Recap

Dirty Reds women victorious in Klem Oval christening

By PETE OLIVER

The Goulburn Dirty Reds Women have set up a top of the table clash with competition heavyweights Uni Norths, following a 36-5 win over a plucky ADFA outfit.

Playing their first game on the new Klem Oval, the Goulburn side ran in six tries to one in a scrappy game.

With a few players out, Goulburn was forced into a number of positional changes, but the machine rolled on, with several strong performances across the board, particularly in the forwards.

Manusiu Latavau is already fast becoming a cult figure within the women’s team in her first year with the side. The strongly built prop crossed for her first try with the club, showing off plenty of power and agility on the way.

Bella Sheen had one of her best games for the club, getting half a dozen turn overs, dominating the line out and crossing for a try.

Elly Hazelton switched into the forwards and transferred her usual strong running game into the pack, opening up the ADFA defence a few times and looking dangerous with ball in hand.

Krystal Blackwell showed why she is the side’s leading tryscorer for the year, adding to last game’s five tries with a double on Saturday. Blackwell is a retreating defence’s nightmare – a lethal mix of speed and impressive footwork that makes her one of the most dangerous broken field runners to pull on the Reds jersey.

Maddy Tooth again showed why she is one of the best centres running around in the competition. Tooth shook off a painful cork she sustained playing rugby league earlier in the day to unleash some of her trademark runs upfield, including one effort resulting in a try.

Halfback Jordan Brooker was also immense around the field, directing the play and also showing plenty of grit in defence, while Chloe Waddell was her usual solid, reliable self
ADFA kept trying all game, and were rewarded with a try late, following a yellow card to Josephine O’Brien for a high tackle.

Sheen was unsurprisingly the Players’ Player and Grit Cafe awards recipient, with Brooker earning the three Best and Fairest points. Latavau collected two points, with Waddell the one.

Goulburn Dirty Reds Women 36 (Blackwell 1, Latavao, Hazelton, Sheen, Tooth, O’Brien tries, Mewburn 3 conversions) bt ADFA 5 (Kingsbury try).

Photos PETE OLIVER. Click through the gallery using buttons below the photo.

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