Sport
9 August, 2024
Finals berth for Carisbrook
Carisbrook will make the trip to Sebastopol’s Marty Busch Recreation Reserve for their second final since their return to the Ballarat Football League Women’s competition, as they embark on a second consecutive game with Bacchus Marsh.
It’s a fixture which only saw the season series between the teams decided last week, with the Cobras taking their second victory over the Lady Redbacks for the season last week.
There should be no doubt that Carisbrook would have learned plenty from the challenge ahead of them last week.
For a large part of Carisbrook’s 55-point defeat last week, the Lady Redbacks were quite competitive, particularly in the first and third quarters, which saw them have opportunities to score.
However, it was the second quarter, where the Cobras kicked four goals, which broke the game open, as it turned from a spirited affair into a comfortable outing for Bacchus Marsh.
Danae Every was the Lady Redbacks’ best player last week, while Anika Munn and Grace Brady continued their exceptional form throughout the season. Julianne Baldock, Isabella Hoban and Olivia Butler completed the list of best players for the Lady Redbacks last week.
That completed a fascinating three games between the two teams, with Carisbrook first taking blood in round five.
That game saw Carisbrook assume control for much of the afternoon, but it was Bacchus Marsh who were seven points ahead early in the last quarter.
Still, Carisbrook found a way to pinch victory from the jaws of defeat, kicking the final three goals to run all over the Cobras.
Brady was best on ground that afternoon, while Butler kicked two goals. Tiani Jardine, Munn, Baldock and Jade Cameron were also named in the best.
Bacchus Marsh were dominant in the second game between the two teams in round 10, and again, much like last week, it was the second quarter where the Cobras were dominant.
Carisbrook were held scoreless in a 58-point defeat, but Tara Curtis, Sarah Lynch, Jardine, Shelley Feilding, Caitlin Butler and Brady were all named in the best.
Carisbrook will be hoping to, at the very least, be more competitive than their only final last season, and based on their form this season, there is good reason for optimism.
Last year, it was a 44-point loss to Lake Wendouree that ended their season.
If the Lady Redbacks can maintain their application from the first and third quarters last week for a four-quarter effort, they will well-and-truly be in the contest on Sunday.