They’re a happy team at Olinda.
The Olinda Women’s team set themselves to avenge the two early season losses to Pakenham and did so in emphatic fashion, thrilling the bumper Friday night crowd at home with their 4.16.40 to 2.1.13 victory.
The mood before the game was celebratory already with the 18th birthday of live wire Ruby (Barb) Gilson, and singing, dancing and laughter formed the foundation of the pre-game warm up. The team skipped onto the ground with a magnetic spirit, but fierce intent.
Olinda lost the toss and started the game kicking into the wind towards the eastern or “swamp” end of the ground.
Heavy rains over autumn and winter have left that end of ground unrecognisable, and search parties have gone out looking for missing Auskickers feared lost in the gluggy mud pit. The icy, blustery, muddy conditions were not particularly enticing for the ‘flatlander’ visitors, but the mountain women of Olinda are well accustomed to inhospitable weather.
Olinda exploded from the first bounce and played a tough, exciting brand of football, the ball spending most of the first quarter locked in Olinda’s forward line. A sneaky first goal to Pakenham against the tide would be the last they would score until the last quarter.
Miss Football Lily (Laser) Carlin had not played football for 13 days due to concussion protocols, and was ticking every day off like an advent calendar.
Lils showed no signs of ill health and picked up where she left off, consistently winning contests, driving her opponents into the ground with bone crunching tackles or precisely delivering the ball by hand or foot. Where’s Wally Olivia (The Weapon!) Edwards is likely to pop up anywhere on a football field, but her ability to work up and quickly back to her forward home is to her immense credit. There is rarely an Olinda score that hasn’t had the handprint of Liv on it, and the first quarter was no exception, Liv creating a bunch of scoring chances but without the reward of a goal. The siren sounded with Olinda having scored only two points, but the ball in Liv’s hands 30 metres out from goal on a tricky angle. While the players, coaches and spectators held their breath, the ball thundered off Liv’s boot and split the goals post high. The Olinda girls sprinted into the quarter time huddle with rapturous excitement one point ahead on the scoreboard, and would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.
Ball magnet and ruck leviathan Chelsea (Big Kahuna) Wilson is exceptional at bounces, whether delivering deft taps sideways into the arms of her midfielders or thumping the ball 20 metres to her forwards. Chelsie’s ground ball work is equally impressive though, and she frequently places herself exactly where the ball is landing and wins it most times . Chelsea’s work all night was hugely influential in the win. Lucy (Goose) Hilton is the archetypal in-and-under midfielder and her work extricating the ball out of contests, earning free kicks or causing stoppages was outstanding all night.
Olinda’s backs were getting frost bite in the second quarter as the ball lived in Olinda’s forward line. Another classy goal to The Weapon was a highlight, but the six points for the quarter were equally encouraging and frustrating. Amalija (Mars) Kostich Angerson is working back to her best form after an extended lay off, and her forward pressure all game was first rate. Mars created plenty of scoring opportunities without reward, but surely a bag is just around the corner. (Barb) Gilson was equally impressive forward all night and created a plethora of scoring chances and continually harassed her defensive opponents. The Football Gods were hovering when Rubes lined up for goal 30 metres out at the half time siren, but the Birthday Girl’s shot drifted left with the breeze and crashed into the post.
The third quarter was an arm wrestle with the two points to Olinda the only scores. Kyah (The missile) Barry is a walking highlight reel, and there is rarely a game when Kyah doesn’t do something brilliant. Such a highlight occurred during the quarter when Kyah delivered a bullet handball out of a contest into the waiting arms of the Big Kahuna who fired a wormburner onto the chest of The Weapon. It was the best passage of play in a game packed with great moments. Young battering ram Tobi (Killer) Monkhorst was at her brutal best all night, but her attempt to “don’t argue” two opposition players at the same time was a standout moment. It didn’t end well for Tobes, but all at the ground loved the intent.
You could set your watch to Anna (Goanna) Hughson, so reliable she is repelling attacks from half back, and delivering surely by hand and foot. Anna was moved forward for two minutes last week and Berwick Springs kicked two goals, so don’t expect to see Anna up forward again any time soon.
In round 10’s disappointing loss to Pakenham away, Pakky Captain Chloe Nagel received best on ground honours, and burly full forward Chelsea English kicked six goals.
Enter Cult hero Anja (Onions) Hulston and firebrand Paige (The Rage!) Robinson. Anja completely blanketed Nagel, to the point where she was moved to all corners of the field trying to shake the tag, all while Onions had plenty of ball herself.
In the absence of regular full back of the year Casey Seymour, who missed her first ever game of football, 15-year-old Paige was given the unenviable task of standing Chelsea English. Not only did Paige have a great game herself, she held English to zero goals in what was essentially a match winning performance.
The football gods finally intervened in the last quarter when amidst a scrum in the goal square a toe poke from Birthday Girl Ruby Gilson dribbled through the big sticks. Rubes was duly taken to ground and mobbed by her joyous teammates.
The team piled on another four points to take the tally to 16 for the game, but the third goal to The Weapon was the icing on the cake and sealed the contest.
(DJ) Ness Curnow (nee Bateman), Chloe (The Smiling Assassin) Kanally, and team talisman Emmalee (Bruce) Keegan all had strong games and contributed well to the win. Sisters Laura and Celia Clarke, Issy Dennis and Olive Kelly all had good moments and contributed to what was an outstanding team performance.
Saving the best for last, Captain Courageous Claire Hyett is consistently in Olinda’s best players, and was again Friday night. Claire’s fearlessness and work rate is of the highest quality and she is a constant inspiration to her teammates.
Claire’s work off the field is even more telling. Equal parts mentor, big sister and motivator, Claire’s work during the week calming the waters after last week’s horrible loss was amazing, as was her pre game getting the team energised for such a brilliant performance.
If the win in round 11 against Upwey was Olinda’s best win of the season, this victory was surely the most enjoyable.
Olinda has the chance to remedy last week’s loss with a return bout at home against Berwick Springs on Saturday morning. If Olinda brings the same spirit and intensity, Berwick Springs will not enjoy their trip up the mountain.
