Animals hoping to avoid dumb luck in season finale

Lloyd Christmas once said “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?” when confronted with a very unlikely scenario, however the Animals will be looking to extinguish any chances of an early Christmas miracle for either Westbourne or Canterbury when they travel to Burnley to finish the 2019 VAFA Division 3 Home and Away season.

The Animals have all but secured a Senior section finals spot, with the highly unlikely scenario of the Animals losing to Richmond Central, and Westbourne and Canterbury playing out a draw at Canterbury the only possible way to remove the Animals from their coveted finals position.

However, the Animals won’t be leaving anything to chance. 

Still bullish about their flag chances in both grades in 2019, Emmaus have named two incredibly strong sides for the final round of the season, with a senior debut also handed out to a club favourite.

In the reserves, Screech Burke, Jason Schinck, and co-Captain Steve Jones mark a host of quality returns as the Animals look to avenge their then shock loss at the start of the season to the Snakes.

That day, Richmond Central overcame an early deficit to run out 9 point winners at Bennettswood, a loss no one involved in has soon forgotten.

Jono Greensides kicked 2 that day, and is fresh off a 6 goal return last week to strike again at the vast expanses of Kevin Bartlett Reserve, apt for a man who rates himself as highly as KB does KB.

He’ll have sole possession of the Animals forward line with section goal kicking leader Tom Birkett resting before a crucial finals series. Birkett will end 2019 on 48 goals in 9 games played, just shy of averaging 7 snags an outing.

In the middle, Sean Howard, Harry Wines, and the returning Jason Schinck for a midfield to be feared by any side in the division, with elite running from Charlie Simpson and Zac Durrant to accompany them on the wings.

Screech Burke returns to the backline as well, after starring in his previous two outings at Canterbury and Manningham.

The Animals are locked in to 4th position in the Reserves, and a win could set up a potential rematch the following week, with Richmond Central only one game ahead of Manningham in 3rd.

In the Seniors, there’s more positive returns ahead of the final month, with Hugh Schaeche returning from a niggle to replace Harry Davis. Ray Kuhnell starts in the middle to combat a very contested Snakes side who love a hard ball get.

Down back, clubroom favourite Fraser “G-Train” Walker makes his senior debut for the Blue and the Blue, replacing Ben Collins who rests as well before the finals series.

Up front, Zac Kearns backs up for his second senior game, whilst Paul Baranello, Chris Beluszar, and Brent Simons represent a real danger for any defender in yellow and black.

A win will confirm 3rd spot for the Animals, a loss, and suddenly thoughts go towards “the chance”, however dumb it may seem.

Devils condemned by wayward Animals

It was a case of “Job done” for the Animals as they swept aside Parkside to end the year strongly at Bennettswood Reserve in 2019. 

The Animals had a much stronger year at home, going 4-3 in the Seniors, and 5-2 in the Reserves, compared to their 2-7 and 3-6 records in 2018, and secured their first over 500 record at home since the 2017 Seniors season which went 5-4.

The Reserves kicked the day off with a comprehensive dismantling of the Parkside reserves, running out 20.27.147 to 3.3.21 winners. Jono Greensides marked his return with 6 goals, whilst Tom Birkett consolidated his lead on the goalkicking list with 3 majors of his own.

Charlie Simpson was simply divine on the wing, at times toying with the Parkside lineup, spinning out of contests and roaming around the muddy terrain of Bennettswood like it was at it’s summer best.

He was complemented by Harry Wines, who once again held sway in the middle of the park, and continues to build confidence ahead of the finals.

Down back, the Animals held Parkside goalless for the first half, before leaking 5 scoring shots in the second, however the rebound 50 work of the Animals in tough conditions was the spark for multiple scoring chances throughout the contest.

In the final term, 100 gamer Tom Buick was able to snag just his second goal of 2019 late to ensure it was a to-script performance in his milestone match, finding acres of room on the Deakin side wing in the good grass for the majority of the match.

Combined, the Reserves defeated Parkside 38.38.266 to 4.6.30 over the two games in 2019.

In the Seniors, it was a much tighter affair to start the match, with Leo’s on holding a 2 point lead at the first change.

Wayward kicking was the feature of the day for the Animals, and increased accuracy will serve them better come September, but the challenging playing conditions meant that Leo’s found straight kicking at times an impossible task.

