GEELONG Falcons coach Paul Corrigan has been left wondering what might have been after inaccurate kicking cost his team a spot in the NAB League Girls Grand Final.
Trailing the unbeaten Dandenong Stingrays by 31 points at three-quarter time of the semi-final clash at Frankston’s Skybus Stadium, the Falcons had nine shots at goal in a frantic final quarter.
However, only one of those shots was a goal, and despite keeping the Stingrays scoreless, the Falcons lost by 18 points, 7.7 (49) to 3.14 (32).
“Dandenong played extremely well. They kicked three goals from impossible situations,” Corrigan told Bay 93.9’s The Sideline View.
“And if we had of been lucky enough to maybe put one or two of those goals through early in that (last) quarter – we always felt we were a chance in that last quarter.
“They kept peppering, they kept getting the ball inside 50, and it just wasn’t to be.”
Despite the loss, Corrigan’s pride in his group, which suffered a 49-point loss to the Stingrays in Round 1, overrode the disappointment.
“I couldn’t be more prouder of the girls,” he said.
“The way they conducted themselves against Dandenong when you look at game one of the year that we played against them and they blew us off the park.
“And I thought today, we executed really well. (We) may not (have) in front of goal, but everything else across the ground, I thought the girls were fine-tuned in how we wanted to play, and they did that for four quarters.
“The result didn’t go our way, but I thought they left everything out on the field.”
Falcons ruck Keeley Hardingam did her AFLW draft prospects no harm after amassing 25 disposals and taking three marks in another impressive performance.
Winger Mekah Morrissy, midfielder Mia van Dyke, forward Lizzie Dowling and captain Charlotte Simpson also battled hard.
MEANWHILE, the Geelong Falcons Boys have opened their season with a nail-biting one-point win over the Gold Coast at Craigieburn’s Highgate Recreation Reserve.
Twitter: @tom_king79
