The stage is set for the inaugural Swisse VFL Women’s Grand Final with the undefeated Darebin Falcons preparing to take on Melbourne Uni at Piranha Park. Callum O’Connor looks at the decider.
Preparing for their 12th consecutive Grand Final and possibly their fourth flag in a row, Darebin can rely on their experience and staggering versatility no matter what Melbourne Uni throw at them. The Falcons were seriously challenged on a handful of occasions this season and only once did they not turn on the burners and put the challenger in their place with an emphatic victory. If Darebin can have a match running on their terms by quarter time – regardless of the margin – they are almost impossible to throw off track.
Boasting a number of multi-role players means playing coach Jane Lange can change tactics mid-match without losing potency or disrupting her team’s balance. Katie Brennan, capable of dominating from any line, may be VFL Women’s most dangerous player and she is ably supported by Lauren Arnell, Jess Dal-Pos (forward/mid), Darcy Vescio (forward/defence) and Karen Paxman (mid/defence). To have five elite multi-role players is one thing, but across the board Darebin – as opposition teams would attest - struggle to have a weak link.
Their legendary captain Daisy Pearce capped off another outstanding season by placing the inaugural VFL Women’s Best and Fairest medal in a bulging trophy cabinet. Seven of their players are already signed to Women’s AFL teams, with Pearce, Melissa Hickey (Melbourne), Brennan (Western Bulldogs) and Vescio (Carlton) all marquee players, and netball recruit Libby Birch signed this week as a rookie.
Their opponents Melbourne Uni boast three 2017 AFL Women’s listed players in Ellie Blackburn and Emma Kearney at Western Bulldogs and Kaitlyn Ashmore at Brisbane. An outstanding backline and midfield have been Uni’s not-so-secret weapons in 2016. Any VFL Women’s coach would count their lucky stars to have defenders of the calibre of Nicola Stevens, Nicole Hildebrand, Cecilia McIntosh or Laura Croft. Andrew Jago has them all, with their depth, teamwork and rebound making them dangerous.
Further afield, a potent ruck combination in Alicia Janz and Catherine O’Bryan has provided first-class service to dynamo on-ballers Blackburn, Kearney and Maddie Keryk. Silky ball movers Kaitlyn Ashmore, Brooke Lochland and Hannah Ibrahim have delivered to a forward line that grew in stature in the second half of the season with the emergence of 18-year old Jess Anderson. The Mugars’ full-forward has kicked 30 goals this season, giving her side a key target and forcing opposition defences to build their game-plan around her.
The Mugars won their way through to the Grand Final after reversing the results of previous encounters against the Eastern Devils and St Kilda Sharks. Now, the challenge is laid out in black and white for them. Can they counteract the Falcons’ blistering ball movement when they win possession? And do they have the depth to cover the champion Falcons who can impact the game from different positions if required?
Having met on two occasions this year, Darebin got the win both times: in Round 8 by 12 points and repeated the result in the final round of the season by 72. The Falcons are currently on a 34 game winning streak - with the last team to defeat them being Melbourne Uni, in Round 2, 2015 of the VWFL Premier Division season.
Regardless of the result, it will be history in the making.
Watch the game live on vfl.com.au
SWISSE VFL WOMEN'S GRAND FINAL
Piranha Park, Coburg, 2.30pm
Darebin v Melbourne Uni
Curtain raiser games:
10am VWFL Div 1 GF - Kew v Darebin
12pm: VWFL Premier GF - Bendigo v Deer Park
Entry:
$15 adults
$10 concession/pensioners
kids 12 and under free
Last Modified on 17/09/2016 23:59