Darebin Falcons issue warning to their VFL Women’s rivals

IT HAS been unstoppable so far this season. But Darebin has issued an ominous message to its rivals, declaring its best is still to come.

Darebin's Katie Brennan is tackled by two St Kilda opponents on Sunday. Picture: Carmelo Bazzano

IT HAS been unstoppable so far this season.

But Darebin has issued an ominous message to its rivals, declaring its best is still to come.

Darebin's Lauren Arnell is tackled against St Kilda Sharks on Sunday. Picture: Carmelo Bazzano

The Falcons remain atop the VFL Women’s ladder with a 14-0 record, having rarely been challenged this year.

A 12-point win over Melbourne University in a low-scoring Round 8 fixture is the closest any team has got to the all-conquering side, which has won 10 games by more than six goals this year including eight by more than 10 goals.

Asked if her side’s best was ahead with four rounds remaining before finals, Falcons coach Jane Lange responded “I reckon it is”.

“Hopefully we get a bit of consistency across the four quarters with the style we’ve been working towards,” Lange said.

“That’s what I will be looking for in terms of the group and how we’re functioning together. I think we probably haven’t done that that well over the course of the season, so that’s what we’re working towards.”

Darebin coach Jane Lange get a kick away on Sunday. Picture: Carmelo Bazzano

The usual suspects have been getting the job done week-in, week-out for the Falcons, Lange tipping the race for the club’s best-and-fairest would be a tight race between classy captain Daisy Pearce, star forward Katie Brennan and rebounding defenders Karen Paxman and Melissa Hickey.

However, the Falcons have depth as well as star-power, the biggest challenge in coming weeks settling on a finals line-up.

“We had to choose a squad of about 30 this year who were able to play and what’s been really positive is we’ve been able to give pretty much all 30 of those girls a good number of games up in the senior team to see what they can do in different positions and that sort of thing,” Lange said.

“My toughest job is probably working out who we’re taking into each game and who’s going to have to play in the reserves. It’s really competitive, but we can only take 22.”

The Falcons recorded one of their smaller wins of the season on Sunday, overcoming St Kilda Sharks by 35 points, 12.4 (76) to 6.5 (41).

The Sharks had the better of the first half but could not put pressure on the scoreboard, going into the main break trailing 5.0 to 2.5.

Paxman, Hickey and Shevaun Hogan were the standouts for the winners, who will next meet ninth-placed Geelong in an away fixture this Sunday.