The Reserves were pleased to see the return of some old faithful this game, with Meg McNeel and TBag (Emit Taylor) doing a Johnny Farnham classic comeback. No cobwebs insight as Meg jumped straight back into her usual defence mode taking big marks in the backline and making life difficult for Mazenod’s forwards. TBag slipped in and out of the forward pocket and gave us what the coach described as not even a “don’t argue”; it was a “don’t even think about ever speaking to me again” shutdown.

Mazenod had the fastest hands in the west, with lighting speed handballs out of the contest that could move the ball into the forward fifty with the blink of an eye. The backline had their work cut out for them throughout the first half, with Renegades scrambling to keep on their opponent. Big D (Amy D) saw what was happening and set up her own defensive zone, which proved effective in slowing down the competition and set a great example to the newer players in how to play smart football.

With the scoreboard getting away on the Renegades, it takes the big second efforts from players like Kayla, Elyse and Maddie to lift the team’s momentum. Captain Dani Hagen knows a thing or two about leading by example, showing her teammates what it means to keep pushing through the midfield and taking every opportunity to get the ball into our fifty.

In a challenging game, you need to appreciate the little moments that reassure the coaches that the hours and hours they spend running through drills does eventually sink in. A textbook moment from Lizzo popping the ball out before going down in a tackle to Tbag the baby rhino on the run over to the ever-ready Han on the 50 line who sent the ball straight to the full forward. They say the journey is the destination, so it doesn’t matter that it wasn’t converted in the end, right?!

Not that it’s a competition, but if you were to put money on the biggest boot in the Renegades, newcomer Darcy is undoubtedly in the mix for mighty long kicks. A welcomed reprieve for a tired midfield when your half-back can send the ball right over your head and do all the work for you.

It was a big defeat by Mazenod against the Reserves this round, but they managed to get some numbers on the board by the third quarter. As usual, players still left the field with heads held high and smiles on the dial, applauding their opponents for their skills and grateful for a good clean game of footy.