VFLW Match Report: Round 1 vs Essendon

18/05/2026

Round 1 of our VFLW campaign has yielded our first win in thrilling circumstances, as we came from behind to beat Essendon by three points at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval.

Blustery conditions and a slow start couldn’t deny us the four points, as we claimed a brilliant 6.5 (41) to 5.8 (38) victory to get our season off to the perfect start.

It was tough going early, as Essendon kicked towards the Sautner Goal in the first term, and with the wind behind them made all the early running, kicking the first two goals of the contest.

But the intent was clear to see from our side, with Ava Bibby competing well despite being outsized in the ruck, work which was capitalised on by midfielder Kristy Stratton, who held her own against a strong Bombers midfield with an eye-catching centre clearance.

Jordan Membrey was presenting well up the ground and attacking the footy hard, while vice-captain Deanna Jolliffe had plenty of the ball and used it well, hitting up Tayla Kearns inside-50.

These moments were unable to be converted on the scoreboard, however, as we went into the first break down 0.0 to Essendon’s 2.1 (13), which seemed a good result given the Bombers had a strong breeze to work with.

Play resumed in the second quarter, and it took just over a minute for us to kick our first goal of the season, with Kearns slotting one through the middle on the run to close the margin down to seven points.

Essendon replied as we traded goals, the Bombers kicking two more either side of a Chloe Saultry major, pushing the gap back out to the quarter time margin of 13 points.

Sophie Locke, who had moments earlier provided some brilliant evasive play in the middle of the ground to get the ball inside attacking 50, nailed a brilliant set shot from 30 metres out on a slight angle, while Membrey too added her first of the contest, drawing us back to a solitary point behind at the half, trailing 4.2 (26) to 4.3 (27).

We emerged from the rooms hungry in the third term but were immediately under an Essendon onslaught as they utilised the wind to great effect moving the ball forward.

We defended with grit and denied the Bombers a major for the term, although we were unable to kick a goal ourselves as the contest descended into an arm wrestle between the arcs, with Essendon ahead by five points at the final break.

We made a hot start to the final term with the opening goal, as Zoe Barbakos put us in front for the first time all afternoon within a minute, launching a long bomb from outside 50, however a costly free kick at a stoppage inside defensive 50 saw Essendon reclaim the lead almost immediately.

The intensity from both sides lifted as the clock ticked down, and it was fitting that our leaders, skipper Grace Hodder and vice-captain Jolliffe, lifted their output to match, too, finding plenty of the footy and using it effectively as we made a big push.

It was Kearns that ultimately landed the knockout blow for us, plucking the ball out of the air mid-pack after Mackenzie Williams sent us forward, before kicking truly from 30 metres out, directly in front, to score what would be the final goal of the contest.

We scored two more behinds in a frantic final five minutes of play, extending our lead to three points as the final siren sounded, sparking jubilant scenes from all in attendance, though there were none happier than the players and coaching staff after a resilient performance.

We will look to continue our winning start to the season next Saturday, May 23, when we take on Collingwood at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval at 11am.

SANDRINGHAM: 0.0, 4.2, 4.2, 6.5 (41)

ESSENDON: 2.1, 4.3, 4.7, 5.8 (38)

Goals: Kearns 2, Saultry, Membrey, Locke, Barbakos

Visit the VFLW website for full stats