Blue Heelers women unable to defend title

Gunnedah Poochettes vice-captain Laura Ewington was the sole goal-kicker for the North West Blue Heelers women who were defeated in both of their Northern NSW representative AFL fixtures at Wolseley Park last Saturday.

The Central West Eagles won the Regional Australia Bank Cup after accounting for North West and the North Coast Force, as these teams played a tri-series of matches involving 20-minute halves.

The Blue Heelers team included Poochettes players Ewington, Alexa Walker, Amy Clark, Abbey Ruttley, Chelsea Palmer, Zoe Palmer, Beccy Wilson and Amelia Woolaston, who was a late inclusion.

North West clubs Inverell, New England, the Tamworth Kangaroos and Tamworth Swans were also represented, while the coach was Gunnedah men’s player-coach Jakob Vearing.

Walker was rated North West’s best player on the day, and Gina Cardillo was rated the best for North Coast while Emily Warner was chosen as Central West’s best.

The Blue Heelers began with a 5.5.35 to 0.1.1 loss to the Eagles, who had players from Dubbo, Bathurst, Orange and Cowra.

A goal each to Callee Black, Lillian Marshall and Lauren Anasis helped Central West to a 3.3.21 to 0.1.1 half-time lead, before Warner and Anasis snapped a six-pointer each in the second half.

In the following fixture, Ewington’s major levelled the score at 1.1.7 apiece after North Coast’s Rose Chetwynd landed the opening goal.

The Force held a slender 1.3.9 to 1.1.7 half-time lead before going on to win 4.7.31 to 1.1.7.

Amber McRae-Mitchell, Lyndell Bassett and Britt Hargreaves landed a goal each in the second stanza.

In the deciding match, the Eagles led 3.4.22 to 1.1.7 at half-time before defeating the Force 5.6.36 to 4.1.25.

From the Blue Heelers’ perspective, the day was far removed from the corresponding day last year when North West reigned supreme at Newcastle with a 4.2.26 to 1.1.7 victory against North Coast in the sole fixture.

Walker, Ewington and Ruttley were also part of that day along with the same coach as this year, although last year’s North West team also included several other Poochettes who have not played for the club this year.

Vearing said one of those former Poochettes, Katrina Rekunow, was a huge loss this year while player availability was another factor.

Vearing said the wealth of experience in this year’s Central West and North Coast teams made a difference, and that he thought his team “did absolutely super” under the circumstances.

“I think we were lucky to get players with more than 20 games’ experience,” he said.

With the Blue Heelers lacking experience in the forward line, Vearing described the team as “full of defenders”.

“I think they did super well, all things considered,” he said.

Vearing also said he thought the 20-minute halves made things hard.

“It takes a good 20 minutes just to get a bit of rhythm with your team,” he said.

“At that point the game was half done.”

Zoe Palmer gets a kick away under pressure for the North West Blue Heelers against Central West.

North West’s Laura Ewington tackles Central West’s Alissah Grimm during the first AFL representative match at Wolseley Park last Saturday.