The Tasmania Devils are back on the winners list in the NAB League Girls after an impressive 28-point victory over the Bendigo Pioneers. Playing their first away game of the 2022 season, the Devils rose to the occasion with big first and last quarters propelling them to the win.
TASMANIA DEVILS: 3.7 4.8 5.9 9.10 (64)
BENDIGO PIONEERS: 2.0 4.3 5.5 5.6 (32)
BEST PLAYERS: Georgia Clark, Claire Ransom, Meghan Gaffney, Brooke Barwick, Maisie Edwards, Chelsea Thomas
Georgia Clark was dominant in the forward half once again, pulling down six big marks and driving the ball inside 50 with purpose to be named as Tasmania’s best. Fellow forward Bellah Parker made the most of that service to lead the game with three goals, while the midfield brigade of Claire Ransom (20 disposals), Brooke Barwick (17 disposals, one goal) and Meghan Gaffney (15 disposals, one goal) were all at their best.
The home side burst out of the blocks, kicking the first two goals of the game inside the first four minutes of action. The Devils quickly settled into the contest from there, though, holding the Pioneers scoreless for the remainder of the quarter and peppering the goals themselves. Parker opened their account with her first major, and after a string of behinds they took the lead with a goal from Jenna Griffiths five minutes from the break. When Georgia Clark added a third late in the term, it gave the Devils a handy 13-point lead at the siren.
That advantage looked to be in danger in the second term, as Bendigo hit back with a quick goal and the Devils suffered a big injury blow. Dominant in the ruck to that point, Charlie Vandenberg was put on ice for the remainder of the game after suffering an injury, leaving Tunisha Kikoak to shoulder the load in the second half. The Devils added to their lead with a goal from Gaffney, but a flurry of late scoring shots from the Pioneers cut the margin to just five points at the main break.
Bendigo carried that momentum into the third quarter and won the battles across much of the ground, but they struggled to convert that into scoreboard pressure. That saw more than 14 minutes pass until the first goal, and it was the hosts that broke the drought to take their first lead since the opening minutes. The Devils found themselves under immense pressure, and half-forward Maisie Edwards stepped up to edge her side ahead once again. She racked up six disposals in the quarter, capped off with a goal that saw the Devils re-take the lead at the final change.
After battling through a tough period, the floodgates finally opened in the final term as the Devils piled on the goals. They booted the final four majors of the day, with Amy Bissett and Barwick both hitting the scoreboard and Parker capping a strong display with her second and third majors. The Pioneers could manage just one behind in the quarter as the Devils turned up the heat, with Priya Bowring leading the way from the midfield with a game-high nine tackles across the game.
The win moved Tasmania into fifth place on the NAB League Girls ladder, with only percentage keeping them out of the top four. The Devils will again travel to Craigieburn in round five, as they will take on the Northern Knights on Saturday February 19.