Tara Murray
The Sunbury Lions will look to bounce back after a first up loss in the Essendon District Football League women’s division 2 finals.
The minor premiers faced Coburg Districts on Saturday for a spot in the grand final. The two sides had played in some really good matches during the season, splitting the results.
Coburg Districts got the jump on the Lions and led by 20 points at quarter time.
That would be the difference in the game with not much between the teams for the rest of the day.
Coburg Districts won through to its first women’s grand final, 5.6 (36)-1.6 (12).
Lions coach Matt Tremellen said it was a hard one but they reset and go again.
For many in the group it was their first final, having last played finals in 2018.
“There was some nervous energy around the place,” Tremellen said. “Coburg Districts started really well and they caught us on the back foot a little bit.
“Liv Woods was really dominant early in the game. They were able to find space inside 50 and that really hurt us in the first quarter.”
Tremellen said his side were able to peg them back and it was a tightly contested game with not much free space.
He said the first quarter ended up costing them.
“It was hard to beat the congestion,” he said. “Their conversion early set them up for the rest of the match.”
Emily Taylor was the goal kicker for the Lions.
Tremellen said Karla Tentonello and Jorja McKenna were their best, with the pair shutting Woods out of the game in the second half.
Jacinta Lee at half back was the other standout.
The Lions will now face Roxburgh Park in the preliminary final for a spot in the grand final.
The Magpies beat the Lions the last time the two teams met, with the Lions entering that match undefeated.
Tremellen said they would put the work together on the track to try and turn things around.
“We’ll reset and work on some contested stuff,” he said. “The loss will drive us into next time and we’ll come prepared for another great contest.
“They are a side with confidence.”
The Magpies ended the Sunbury Kangaroos finals run.
It was the first quarter that set up that match as well, with the Magpies winning 7.12 (54)-5.3 (33).
The Magpies had seven scoring shots to two in the first quarter before putting the dominance on the scoreboard in the middle two quarters.
The Kangaroos won the final quarter, but the game was already over.
It was a tough weekend for the Lions under-18.5 girls who lost by seven points to be knocked out by Craigieburn.
