It was a devastating finish to the NAB League under-19 girls’ season for Murray Bushrangers, falling to Northern Territory Thunder 9.3 (57) to 8.7 (55) at Highgate Recreation Reserve on Sunday afternoon.
In what was the Bushies’ fourth loss by less than a goal this season, a slow start would once again prove costly, as they found themselves 20 points adrift midway through the second quarter.
“Our downfall on the weekend was that our first quarter was pretty ordinary,” Murray Bushrangers assistant coach Mario De Santa-Ana said of his team’s lacklustre start.
“We were thrown a bit of a curveball with Cassidy Mailer pulling out right before the siren, but the NT girls just came out with a lot of intensity that we couldn’t match and they caught us napping.
“You just can’t take your foot off the pedal at this level, you have to perform for four quarters if you want to win and if you have any lapses quality opposition will take advantage of it.”
Blown away by the early NT surge, it took a quarter-and-a-half for the Murray girls to get the game back on their terms, with a crucial Zarlie Goldsworthy major in the shadows of half-time trimming the margin to 14 points.
Receiving a measured address by senior coach Mark Brown at the main change, the Bushrangers came out firing in the second half, exploiting a tiring Thunder outfit to roar right back into the contest.
A clutch goal from captain Keeley Skepper midway through the final term cut the margin to two points with six minutes to go, as it seemed the home team was destined to run over the top and storm to victory.
But it wasn’t to be, as the NT girls locked down and held on for a memorable two-point win on the road.
Returning to the line-up after state commitments the previous weekend, Skepper was the standout for the Bushies, working hard through the midfield to claim 30 disposals and kick two goals.
“Keeley Skepper just gets better every time she runs out on the ground,” De Santa-Ana said.
“I don’t know where the ceiling is for her, it seems unlimited at the moment and so it should be, she’s an 18-year-old girl with a whole career ahead of her and while she produces incredible performances like she did on the weekend we still hope there is room for growth.”
Finishing the season in eighth with a record of 4-5, De Santa-Ana said the growth in the team had been massive and things were looking promising for the future.
“We are really happy with our results and that we were able to compete with the best sides in the country,” he said.
“We think we have some players that have the potential to have long careers in the sport and have also uncovered some gems in terms of our younger girls coming through.
“The future of girls footy looks pretty good in the north east and Goulburn Murray.”