Dusties storm into finals in both divisions
This year has been an extremely successful year so far for the Warragul Industrials women's football program.
Playing the strong and rapidly growing Mornington Peninsula League the division one team finished second on the ladder and the division three team have finished fourth. Both teams will play finals next week.
The club's youth girls are on top of the ladder of division one in the Female Football Gippsland league and will start finals in a couple of weeks.
In the final home and away game for the season the Dusties division one team played Karingal at Karingal, dominating proceedings 8.8 (56) to 0.1 (1).
The ladder of position of the Dusties team was set, so the focus was to have a good confidence-boosting win with no injuries.
Vice captain and assistant coach Jess Szalek was playing her 100th game so led the team out through her banner.
The game began with a very strong wind to one side of the ground. The Dusties team made a really positive start to the game and were able to kick three unanswered goals in the first quarter.
This was largely due to the Dusties dominating the midfield and some clever work by their forwards.
The Dusties team kicked two goals to zero against the wind in the second quarter.
This five-goal lead was very handy as heavy rain set in just before the half time break and lasted for the remainder of the game.
The second half was extremely physical with the Dusties girls standing up to the physical actions of the opposition.
In the final quarter Jess Szalek kicked her third goal of the day to give the Dusties team a 55-point win.
Best players for the Dusties were Jess Szalek, Bella Brown, Alisha Molesworth, Abbie Hoiberg-Cox, Matilda Van Berkel and Monai Porykali.
Next week the Dusties will play in a qualifying final against Mornington. The Dusties have a record of one win and one loss against Mornington this year.
The winner of this game will go straight through to the grand final and the loser will play the winner of Frankston and Seaford.
On Sunday, Warragul Industrials' development team travelled to Frankston North to face Pines in a must-win match to secure fourth spot in the finals starting next week.
Pines, having had a solid season so far, were the other contender, making this game a door-die final round for both clubs. In the end it was the Dusties who earned their spot in the finals, defeating their opposition handily 8.7 (55) to 2.3 (15).
The Dusties approached the game with a full-strength side and plenty of confidence, having defeated Pines by eight goals back in round two.
Despite the weekend's weather, it turned out to be a good day for football with no rain and little wind to worry about. The ground, though heavy, was in good condition for footy.
While the girls from Warragul managed to dominate inside 50s in the first half, they led by only five points at quarter time and extended it to 11 points by half time.
Some key positional changes around the midfield saw a few Dusties players gain more control in the third quarter.
However, Pines were still hanging on, trailing by only nine points at the final break, showing their determination to fight their way to the finals.
In the final term, the Warragul Industrials girls stepped up a gear, scoring five goals and keeping Pines scoreless, emphatically sealing their season and sending a signal to the top three teams that they have timed their run well.
In the end, patience and fitness proved decisive as Pines couldn't sustain their challenge, despite being formidable and tough opponents.
Once again, the midfield group sparked another full team effort.
In particular, the rucks Remy Ferguson and Kristy Mason worked well in tandem, supported by confident running from Nicole Sheridan, Jaz Middleton, and Josi MacDonald.
They were backed by strong performances from outside runners and forwards who made the most of their opportunities.
Goals were scored by Josi MacDonald (two), Tayla Cann (two) while Mel Lewis, Bek Foulds, and returning vice captain Ellen Croft each added one goal.
This week, it's sudden death in an elimination final against Pearcedale on Saturday, who the Dusties lost to by two points earlier in the season.
Time and venue are to be confirmed, but with Josi MacDonald returning to division one for their finals campaign, selection will be tight.
Key players becoming available will see the return of Lily Baldwin and Jess Kemp, both welcome additions to the finals campaign.