Sport
17 June, 2025
Battle between the Magpies and Eagles ends in a draw
In a memorable game for both club’s season, and their recent history, the clash between Campbells Creek and Dunolly ended in the most memorable result, forced to share the four points after a wildly exciting 38-38 draw.
After being unable to play against Lexton in round eight, Dunolly player-coach Lillie Wrigley returned to face the side she coached in 2024 as one of two ins alongside Demcy Fraser.
With regular shooter Elouise Jones and key defender Lizzy Clarke unavailable, the Magpies brought up Tarni Williams and Kate Winkelmann for this important match.
Determined to earn their first multiple-win season since 2022, the defensive play of Taylah Sartori and Katina Hawken allowed Campbells Creek to start the contest on the front foot with an 11-8 lead at quarter time.
Jemma Finning repeated her strong first quarter against Natte Bealiba last round, scoring nine goals and allowing Williams to settle in with two goals.
Celebrating her 300th game for Dunolly, Ashlee Lierich needed some time to settle her nerves, scoring three goals while Zoe Aldridge top-scored with five.
With Lierich’s 300th and Chloe Goodwin playing her 200th game for the club, the Eagles found momentum in the second term, wiping out the deficit to pull even 20-20 at the main break.
Following some early shooting struggles, Aldridge found her range, scoring eight goals in the second term while Lierich made a serious impact after being moved into defence for the second quarter.
With Finning cooling down from her torrid start, scoring four for the term, Williams stepped up for the Magpies, netting five.
The tension was evident when play resumed for the second half, with both teams desperate to grab a victory to severely boost their finals chances.
The introduction of Wrigley in the third quarter allowed the Eagles to keep a slight edge, building a two-goal lead by three-quarter time after an 11-9 quarter.
Wrigley and Aldridge scored three and two goals for the Eagles while Finning and Williams netted six and three goals respectively for the Magpies.
The battle of the birds went down to the wire, as the Magpies slowly got their way to level footing with the Eagles midway through the fourth quarter.
After the 60-minute encounter, nothing could separate the two sides, with both teams earning two points.
Williams proved a solid scorer deputising for Jones, converting six in the final quarter to finish with 16 for the game. Meanwhile, Finning was the game’s top-scorer with 22 goals.
Wrigley ended an impactful return with five goals in the final term while Aldridge added two.