Not All Doom and Gloom for Dragons Girls
Lachie Moorhouse
With the coronavirus continuing to tighten its vice-like stranglehold on worldwide proceedings, the health and safety of NAB League participants is paramount.
This has casted an ominous cloud over the remainder of the now-suspended NAB League Girls’ season.
But it is not all doom and gloom for the Sandringham Dragons girls.
After a wasteful performance in front of goal in their Round One clash against the Greater Western Victoria Rebels resulted in a 5-point loss, their recovery in the ensuing games was emphatic.
Led by a flurry of prolific performances from the top-age brigade, the Dragons would go on to win their next two games.
The girls defeated the Bendigo Pioneers by 44-points and the Gippsland Power by 52-points to send a resounding message around the competition.
It was a message that would soon ring silent indefinitely, with the NAB League following instructions from AFL Victoria to suspend the league.
Coach Tam Hyett was full of praise for the playing group despite the doubt surrounding the remaining seven rounds and potential finals series.
“Our top-age girls all stood up and played their best footy in the first three rounds,” Hyett said.
“Hopefully they caught the eye of not just the coaching staff and Dragons community, but also potentially AFLW and VFLW football clubs.”
Hyett reiterated the importance of the group sticking together.
“Obviously we’ve worked for five months towards a common goal and we don’t want anyone to fall away,” she said.
“Stay connected, just because the season has been suspended doesn’t cease our investment as a football club, nor should it cease their investment as a group towards what we aimed to achieve.
“We have done a lot of wonderful growth and development so let’s not stop that now.”
Winnie Laing, Isabella Eddey, Eliza McNamara and Alice Burke were consistent ball-winners across the first three rounds, along with Abbi Moloney who stamped her presence on the scoreboard with eight goals in the last two games.