Recap

Dirty Reds women claim premiership with a 38-0 whitewash of ADFA

By PETE OLIVER

It’s as close to the perfect season as you can hope.

The Goulburn Dirty Reds have been crowned the ACT Women’s 10s champions, following their 38-0 demolition of ADFA on Saturday.

The Reds only dropped one game on their way to the minor premiership, before claiming the title after a physical game at Bungendore’s Mick Sherd Oval.

The last time the two teams met was a midweek fixture at ADFA, a thrilling clash that forced the Reds to overhaul a couple of tries to win.

This time, the Reds were dominant from start to finish, crossing for six tries and keeping the Cadets scoreless. It was a victory built on direct running, great scrambling and cover defence, and pure intent.

Halfback Jordan Brooker constantly plays above her weight, smashing much larger players who come near her, while providing great service from the scrumbase. That Brooker earned player of the final honours for her outstanding game on Saturday should come as no surprise. The plucky halfback has stepped her game up yet another level this season, and had become a real leader within the squad.

However, while the whole squad contributed to the win on Saturday, there were some standouts deserving of mention.

Prop Paige Penning was again at her belligerent, bullying best. She physically imposed herself on ADFA, with and without the ball. Goulburn always made metres when she had the ball in hand, and ADFA often lost metres when they ran at her (and then wished they hadn’t).

Bella Sheen was again in the thick of everything all game. You wouldn’t know Sheen had been dealing with a rib injury for the last couple of weeks, as she continued to throw herself into contact with little regard for self-preservation.

Maddy Tooth just ran amok, trampling defenders, bumping them off, and just generally showing why she’s one of the best centres running around ACT Rugby. She combined this with some outstanding covering tackles, often sweeping across as the last line of defence and shutting down ADFA’s attack.

Krystal Blackwell was dangerous every time she got the ball. Her two tries and strong defence were capped off with a yellow card at the death after she rag-dolled an ADFA attacker.

And as for Ash Mewburn, there’s not much more that can be said about the former Brumbies player. She was superb starting the game at flyhalf, before switching into prop later in the game, showing her burgeoning love for the set piece.

Penning got the scoreboard moving after six minutes, barrelling her way over from 5m out to score under the posts, giving Mewburn an easy conversion.

The next ten minutes was a back-and-forth affair, both teams belting each other. A break from the ever-dangerous Chloe Waddell down the right-hand flank saw the ADFA defence open up, and she put Blackwell into space. No one was going to catch the fullback from there, and she streaked away to score under the posts for another easy conversion.

ADFA had their chances from the kick off, opening up the Goulburn defence and making easy metres before spilling the ball into touch. The Reds launched a counterattack from within their 22, sparked by a rare kick from Tooth. She hoofed the ball deep into the ADFA territory, and an excellent chase from Maddy Campbell forced the error in the shadows of half time.

From the scrum, Goulburn shifted the ball right, building up phase play, before Sheen bounced her way over the line through sheer force of will, giving Goulburn an important 19-0 lead at half time.

Things didn’t get off to a great start in the second half, when hooker Melissa Smith earned a sit on the naughty chair for a high tackle and forcing a reshuffle in the forward pack.

Despite the disadvantage, the Reds were the next to score. Blackwell took the ball from near her 22, drifted, stepped at a right angle, and sliced through. The defence didn’t anywhere near her, and she raced away to extend the Goulburn lead.

Blackwell could have completed her hat trick minutes later, when the Reds capitalised on an ADFA mistake. The fullback picked the ball from the ruck, took the blind side and sprinted away. The only player near her was Mewburn, to who Blackwell selflessly gave the ball to allow the captain to score under the post, and notch up her 200th point for the club.

Penning capped off a superb match with a try out wide, showing off seagulling skills most props can only dream of, and completing the 38-0 win.

This was a season the club should be rightly proud of. Mewburn and her coaching staff have fostered a number of new players, of all ages and backgrounds. This, combined with six players who have now won two premierships with the club, has created a cohesive squad that enjoys playing rugby with each other, and clearly enjoys each other’s company off it.

Goulburn’s dominance this season was rewarded with six selections in the ACT Country team, which will play ACT City at Poidevin Oval on 17 September.

Until then, the Goulburn Women have some partying to do.

Goulburn Dirty Reds Women 38 (Penning 2, Blackwell 2, Mewburn, Sheen tries, Mewburn 4 con) bt ADFA 0.

Photos: Pete Oliver