Cowra Blues girls coach Luke Le Page knows his side will have to be at their best to progress past the opening week of the Central West AFL finals.
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The girls Blues will tackle Orange Tigers in the elimination final this Saturday, after finishing fourth in the regular season with two victories from 13 matches.
Le Page described the assignment as “tough” but he’s confident the Blues can challenge the Tigers.
“It’s been a tough year for us. We had a few heavy defeats at the start of the year and we were sort of left recovering from that for the most,” Le Page said.
“Orange has been strong in the last few weeks and we’ve struggled with numbers at the end of the season but if we can field a strong side it’ll be a good match.”
Cowra has one of the youngest rosters in the competition, with the group formed mostly by the club’s youth league.
While some of the match-ups against opposition players can be uneven, Le Page says the Cowra players’ skills are outstanding.
“We’re a very young team. It’s basically made up of the girls who play in the youth league,” Le Page said.
“So our physicality can be an issue but our skills are right up there with some of the best in the competition. Later in the year we’ve shown that.”
Cowra’s two victories throughout the season were recorded against Parkes Panthers.
Their most impressive victory was back in round seven when the Blues kicked 11 goals to zero in a 69-1 thumping.
Le Page, though, was more impressed with the side’s performance in its 23-7 loss to Orange in round 11.
“Our most impressive victory was against Parkes.
Our match against Orange, where we lost by only a few points after losing by about 90 to them previously, is our best performance though.
“It’ll be tough [this week] but if we get a good side together it’ll be close.”
Brahe Ashlie-Reid has been one of Cowra’s best throughout the season and, according to Le Page, is one of the best mid-fielders in the competition, while Natalie Carden and Jacqui Dresser are also two of the Blues’ best.
The game begins from 11am this Saturday at George Park, Bathurst.
Central West Women’s AFL ladder after regular season
- Bathurst Bushrangers 13 13 64
- Dubbo Demons 13 9 48
- Orange Tigers 13 8 40
- Cowra Blues 13 2 20
- Parkes Panthers 13 2 16
Finals week one
- Orange Tigers versus Cowra Blues (minor semi-final)
- Bathurst Bushrangers versus Dubbo Demons (major semi-final)
In the senior men’s grade Bathurst Bushrangers Rebels and Orange Tigers will do battle for the first spot in the grand final, while Bathurst Bushrangers Outlaws and Dubbo Demons playoff for survival.