However a 6 goal spurt in the second combined by keeping Parkside to a solitary point saw the Animals stroll away to a 47 point lead and not look back.

Parkside would mount a respectable charge to start the third, and win the third term kicking 5 goals to 2 towards the Burwood Highway, but the Animals would pull away at the end. Zac Kearns would kick his first senior goal and regular contributors Chris Beluszar and Paul Baranello would also stroke home majors as the Seniors struck 15.28.118 to 9.7.61.

Animals finals battle no walk in the Parkside

Three’s a crowd, especially when it comes to finals races.

The Animals Senior side is locked in a vicious threeway for two spots, and with only two weeks left in the 2019 VAFA Home and Away season, we’ve nearly arrived at the climax of the amateur footballing year.

For all three sides involved, winning is the only way to reach the finish line, and the first target in line is Parkside, where Emmaus started their Men’s season.

In what seems now at least two eternities ago, the Animals strolled into Alphington and delivered a solid performance which saw them run out 55 point winners at Pitcher Park.

That game was against a Parkside side who had just knocked off Richmond Central, and were riding the highs of making a splash post promotion. Since then however, it’s been less positive for the Red Devils. 

No wins since Mid-May, and fresh off two straight byes, it would be easy to believe the side from the other side of the Chandler Highway would be lacking some momentum, however that would be foolish of the Animals to do so, with their last 5 losses all by less than 5 goals.

The Animals senior side have made minimal changes to the side with lost to Manningham last week, the first game dropped since Leo’s themselves returned from the dreaded double bye.

Kieran Mair and Bailey Hunt are injected into the starting sides, with some rejigging of the magnets seeing Lawrence Virgo shift from Fullback to Full Forward.

A senior debut has been handed to Zac Kearns as well, who will start from the bench.

For the Reserves, the demons of a close loss to a solid Manningham side last week will look to be exercised when they take on Parkside’s Reserves, who’s record matches their Senior counterparts.

Last time, the Two’s flexed their muscles early, recording a 119-9 victory at Pitcher Park. Jonathan Greensides kicked 4 goals that day, and will make his return since May 11 from injury. 

But the big story of the day belongs to Tom Buick, who will run out on Past Players and True Blues Day for his 100th match in the Blue and the Blue. 

With the two’s finals spot confirmed, the chance to lock away crucial structures and systems before September hits will be look to be taken advantage of as the Animals run out on Bennettswood for one final time in 2019.

Animals downed in dour day

Unfavourable weather conditions yielded unfavourable results for both Emmaus St Leo’s men’s teams, who travelled to Koonung Reserve and faced the Manningham Cobras on Saturday.

It was a case of running out of time for the reserves, whose fourth quarter fight back wasn’t enough to deny Manningham the four points as they ran away four-point winners in what was a scrappy match from beginning to end. The first fifteen minutes of the first quarter were impressive, with the run and movement providing plenty of opportunities for the forwards. Tom Birkett added to his goal tally for the season with a major after taking a sliding mark, and did his best to provide his teammates with their own opportunities, kicking the ball to a long-sleeved Zac Kearns who also kicked truly. Kieran Jenkins scored the Animals’ third goal of the quarter with a mark on the 50 line, to see his team go six points up into the first break.

The following three quarters, much to the chagrin of Emmaus St Leo’s supporters and players, saw efforts from everybody but without a reward on the scoreboard. Kieran Jenkins kicked his second, and the Animals’ fourth, late in the fourth quarter to provide some sunshine in an otherwise dreary day for Emmaus St Leo’s reserves team. Another bright spot was the connection between ruckman and midfielder with Harry Wines being on the receiving end of some well-timed taps from Max Hunt, and managing to break away and send the ball forward countless times.

In a low-scoring affair and the final score being 5.5.35 to 4.7.31, Manningham’s ability to shut down Emmaus St Leo’s major players ended up being the difference.

