Sport
27 August, 2024
Lexton comfortable victors over Roos in treacherous Princes Park conditions
LEXTON (63) def NEWSTEAD (38)
The dangerous floater of the pack are ready to wreak havoc once again.
Lexton are well-established as the most dangerous team outside the top four, and will have no reason to not be confident of going into a clash with Carisbrook next week following a comfortable 25-goal victory over Newstead at Princes Park.
Like Taylor Swift once upon a time, these Tigers are feeling ‘22.
Of course, that year, the Tigers would catapult their way into a grand final after a first week victory against the Kangaroos — albeit in much more straightforward circumstances than Sunday’s game — and will now face the team that awaited them in a preliminary final that year, Carisbrook, in this week’s semi final.
Like all other games on Sunday, the Tigers and Kangaroos were made to hold the line before the game as a significant lightning delay hit Princes Park, with confusion reigning over what the game would eventually look like.
They need not have worried, as the game was able to get underway, albeit in very slippery conditions.
Newstead threw plenty at the Tigers early on, determined to show that they were up for the challenge, and their goalscoring duo of Tayla Gale and Bri Jury were more than prepared to zip around the court.
But Lexton have a goalscoring duo themselves in playing-coach Leesa Donhardt and Rachel Phelan, and it would be their experience that would come to the fore later on, as the Tigers started to wear the Kangaroos’ challenge down.
Eventually, the Tigers would clear away to take their 25-goal victory.
Full quarter-by-quarter scores and goalscorers were unavailable by print deadline.
Donhardt was thrilled with the Tigers’ performance.
“We went out wanting to play four consistent quarters and come away with a good win, setting us up for this weekend. Hopefully we can play like we did and the weather stays away,” she said.
Like many others on Sunday, Donhardt was unsure how things would play out, and it was the experience of players like herself, Phelan, Kimberly Roberts and former coach Sarah Fisher that helped the Tigers stay focused.
“There was a little bit of unknowns. There was talk of whether we were going to start, what quarters we’d play, whether they’d be 12 minutes or 15, what time we’d play and it came down to whether they would get the lights on as well,” she said.
While Lexton plays a quick game in dry conditions, the Tigers showed that they were more than up to being able to hit the scoreboard in the wet too.
“I think our fitness plays a big part in that too, and adapting to the conditions wasn’t ideal as it was slippery and wet, but we play such a great game on a dry court and a fast game, so we had to adapt, and we knew that we needed to do the short, sharp passes to get the ball down,” Donhardt said.
Turning around two previous losses to Carisbrook this season will be the next challenge for Donhardt.
“We haven’t beaten Carisbrook during the season, but finals brings plenty, so we will go out there confident and focused, play four consistent quarters and come away with that win,” she said.