Elsie Lange
It’s been a season of highs for Kyneton in the Central Victorian Football League Women’s competition, and a shot at finals is so close the Tigers can smell it.
Sitting fourth on the ladder heading into Saturday’s round 15 game against Golden Square, a win this weekend will secure the Tigers a spot in finals for the first time ever.
Tigers coach Phil Hawkes the side’s improvement was a part of the three year plan he pitched when being interviewed for his role ahead of last season – he’s always believed they could get there.
“At the start of the year, I said to [the team] ‘I expect to play finals this year’, and a few of them gave me funny looks,” he said.
“And I said, ‘No, we will be playing finals’, and we’re right on the cusp of doing that.”
He said while it had been a steep learning curve for some players, for others it was putting things in place they probably would have liked to have happened a bit earlier.
The team are three games clear of fifth before the weekend’s game but the run home won’t be easy. After Golden Square, they face fifth placed Eaglehawk and finals bound Bendigo Thunder before a bye in the final round.
“Each game against these top sides is a mini-final in some way, shape or form… it’s going to be a few interesting last few rounds of the competition,” Hawkes said.
“Which is really keeping everyone [wanting] to perform at their best on any given day.
“For finals, It could come down to who just happened to click the best on that given day, there’s not a lot between these sides now.”
Hawkes said a few shift changes in the team had been part of their key to success so far.
“You always build a successful team from the back going forward, I’ve always said that,” he said.
“We’ve done a fair bit of work in the first half of the season on our backline, and I think that’s performing pretty well.
“Tayla Moore, who was a new recruit at the start of the year, has certainly added a lot in our backline, but also the movement of Natalie Korinfsky from backline to forward, I think added a little bit in our forward line in relation to her experience.
“Just being able to execute to other players and bring other players into play. I think it added a little bit into our forward line as well.”
Speaking before the match with Golden Square, Hawkes said they were underdogs. The two teams are equal on points, but Golden Square has a much bigger percentage.
He said the side was nervous about the game.
“Some of these sides have got a little bit of pressure on them to perform, where as we just go out there and give it our best shot each week,” he said.
“As long as we are competitive and pushing them all the way, I’d be pretty happy with that right at this minute.
“A couple of people have said to me, and I tend to think it is, this is probably the biggest game in the club’s history.
“It would be a bonus if we did [win], I actually believe that we can.“
