By JARROD POTTER
AFL WOMEN’S EXHIBITION GAME
SETTING up a last term goal in her second AFL match was the icing on the cake for one of the south east’s best female footballers.
Endeavour Hills Ellie Blackburn could not hide her joy as she found Kirby Bentley to help Melbourne secure an emphatic 46-point win over the Western Bulldogs in the annual AFL Women’s Exhibition Game.
While the crowd of 5,500 was on the smaller end of Etihad’s capacity, due in part to a 10.10am Sunday morning start, the small but passionate audience bear witness to a better standard of football than last year’s match as the Demons kicked away convincingly.
A three-goal-to-none last quarter sealed the victory and earned Melbourne back-to-back wins in AFL Women’s Exhibition Games.
Blackburn was joined by former Narre Warren/Berwick midfielder Kara Donnellan to don the blue and red guernsey and help set up the win.
The lead-out work from Queensland’s Tayla Harris was spectacular as she drilled three Melbourne goals and earned the crowd’s adulation as she popped up for a huge speccy – one of the highlights of the game.
Blackburn said the atmosphere was phenomenal under the roof, but kept her mind at the task at hand.
“Our main focus heading into the game was to keep applying as much pressure as we can and putting it onto the scoreboard,” Blackburn said.
“The way we did that from the start and we maintained it – that’s why we came away with a pretty satisfying win.”
She starred with 27 possessions and thought it came down to the class of the playing group around her – the best-of-the-best from Australia various women’s leagues.
“Wasn’t too bad,” Blackburn said.
“It was a bit surprising that I got to that number, but I think it’s a lot easier to get a touch out there when you’re playing with good players because the ball is freely moving and there are a lot of possessions to get out there.”
The match has started to reach a greater public awareness Blackburn said and she believes it would grow even more rapidly if the match was televised.
“There was a lot more (awareness) actually,” Blackburn said.
“We didn’t get the big crowd as such, but people are much more aware of the game and a lot more people would have watched the game online.”
Blackburn wanted to give big thanks to Debbie Lee in particular and the Melbourne Football Club for the opportunity and for everyone who supported her, especially her parents John and Sharon.
Chelsea Randall was named best on ground for the Demons while ruck Aasta O’Connor received the nod for the Bulldogs.
MELBOURNE 4.2 7.7 7.10 10.12 (72)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.2 3.2 4.2 4.2 (26)
MELBOURNE
Goals: Harris 3, Randall 2, Bentley 2, Gibson 2, Dunn. Best: Randall, Blackburn, Forch, Pearce, Bowers, Harris.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Goals: Hope 3, O’Dea. Best: O’Connor, Kearney, Brennan, Hope, Paxman, Spark.
