GIPPSLAND Power’s youth girls side closed the first V/Line Cup carnival outside of Melbourne in style on Thursday with a 25-point victory over the Ballarat Rebels at Moe.
In the final fixture of the under 15 boys and under 17 girls Victorian Country Championship, the Power girls, led by best on ground Holly Whitford and Shayla Marsh, kicked 6.11 (47) to 3.4 (22) to finish the competition with a win and a loss.
The Gippsland girls, representing Power for the first time since an 18-month layoff, narrowly dropped their first match 10.4 (64) to 9.7 (61) against Bendigo.
The 1-1 ledger was a theme for all Power teams with the division one and two V/Line Cup boys’ sides sharing the result.
Power 1 started the week with a thrilling 13.2 (80) to 11.9 (75) win over Peninsula at Morwell when Xavier Duursma scored after the siren to steal the victory.
Day two was not as kind to the host, which went down 11.9 (75) to 10.3 (63) on Tuesday to Goulburn Murray, also at Morwell.
The Power led by eight at the final change but suffered a final term fadeout in its second game in as many days.
Grady Cocksedge and Caleb Serong were best for Gippsland, while Sam Flanders booted three goals.
Their division two counterparts accounted for Yarra Ranges handily on Monday before falling to Goulburn Murray in a low scoring encounter by five points.
Jordan Ray kicked three goals to be named best in the side’s opening win, while Zac Hurley received the votes in the second up 4.11 (35) to 4.6 (30) loss.
The carnival, which this year had direct integration with the TAC Cup for the first time, acts as a development pathway for under 16 Power selection.
Power 1 coach Dean Duursma said while the Gippsland sides were split into two divisions, all players had the chance to press for a place in the program.
“With both teams… some of them are really interchangeable so they’re not really better than each other,” Duursma said.
“Of course we picked them as one and two but as you watch you sorta see ‘oh this kid’s really good’.
“It’s their entry into the fantastic program Gippsland Power have.”
Gippsland will host the tournament again next year after AFL Victoria awarded the region the event for 2015/16.
V/Line Cup Division One
Gippsland Power 1 2.0 (12) 7.0 (42) 8.2 (50) 13.2 (80)
Peninsula Stingrays 2.2 (14) 3.5 (23) 9.7 (61) 11.9 (75)
Gippsland Power 1 Goal Kickers: K. Reid 2, C. Olden 2, I. Mosquito 2, S. Flanders 2, L. Scott, K. Dunkley, X. Duursma, B. McKinnon, M. Leek. Best Players: B. McKinnon, H. Pepper, X. Duursma, B. Smith, C. Serong, L. Scott. Peninsula Stingrays Goal Kickers: M. Cottrell 2, I. Bashir 2, J. Nanscawen 2, R. Nanscawen, B. Schmidt, F. Bayne, S. Tapolczay, J. Taylor. Best Players: I. Bashir, F. Bayne, D. Frampton, J. Nanscawen, J. Berenger, M. Cottrell.
Goulburn Murray 1 1.3 (9) 5.3 (33) 7.5 (47) 11.9 (75)
Gippsland Power 1 2.0 (12) 5.1 (31) 9.1 (55) 10.3 (63)
Goulburn Murray 1 Goal Kickers: Z. Barzen 3, K. Clarke 3, E. Adams, M. Walker, S. Small, A. Jorgensen, J. Sorgel. Best Players: K. Clarke, S. Small, Z. Barzen, M. Walker, A. Dang, E. Adams. Gippsland Power 1 Goal Kickers: S. Flanders 3, K. Dunkley 2, C. Serong 2, B. Smith, C. Olden, I. Mosquito. Best Players: X. Duursma, C. Olden, N. Lowden, B. Beck, C. Serong, G. Cocksedge.
V/Line Cup Division Two
Gippsland Power 2 2.4 (16) 6.6 (42) 7.12 (54) 10.12 (72)
Yarra Ranges 1.2 (8) 3.3 (21) 5.5 (35) 8.8 (56)
Gippsland Power 2 Goal Kickers: J. Ray 3, B. Hastings 2, H. Law 2, M. Toussaint, S. Burns, T. Simpson. Best Players: J. Pryor, L. Taylor, T. Simpson, H. Law, N. Balfour, J. Ray. Yarra Ranges Goal Kickers: H. Greenall 5, R. Goonan 3. Best Players: P. Bruzzese, H. Greenall, G. Schiavello, M. Darke, M. Thomas.
Goulburn Murray 2 0.2 (2) 1.6 (12) 2.10 (22) 4.11 (35)
Gippsland Power 2 1.2 (8) 1.3 (9) 3.4 (22) 4.6 (30)
Goulburn Murray 2 Goal Kickers: K. Grant, J. Brooks, L. McMahon, J. Clee. Best Players: A. McCurdy, L. McMahon, Z. Cuppens, J. Woodman, F. Hicks, T. Davey. Gippsland Power 2 Goal Kickers: M. Pollutro 2, B. Aldwell, J. Ray. Best Players: T. Simpson, B. Aldwell, J. Allman, B. Motton, L. Taylor, Z. Hurley.
Youth Girls Shield
Bendigo Pioneers 2.2 (14) 4.3 (27) 6.3 (39) 10.4 (64)
Gippsland Power 1.1 (7) 5.4 (34) 8.5 (53) 9.7 (61)
Bendigo Pioneers Goal Kickers: I. Ayre 7, J. Jolliffe, B. Marshall, C. Scott. Best Players: I. Ayre, J. Jolliffe, T. Cochrane, M. Neal, G. Gullick, A. Campbell. Gippsland Power Goal Kickers: H. Whitford 2, G. Collins 2, S. Felmingham, E. Voland, L. Van Berkel, I. Marsh, E. Haeusler. Best Players: H. Whitford, E. Haeusler , J. Franssen, A. Jans.
Gippsland Power 1.3 (9) 1.5 (11) 5.9 (39) 6.11 (47)
Ballarat Rebels 1.0 (6) 2.2 (14) 2.2 (14) 3.4 (22)
Gippsland Power Goal Kickers: A. Dunn, G. Collins, H. Whitford, C. Van Der Pluym, S. Marsh, S. Orton. Best Players: A. Jans, D. Guttridge, S. Marsh, J. Mattern, H. Whitford. Ballarat Rebels Goal Kickers: L. Booth, E. Tucker, H. Whitehand. Best Players: J. Bokma, L. Butler, A. McDonald, L. Booth, K. McAloon, J. Kawa.
