Historic win for VFLW TigersThe VFLW Tigers have marked themselves in the history books, claiming victory in their first ever home and away match, beating the Western Bulldogs 6.5 (41) to 0.3 (3) at Whitten Oval on Saturday afternoon.
In a momentous Round 1 performance, Richmond dominated play from the get-go. They attacked the game with vigour and defended with determination, ceasing all the Bulldogs’ forward entries.
Early in the first term, co-vice captain Kate Dixon snagged the first goal of the match, much to the delight of the roaring Richmond spectators. By the end of the first quarter, the Tigers held a 12 point lead.
A slower second quarter saw no majors scored by either side, but the Tigers stayed in control and the margin extended to 15 points.
Richmond had a massive second half, spearheaded by Dixon and Jenna Colwell, who worked together seamlessly in the forward line. By the conclusion of the match, the Tigers had stretched their lead to a whopping 38 points.
Coach Tom Hunter said the women exemplified true Tiger spirit.
“There’s a real Richmond brand trickling down from AFL, to VFL level, but then also through to our girls now at VFLW,” Hunter said.
“What was pleasing about it was the way they controlled the game. They showed composure with ball-in-hand, took some really great options, and moved the ball the way we wanted to.”
Dixon was prolific for the Tigers. After her historic first goal she went on to boot another three goals and amass nine disposals.
Hunter said Dixon’s performance was a credit to her hard work throughout the pre-season.
“To get the results on the scoreboard just shows that she’s worked really hard, she knows her strengths, and she’s played to her strengths really well,” he said.
Richmond’s defensive pressure was formidable. Led by defender Jacqueline Graham, who racked up a match-leading 21 disposals, they kept the Western Bulldogs goalless for the entirety of the game.
Coach Hunter said the team has developed a reliable group of back six girls who are working together cohesively.
“Our back six were really impressive. Jacqui led really well, Lisa Davie did a fantastic job locking down her opponent, and same with Evelyn Burry. The girls are really gelling well together and they’ll continue to gel well over the course of the season.”
The Tigers will face off against the Darebin Falcons in Round 2 next Saturday 12 May at 12.00pm at the Swinburne Centre, Punt Road Oval.
“We’ll start again and we’ll continue to back our process and get back to that pressure and really set the scene from that end,” said Hunter.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2018-05-05/vflw-round-1-match-report
