on display as the Cats booted five unanswered goals after the loss of Strachan and Woollett before going on to secure a comfortable 46-point victory over the Eagles.
Former netballer Renee Garing kicked her first VFL Women’s goal in a standout performance, while Richelle Cranston was also impressive in her third game in the hoops.
Geelong VFL Women’s coach Paul Hood credited his side’s resilience for the dominant four-quarter performance.
“Defensively, we were really solid and played with great intensity from the beginning. It was a terrific performance,” Hood said.
“I was really impressed with our midfield, all the girls came in and played a role but Renee Garing and Richelle Cranston really took their games to the next level in Lily Mithen’s absence today,” he said.
“Both of them were able to win multiple possessions but then break free from congestion, and move the ball a long way, it was fantastic.
Hood said it was disappointing to see Strachan and Woollett sidelined early in the match.
“They’ve been fantastic players so far throughout the season so it’s a shame, hopefully neither of them are too long term. We’ll just wait and see what the medicos say.
Kate Darby matched her four-goal haul of last week, cementing herself as the Cats leading goal-scorer in another impressive display.
“It’s great to see Kate get a bit of reward, she’s worked really hard on her game for a long time now so its great to see some of that pay off.
“She’s really grown in confidence, some of the marks she took today were first rate, and her kicking for goal was outstanding.”
Darby said she’s enjoying being in the forward line and was really pleased with her marking against the Eagles.
“I think it really helps if I can get myself into it nice and early - like with a goal last week and the first mark I took this week - as soon as I get that little bit of confidence I’m happy to try and take the game on a little bit more,” Darby said.
Darby was pleased with the side’s ability to continue to extend the margin as the match progressed.
“I was really proud of the way we stuck at it and kept our foot on the throttle. We ended up with double-figure goals which was our aim,” she said.
There is a competition bye this week before the Cats return to take on Darebin on Saturday 29th July at Preston City Oval.
“The girls will get a week of regeneration, so a bit of rest and a bit of exercise to keep the legs ticking over but a mental break as well,” Hood said.
“We’ll give them a clear weekend where they can just enjoy some time with friends and family.”
Geelong Cats 11.6 (72) defeated Cranbourne Eagles 4.2 (26)
Goals: Darby 4, Burchell 2, Fedele 2, Blakeway, Garing, Higgins
Best: Cranston, Garing, Darby, Blakeway, Boyd, Coventry
Injuries: Strachan (shoulder), Woollett (knee)
@ Osbourne Park, North Geelong
