By Phina Newton
Despite neither team looking like making the finals, it was still an important game. No team wants to finish the season on the bottom of the ladder, but they also want to keep any chance of finals chances alive. In the end, it was the Giants who prevailed, storming home in the fourth to win by 13 goals.
It was a super close first half, both teams refusing to let up and it was the Collingwood Magpies who lead at the end of the first quarter. The Magpies’ accuracy was very good in terms of their shooting and gains; however, it was yet again their turnovers that were letting them down.
On the defensive end, Jodi-Ann Ward set the tone early and was getting hand to ball on plenty of occasions. This was essential, seeing as the Giants were without Jo Harten, their experienced goaler. Ward and Geva Mentor’s role was to make it as difficult as possible for Matisse Letherbarrow to settle into the game.
After a tentative start, she found her rhythm and it was like she had been here all along. Her life was made easier by the likes of Maddie Hay and Jamie-Lee Price who 67 feeds and 44 goal assists between them.
The game stayed within reach for the Magpies for most of the game, despite the Giants winning both the second and third quarters.
Thanks to the sharp shooting of Shimona Nelson, who made the most of her height advantage over Lauren Moore – who still managed to get a few deflections. Nelson was fed sharply by the trusty duo of Molly Jovic and Kelsey Browne. Goals partner Sophie Garbin stuck to her role well, but in the end, to combat the Giants duo down the other end, her presence was not enough.
In the third, the Magpies continued to settle for 1s even though they were trailing. That turned out to be a regrettable decision considering the Giants finished the third up by 7.
The seesawing nature of the game continued, but the Magpies found themselves with some momentum in the middle of the fourth causing the Giants to call a time-out.
With the difference only 4 and the super shot buzzer sounding the Magpies call a time-out to sub Kelly Singleton on in to make the most of the power five – as although Nelson had shown her depth, Garbin was unable to match it.
However, as much as the Magpies needed the super shot, Sophie Dwyer held her own and nailed them down the other end.
Two and a half minutes left, and every possession counted for the Magpies, but they were unable to be both clean and efficient with the ball. This resulted in the Giants running away and commanding the win.
