The Renegades kicked off the first of two weekends of Pride round celebrations. Last weekend and this weekend will be the first time the NOBs and Renegades will wear the same jumper. Big thanks to Renegade Aimy Ngyuen for lending her skills to the fantastic design. Pride Round is always a special one for the Renegades, with players represented across the LGBTIQ spectrum finding a place to call home in our team. We are proud of them for their valuable contributions to our team and our community, even in the face of political and social adversity.

The seniors were ready to set the record straight over who’s the stronger team this season after a nail-biting tiebreaker against Mazenod in Round 4. Mon Gray played an absolutely formidable first quarter. You’d be forgiven for thinking she’d spent the last two games locked in a cage instead of recovering from injury with the ferocity she brought to the field, driving the ball into the forward fifty. Unfortunately, we were not able to convert the efforts into goals.

The wind was a powerful contender this week, followed by the damp compacted soil that led to a highly unpredictable football in the air and on the ground. This week, a tall and skilled midfield with Sash Dougherty, Bella Jone and dark horse Eliza Cole absolutely dominating in the ruck and ball ups. Speaking of dominating, poor MC learnt what happens when they get in the way of the Housey train – getting ploughed over almost knocked the freckles off her face. Nothing like some friendly fire to warm you up!

We managed to show great control in the backline through the second and third quarter, only letting a single point through, which kept Mazenod at bay. This is thanks to the ever-reliable efforts of the backline legends Jose (Josie Brown), Thunder (Soma Griffin), Stocko (Jess Stockton) and Kathy Madden. Some smooth moves from Lara Sinclair has us excited to see what else to come from this rising star.

Nothing bad to say about Badsy (Emily Collins), who has brought huge intensity and consistency to her game this season. This week she played all over the field and made a huge impact. Gabe Milton also played very light-footed around the contest and along the wing, always ready for an intercept and clearance and bringing great speed to the team.

Suppose you are ever tempted to take your popcorn and leave the ground early. In that case, you will surely miss arguably the most exciting football of the game. The seniors are becoming renowned for their final 5 minutes of the fourth quarter. Giving spectators some of the fiercest, fastest-moving footy of the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Mazenod could slip one more goal through, giving them a four-goal win over the Renegades at the siren.