U15 Youth Girls Preliminary Final
The Canada Bay Cannons U15YG booked a spot in the Grand Final after a bone-crunching, gutsy slog against the Glebe Greyhounds on Sunday afternoon at Wagener Oval.
The Cannons made the best of the conditions in the first quarter and were able to establish a two goal lead at quarter time after some nervous but outstanding team play.
The second and third quarters were a slog and while the Cannons defended and defended, the Greyhounds stood tall, mounting attack after attack and threatened to steal the lead. While the Cannons were scoreless during the middle part of the match, the Greyhounds were held to a single goal in each quarter and at three quarter time the Cannons held a slim, but important 3 point lead.
The Cannons rallied around each other during the final break – lead by Captain Sasha in her best game of the season – committed to maintain their outstanding pressure and do everything they could to hold off the Greyhounds. In the final quarter, the Cannons ran hard to win the footy, tackled with ferocity and were able to repel the Greyhounds every time they mounted an attack. The game remained neck and neck until right at the death, much the same as last week against the Panthers, until the Cannons were able to take the ball end to end and muscle two match winning team goals!
There were emotional scenes all over the ground once again as the final siren sounded and the Cannons emerged victorious (in front of another large and very vocal crowd).
Another rousing rendition of “See the Cannons Fire Up” was lead by Molly and echoed around the ground as the Cannons celebrated a wonderful win against a high quality opponent played in a fantastic spirit!
The Cannons now look forward to a Fathers’ Day showdown in the Grand Final against the Maroubra Saints!! If you are a Cannons supporter and have nowhere to be on Sunday, do yourself a favour and get down to Olds Park to support your girls!!
Round 14: U12 Youth Girls
Canada Bay Cannons U12 Youth Girls v Moore Park Tigers
Round 14, Bat and Ball Oval
A sun drenched Bat and Ball Oval was the venue for a nail biting come from behind win for the Cannons U12YG team against the Moore Park Tigers.
The Tigers were hungry and came out strong in the first quarter, peppering the goals with several shots. Fortunately for the Cannons, none of them were on target and by the end of the first, although the Cannons had remained scoreless, the gap was not too great.
The second quarter saw the Cannons dig deeper. The flow of the game began to change when India’s kick found Molly in the forward line. Molly’s kick was touched on the line, but it saw the Cannons get that all important first score on the board. The Tigers fought back and scored three quick strong goals, and really looked like they were running away from the Cannons. The Cannons, however, didn’t let it get to them and a beautiful mark and goal from Hannah put them in good spirits. By half time, the Tigers had control, but the Cannons were far from giving it away.
The third quarter was characterised by the Cannons pulling together and showing their ability to work as a team with good results. Smooth hand passing between India and Ruby brought the ball into attack, and found Molly, who booted the ball toward the posts where India was able to finish off the goal under great pressure from the Tiger’s defence. Our girls displayed good aggression in the pack, showing that they would not give this away without a fight. They managed to keep the Tigers scoreless for the quarter and had clawed their way to within a goal.
At three quarter time, coach Gabi delivered a motivational speech fit for professionals. She asked for 100% effort from everyone and demanded that everyone be on a player and running hard for the full 12 minute quarter.
Out from the bounce, the girls were fired up. A huge kick from near the centre by Molly, miraculously bounced over the line for a goal, putting the Cannons in the lead. There was no time to relax, however, as the Tigers came back with another goal to even the score. Intense footy indeed!! India shone with a heroic run the entire length of the field, fending off defenders as she went, but was just unable to convert at the end. Thankfully Molly came to the rescue by pulling a goal from the scraps and put the Cannons in front again, with just one minute to go. Now the girls just had to hold onto their lead, which they valiantly did, with great celebration at the final siren.
True grit and determination payed off for the Cannons. Thanks to all the heart and effort put in by Coach Gabi, Manager Kate and Cannons supporters.
Cannons 4.6-30 def Tigers 3.7-25
Round 12: U12YG
U12 Youth Girls v East Sydney Bulldogs White
Round 12, Drummoyne Oval
Match report by Ian
The mighty Cannons played at Drummoyne Oval for the second time this year in Round 12. Kicking the frost off the grass for a chilly 8AM start, it was weather for puffer jackets and scarves rather than short sleeves. The Cannons welcomed Tamara back from injury and Skye was a late withdrawal, in otherwise what was a near full strength team.
The girls got off to a great start after an early scramble. Tamara made her presence felt with two big tackles and Ruby was providing drive from the ruck. But it was Lila starting forward, who quickly made her mark.
