Sport
13 April, 2022
Defeated Bloods earning their stripes
TERANG Mortlake suffered its first loss in the U18 women’s football over the weekend, as developing the fundamentals remains the focus for a young Bloods team lacking only in experience, not heart.
TERANG Mortlake suffered its first loss in the U18 women’s football over the weekend, as developing the fundamentals remains the focus for a young Bloods team lacking only in experience, not heart.
The Bloods were unable to get points on the board as Horsham ran away 111-point winners, but Terang Mortlake coach Alison Kenna said she was impressed with the fight her young team had displayed during the rough outing.
“Horsham was clearly the better side by a long shot but I told our girls not to be disheartened by that,” she said.
“They were the stronger, faster and more experienced team but our girls fought it out to the end.
“You can’t ask for a lot more than that. For half the team it was only their second game of football so it was not great on the scoreboard but I think a lot of positives came out of it.”
Kenna said bright spots for the team included Annabelle Glossop, who was named best player on the day.
She said Glossop was the most experienced player on a defeated team missing a number of players, and used her knowledge to help guide the younger side.
“Annabelle leads by example and has a go,” Kenna said.
“She always encourages the other girls, and she certainly did that on Sunday.”
Joining Glossop among the best players were Claire Kennedy, Tasha Killen, Mackenzie Borland, Lilly Dixon and Chloe Bell.
“Some of our newer girls made an impact, such as Claire Kennedy. They are doing what we ask of them and encouraging each other,” Kenna said.
“It was only Claire’s second game but we’re seeing our younger players get an understanding of where the benchmark is.”
The loss was in stark contrast to the Bloods’ success in week one, with a thumping 20.12 (132) to 1.0 (6) win over Old Collegians.
“We addressed the week to week difference but as I told the girls, it’s not a bad way to go in to the break,” Kenna said.
“This is a new, young team who has now learned what it feels like to win and what it feels like to lose.
“I say you learn a lot more from a loss than you do a win, so I think this will be very grounding.”
Moving forward, Kenna said enjoying the game while continuing to develop the fundamentals and find chemistry would be a focus.
“We’re just learning all the time and our older, more experienced girls are leading by example,” she said.
“We have a focus on communicating, getting to know each other and developing the basics; from kicking to handballing.
“When we develop those we’ll see what happens there, but it’s about fun for the girls and that’s what we say to them – walk away with a smile on your face, that’s what it’s about.”
