By Jonty Ralphsmith
Vic Country put up a gallant fight but ultimately were outlasted by a classy Vic Metro outfit, going down 15.6 96 to 9.9 63 in an excellent spectacle at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
There were nine locals in action for Vic Country, headed by number one pick contender Ash Centra, who combined 29 disposals with two goals in a classy midfield performance.
The Gippslander was consistent throughout the day, with a late snap from 40 the highlight of her day which gave a glimpse into her exciting potential.
Bottom-aged talent Ella Stoddart was also strong, winning a game-high eight intercept possessions off halfback and taking the game on with 17 disposals in a strong first game of the championships.
Competitive midfielder Jas Sowden had a quiet day but was excellent defensively, never giving her direct opponent an inch and laying an equal team-high seven tackles in a resilient performance.
Zoe Besanko won 10 contested possessions, doing her best work as a reliving ruck, as she finished with 14 disposals, including six score involvements, while Jemma Reynolds used it well.
Stingrays Kayla Dalgleish and Makhaela Bluhm were both quiet, as was Gippy ruck Zahri Burn.
The match is Vic Country’s second of the championships, with the girls next in action on Sunday 11 August at 12.45pm, RSEA Park, against Western Australia.
