Tara Murray
Gisborne’s season has only just begun as it aims for success in the Essendon District Football League division 1 women’s competition.
The Bulldogs are one of four standout teams in the competition, with the quartet opening a gap on the other two teams.
Bulldogs coach Jason Peak said they were already starting to think about what would help them come the pointy end of the season.
“We’re tracking OK,” he said. “We’re not too far off the mark.
“I said on Monday to the girls that the season starts now. We have to work towards what is best to showcase our abilities to get the win.”
Peak said they believed that they had closed the gap on Greenvale, which is undefeated, and continues to be the bench mark in the competition.
He said the second time they played them, they didn’t have a full team which hindered their chances.
He said they look forward to playing them again.
Not much separates the next three teams, Burnside Heights, Essendon Doutta Stars and the Bulldogs.
Peak said they know that they can beat both of those sides.
“We had a couple of losses to Essendon Doutta Stars and Burnside [Heights].
“Doutta Stars we didn’t play well for three quarters and then we couldn’t get across the line. They had all their VFLW [Victorian Football League Women’s] players in that day.”
Peak said they believed they had a better spread of contributors this season, with a number of players showing a lot of improvement.
He said it had been a juggling act trying to get their best side available with injuries, work and other commitments.
The Bulldogs faced Essendon Doutta Stars on Saturday.
It was a tough day for the Bulldogs, losing 5.2 (32)-0.1 (1).
In a quirk in the fixture, the Bulldogs also face the Stars in their following round match too.
“We play them this week, then a bye and then play them the week after,” he said.
“Two games in a row, it is okay.”
Peak said while they had more competitive games this season following the drop of two teams into division 2, he said he didn’t believe it was the best move for the competition going forward.
“I’m not a big fan of what happened and I feel sorry for Tullamarine and the Sunbury Lions,” he said.
“I think they should make it a 10 team top division and all the other teams in a second division. You’ll have one or two really good teams, but it should be a fairly even competition.
“The reserves side then should be in their own division. I think it’s a better solution and a 10 team premier division signals to the rest of the football community they’re taking it seriously.”
in other results, the Sunbury Lions lost to Burnside Heights, 13.5 (83)-0.1 (1).
In division 2, the Sunbury Kangaroos beat Maribyrnong Park 2, 10.6 (66)-2.2 (14).
