The team certainly had a rocky start to the year. The team lost many players to AFLW, VFLW & other clubs. From such a difficult start, It required a major effort to form a competitive team.
A plan was devised to join with players & coaches from Dodges Ferry who did not have a team.
Training in two areas, only coming together once per week was not an ideal position. It took time for team plans & team skills to become familiar to all players.
Improvement came, followed by the teams first win, which felt like a mini Grand Final win! Confidence & belief grew.
The team eventually started to threaten & then beat the previous top sides in the competition.
With much of the season gone, the team made the top 4. The team had beaten Clarence, Claremont, North Hobart & then finally Kingston in the run to the finals.
The girls had almost made 2nd spot in the last game. The earlier slow start had limited the teams percentage which was the difference between 3rd & the double chance. The final 4 was very even so anything was possible.
By now the team was daring to dream!
The first semifinal was against Kingston. A team Glenorchy had only beaten for the first time two weeks earlier. The game proved to be a demolition. The girls played probably their best game for the season.
The preliminary final was against surprise 2nd Semifinal losers, North Hobart. It was a tough defensive game. Only 2 goals separated the teams at the end. North Hobart were worthy winners, but it was no disgrace to the Glenorchy girls who battled hard in this, as in every other game.
Coach Peter Barwick will no doubt give his appraisal of the team & its season.
Suffice to say the coaches, led by Peter, & the team leaders such as Captain Molly Mitchell, Macki Sutcliffe, Brie Barwick ( who had a late preseason after the birth of another addition to the Barwick clan!) They led & encouraged the team through the thick & the thin of season 2022.
Praise must also be given to the Dodges Ferry crew, the players & coaching staff who showed great foresight to enter into this joint venture. They did the most travel, they showed immense determination & took on responsibilities & leadership rolls which added to the teams confidence & overall success.
They & indeed all participants grew from this situation. Individuals worked hard, they & the team as a whole showed great improvement as the year went on.
One might also add that the end of season 'celebration' was also up to the high standard expected!!
With this amazing experience behind us, we can only look forward to season 2023.
Get on board!!!
From The Magpie Observer!
