Women’s Non Contact Over 35s – Round 5 – 31st May 2025 by Ren
This week we played at Port Melbourne Colt’s ground. It was a very pleasant morning and great footy weather, we even had some decent numbers turn up for the occasion!       

After finalising our Teams and a good warm up, we took to the field! Sandra ever dominant in Ruck didn’t let us down, squared up against Sue and the battle was on, soon we had Doc running with our first goal for team Yellow! With strong grit Susie Q blitzed the field for the Blacks spearing the balltowards goals, and they too had their first goal!
 
It was on in the mid field with Sunny, OMG – she was like a terrier nipping at everyone’s heels, on fire scrambling for the ball, tapping it out in front and running on to it – all the ground ballwork we practiced last week put into action! There were some good passages of play betweenCharlie and Jodi with some great contested marks.

With Sandra banned from the ruck in the second half, Doc took it in her stride and won the tap out of the centre to Mish who worked tirelessly to get it down to Jen in goals. Mish even managed to sneak one herself! It was really great to see all the work we were putting in at training taking effect on the field – sure to impress Sue and showcase her fantastic coaching! And even Sandra missing herposition of ruck managed to snag a couple herself!

Kirsty was unstoppable in defence and the pressure was so immense that there were a few turnovers with some brilliant link ups with Charlie and Jodi to Rey who slotted home the goals with her massive and accurate kicking!

The goals were pinging again in the last term with Susie tearing up the track – she was like the roadrunner – a woman on a mission to chase that leather! Highlight of the game – Sunny’s endeavour finally got her that elusive goal she worked so hard to get! We all ended on a high!

Big thanks to all who come and help and support us when we play each game, it’s very much appreciated!

This is a fantastic bunch of girls who come together each game with such enthusiasm and commitment. The encouragement and positivity that is shown to all is outstanding and we even have a laugh and joke at our own mistakes! This group is why we all keep coming back to help and support each other! Great effort everyone and it’s an achievement to us all to see how our skills continue to improve each week! Keep staying positive! X


Round 5 Over 50s Mens Match Report by Grunta


Approaching the middle of the season, a weary Warriors Over 50s team was back at Edinburgh Reserve searching for its first win of the season. Having competed hard but fallen short against Carrum in Round 4, the men were up and about at the prospect of taking on Cranbourne in front of a huge home crowd.


2024 coach Kenny was handed the reins for this round, and we welcomed back Ari from injury to the midfield, Rob from his ladyboy tour of Thailand, and former/current Warrior Scott Lester for his first game of 2025. One thing we love about the Warriors is strategy, and we know Cranbourne had scouts using drones watching our training last week to take notes on our game plan. But they don’t know that Kenny is a crafty genius. So the captain of the forward line, Dave H, started at centre half back and the captain of the back line, Cuddly Al, started at centre half forward. The opposition never saw that coming.


Cranbourne looked an impressive unit from the start, but our midfield led by Killer, Carbo and Bruisa were up to the challenge and there was no easy ball for the opposition. Still, Cranbourne managed to get a few goals with their no. 2 proving a handful capable of hitting the goals from long range (which in Over 50s is +20m). At the other end, our short kicking game paid dividends and Clint was able to slice one home for our first goal. At quarter time it was Cranbourne four goals, Warriors one.


The second quarter saw the Warriors kicking with the wind, but a regression back to bombing it long allowed Cranbourne too many opportunities to sweep the ball down the field, connect with their long-kicking forwards, and at half time we entered the sheds down eight goals to one.


Assistant coach (?) Eddie was vocal at half time about the diversion from our short-kicking game plan, and after a gee-up from Kenny we hit the second half determined to do better. Bruisa, hampered after a Cranbourne player fell on his leg, moved down back. Theo was injected into the middle and contested well, but it was tough going as Cranbourne’s guns outran the tiring Warriors.


With Cranbourne locking the ball into our D50, the Warriors desperately needed a hero to present for an outlet.


Enter Dusty.


The world’s greatest SFD materialised near the boundary line, a shock of blinding white hair emerging above a wall of Cranbourne players. That was the target as a high ball was launched, tumbling through the air end over end like a piglet falling down a set of stairs.
In front of the opposition bench, Dusty leapt a good 17 millimetres skyward, shrugging off altitude sickness and the burly Cranbourne bodies crashing into his frame. His powerful paws reached into the atmosphere, caressing the Sherrin at first, teasing a dropped mark as the gathered crowd held their breath… but then the vice was tightened and those reliable mitts engulfed the ball and the mark was paid. I don’t remember what happened next.


At three quarter time, Kenny changed things up again and Matty D, Clint and Scotty went to the centre with immediate impact. The cameo from Scotty resulted in multiple clearances and a goal courtesy of a Matty D handball out of the pack.

Though we were still outgunned, the second half showed a lot more promise with the Warriors starting to connect and move the ball the way we train, and pick it up off the ground as we’ve been working Monday nights. Our backline worked hard all game and defended valiantly, with great support from the mids and wingers again. Cranbourne’s no. 2 ran rampant and was the difference, finishing with seven goals, most of them long range. I looked him up – he’s a 300+ gamer who still plays senior footy and frankly should be banned from 50s so us hacks can feel better about ourselves. Should be illegal.


Ladbrokes was paying $550 for the following multi –
1. Carbo 40+ hitouts
2. Killer most hard-ball gets
3. Pas most grapples
4. Someone to carry on like a pork chop and give away a 50.


I got everything except the last leg.


After ill discipline cost us dearly in recent games, it was great to see cool heads prevail and dummies firmly kept in mouths for the entire match. Let’s keep it up.


Score


Eastern Warriors 2.0.12, Cranbourne 15.10.100

Over 35s match report coming soon