Photo: Second rower Jess Howard
The Yass Magpies ladies defeated the Woden Valley Rams 30 – 10 in round 9 of the Blumers Lawyers Katrina Fanning Shield on Saturday, July 2 continuing the team’s winning streak.
Coach Brendon Housten said with just six rounds left in the competition the Magpies are looking pretty good for finals footy.
“It’s not often that you see your team sweep through all the teams,” he said. “So we’ll pat ourselves on the back for that one, but as I say all the time, there’s always next week, and we’ve got to keep pushing forward.”
Despite the coldness of a Yass winter evening, the Magpies have kept up their intensity in training.
“The intensity is still there, and people are still showing up, which is always what you want as a coach, you can’t do anything without players.”
“Even with the colder weather we’re still getting good numbers,” Brendon said. “I know it’s hard for everyone to get out there especially in Yass when it’s always that one or two degrees colder than in Canberra.”
Although Yass sits on top of the ladder, the team has two byes left in the next six rounds.
This season, the closest the Magpies have come to being defeated was a tight match against the Queanbeyan Blues in Round 6. If it hadn’t been for a last-minute buzzer try the Blues would have taken the win but Yass scraped in with a 6 – 8 win.
Despite getting the win on the weekend, Brendon acknowledged what both the Rams and Bulldogs can do in their element and added that all three in premiership contention have been improving every week.
“Those three sides would probably be the biggest threats I think, but any side can win on any day, so we don’t take any team lightly.”
Next week the Yass Magpies are up against Goulburn Bulldogs in Round 10 of the Katrina Fanning Shield. The match kicks off at 10:40am at the Workers Arena in Goulburn on Sunday, July 10.
After defeating Goulburn in Round 1 the game looks to be a big one for Yass with plenty of passion brought about by the two sides long-standing rivalry.
“I think Goulburn will get up for it,” Brendon said. “Obviously, teams always find a way to get that extra gear when they’re playing the top side and I think with that added rivalry as well, Goulburn will be re- ally raring to go.”
“So we’ll have to be on our best as well but I think it is going to be a tough game.”
By Brianna O’Rourke
