A strong Wattle Park Women’s side has knocked off ladder-leaders Elsternwick in a rather expert showing at Bennettswood Reserve on the weekend, with a three-goal final term sealing the deal to get the Animals deservedly back on the winner’s list. 

After a heartbreaking one-point loss in round 7, the Women were eager to course correct and it didn’t take very long. When the siren sounded, Wattle Park were on, with the ball spending much of the time in blue and blue hands, until first-year Animal Amber Jackson-Pyne managed to get herself on the receiving end of a loose ball, soccering it through for her first for both the season and the club. It was always going to be tough facing the top-of-the-table team, but getting the first score on the board ignited the Animals. 

In what now appears to be a masterstroke in team selection from head coach Mel Dell’Olio, vice-captain Lilli Fogarty was named to start the game in the forward line after trying her hand on the wing and the backline through both the first part of the season and her footy career. Providing a strong target in the forward line, it wasn’t long before Fogarty was on the receiving end of a kick inside 50, and she found herself with a chance to get in on the first-goal party. And waste the chance she did not, sailing the ball through from almost directly in front, much to the delight of her teammates who were now two goals in front in just the first term. 

As it almost always goes, the second quarter was less scoring shots and more tightly contested football as both teams struggled to wrest momentum. A few missed opportunities in front of goal for Elsternwick allowed Wattle Park to keep their buffer despite not being able to add to their score. 

The third term remained much of the same arm-wrestle the first half of the game had been, just with Wattle Park able to take advantage of their dominance on the scoreboard, with another first-year Animal in Jas Adern getting her first goal for both the season and the club to stretch the lead. 

But on the ground, it felt like Elsternwick were building, and with the momentum arguably going their way at the beginning of the final term, the Animals had to hold their nerve. Despite the 13-point buffer, they knew their opposition were going to push, and push they did. Twenty minutes of football felt far longer to the Women as they appeared to go goal for goal with Elsternwick, but the Animals’ ability to immediately get the response allowed them to keep their foot on the accelerator. Two incredible goals from Paige Hill, whose ability to read the play and get on the receiving end of some Ashton Billing craftiness, including a sliding mark at the top of the 50, allowed the Animals to grit their teeth and grind out the win. With the final nail, Billing also slid one through the big sticks to cap off a best-on-ground performance.

Continuing their red-hot form, the best player’s list consists of Billing, captain Ebony Ratcliffe, Hill, Clover Hart, Lilly Hutchison and Caity Power. 

Going into the King’s Birthday bye in some good form, the Women sit sixth on the ladder, their three wins and five losses giving them a percentage of 64.55%. 

WP 6.2.38

ELS 3.7.25