It was a different story for the seniors, and not in a good way, who started off the game on the back foot, going into the first break 0.0.0 to Manningham’s 2.5.17. Countless efforts from some of Emmaus St Leo’s stalwarts in Michael Davis and Paul Baranello weren’t enough to combat the speed that Manningham had through the middle. Dan Hill kicked the Animals’ first in the second quarter, and followed up with his second in the third. Ray Kuhnell also added to Emmaus St Leo’s score after getting paid a 50 metre penalty on the wing and converting. Manningham kept the pressure up all day, consistently upping their score though wayward goalkicking kept the Animals closer than they arguably should have been, despite efforts from all involved. Harry Davis and Baxter Newbegin added to the Animals’ score with two majors in the final quarter.

The seniors were in the wars all day, with at least five players gaining and carrying injuries throughout the game. In the end, Manningham kicked away, adding three more goals to their final score in the last term to finish the game 12.12.84 to the Animals’ 5.2.32.

Both Emmaus St Leo’s men’s teams will be looking for redemption when they play hosts for the last time for the home and away season. Their opponents are Parkside, who the reserves systematically dismantled by 110 points, with the seniors following suit and winning by 55, when they played each other in the second round of the year. Get down to Bennettswood Reserve for the last time in the 2019 home and away season, and watch your Animals put some wins back on the board. First bounce is at 11:40am.

Animals roll to confront Cobra challenge

The Animals will be looking for revenge in the Seniors when they travel to the other side of the Eastern Freeway to take on Manningham in what could be a potential finals preview, whilst the Seniors will look to replace Manningham into 3rd position as they look to take the season double against the Cobras.

The Reserves ran out deserved winners during the #PinkSaturday clash, and only sit 2 points behind Manningham in the standings, proving to be both a blessing and a curse.

It’s a two’s team on the rise and beginning to now string quality performances together as they flexed and knocked Canterbury off for over 100 points, the second straight week of owning a three figure margin.

However Manningham pose a much harder proposition, and will be looking to protect their ladder position and get revenge after the previous clash, one they feel aggrieved to have dropped.

For the Animals, Co-Captains Steve Jones and Adam Athorne will miss, with it leading to some noticeable shifts.

Cam Gardner, fresh off playing.well up front, will drop back into the back pocket, with Josh Webb also floating back on to a flank role. Reece Luehman start in the other pocket whilst James Rippon moves up to Centre Half Back with Fraser Walker shifting to Fullback.

Tom Shannon is moved forward to add some height, which sees Louis Fasolino take up a role in the middle of the park, with Harry Wines and Jason Schinck set to run amuck again on the vast Bulleen ground. They’ll be fed the ball by Max Hunt, with Alex Stokes rolling through the tall rotation.

Up front, Keiran Jenkins makes his return after a short injury stint, whilst Joe Anker will provide some new x-factor from the bench.

For the Seniors, the situation is vastly different. Manningham have skipped clear of Aquinas atop Division 3 and have left the rest of the section pondering how to shut them down.

Section leading goal kicker Kane Maghamez kicked 7 at Bennettswood Reserve, and was the sole difference between the two sides in what was a shootout for the ages. Maghamez has kicked 6 goals in 2 games since his return, and has looked like his domination of the league will contiunue.

Manningham pulled away at every change in round 5 to nab the 23 point win and whilst some would argue that they have improved to an even better state, so have Leoi’s.

Three straight wins, including statement wins against direct finals rivals in Westbourne and Canterbury see a good mood down by Deakin Uni.

Hugh Schaeche will miss the clash, but Ethan Phillips will slot into his midfield role after a stellar performance on his return last week for the twos. Brent Simons will swap with Paul Baranello to start in the middle, Bara will go forward. Michael Davis pushes Ray Kuhnell to the bench, as he looks to continue on from his fine performance in his 200th game last week as well.

Down back, Lawrence Virgo has been given the job of shutting down Maghamez, which sees Sam Argus moved to the bench, whilst Jonothan O’Connor’s return pushes Baxter Newbegin wide and Charlie Simpson to the bench.

Up front, just Paul Baranello is the only change to a Leos forward line that has begun to hum, and also pride the passion for the rest of the side to feed from. Harry Davis was the catalyst last week in kicking four as he reminded the rest of the league to not sleep on him, or his Animals side as they hurtle towards finals footy.

Animals continue hot run

The Animals went three from three in the run home to finals with a crucial double strike over Canterbury at home as the Seniors commemorated the 200th game for club stalwart Micky Davis.

Davis contributed to a 7 goal first quarter blitz which proved to be the difference on the day in the Seniors. 

