Round 8 match report

A 7-goal haul from forward Holly Bate has inspired the Dragons to their fifth-straight win of the 2018 TAC Cup Girls competition, defeating the Bendigo Pioneers 10.14 (74) to 0.3 (3).

Bate was the star of the show at Trevor Barker Oval, slotting five goals in the first half thanks to her aerial dominance, while also selflessly assisting her teammates as the game wore on.

“She just dominated, I was really happy with her game, she just reads the play well,” Dragons assistant coach Danny Byrne said.

Sandringham won every quarter in a consistent effort throughout the match, placing the Pioneers under immense pressure every time they had control of the ball.

Slick ball movement and transition from defence to offence made the difference in the game, with the likes of Eleanor Brown, Abbie McKay and Jemma Owen willing the ball into dangerous areas.

“Our forward pressure was really good, once we got the ball into our forward line we were able to keep it in there and play it in our half,” Byrne said.

“We were trying to get the girls moving the ball a little differently to how we have in recent weeks, they took that on and executed it really well.

“The pleasing thing is even though we had a really good win we still have some really big improvement to come from the girls.”

The resounding victory improves the Dragons’ record to 6-2 on the season with one game remaining.

“I think we’ve come a long way from the start of the season, we got off to a little bit of a slow start but the girls are really starting to mesh well together,” Byrne said.

“I’m really happy with how we’ve progressed and where we’ve come in such a short time.”

An emotional presentation was conducted post-game to thank staff who have contributed to the Dragons TAC Cup Girls season in 2018, as it was potentially their final home game for the year.

Sandringham’s next game is against Gippsland Power at RAMS Arena on Saturday, May 12.

Sam Bunn