Ask Thunder skipper Keeghan Tucker and her Suns counterpart Matilda Asser about Saturday’s inaugural Central West Women’s All Stars clash and the pair immediately turns the attention to next year’s game.
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Their response? Bring it on.
The Southern Thunder took out Saturday’s maiden women’s clash after a stirring first half helped propel the greens to a 2.8.20 – 1.3.9 victory at Bathurst’s George Park.
“It’s honestly just been a really fun game and hopefully in the next couple of years it becomes a regular event,” Asser said, after taking out best-on-ground honours for the Suns girls.
The Suns drew players from Orange, Parkes and Dubbo, while the Southern team took players from the powerhouse Bushrangers club as well as the Giants and Cowra.
“The Thunder’s a really strong team. They’ve got a lot of premierships in that side, but we’ve had a ball today. It’s been great, and got to gel with some girls we’re usually up against,” Asser added.
Southern scored the bulk of its points in a rampant first term, Monique Lewis and Tucker booting majors to propel the greens to a 2.3.15 – 0.0.0 lead at the first change.
Tucker’s girls wouldn’t score another goal for the match, and Northern battled to find the centre of the sticks, too, until Asser nailed her side’s only six-pointer of the match early in the final quarter.
It gave the golds hope of clawing back into the contest, but another two shots on goal were wayward, the two behinds not enough to secure a win.
Tucker said the clash was a tough first-up representative hit-out for Central West’s girls, despite the reasonably comfortable 11-point win.
“It might have looked (comfortable), but it definitely didn’t feel like that,” Tucker smiled.
“The Suns were all over us for probably the last half. We struggled to get any forward momentum.
Hopefully in the next couple of years it becomes a regular event.
- Suns skipper Matilda Asser
“I’m surprised it [wasn’t] not a lot closer on the scoreboard.”
Bushrangers star Sophie Thrower was the Thunder’s best on ground.
“It’s great for the girls,” Tucker added, echoing the sentiments of Asser.
“It gives us something to aim for during the season as well, rather than just watching the boys play. It keeps our skills up.
“When you’re playing a higher level you’ve got to pick it up or you get left behind.”
Asser was desperate for her side to have another quarter, such was the head of steam the Suns built in the final term.
“The first quarter we probably took the first 10 minutes to gel as a team. There was a lot energy in the sheds before the game and the girls really wanted to start positively and come out firing, we did that in the last quarter,” she said.
For the Suns, Caroline McGrath provided a lot of run and Emma Clark, an Orange Tiger, was impressive on the wing.
- SOUTHERN THUNDER 2.8.20 (Monique Lewis, Keeghan Tucker) def NORTHERN SUNS 1.3.9 (Matilda Asser).