SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 5.15 (45) def OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 5.6 (36)

SANDRINGHAM announced itself as a genuine premiership threat in the NAB League Girls competition after recording a stirring nine-point win over reigning premier Oakleigh Chargers at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday.

After conceding the opening two goals, the Dragons took the lead four minutes into the second quarter and maintained control until the end, with only inaccurate kicking for goal holding them back.

At one stage early in the last quarter they had 3.14 and the Chargers looked likely to make them pay, but two goals in two minutes from Zoe Barbakos and Mia Zielinski secured a second consecutive win to start the season.

Sofia Hurley was the star for Sandringham, racking up 22 disposals and laying 12 tackles, while Keely Coyne had 21 and Georgia Foran 20 and Pia Staltari and Barbakos each kicked two goals.

Oakleigh was once again led by Jasmine Fleming, the daughter of former Test cricketer Damien, with 21 disposals as support came from Jorja Jackson (16, six tackles) and Lily Hart (14, nine tackles).

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS 8.5 (53) lost to GEELONG FALCONS 8.9 (57)

GEELONG kicked two goals in the last three minutes to steal a thrilling four-point victory over the Murray Bushrangers at Bendigo’s Epsom Huntly Reserve on Saturday.

The Bushrangers only won three games last year but looked set to make it two from two when they led by eight points in the dying stages, but Kiara Woods cut the margin to less than a kick before matchwinner Elizabeth Dowling booted her fifth major with just 45 seconds on the clock to send her team into raptures.

Murray led for almost the entire day on the back of another sterling display from Zarlie Goldsworthy (27 possessions, 10 tackles, two goals), Zara Hamilton (27, six tackles), Keeley Skepper (19, five inside-50s, four rebounds) and Cassidy Mailer (19, seven tackles), and had 34 inside-50s to 29, but Geelong wouldn’t be denied.

Dowling had 24 disposals, five marks and five tackles to go with her handful of goals to earn best-on-ground honours from Goldsworthy, while Johanna Sunderland (22) and Grace Purcell (20) were also important for the Falcons.

TASMANIA DEVILS 10.5 (65) def WESTERN JETS 5.4 (34)

TASMANIA banked its first victory of the season with an all-the-way 31-point triumph over the Western Jets at Penguin’s Dial Park on Saturday.

The Devils kicked four unanswered goals in the first term as the Jets failed to leave the runway in their first game of the season, and while the match was a tight contest from then on – Western only lost the second half by a point – the damage had been done.

The Devils had 40 inside-50s to 22 to frank their dominance, but the Jets can be proud of how they held back the tide after quarter-time, finishing with 29 rebounds to 16.

Claire Ransom led the disposal count for Tasmania with 25 and seven inside-50s but was probably shaded for top honours by Georgia Clark, who had 21 possessions, four marks, six tackles and two goals, while Brooke Barwick (16, eight tackles, five inside-50s) also had a fine day.

No.1 AFLW pick contender Charlotte Baskaran was in sublime form for the Jets, racking up 32 disposals and 10 tackles in an almost lone hand, with Stephanie Asciak having 18 and Krystal Russell and Lou-Lou Field (11 tackles each) not afraid to get their hands dirty.

BENDIGO PIONEERS 9.8 (62) def GWV REBELS 1.6 (12)

BENDIGO matched last season’s win tally in round two after trouncing next-door neighbour GWV Rebels by 50 points in the second game of the Epsom Huntly Reserve double header on Saturday.

After a tight start in which the Pioneers led by a point early in the second term, they kicked three goals before half-time and another five in the second half while only conceding another six behinds, amassing a 47-14 inside-50 discrepancy.

Lila Keck (23, five marks, 10 tackles, two goals) led the way for Bendigo, with Drew Ryan (21) and 15-year-old Lou Painter (21) also dominating, while Scarlett Orritt was outstanding with a round-high 13 tackles and Emma Gilligan also booted two goals.

Lilli Condon was easily the Rebels’ best player with 29 touches and eight tackles, while 190cm ruck Kalani Scoullar dominated the hitouts with 31 of her team’s 36-18 ascendancy and Madeleine Seebeck (eight tackles) and Jedah Huf (seven) didn’t give away any easy ball.

CALDER CANNONS 6.2 (38) def NORTHERN KNIGHTS 4.4 (28)

CALDER got itself on the board and left Northern winless after two games, edging out the Knights by 10 points at Highgate Reserve on Saturday,

The Cannons took the upper hand with the breeze in the first quarter by kicking three unanswered goals and withstood two fightbacks from the Knights in their turn with the wind, with Kayley Kavanagh’s major that took the lead to 24 early in the last quarter being the only one at the other end of the ground.

Olivia Manfre had 21 touches, laid seven tackles and kicked two goals in a top performance for Calder, which had winners all over the ground as Reese Sutton (22), Tahlia Read (21) and Abbey McDonald (21) also got plenty of the ball.

Ava Jordan had another 21 disposals and nine tackles to again by Northern’s best, with help coming from Tannah Hurst (19), Brooke Plummer (18), Amber Sciacca (eight tackles) and Jessica Nursey (seven), while spring-heeled Grace Robinson had 26 hitouts despite being only 175cm tall.

GIPPSLAND POWER 2.2 (14) lost to DANDENONG STINGRAYS 22.17 (149)

DANDENONG smashed the NAB League Girls’ record score and winning margin in its 135-point trouncing of Gippsland at Churchill Reserve on Saturday.

The Stingrays’ score of 149 beat the previous record of 117 set by the Eastern Ranges against the Power in round three last year, with the winning margin of 135 breaking the Ranges’ 114 on that day.

In fact it was only the fifth century score and third century win in the fifth season of the competition, while Dandenong beat its previous best score of 74 (in round two, 2017, against Gippsland and round four, 2021 against GWV) and its best win of 72 points in 2017.

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Charley Ryan had a field day for the Stingrays with 26 touches, six marks, six inside-50s and five goals, Amber Clarke racked up 23, eight inside-50s and four goals, Mackenzie Eardley kicked three majors and Courtney Siwes two, while Emily Shepherd (26), Jaide Anthony (26), Felicity Crank (25, seven tackles, seven inside-50s), Olivia Robinson (22, seven tackles, five inside-50s) all did as they pleased as Dandenong had 325 disposals to 202, 60 inside-50s to 14 and 49 marks to 17.

They kicked 3.8 in the first quarter and stepped it up with five, seven and seven in the last three terms.

Gippsland did not give up all day, matching Dandenong on the tackle count with an impressive 67-68, and it was rewarded with final-quarter goals to Zahri Burn and Tyla Angwin.

Sunday Brisbane (27 disposals, five marks), Ella Stoddart (21) and Indiana Makai (11 tackles, four inside-50s) could walk away with their heads held high.