The Tasmania Devils have fallen just short of a second straight win in the NAB League Girls, going down to the Oakleigh Chargers by 11 points. The Devils piled on the pressure early at North Hobart Oval but failed to convert on the scoreboard, leaving the door open for the Chargers to pull ahead late.
TASMANIA DEVILS: 0.5 1.5 2.7 2.9 (21)
OAKLEIGH CHARGERS: 2.0 2.0 3.1 5.2 (32)
BEST PLAYERS: Priya Bowering, Madison Brazendale, Claire Ransom, Amy Prokopiec, Brooke Barwick, Tunisha Kikoak
Priya Bowering was the standout in the midfield, finishing with a team-high five clearances and standing up in the big moments throughout. Fellow midfielder Claire Ransom battled hard under close attention and led the game with 11 tackles, while Madison Brazendale ran hard on the wing while racking up 24 disposals and 14 contested possessions.
The Devils started strongly and had the chance to build an early lead over the reigning premiers. They piled on the first four scores of the game and had five scoring shots to two in the first term, but some wayward finishing left them with only five behinds for their efforts at quarter time. The Chargers had no such problems inside 50, booting two goals late in the term to take a seven-point lead into the first change.
The game tightened in the second quarter, with both teams struggling to generate scoring opportunities. The Devils backline stood tall to keep the Chargers scoreless, with newly converted defender Amy Prokopiec leading the way with a number of timely spoils. She was also able to open up the ground with her disposal, as was Shania Saward with some pinpoint kicking from the half back line. There was just one score in the quarter, with Tunisha Kikoak giving the Devils their first goal of the day and narrowing the margin to a single point at half time.
The home side continued their charge after the main break, and they re-took the lead halfway through the term thanks to some Liana Freestone magic. A long kick into the forward pocket spilled behind the contest, and Freestone was able soccer it through before the defence could react. Kikoak continued to present as Tasmania’s most dangerous forward and had chances to extend the lead, but she could only manage back-to-back behinds late in the term. Those missed chances hurt doubly when the Chargers goaled just seconds before the end of the quarter to level the scores at three quarter time.
Unfortunately for the Devils, the tough midfield battle began to take its toll as the momentum began to swing Oakleigh’s way. The visitors dominated the possession in the last term, racking up 13 inside 50s to Tasmania’s two, and they kicked two goals inside the first five minutes to storm ahead. Tasmania’s backline held strong late in the quarter to keep them in the contest, but they could only produce a pair of behinds at the other end as legs grew heavy across the ground. That saw the Devils come up short at the final siren, with Oakleigh claiming their second win of the 2022 season.
The Devils will now hit the road, with their next two games to be played in Victoria. They will face Bendigo Pioneers on Saturday February 12 at the Highgate Recreation Reserve, with the action kicking off at 12:00 PM.