Darebin Falcons kick off VFLW season with thrilling comeback victory
Darebin Falcons secured what will surely be one of the great wins of VFLW 2022, fighting back from 32-0 down to defeat Williamstown.
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It will go down in Darebin Falcons folklore.
Down 32-0 at quarter-time, the Falcons battled back to claim a thrilling three-point win over Williamstown on Saturday.
First-year coach Kate Tyndall reminded her players they’d made a promise when they put on the Darebin guernsey, to compete, and challenged them to show some desire, desperation, intensity.
After winning just one game in VFLW 2021, earning such a remarkable victory in the season-opener is a dream result.
They responded by holding Williamstown goalless for the rest of the match, triumphing 6.1 (37) to 5.4 (34) in front of a raucous crowd at LaTrobe University in Bundoora.
And the celebration. @VFLpic.twitter.com/f9hoc8FreZ
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“You know what, I don’t think I needed to say anything (at quarter-time) to be honest, the players knew that’s not what we’re about,” Tyndall said.
“It was an opportunity to reset and go back to the team that we want to be and I thought they did a brilliant job for the rest of the game.
“We just weren’t competing, Williamstown, to their credit, were beating to us footy all over the ground.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the way the players responded and I think quarters two, three and four, that’s the way we want to attack any game.”
Trailing by eight points at three-quarter-time, the Falcons got an early goal through best-on-ground Ange Gogos before captain Steph Simpson put her team in front with a clutch set-shot finish with nine minutes remaining.
Williamstown missed a golden opportunity to take the lead back in the dying minutes but Darebin’s defence held firm.
“(The heart-rate) is still coming down, that last little bit there’s not much you can do as a coach,” Tyndall said.
“It’s what, 30-plus (degrees) today, I could see the girls were tired but they just did not give up and I’m incredibly proud.”
Former Western Bulldogs star Gogos was a catalyst in the comeback.
The tenacious midfielder gathered a game-high 24 disposals and 10 tackles and kicked a critical goal to get Darebin with two points early in the nail-biting final quarter.
Vice captains Nicole Callinan and Gena Lawson-Tavan were immense, collecting 21 touches, four marks, six tackles and a goal and 18 touches, four marks and five tackles respectively.
Skipper Simpson finished with 10 possessions, five marks, three tackles and two goals – the second putting her team in front.
Tyndall couldn’t have been more impressed by her leaders.
“Going back to that compete, Ange Gogos is an absolute competitor,” she said.
“To win or half the contest, she was superb today, especially in big moments of the game.
“That’s why Steph has been in our leadership group and captain for a number of years, her class is outstanding.
“Also to know what to do in the key moments, I thought she was brilliant.”
Mikayla Meyer and Naomi Celebre kicked Darebin’s other goals.
Sharnie Whiting was Williamstown’s best with 20 possessions and five marks, while Bridie Kennedy had 18 touches and Ruby Tripodi had 16 and nine tackles.
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The Seagulls came out all guns blazing in the opening term, kicking five goals to nil.
Sofi Georgas, Elsa Mangan, Sophia McCarthy, Lori Stepnell and Eliza Straford all hit the scoreboard but the team managed just two behinds in the following three quarters.
Darebin reduced the margin to 19 points at half-time and eight points by three-quarter-time before finish the job.
The VFLW fixture is yet to be finalised for Round 2.
THE ONLY WAY IS UP FOR DAREBIN FALCONS
The only way is up for Darebin.
The Falcons finished last with just one win in VFLW 2021 and have installed club legend Kate Tyndall as head coach.
A four-time premiership winner, Tyndall takes control of a club that has been progressively stripped of its talent by the AFLW and affiliated VFLW clubs.
However, she is confident Darebin can rise again.
“We just want to get better, there’s only one way when you finish at the bottom of the ladder,” she said.
“One of the main focuses is to build the culture of training really hard and getting the best out of ourselves.
