CONGRATULATIONS to our Stage 3 Senior Girls AFL team who won the Grand Final in the AFL Gala Day last week!!
On Thursday 5 April, the team headed to Greenway Park to compete in a local competition, the Paul Kelly Cup. The team was up against 10 different schools, and remained undefeated right throughout the competition!
The first game against Cecil Hill was a good fight between both teams ending in a close call with a score of 15-14. In the second game, Wattle Grove’s defence stood strong, however our tough attacking forwards pushed through with a win of 6-0.
From Angelina Hagipantelis’ kicks to Abbie Furley’s passes and Annalise Panarello’s mighty tackles, the final two games landed the girls solid victories, taking them to the Semi Finals against Fairfield West. Against the heat of the day, the team’s endurance caused Fairfield’s defence to crumble enabling them to push for a big win.
The dramatic Grand Final against Wattle Grove was interesting to say the least. Each team scored one behind at the beginning of the game, leaving it an even fight in the midfield. Even with extra time, still, neither team was able to produce a goal. The game lead to golden goal but ended with a very exciting finish. Under pressure, Marley Rhodes managed to earn a free kick at halfway which landed in the hands of Lara Furia who returned a mighty high mark to our lead goal scorer, Isabella Sultan, who fortunately, stood front and centre forward-facing the goal. Sultan took her time to score a safe 6 point goal, securing the team’s ‘Grand Final Champions’ title. The exhilarating win saw some tears of joy and of relief, including from Mrs Thompson – a proud spectator and coach with help from Mr Bakarich. An excellent finish and whole-team effort by all our talented players!
The Senior boys fought hard in their competition, kicking off the day with two easy victories against Liverpool West and Wattle Grove. In the third game, the boys were sadly defeated 15-14 by Holsworthty, however there was some skilful passes from Massimo Sofi and Domenic Trovato, as well as some wonderful team spirit. Although the boys did not eventuate to the Semi-finals, they did finish equal third in their pool. Nonetheless an excellent effort and positive attitude from all players!
Other exciting moments included a mid-gala-day running race where representatives from each school participated in a lengthy sprint. After playing three consecutive AFL games herself, Lillian Evans-Wilkinson managed to build up her stamina, representing the Senior Girls for Thomas Hassall finishing proudly in 2nd place. Speedy Ashton-‘the Flash’-Nou ran his heart out for the Senior boys team, finishing comfortably in 3rd place. An excellent outcome and effort by both Thomas Hassall runners!
What a successful and exciting day, it was!
Mrs Rachel Thompson
Senior Girls AFL Coach
