Victoria squared the ledger at 1-1 across the women's state football weekend, defeating NSW/ACT by 44 points at Punt Road Oval Sunday.
After trailing by five points at quarter time, the Victorian team kicked into gear in the second term with four goals to no score to take the lead - where they remained for the rest of the match winning 8.10 58 to 2.2 14.
Making the most of the breeze to the Brunton Ave end of the ground, Victoria made up for a goalless first term with four in a row in the second quarter.
The Vics peppered the goals to quickly take the lead early in the second quarter as Louise Stephenson made the most of a teammates intercept from a kick in to start the run.
The ball did not leave the Victorian forward half as the pressure on the ball carrier lifted, and the home team took control.
Key forward targets were a highlight for Victoria, with Stephenson, Brianna Davey, Madeleine Boyd and Sarah D’Arcy proving difficult to match up on.
After a couple of misses in front of goal captain Hannah Scott intercepted a clearing kick by NSW/ACT to kick her first just before half time, giving her side a commanding 22-point lead.
Scott was named best for Victoria with her work through the middle of the ground and across half forward in a superb display of skill and leadership.
While Victoria started strongly in the third term with Melissa Kuys, Boyd and D’Arcy all providing strong leading targets up forward, the breeze was proving difficult to overcome along with the NSW/ACT defence led by Kristy De Pellegrini.
Jaimee Lambert was again lively inside forward 50, but was not rewarded on the scoreboard.
Another goalless quarter followed for Victoria, but the positive was the defensive half – featuring Nicole Paul, Kirby Hicks and Tahni Nestor - held NSW/ACT to just one goal, and went into the final term with a 17-point lead.
With all single goal scorers up to three quarter time, the final term saw Stephenson, Davey and Scott all add their second, along with Kendra Heil kicking her first.
NSW/ACT were unable to add a score to the Bridge Road end of the ground, while Victoria only added two behinds in the first term highlighting the difficulties for each side against the breeze.
The win showcased a number of up and coming players in the competition.
It provided an opportunity to play in the Big V jumper for the first time for a host a new names we are likely to see much more of in the future.
Victoria 2 0.2 4.5 4.7 8.10 58
NSW/ACT 1.1 1.1 2.2 2.2 14
Victoria
Best: Scott (Eastern Devils), Davey (St Kilda), Paul (Diamond Creek), L.Williams (Diamond Creek), Lambert (Eastern Devils), Gillespie-Jones (Seaford)
Goals: Davey (St Kilda), Scott (Eastern Devils), Stephenson (Melbourne Uni) 2, Heil (Eastern Devils), Boyd (North Geelong) 1
NSW/ACT
Best: De Pellegrini, Lew, Hessell, Collier, Reid, Walker
Goals: Hicks, Lew 1
Last Modified on 19/06/2015 14:34