North Shore Bombers v UTS Bats

The Bombers v Bats match up was highly anticipated in the lead up to Round 8, with both sides performing skilfully in their home games in Round 7. Both teams are renowned for their surge footy, and the Gore Hill turf would favour the team who presented first to the footy, and capitalised at turn over. 

Off the first ball-up, North Shore were hungry. Sullivan (4) on the wing raced to win the hardball get, playing to North Shore’s congestion strategy and setting the trend for their pressure in this first quarter. The Bats defended strongly in their tackles, however the forward presence of Yates (5) and Orsini (30) forced the rushed clearance, which Hurrell (21) intercepted as she manned the 50 arc. With 2 incredible marking targets in the Bomber’s forward line, it was Hurrell’s pick of the litter as she sent it forward for Martin (18) to eventually snatch the mark and score. With 48 contested possessions to UTS’s 25, North Shore simply dominated both the ground level footy and the aerial contest, curbing any of the Bat’s strategies to impact the game. The only respite for the visitors came from the honourable defensive efforts of Stanwix (14) and McDonnell (12), who pressed the Bombers just enough to sway their accuracy, as North Shore kicked 3 consecutive behinds. Unfortunately, the pair could only do so much as the Bombers exhausted the Bats with their relentless forward entries, giving away cheap opportunities to both Orsini and Kavanagh (7), who converted truly. The siren couldn’t have come sooner for the Bats, as they left the field with a deficit 3.4.22 to 0. 

Captain Zoe Hurrell (21) looks inside 50

Photo credit: Jordan Hamer Photography

As play returned in the second quarter, Kavanagh was an oversight for the Bats, racking up 4 possessions in the first 4 minutes of play. Given time and space, she created 3 inside 50s, including a floating kick to the advantage of the tall forward Keefe (12), who took the ball firmly and converted from 15 metres in front. North Shore were set up goal side of the stoppage, ready to explode with pace to charge forward. However this made them vulnerable to defensive press, and when UTS were able to force the home side to turn backwards and slow their pace, Canobie (8) and Rudd (23) were ready to pounce on the ball and create turnover for their side. The Bombers remained dominant, yet their forward efforts were humbled by McDonnell and McCaffrey (6) who held the space in the dangerous pocket that preceded Keefe. Almost 15 minutes after their last goal, the Bomber’s forwards changed tactics. Moving the ball by hand in the forward 50, they found space in the right pocket for Sullivan, who saw the ball through the goals for another 6 points. The side was ignited, and their forward pressure rose to levels indomitable by the Bats, with Daniel (14) and Ferrante (15) kicking their own majors in the dying minutes of the quarter. The siren sounded with the Bombers extending their lead 7.8.50 - 0, making this the Bat’s worst half time score since round 4 of 2021. 

Georgina McDonnell (12) defended excellently for the Bats

Photo Credit : Jordan Hamer Photography

UTS had an Everest to summit in the second half if they had hopes of remaining competitive. They emerged with a strategy to control the aerial space, intercepting North Shore’s more inaccurate forward entries, and spoil the others. Martin and Keefe were taken out of the marking contest, however, the Bombers had speed in Yates (5) and Watson (35), who relished the hard ball-gets and kicked a goal each. The Bombers were composed, completely unphased by UTS’s pressure. There was no interference that the Bombers could not adapt to, no weakness for UTS to exploit as they struggled to keep a lid on the game. The quarter seemed interminable to the Bats, who worked tooth and nail to impede North Shore’s press. In the shadows of 3 quarter time, Sullivan came back to kick another goal from the pocket, bringing North Shore's lead to 12.10.82 - 0. 

Lily Sullivan (4) kicked 3 for the Bombers

Photo credit: Jordan Hamer Photography

The 4th quarter continued as though the break were merely imagined, as North Shore pressed on in their avalanche to victory. Glimpses of the usual UTS excellence came through Stanwix and McDonnell in the back line, but the visitors needed more man power to control their defensive 50. Hurrell and Hill (2) maintained a continuous stream of forward entries to feed the appetite of their forwards, with Martin and Sullivan adding another stroke to their goal tallies. The Bat’s effort could not be undermined, with Cerezo, Lord (1) and Wade (20) driving tackles in defence, and Bush (22) manning the goal line to touch anything that looked like scoring. In a change of the tides, UTS now looked as though they wished the final quarter would roll on, as their skills were cleaner, their defense sharper. They would keep the Bombers from scoring anymore majors as the minutes ticked down, and they gritted their teeth as the final siren went, with North Shore finishing just short of a century 14.14.98 - 0. 

Photo Credit: Jordan Hamer Photography

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