“I was midfield coach last year and now head coach, I suppose as head coach you get the chance to influence and put your stamp on the whole program.
“That’s what I’m really relishing, having that opportunity to drive standards and look at all elements of our program to see where we can improve.
“For us, we just want to get better, week-in, week-out and get as many wins as we can.”
The Falcons have welcomed eight new players for the first part of the season.
Angelica Gogos (Western Bulldogs AFLW) and Simone Ruedin (Footscray) are two big inclusions.
Gogos played 28 AFLW games after being signed by the Bulldogs in 2016 while Ruedin played 14 VFLW matches last season.
Former Northern Knights Mikayla Plunkett and Trinity Mills will be full-time Falcons in 2021 further bolstering the club’s depth.
“We’re looking forward to seeing what they can bring and new faces bring a lot of energy to our group, “Tyndall said.
“We’ve got some other young players coming through (at NFL level) and hopefully there’s some other under-18 Falcons that are playing with the Knights at the moment that hopefully we can give an opportunity to as well.”
Darebin will field a young line-up this season and entering her fourth season as captain, Steph Simpson will provide critical leadership.
The Falcons great has played 146 senior games and won seven premierships in her time at the club.
She’s excited by what the squad has been able to achieve in pre-season and hopes that translates to Round 1 on Saturday.
“I’m really looking forward to it, we were unlucky last year, we had a few games were we were really close,” she said.
“Hopefully this year all our training and everything we’ve done in pre-season will help us get some wins on the board.
“We want to keep building and hopefully all the hard work will translate on the field. Hopefully we can get some more wins.
“It’s a nice young list and we’ve got some mature-age players playing as well, there’s a really good vibe and a great coaching staff, so bring on Round 1.”
Having played with Tyndall for a number of years and seen her transition to coaching, Simpson has do doubt she’ll be just as successful swinging the magnets as winning the ball.
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“I’ve got a lot of respect for Kate, I played with her for a number of years and we were lucky enough to have some success together,” Simpson said.
“Everyone just respects her, she’s got great football knowledge and she was a great leader on the field and she’s a great leader off the field.
“She’s instilled a lot of confidence in the group and everyone is super excited by what she’s brought to the club.”
Darebin hosts Williamstown at LaTrobe University, Bundoora in the opening game of the season on Saturday.
DAREBIN FALCONS 2022
Angelica Gogos, VU Spurs
Nicole Callinan, Darebin Falcons
Karly McNiece, Darebin Falcons
Katelyn Hazlett, Bendigo Thunder
Naomi Celebre, Melbourne University
Alyssa Mifsud, VU Spurs
Gena Lawson-Tavan, Darebin Falcons
Ashleigh Gunn, VU Spurs
Sophia Padovano, Darebin Falcons
Ellen Buckley, Darebin Falcons
Stephaine Simpson, Darebin Falcons
Mikayla Plunkett, Lower Plenty
Rachel Hibbert, West Brunswick
Georgia Hammond, Darebin Falcons
Sally Lynch, Darebin Falcons
Mikayla Meyer, Darebin Falcons
Paije Kearney, TBC
Stephaine Normington-Dickens, Darebin Falcons
Simone Ruedin, VU Spurs
Alice Caddy, Darebin Falcons
Emma Mackay, West Brunswick
Victoria Blackwood, Darebin Falcons
Trinity Mills, Lower Plenty FC
Rachel Harris, Darebin Falcons
Sabine Cowley Du Parquet, Darebin Falcons
Manaia Huta, Spotswood
Vanja Smiljanic, Darebin Falcons
Tori Snelleksz, Darebin Falcons
Millie Shone, Melbourne Uni
Development list
Julia McArdle, Darebin Falcons
Angelique Reibelt, Darebin Falcons
Katie McAloon, Darebin Falcons
Kiara Camilleri, Kew Bears
Chloe Weston-Sirett, TBC
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