The 20 point win sees the Animals continue to take control of the race for the final two spots in the Senior Top 4, with their superior percentage proving to be a crucial factor with 3 games left to play.

Canterbury would strike first on the day, but the Animals would go on a 7 goal stretch to blow the game wide open, before the Cobras grabbed a goal after the quarter time siren to make it a 5 goal game. It was a Kevin Moloney hip and shoulder in the middle of Bennettswood which not only rocked his opponent, but changed the game. 

The second quarter then followed a eerily similar story to the rest of the year as Canterbury slid their way back in to the contest inch by inch, narrowing the lead to inside 2 straight kicks with a 4 goal to 1 term.

But this is a different Animals side, a side that doesn’t slump after the long break, and it was the Cobras turn to struggle to make an impact on the scoreboard again. It would be Harry Davis who would run the show, as he kicked four for the day and made his impact in the premiership quarter as the Animals blew the game back out to a healthy four gaol lead.

It’s where the game would stay, as the Animals ran out 14.12.96 to 11.10.76 winners, placing the onus now upon Canterbury to work their way back in to the top 4.

In the Reserves, it was a Tom Birkett masterclass as the sections leading goal kicker showed why he sits a top the standings with a 12 goal haul, including 6 of the Animals 7 first quarter goals.

Birkett then evenly spread his remaining 6 over the remainder of the game, as the Animals ran riot against a Canterbury side unable to match the Animals around the contest.

On ballers Harry Wines and Jason Schinck roamed freely collecting possession after possession, repeatedly bombarding the Cobras defensive 50 with entries.

Returning tall Sean Bourke felt his way into the game, and by the end was back to his dominant ways as Canterbury had no answer to the onslaught, as they bowed to a 105 point defeat, a vast contrast to the previous clash.

Animals look to bury Cobras for Davis 200

It will be a case of deja vu for Emmaus when they run out on to Bennettswood Reserve against Canterbury, with club stalwart Michael Davis reaching the 200 game milestone mark.

In what looms as a vital clash in the run home for the Senior Animals, the eldest of the Davis boys will notch up the milestone in near record time. Davis holds the club record for most consecutive games with 171, a feat only stopped after a shoulder injury at the end of 2017. 

Current long term Committee member, and reigning Andrew McCormack Perpetual Trophy holder, Davis’ influence on the Animals is not just limited to the on field. A crucial cog in the day to day running and general existence of Emmaus St. Leo’s.

However, Davis and the other 21 of his teammates will be only satisfied with one way of celebrating the milestone, and that will be a crucial 4 points against a Canterbury side that sits just below the Animals in the Senior Top 4 by percentage.

The Seniors will be looking to exact revenge, after a listless second half saw the Cobras run away with the win on their home rectangle.

Nath Baranello is one of three omissions from the win in the Inner North last weekend, with Chook O’Connor and Reece Luehman also making way for Mick’s brother Harry, and the long awaited return of star defender Baxter Newbegin.

Reece Luehman will form part of a tinkered Reserves backline which will be looking for a better start than what happened earlier in the year, where the Reserve Cobras 3 goal jump to start the game was only pegged back with a Lachlan Gunn set shot with 40 seconds remaining.

A win for the Reserves will secure a finals berth, a first this decade. It would match an expectation set by the playing group at the start of 2019, if not short of where they expected to be. Nonetheless, the chance to lock away September football will be the first goal reached on what is the run to a greater goal.

Minimal changes have been made in the Reserves as well, however the notable inclusion is the return of Sean “Spider” Bourke in Animals colours, his first appearance since a serious internal injury kept him out before his departure for Europe.

Spider’s inclusion is only overshadowed by the return of Ollie Wines’ more talented brother Harry, who has also been on his own sojourn to the continent.

Wines and Spider form a formidable middle of the field, along with Jason Schinck and Tom Shannon.

Animals hampered by slow start

The scene couldn’t have been more set for Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team’s final game of the season, with Melbourne providing the goods and allowing some light to shine onto Boss James Reserve as they took on the Hampton Rovers. In a season full of ups and downs, the Animalettes’ last game of 2019 was no different, with fierce determination and belief not reflected on the scoreboard a feature once again. After three being named on the bench, Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team started with only one, but that didn’t stop them from the playing the game out. For their second season, the Animalettes did everyone at Emmaus St Leo’s proud. 

