By: Matt Fotia
DESPITE being in its first year, the Donvale Football Club’s women’s team has stormed into the Deakin Uni Eastern Region Women’s Division 2 grand final after a seven-point victory over Blackburn on the weekend.
The Magpies are the highest scoring team in the division, having accrued 1084 points throughout the home and away season. One of the reasons for this is their noted goal-kicker and genuine live-wire Monica Latino.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donvale FC/Field of View Photography/Jo Fairy
“I haven’t played before this season, so I didn’t know where I was going to be put, and I was really worried that the coach (Clint Martin) was going to put me somewhere down back and I was bit hesitant about that because it’s not where I wanted to be,” Latino said, when asked about her goal scoring prowess.
“But he (Clint) gave me an opportunity to play up forward and out some trust in me and my team trusted me.”
Putting Latino forward could be the best decision coach Clint Martin has made all season. Latino, a long suffering Carlton supporter and footy lover, brought her season tally to 50 goals during the weekend’s victory. She slotted two majors, putting her 17 goals clear atop the league goal kicking table.
Coming from a basketball background, Monica’s ball-handling skills have served her well. She has kicked goals in all bar one game this season, and has collected seven bags of four or more. Her best performance came against Thornton-Eildon where she booted seven majors in the Magpies’ big win.
“It varies really (the forward set-up), sometimes they give me space in the fifty, but I really like getting the crumbs, I love to lead, I love set shots,” she said.
Latino’s set shot routine is best put as a simple one, but it seems to be working, unlike a lot of the footballers around the country.
“I sort of just go back have a look and go yeah I can kick this and then I just take my time, if it comes off, it comes off, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t,” she said, showing that the pressures of goal kicking have yet to really hit her.
“I tried a (more rigid) routine during the year, but it didn’t work so I just stick to what I’d been doing.”
Not only is she one of the leading lights of this Donvale side, she is one of the founding members.
Despite having never played football before, she has a strong connection to the club through her brother Stephen who plays for the men’s side and had no hesitation about playing for the club.
“I came down with Tina (Liu) our now captain, for pre-season and there was no senior girls’ team, only an under 18s. We started pre-season with the under 18’s because we were constantly told that they would get a senior team going,” she said.
“I wouldn’t say I am a pioneer of the team, but I was one of the first girls and with the help of a few amazing people, especially our coach Clint (Martin) who bought down a few girls it started to build from there.”
The Magpies have only had one loss throughout the season, coming against East Ringwood. The Roos were knocked out by Upwey Tecoma in the elimination final last weekend in a relatively high scoring affair, which set the Tigers up for a preliminary final clash with Blackburn.
The sides have met each other one two occasions throughout the season, with Blackburn taking the points on both occasions. In Round 5, Blackburn won by four goals, 8.5 to 4.5, with a two goals apiece to Abbey Jordanov and Jacqueline Turner. Upwey’s Samantha Royce was her side’s best on that occasion, which is a common theme. She has appeared in the Tigers’ best no less than nine times in 2018.
In Round 10, Blackburn repeated the dose, this time able to completely nullify the Upwey attack, keeping them to just two scoring shots,(1.1.7). This would disappoint Upwey who prides itself on being one the better attacking sides in the competition, scoring 934 points throughout the season, far and away the second best offensive unit. The Tigers have four players who have kicked 10+ goals, but none with over 17.
Blackburn may not have scored quite as heavily as Upwey throughout the season (836 points), but it does have two key options when moving the ball forwards. Eliana Parratt has 33 goals for the season, including two against the Tigers in Round 10. She is joined by Ellie Cleland who has 28 majors for the season.
Upwey will be looking for some more performances from their main trio made up of the aforementioned Royce, Emma Caccetta (10 times in best) and Kiana Oates (10 times in best and 15 goals), however they cannot do it alone. If they are to break their Blackburn hoodoo it’ll have to be a complete team effort.
Momentum can be a funny thing, especially when it comes to the finals, but it’s hard to see past Blackburn in this one who, if it wasn’t for some inaccurate kicking, could’ve easily found itself already in the big dance.
In the Deakin Uni Eastern Region Women’s Division 1, minor premier Mount Evelyn has been forced to go the long way round after its shock loss to Vermont on the weekend. The Rovers will take on the reigning premier in Bayswater, who despite an indifferent season have the quality to send Mount Evelyn out in straight sets.
They’ll have to break a trend however to do so, as Mount Evelyn have taken the points on both occasions this season.
In Round 3, the Rovers really put the Waters to the sword, winning by 58 points,10.12.72 to 2.2.14. Alannah Gordon kicked four in that clash, whilst star Rover Isobel Urqhart snared a couple. Urqhart has 18 goals for the season to accompany her eight appearances in the Mount Evelyn best.
Round 10 saw the Waters creep closer, but the Rovers were comfortable winners once again, this time by 17 points. They had 12 more scoring shots, kicking 13 behinds. Alannah Gordon popped up with another goal, bringing her to five goals against Bayswater for the season. She’s only managed 10 against the rest of the competition.
The Rovers have four players with 10-plus goals, Katelyn Betts leading the way with 22. Isabelle Price has 13 goals and has appeared in the best seven times. It looks like the Waters will have to apply a blanket over the Rovers powerful Isabelle/Isobel partnership.
It won’t all be smooth sailing for Mount Evelyn however, Catelyn Wilson has 25 goals this year for Bayswater and has an able sidekick in Julia Austin who has 12. Bayswater have one of the more even spreads across their list as well. Zoe Alston has the most appearances in the best with four, with Melinda Galt and Julia Austin both appearing thrice.
Despite the impressive home and away record of the Rovers, you get a funny feeling that Bayswater’s experience will come to the fore. Catelyn Wilson was quiet on the weekend, but that could just be her saving up the goals, raring to break down a punch-drunk Mount Evelyn side.
