Sandringham Zebras VFLW Midseason Review
09/06/2025
After just our second loss of the season, the midseason break comes at a good time for the Zebs as we look to reset and make a push for finals
Our first year as the Zebras in the VFLW has seen us announce ourselves as a genuine contender for finals, as we sit inside the top six, sitting just two points back of top spot. Senior Coach Lachlan Harris has prepared us well, guiding us to four straight wins to kick off the season.
Strong start to the season sets us up well
Four wins on the trot to begin our new era as the Zebras saw us occupy top spot on the ladder after round four, as we were the last team to taste defeat in the 2025 Rebel VFLW season. Despite letting some points slip in the ensuing weeks – including a one-point loss to Williamstown and a draw with Port Melbourne – our work from early in the season sees us still crucially sitting inside the top six. A 32-point win to open the season at home against Darebin, followed by a 49-point win down the highway against Geelong, has helped deliver us a handy percentage of 117.4, while a hard fought two-point win over Casey, backed up with a four-point win over Carlton has shown our ability to stand tall in close encounters.
Two players elevated to AFLW lists
The strong start to our season saw some AFLW clubs come knocking, with the brilliance of Lauren Brazzale and Erica Fowler on display, seeing them both earn AFLW contracts. Former teammates at Collingwood before their time with us at Sandringham, Brazzale and Fowler will be on opposing sides in the 2025 AFLW season, with Brazzale joining Richmond and Fowler catching the eye of Geelong, just a couple of weeks after she helped us defeat the Cats in round four.
Recruits have made a difference
The yellow, black and blue aren’t the only thing different about our VFLW side in 2025, as we welcomed some new faces to the club over the off-season who have quickly become key pillars of our team. Imogen Evans has tallied the most disposals for the club this year, becoming a ball magnet inside our midfield after coming across from Collingwood. Averaging 17.1 disposals per game, as well as 5.9 tackles, the fearless Evans has emerged as one of the best players in the competition, and has been a welcome addition to our side for 2025. Arianna Clarke has also channelled her AFLW experience with Brisbane into being a crafty option in our forward line, leading the club’s goal kicking with six to her name so far. Clarke has been held goalless in a game just once this season, highlighting the danger and headaches she has caused opposing defences.
Upcoming fixtures
After our strong first half of the season, we are eager to get back into the swing of things in the second half of the year. Our season will continue in round eight when we host Carlton at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval next Sunday. We will be looking to repeat our efforts from our last matchup with the Blues, where we defeated them by four points in round three at Ikon Park. Of our final seven games, three will be take place at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval, including a potentially crucial final game of the season against the current ladder leaders, North Melbourne Werribee.
Ladder Position: 6th (4W, 1D, 2L)
Top Goal Scorers: Arianna Clarke (6), Chloe Saultry, Emily Shepherd, Sophie Locke (4)
Written by Jake Beddard - Sandringham FC