For 80 minutes, Hampton applied pressure at every turn, their speed through the middle unable to be matched despite some serious efforts from the Animalettes midfield, who were being rotated through with the player on the bench. Head Coach Roy Fenton lamented the first half, which saw ten goals to zero kicked. ‘We were very flat, playing behind, not being first to the footy, as well as not being able to hold onto our opposition when tackling, which is something we’ve been doing very well this year.’ Kate Lucas took an excellent contested mark in the forward 50 in the second quarter, resulting in the only score for Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team all day, even as it missed just to the right. 

At half time, with nothing to lose, the coaches switched the team around and kept Hampton to just four goals for the final forty minutes. For Assistant Coach Brendan Ellwood, Kate Fletcher responded well when asked to go into the middle and be physical, with her intent helping to lift her team coming out of the main break. ‘When she has confidence behind her, she really has a crack.’ Other players who impressed both coaches were Bec Herne, with Ellwood stating that ‘she had a few beautiful plays where she attacked the footy to win the loose ball, and rebounded out of 50.’ Claire Anderson, who has been an incredible force down back all season, played the last quarter on ball despite her protests, and came out on top. ‘KL [Lucas] had some dangerous moments, and Moo [Jess Evans] ran herself into the ground even when she wasn’t getting reward with the ball,’ Ellwood lauds, albeit summing up a lot of the Animalettes’ season. Emily Kerr also impressed him, which was good to see despite her missing a large chunk of the season with injury.

In somewhat of an apparent tradition, Shellby Lonie, who did her MCL in the last game of last season, went down injured with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the umpires stopping the clock to allow her to be stretchered off with ligament damage in her ankle. 

Despite efforts from everyone involved, including the Morley sisters whose run through the midfield provided ample movement when the ball wasn’t tied up in a pack, Hampton ran away winners 13.16.94 to 0.1.1. With both teams coming into the game with nothing to lose, specifically Hampton who had already solidified their top three spot on the ladder, the scoreboard didn’t reflect the spirit the Animalettes showed on the day. 

In their second season, Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team should feel nothing but pride in the way they carried themselves in 2019. The constant battle to field a side never took the attention away from how they performed on-field, nor did it lessen the amount of love and support they all have for each other off-field. The benchmark has already been set for an even better 2020.

Barra's bully in Brunswick

Many things age well, like a fine wine, good cheese, or a priceless piece of art. These are sought after items the longer they exist. The Animals would like to raise you a pair of Baranello’s. Brothers Paul and Nath were reunited on the football field again as the put on their famous “Barra Masterclass” in what was a systematic dismantling of a gutsy North Brunswick side.

At times the large Leo’s contingent simply stood in awe as Nath and Paul went about their usual business, whether it be pinpoint precision passing, vision that defied rhyme and reason, or the unique Baranello way of simply winning the football.

Despite it being Nath’s first appearance of the 2019 season, he slotted in to what was a new system for him seamlessly and lead from the front in game 200 as the Animals eased to a 98-26 victory over North Brunswick. The milestone man lived up to the day as well, sneaking around the back and receiving the hand off to line up from 50m out in the final term on a field that made playing free flowing football a challenge.

It was evident from the first how much the Animals needed to adjust to the conditions, as a wayward start saw them kick 2 goals 8 and waste several key goal opportunities as midfielders Hugh Schaeche and Brent Simons ran riot in the middle mud.

And when North Brunswick majored themselves early in the second, some nervous jitters were excusable from the gathered. They were however quickly eased when the Animals slotted the next 3 to take a handy 42-7 lead into main change. The quarter was highlighted by Nath Baranello’s hit of the year which made a sound which can only be described as bone shuddering. Clean, hard, relentless, it was your typical Baranello performance.

But the Bulls came out and doubled their previous efforts after the half. Two quick goals to start the term and the rowdy locals were up and about. Leo’s answered again with Matt Hill kicking his usual tight angle spectacular, and when Foxy Beluszar kicked truly himself the game had been well and truly blown out.

The Animals put the jandal to the metal in the final term, kicking 5 goals, including backman Joden Crothers making one of his regular journeys on the day forward to finish the game after the siren with a major to make it consecutive years with a goal.

