SWFL: Carey Park start women’s season with statement of intent, beating South Bunbury by 23 points

Carey Park’s women’s side made an early statement of their intent for the South West Football League season on Saturday with a 23-point victory over South Bunbury at Hands Oval. The Panthers came into the contest pegged as the underdogs, having finished eighth on the ladder last season against a Tigers’ outfit which won a final from fourth. But the visitors produced a brilliant performance which saw them largely dominate the contest and run out 5.3 (33) to 1.4 (10) winners. WAFLW pair Gemma Hill and Kandice Hart — who have both been cleared back to the Panthers on a full-time basis for this season — were both excellent for the winners, alongside Ruby Goddard, who was the game’s only multiple goal-kicker with two. For the Tigers, captain Kiarni Stevens battled hard in defence and Jada Scott threatened as a forward target but they could not establish the field position needed to kick a winning score. South Bunbury’s Yana Guretti burst free to win the first centre clearance of the game but Maddison Ugle set the tone early for Carey Park by meeting her with a crunching tackle. Goddard found space behind the hosts’ defence to slot the Panthers’ first goal of the day and they earned reward for having the ball hemmed in their attacking 50 for much of the first term by kicking another two before the siren. Trailing by 19 points at the opening break, South Bunbury worked their way into the contest in the second quarter but Scott was not able to capitalise on a pair of inside-50 marks, pushing a pair of set shots across the face of goal. The ball transitioned more freely from end to end in the third term but both teams battled to carve out scoring opportunities, with neither managing a goal. Having not kicked a goal all day, the Tigers would need to kick three in the final quarter to steal a win but their task was immediately made more difficult by Lana Bennett, who marked at the top of the goal square and kicked truly to give the visitors their fourth. South Bunbury needed some inspiration and found it through Stevens, who came forward from the back half to smash through their first major of the game, but Carey Park’s defence held firm in the final minutes to seal the result. With less than a minute to go, Goddard kick-started her side’s celebrations by slotting a set shot for her second goal of the day.

SWFL: Carey Park start women’s season with statement of intent, beating South Bunbury by 23 points

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