Lila was on the end of a good pass after some earlier teamwork from India and Ruby and she converted the goal on an angle from about 20 metres out. Minutes later, she scooped a ball out of the pack and snapped through another!
The girls were playing with confidence now and Isabelle collected the ball on the boundary line and sprinted away from her opposition only narrowly missing what might have been a goal of the year contender.
However, the momentum in the second quarter changed completely, with the Bulldogs running confidently down the centre of the ground and putting on four consecutive goals to take the lead. Catriona and Sienna did well defending to ensure the lead didn’t blow out further. The girls had to halt the tide and needed greater defensive effort. In response, Tahnee tackled ferociously as ever, Niamh provided a steady influence in the backline and eventually the game was being played on even terms again.
Towards the end of the quarter, Katie sent the ball forwards after bullocking through a pack and Lila again, with great touch, snapped a clever goal along the ground.
The third quarter started much as the first had. This time Molly was making her presence felt with her customary tackle breaking runs and big bombing kicks up the ground. Ruby was swinging the ball forward with her raking right foot and India was swooping on ground balls and running forward at every opportunity.
The play of the day came with a chain of handballs that swept the Cannons forward, Molly to Ruby, to Catriona to India to Lucy in the goal square who jubilantly kicked her first career goal! This set the scene for the rest of the quarter. The next passage came from some precision kicking. India passed to Molly, after a nice running mark, who launched a kick to Tamara, who then calmly snapped a goal from near the point post.
And right on the siren, India gathered the ball in the centre of the ground and dodged three or four tacklers to launch a tumbling goal from a long way out.
As the Cannons took a strong lead into the last quarter, coach Lenny called for the team to keep concentrating and to protect the lead. Molly answered his wish as she completely dominated the last quarter. First was a typical goal, bursting through a pack and running forward, second was a pass that found goal-sneak Lila, who then dribbled through another great goal under pressure.
India then ran the ball forward from the centre and was on the end of an accidental head-high tackle that drew “ooooooooohs” from the crowd. Although, she surprised everyone by quickly getting up and playing on to Molly in the goal square, who kicked another.
Tahnee playing as a defensive forward kept tackling and tackling and tackling ensuring the Bulldogs had no easy way out of their back half.
The final play of the day was Lucy’s brilliant half volley trap and quick handball to Ruby who ran on and sent the ball onto the chest of Molly who kicked through the final goal of the day.
In the wash-up, it was another great game from the Cannons, who showed they can match it with higher teams on the ladder. They also should also take confidence in this game as their effort was 100% over the four quarters. Lila played her best game for the club, four goals could have easily been six with a bit more luck!! India’s running persistence and handball to bring her team mates into the game was great, Niamh, Tahnee and Katie provided strength and defensive run. Molly’s supreme last quarter put the exclamation mark on a great win…
A few more like that girls and we could be playing finals!
U12 Youth Girls: Round 11
U12 Youth Girls Canada Bay Cannons v Maroubra Black
Round 11, Heffron Park
The mighty Cannons traveled for the second consecutive week to Heffron Park, to take on the highly rated Saints Black. The Saints came into this game with a 10-0 winning record, so we all knew this would be a tough game, on top of the home ground advantage.
The first quarter kicked off with a one way surge towards the Saints goals and very quickly they had two goals on the board. The Cannons eventually steadied with a couple of strong marks from Ruby and some great work around the ground from Hannah, rucking and following up with her tackling and kicking. Tahnee showed great presence in defence standing up against her taller opponents and holding ground when she was often outnumbered. Izzy also showed her strong defensive skills tackling and smothering.
The first quarter ended on more of an even keel and the Cannons had stopped the ball surging forward so often – three goals to zero wasn’t such a bad result.
At the quarter time huddle Gabi asked the team to want the ball, start running and to play for each other – and the game suddenly turned on it’s head! Hannah’s presence in the ruck became unstoppable and her efforts to follow the ball forward were eventually rewarded with a great goal from the forward pocket. The Cannons were on a roll and Molly bullocked her way through the packs and started characteristically booming the ball forward. Izzy took a great mark and played on and the Cannons were being proactive rather than defensive for the first time in the game.
India, Ruby and Lucy combined for a string of possession down the left hand wing and the Saints looked like they had some stern competition for the first time this year. The effort from the girls was outstanding, exemplified by Molly’s big unyielding tackle in the centre of the ground, stopping an inevitable goal for the Saints. Hannah was simply everywhere and had taken on the role that Ruby has performed in recent weeks, allowing Ruby to run with taller opposition players. Scarlett was pushing her way through packs and Lila was holding ground.