However it was Nath Baranello’s effort which drew the most raucous approval from the largely pro-Emmaus crowd, with a sign of the moment seeing all 17 other Animals on the field mob the man of the moment.

In the Reserves, a more ruthless attitude saw a blowout win drive the Animals 2’s percentage up by 21% as they ran out 24.14.158 to 4.5.29 victors.

Tom Birkett returned with a miserly 9 to regain his lead atop the Reserve section goal kicking list. Pickles Phillips and Connor Hoetzel both marked their returns with two each, whilst even defensive star Zac “KD” Durrant found a way to impact the scoreboard

It was the epitome of one way traffic for many stages of the game, with the Animals taking an 11 goal first half, and turning it into a 13 goal second half.

Impressive in his return as well was Jason Schinck, who demanded the football and used with aplomb in the quickly deteriorating conditions in the centre square.

The wins kept both sides in fourth spot, with the Reserves now able to secure a finals berth with a win over their nearest rival in Canterbury on Saturday, whilst the Seniors will look to create a crucial 4 point gap on the Cobras in the later game.

Animals bullish ahead of milestone match

It’s not often you find a side looking to improve on respective 77 and 75 point victories, yet the Animals Men’s sides will be looking to “complete the job” when they travel to North Brunswick.

In an extra touch for the Animals, Nath Baranello makes a return for his first game for 2019, and as such notching up his 200th appearance for the Blue and the Blue. The former president, u19s flag winner, and 2014 Andrew McCormack Perpetual trophy winner will finally reach the milestone, and being stranded on 199 games after playing, starring, and winning his previous time out for Leo’s against Powerhouse.

The sentiment however shared at Thursday training was one of improvement, with Coach Ian Ledder not allowing his charges to rest on their laurels, and setting them the task of improving the margins from earlier in 2019, or risk growing stagnant.

The Reserves will precede the milestone, and will be looking to improve on a clunky win last time out against Westbourne. The twos struggled to meet the conditions and scrapped to get the 3 goal win.

Multiple changes to the side named to face Westbourne, see Connor Hoetzel, Isaac Waite, Emerson Lemkau. Joe Anker, and Tom Birkett all come in to the side.

Birkett lost sole ownership of Division 3 Reserve goalkicking leaderboard after missing last week and Aquinas’ Aaron Kinghorn notched 7 against Canterbury. Birkett will be out to reclaim the lead.

Down back Darcy Burke moves into the last line of defence, with Tom Buick moving back into a more familiar role across half back.

A new rotation group has also been named, with Kieran Mair the most notable name on a strong bench.

For the Seniors, there’s only one inclusuon that everyone is interested in, and it features across half back where Nath Baranello lines up for game 200 in what is a largely tall defensive 6.

Ray Kuhnell comes into the starting side and is thrust forward, with his hard nosed style set to disrupt any plans North Brunswick have moving the ball out of their defensive 50.

His inclusion frees up Brent Simons to start in the middle, where he has been damaging in his return to Burwood in 2019.

Chook O’Connor also returns to the side, to pair up with Kev Moloney in a ruck tandem set to dominate the day

Women hamped up before final clash

Like all good things, Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team’s 2019 season must come to an end and it will, this Saturday against the Hampton Rovers at Boss James Reserve for their last game of the year. Bennettswood Reserve is once again empty for the second weekend in a row with the men’s teams taking on North Brunswick at Allard Park, aiming to continue their run to finals. But it’s a bittersweet feeling for the Animalettes, whose second season has been up and down for the most part. But on the back on determination and teamwork, they’ve made it one to remember and will look to finish off with a bang.

Hampton are coming into the game off a pretty convincing win against Oakleigh, with Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team feeling a bit worse for wear after taking the game to the Preston Bullants who ran away winners. Win, lose or draw, Hampton won’t move from their position in third on the ladder, but the Animalettes have an opportunity to finish further up if they win, depending on other results from the weekend.

