The Renegades were looking extra sharp this week for the team photo, and that polished look played out on the field against Hawthorn. The previous defeat only three weeks earlier was still fresh on players’ minds as they rolled out onto the field.

This week, we celebrated our favourite ninja turtle’s 50th match, Shelley Lampard. Shelley brings a speed and intensity to the game that few can match with her tireless second and third efforts in the midfield. Not to mention her off-field efforts ensuring the fine bucket gets a regular investment from our more forgetful players. A real hero in a half shell, we love ya work!

If a player’s voice is the 19th person on the field, we can all thank Snowy (Ange Snowdon) for bringing the +1. Her voice strikes so much fear in her opponents’ hearts they were fumbling under pressure in the first quarter. Not one to succumb to the pressure herself, the composure Snow brought gave the Renegades an early sense of control in the game. Good midfield communication was apparent as Housey, Shelly and Han knew precisely where to be to maximise Wallis’ impressive rucking efforts.

Palombi (Lauren Palombi) came out firing on all cylinders working magic alongside her teammates Goosey and Bella, keeping it a fast-moving game through the first half. Palombi only slowed down to take a set mark in the second quarter, reading the wind like the skipper of a yacht sailing through for a six-pointer.

Speaking of skippers, Ressies captain Dani Hagen stepped up into the Prems forward line this week, giving us an absolutely fearless performance. Not sure whether it has been publicly discussed by Tahlia, and Larry appear to be in some sort of competition for the most spectacular defender. Tahlia with their hangers and pirouettes around players and Larry with her glorious chase downs and gut-wrenching smothers, it’s never a dull moment watching these two play.

To be fair, there was nothing dull about this week’s game. Renegades maintained a slight advantage for most of the game, but Hawthorn were hot at their heels and even managed to get ahead late in the fourth quarter. Josie Brown coming in fashionably late for the second half but made up for every minute lost in the backline. Gina also gave us one of the smoothest pick-ups from inside Hawthorn’s 50 you’ll ever see – she tried that out at a bar on a Saturday night, it would be foolproof!

Another set shot from Palombi looked like it would get us out of hot water but not quite making the distance; the ball started to slip back outside our 50. Sitting within a single point of Hawthorn with three minutes on the clock, the Renegades needed a hero. The players rallied the ball forward again, which left supporters squinting into the back pocket, and you could hear them whispering, “it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Housey!”. Housey took the game into her own hands, plucked the ball from a ruck tap, and sent a drop punt sailing through the big sticks, ensuring a glorious victory for the Brunswick Renegades!