By JARROD POTTER
STATE OF ORIGIN – WESTERN AUSTRALIA v VICTORIA
TAKING the women’s game under bright lights, Victoria and Western Australia battled out what has been dubbed one of the greatest female football matches of all time.
Serving as a premium curtain-raiser for the Fremantle/Richmond AFL clash on Friday night at Subiaco, the two women’s football sides went neck and neck to the final siren as it came down to the wire between the BIG V and the Swans.
Two local representatives battled it out for the Victorians – former Berwick WFC tandem Ellie Blackburn and Katie Loynes – but it wasn’t enough as the home side rallied late.
Victoria opened the accounts early through Blackburn – who said she “just snuck out the back and had a snap on goals” – but couldn’t clamp down on Western Australia as the home side took back the lead through the second term.
It was a hard slog across the expansive Subiaco surface as neither side would relent. The hard-fought, bruising football eased in the last term to allow free-flowing, run-and-carry to take great effect.
Victoria tried to hunt its way back into the match, booting three final-quarter goals, and in the end it came down to a long bomb from Blackburn to hit up Emma Kearney in the square in the dying seconds.
But Western Australian pressure forced Kearney’s resulting kick at goals to fly wide for a point and the siren sounded soon after with the Victorians four-short.
“It was amazing actually – I’d have to agree saying it was one of the best games I’ve ever played in,” Blackburn said.
“Even though the scoreboard didn’t come our way in the end it was great, free following footy.
“I absolutely loved being able to have the opportunity to play on the good ground against WA.
“It’s a lot bigger than you think it is and really long so there’s a lot of running for that ground and was just amazing.”
Blackburn put the loss down to Western Australia’s attack on the footy – with the home side keen to register its first win over the easterners.
“The game was pretty full on you could say,” Blackburn said.
“I think WA just started attacking pretty well and they were comfortable with the way they were playing and got on top.
“Both going hard at it, attacking the ball pretty well, came down to the last minute… very close game and as soon as the siren went it was just heartbreaking.”
Despite the loss, the experience of running onto another AFL standard ground and donning her beloved BIG V jersey is something Blackburn will treasure fondly.
“Absolutely loved being able to pull on the BIG V again at the senior level,” Blackburn said.
“Also got to play more with a few of the Youth Girls that I played state footy with.
“Wish it could’ve lasted a little longer but it was another great opportunity.”
In the secondary clash, between Victoria 2 and NSW/ACT, the home town crowd at Punt Road Oval bore witness to a one-sided pumping.
The Vic 2s ran out 44 point winners with former Hallam and Keysborough midfielders Hannah Scott and Jaimee Lambert respectively in the best.
STATE OF ORIGIN
WA 2.0 4.3 6.3 8.4 (52)
VIC 3.2 3.3 5.3 7.6 (48)
VICTORIA Goals: Moanna Hope 4, Emma Kearney, Ellie Blackburn, Phoebe McWilliams. Best: Daisy Pearce, Meg Hutchins, Emma Kearney, Mel Hickey, Aasta O’Connor, Kaitlyn Ashmore.