In the context of the year and after such a one sided start, this was possibly the Cannons best quarter of the year – winning a quarter against an undefeated and highly skilled team. Incredible effort! 1 goal to no goals!
The third quarter was definitely the premiership quarter for the Saints. They applied outstanding pressure and started to get reward for their hard running and precision ball skills. Though they scored 4 goals to 0 for the quarter, there were a number of players than stood tall. Molly was relentless, pushing opponents aside and bombing the ball forward. India took some strong marks and played a new tagging role, Lucy tackled and ran and never gave up, Catriona pushed up the ground hard, Hannah never stopped running and getting to contests, Sienna stood tall and pushed the ball to the Cannons advantage… But the one player who shone above anyone else on the ground was Tahnee. Time and time again, she battled against taller and stronger opponents, often three and four players against her and she didn’t lose a contest. Fierce tackling, hard running and teamwork typified every play that she was involved in.
The last quarter got even better for Tahnee as she started racing the ball forward out of defence. Linking with Izzy and Ruby she ensured that the scoreboard didn’t blow out and that that her team-mates were brought into the game. She gave 3 and 4 consecutive efforts to tackle and harass her opposition players and Ruby dashed the resulting spilled ball down the wing. The Cannons spent the last 5 minutes of the quarter playing in their forward half and were rewarded when Lila launched through an amazing goal. Molly showed the way with a smashing tackle and long kicking to keep the opposition in check.
This was certainly a breakout game for Tahnee and possibly the best game that Hannah has played this year. We also saw glimpses of the future in Sienna, Scarlett, Lucy and Lila with all four showing special skills and determination through the game. We also saw why Molly, Ruby and India have long AFLW careers ahead of them – each showed the same consistent effort that they have all year, even when the tide was against them
In the end, many would see this as a disappointing loss. However, taking on the top team in any competition is always a good measure of confidence and resilience – and this week the Cannons came out in front on both counts. Only one team has scored more against the Saints this year and the Cannons were the first team to win a quarter of footy against them. Well done, girls, awesome effort!
U12YG: Round 10
Canada Bay Cannons U12 Youth Girls v Maroubra Saints Red
Heffron Park, Round 10
Match report by Chris; pictures by Andrew
A crisp morning down at Heffron Park for Round 10. The girls were without their favourite girl Gabi in the coaching box and it was Lenny who got them up and training a good 45 mins before the game. The game got off to a slow start with the girls taking a little while to settle into the game and get their positions locked in. Molly was strong in moving the ball forward and launched a booming kick to put it through the posts for our first goal. Tahnee at the other end was magnificent in her defence and didn’t let the 3 on 1 attack from the Saints reduce her impact. We kept the Saints to just 1 point in the first quarter and went to the break slightly in front.
Second quarter and the girls were stepping up their defence all over the ground. Marking up was improving but still more work to be done in training on the girls shepherding to help move the play along. They tightened up around the middle and for all the force that the Saints players brought the Cannons continued to match and overpower in their defensive attack. Molly and Hannah worked hard to get the ball free and after a good passage of play to get the ball down into our goal square the ever reliable Molly set up and kicked another 2 goals to nudge us out in front. Hannah stepped up again and put her body on the line with a smother that landed right in her belly – she doubled down almost winded but with all of her might stood up and got right back into the game. Her spirit lifted all of the girls and they went into half time well ahead on the score board.
Third quarter was goal less for both teams. Incredibly strong in the defence from both teams and clear demonstrations from a number of players with their marking and second attempts in their desire to keep the Saints from scoring. Tahnee, Katie, Catriona, India, Ruby, Molly and all the team working hard to step up and bring a united defence front to the Saints team who continued to push hard.
Regrettably our last quarter wasn’t a lot to write home about. The girls took their eye off the game for a minute and found themselves with the Saints assembling quickly to put on 3 quick goals. Our girls lifted again and pushed hard to bring the ball down into our goal square and we worked hard to recover ourselves but alas didn’t get the chance to level ourselves back. We remembered the old saying that it always takes 4 quarters to win a game and I’m sure the girls took some valuable lessons away from the game.
U12YG: Round 8 Match Report
Canada Bay Cannons U12 Youth Girls v Newtown Swans
Round 8, Drummoyne Oval
Match report and pics via Ian
An enormous rainbow welcomed the Cannons to their first game at Drummoyne Oval to take on the Newtown Swans.