Team selection news has more than one on the bench for the first time in a couple of weeks. In the backline, Dee Burden, Sam Bridgland, and Bec Herne will start, with Shino Walsh, Claire Anderson and Soraya Jeanes at halfback. On the wings will be Emily Kerr and Ash Morley, while Maddy Hogan will start in ruck with Shellby Lonie, Tara Ingham and Sarah Morley at her feet. Jess Evans, Sheridan Harris, Kate Lucas and Kate Fletcher will stretch out across half forward, and Bridget Monaghan and Shannon Harris beginning the game in their usual spot of deep in the forward 50. Caroline Simon, Delaney Morvell, and Sarah Dawson round out the bench.

Running out on to the field for the last time in 2019, the Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team will look to set the benchmark for their 2020 campaign. Despite not-ideal circumstances, they’ve pulled together every week and put every ounce of Animals spirit into every game. Can the Animalettes grind out another gritty win and finish their season off with a fifth win? Will they get the scoreboard reward they’ve been searching for all season? Get down to Boss James Reserve and find out. First bounce is at 10:30am.

Women Hard Prest for Much Luck Under Lights

The key word for the Emmaus St Leo’s Football Club on Saturday was ‘hunt’. And hunt they did with the men’s teams taking out their Westbourne opponents comfortably in their returns from some hefty time off. But for the Animalettes, their hunting efforts on the field weren’t reflected on the scoreboard once again, losing out to the second-placed Preston Bullants. The immense pride Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team walked off W.R. Ruthven Reserve with was well-deserved after they took the game to their opponents every step of the way.

Mental toughness has been a key component of the Animalettes in 2019, particularly in the latter part of the season as they struggle with numbers, but they have done nothing less than impress those who follow them with their ability to push through despite not-ideal circumstances. With one on the bench, they started off the game well but Preston’s speed through the midfield allowed them a few quick shots on goal, putting them in a superior position going into the quarter time break 4.1.25 to the Animalettes’ three zeroes. 

In the second quarter, Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team’s defensive efforts started to show on the scoreboard, limiting Preston to just one goal for the entire term, while they added two behinds to the scoreline. The third quarter is where Preston started to kick away, with the Animalettes’ pressure dropping off just slightly and their opponents taking advantage. They added three goals and four behinds to zero, pretty much cementing the win late in the third. 

But that didn’t deter Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team, who came out of the third quarter break with a strong mentality of finishing off the game the only way they knew how. In true Animals fashion, they toughed out the final 20 minutes, never giving up despite being down by so much. A scoreboard reprieve came late in the fourth quarter, when Shannon Harris tackled a Preston player inside the forward 50. The pressure resulted in a throw, with the umpire paying a free kick and putting Harris within range. Movement in the goalsquare didn’t deter her at all as she sent the ball straight through for a goal, the wind behind her. Jubilant cheers came from everywhere, with everybody running in for a tight hug. The celebration for a goal, despite being down by a significant amount so late in the last quarter, is a cornerstone of the Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team and sets an unbreakable culture both on field and off field. Preston finished the game 9.8.62 to the Animalettes’ 1.3.9.

Head-of-media-turned-coach Geoff Koop was so proud of the fight shown by all 19 of his charges. ‘You can’t ask for more from your players than a pure fight and desire.’ He believes it to be the basis of a good performance and that it’s something the Animalettes have been showing for the past month. 

Particular efforts that should be lauded in a tough and gritty loss include Shino Walsh, who played a shutdown tagging role on one of Preston’s best for a majority of the second term and all of the second half, coming out on top and it was these efforts that undoubtedly impressed Koop. ‘She’s had a solid debut year, but Saturday was her best performance bar none, and she thrived in a role not often seen in the women’s game. She ran with arguably one of the best female players in the VAFA, and not only nullified her threat, but altered the entire team’s focus at a crucial time in the game.

Walsh wasn’t the only one to impress Koop, who couldn’t speak more highly of Shellby Lonie’s game and her season, believing her to have the best positioning in the division. ‘Her ability to pop up continuously in the right spot, whether it be down back, across the middle, or up front is an asset any team would desire.’ And not surprisingly so, Sarah Morley also gets a special mention, with Koop enjoying the way her gamebreaking ability and run gets her team out of trouble on multiple occasions. 

This weekend, the Animalettes will run out onto the ground for the last time in 2019. They’ll be facing the Hampton Rovers away at Boss James Reserve at 10:30am. Hampton are coming off a pretty comprehensive win against Oakleigh while Emmaus St Leo’s women’s team will look to regroup after their loss and finish off their season with their fifth win.