After writing its name in the history books last year, South Gambier entered the new Veolia Limestone Coast Women’s Football League with a target on its back.
With up to 15 premiership players leaving the squad, some may have sensed the Demons were in a vulnerable position, but the side continues to shine and became the first to seal a finals berth on Thursday, with an unbeaten start to the season.
The restructured outfit has been coached by Simon Radley and the new leader could not be happier with how the campaign has transpired.
“Obviously we set our goals pretty high and appearing in the senior finals was the first, so it is nice to tick that box,” he said.
“It is really pleasing to be in the position we are in, but once we get there it will be a whole different ballgame.”
South’s latest success came against Mundulla where it had to contend with dewy conditions at Kongorong, plus a former teammate and premiership-winning captain Kaylene Nuske.
Although Nuske’s new teammates made life hard for the Demons, the reigning premiers missing key-player Tess Andrews took control with immense pressure and desperation.
Radley admitted his opponents were not quite at full strength, but was still impressed with his team’s application to string together clean passages of play in tricky conditions.
“I was pleased with the performance because Tess was a big loss for us, but we knew Mundulla was far from full strength as well because it was a huge ask for them to travel two and a half hours to play,” he said.
“It was our first game under lights for the season and it was quite dewy, so the second half was not the most attractive footy, but I thought our accountability, run and intensity at the ball was impressive.
“Our leadership group had to pick up the loss of Tess’s voice and the likes of Melanie Bateman, Libby Morgan and Maddy Wormald were instrumental.
“One girl I have been so impressed with is Lauren Frost, who has gone from strength to strength and her run off half back was phenomenal.
“We still had some raw young girls like Alice Tentye and Scarlet Creek on the field as well and they were just ferocious bringing some of Mundulla’s bigger girls down in one-on-one tackles.
“They showed no fear and went at 100% and I cannot ask for anything more as a coach.”
Despite their success so far, Radley is fully aware the job is not done and bigger challenges await this weekend where the Demons take on a rampant Penola outfit.
“We do not want to become complacent,” he said.
“There have been times where I have sat back and just gone ‘wow’ watching us go bang, bang, bang without the opposition laying a hand on the ball.
“The unselfish nature of play has been the most pleasing aspect and we may be sitting pretty on top of the ladder, but I do not think we have come up against any of the other top sides at full strength.
“We will have another good test against Penola this Sunday and they have been impressive only dropping the one game.
“But it is not a bad thing playing these games leading up to finals because hopefully we will be hardened for the higher intensity of footy, which we will need to play if we want to go all the way.”