Despite missing regular players in Skye, Hannah and Niamh, we welcomed Lucy, Scarlett and Isobel for their first games of the year. The Cannons were a little short on players, but that didn’t deter them. They started in the same manner they finished last week. Even better, if that is possible. Quickly moving the ball forward and giving themselves plenty of opportunities to score. Sienna eventually kicked the first goal of the day, with Katie marking and kicking a second from the goal square.
The second quarter saw a stronger effort from the Swans, with their taller players exerting more influence. Tamara, Lila and Tahnee defended and fought back well keeping the Swans goal-less for another quarter. Meanwhile, Ruby continued to dominate the ruck, the forward line and the backline and anywhere else she went. Izzie topped off another dominant quarter by the Cannons, kicking a goal in her first game!
Ruby started the third quarter on fire and launched another trademark long bomb goal from outside 30 metres. Molly also worked her way into the game bombing the ball forwards and often marking the Swans efforts to exit their backline. Katie then used her strength and stamina to send another goal through and put the game beyond doubt.
In the final quarter, the Cannons did well to hold off the more attacking Swans. Lucy and Scarlett did amazing jobs in their first games, staying focused and stopping many scoring attempts. Molly and India again worked hard in the last, running hard and moving the ball out of their defensive half.
In the end it was a great win by the girls, despite being a few players down. There were also a few bruises, with Katie and Tamara shrugging off big bumps to continue playing and then present glamorously at the team photo. The Allens Snakes were well deserved this week, girls. Well done!
U12 Youth Girls: Round 6 Match Report
Canada Bay Cannons U12 Youth Girls v East Sydney Bulldogs Blue
Round 6, St Luke’s Oval
Match report by Kate
This week, the mighty Cannons were at home but short on numbers to take on the Bulldogs from East Sydney. The Cannons got off to a great start by kicking the first goal of the match. However, it was the Bulldogs who were able to run up a big lead by quarter time.
The second quarter got underway and despite the best efforts of the Cannons players, the Bulldogs were able to kick away to an even bigger lead heading into half time.
The third quarter was a seesawing affair and as hard as all of the girls tried they were not able to break through for a major score.
The final quarter brought out the best in the Cannons. They ignored the scoreboard and never stopped trying. They stuck together as a team right until the final siren.
Today it was Molly, Niamh, Lila, and India who were the standouts but they were equally supported by the efforts of Hannah, Sienna, Skye, and Tahnee. All in all it was a great effort by the girls as they look forward to taking the Magpies from West Sydney next week.
Cannons U12 Youth Girls: Match Report Round 5
U12 Youth Girls Canada Bay Cannons v Southern Power
Lincoln Oval, Round 5
Match report by Christine
It was a windy and chilly morning as our Cannons U12 girls approached Lincoln Oval down in the Sutherland Shire. Some drizzly rain, loads of umbrellas but still our girls got into business with pre-match warm ups. The Mums, meanwhile, were treated to a beautiful morning tea offered by the Southern Power club. We had cakes, biscuits, tea and coffee and a lovely guard of honour for all the special mums. It was an even bigger treat to have our girls run down and present each Mum with a beautiful rose before the bounce.
All of the Mother’s Day fun behind us and it was down to business. First quarter and the Southern Power came out of the blocks with an attacking energy. They organised themselves quickly with some lovely set plays, strong marks and converted a couple of goals in front of the posts. Our girls were still waking up I think but dug deep and kept themselves in the game and defended well. We went to the break not making a dent on the scorecard.
Second quarter and the girls were now up and at it. The midfield really stuck to their positions and Rocket Ruby, Magnificent Molly and Incredible India drove the charge in managing the ball and keeping on their players. While we didn’t convert, we certainly started returning to our form of prior weeks. By the 3rd quarter we were in the game and playing much stronger. A lovely number of set plays, strong passing and brilliant pressure from all the girls saw the Southern Power make a number of forced errors and the Cannons girls capitalised where they could. Killer Katie kept up a strong line of defence and with the help of Notorious Niamh they kept the Power on their toes.
Shining Skye and Heroic Hannah kept doing what they do best and didn’t surrender in their quest to attack the ball and keep the Power scoreless in the third quarter.
Our fourth quarter was definitely our redemption quarter. We communicated well, we fought hard for the ball and enjoyed watching Incredible India drop a lovely kick in front to seal one of the last goals of the game.
While it wasn’t our day today for a win we loved the morning down in the Shire and look forward to hosting the Southern Power at home soon.