In just their third game ever, the Ottawa Lady Swans fielded a purely-Nation’s Capital squad for the first time this season, after picking up affiliated players to round out their roster for the first two matches of the Ontario Australian Football regular season. And while they didn’t score as many points, the Lady Swans’ commitment left them with the win on paper.
The Lady Swans travelled down to Toronto on a muggy afternoon to take on the Downtown Dingoes. Although undermanned themselves, the home side’s small roster forced them to loan several high-calibre players from other OAFL teams, including several national standouts, awarding the Lady Swans the official win.
Nevertheless, the match proved to be tight, competitive contest. Both sides were rock solid in the first half, delivering punishing tackles and demonstrating strong passing and communication skills. Ottawa’s Emma Dickinson proved a force to be reckoned with, moving across the field and kicking the team’s first goal of the game. Holly Costanza joined her by providing support for her teammates and sending strong balls across the field to teammates.
Catherine Geci and Brier Dodge formed a strong defensive duo in the backline, providing excellent coverage and laying strong tackles on their opponents. While under pressure, the team showed fantastic patience and moved the ball effectively. Meghan Haycock showed excellent positioning in the forward role and racked up positions throughout the game. The strong first half saw the teams only one point apart going into the second half. The Dingoes were able to capitalize on a Swans injury, which left the Swans down, but certainly not out.
The second half again saw very balanced attacking from both sides, as the Swans battled valiantly against a number of very experienced players. The Swans’ forward pressure was undone by inaccurate goal kicking; registering 13 behinds in total and ultimately their demise as the Dingoes came away 17 point winners. With no veteran players, and six rookies on the field, Coach Chris MacLean was incredibly pleased with effort from the Lady Swans, “The team was strong in the contested mark and their decision making was excellent when moving the ball out of the contest and up the ground. They are relentless and are continuously improving.”
Although a technical forfeit for the Dingoes, it was fantastic to see players in the OAFL come together to help support and grow the women’s footy side of the league and provide an excellent match for the players who travelled from Ottawa. The win means that the Lady Swans are now 2-1 for the season and in third place in the league.
The Swans will next play on the road on 2nd June at University of Toronto-Scarborough.
Ottawa Lady Swans 3.13 (31) defeated by Toronto Downtown Dingoes 8.6 (48).
Goals: Emma Dickinson, Brier Dodge, Megan Griffin
Best: Emma Dickinson, Catherine Geci, Brier Dodge
Last Modified on 30/05/2012 01:34