Vawdon Cup 2014 – Sea Eagles Minor Premiers 12.10.14
The Manly Sea Eagles are the 2014 Vawdon Cup Minor Premiers in three of the Women’s divisions with wins today by Premier League, Division 1 and Division 2 securing the achievement. In Premier League the team kept up their undefeated season record with two wins. Firstly 10-4 over Newcastle with Danni Davis & Elesha Dougal both getting a hat-trick of touchdowns. This was then followed-up with a very pleasing 10-1 victory over Norths UTS with Laura Peattie continuing her excellent season to date with a classy performance in her 100th Premier League appearance. The team ended up on 98 touchdowns for the regular season, just falling short of the century mark. The team now gets a week off and progresses to week two of the final series, as do the Division 1 team who also wrapped up the Minor Premiership with a 9-2 win over Hills Hornets. In Division 2 the team will play the Carlingford Cyclones next week after getting wins over the Bankstown Jets 7-3 and Parramatta Eels by 8-3.
The 2014 Vawdon Cup Grand Finals take place on Saturday 1st November at the home of NSWTA, Waterfall Park at Tempe. This year the Manly Club has arranged buses that will take players, parents and supporters to and from the venue. Tickets will be $15 return and will need to be booked on-line on a first come first serve basis. Ticket payments will be collected on the bus with on-line tickets available from Friday 24th October after the Grand Finalists in all divisions are determined. Buses will leave from Nolans Reserve around 12noon and return after the NSWTA Presentations, looking to be back around 8.00pm (times TBC). As per last year the post day function will be held at the Club North Manly Bowling Club which is located next to Nolans Reserve. We welcome everyone back to the club to celebrate the season that was with under 18’s also welcome and needing to be accompanied by an adult. More info to be supplied when it comes to hand.
Sea Eagles Premier League
Semi Final vs TBD – Fri 24 Oct @ 7.00pm Tempe Velodrome
Sea Eagles Division 1
Semi Final vs TBD – Fri 24 Oct @ 7.50pm Tempe F2
Sea Eagles Division 2
Semi Final vs Carlingford Cyclones – Fri 17 Oct @ 7.50pm Tempe F4
State Cup 2014 Training Schedule 11.10.14
Sun 12 Oct – Vawdon Cup Double Header @ Doyle
Tues 14 Oct – Training @ Nolans Reserve
Fri 17 Oct – Training @ TG Millner Field (Div 1 may have a VC Semi)
Tues 21 Oct – Training @ Nolans Reserve
Fri 24 Oct – Vawdon Cup Semi Final @ Tempe
Tues 28 Oct – Training @ Nolans Reserve
Sat 1 Nov – Vawdon Cup Grand Final @ Tempe
Tues 4 Nov – No training
Fri 7 Nov – No training
Tues 11 Nov – Training @ Nolans Reserve
Sat/Sun 15-16 Nov – Training TBA
Tues 18 Nov – Training @ Nolans Reserve
Sat/Sun 22-23 Nov – Training TBA
Tues 25 Nov – Training @ Nolans Reserve
Sat/Sun 29-30 Nov – Training TBA
Fri 5-7 Dec – State Cup 2014
Fri 5 Dec – Manly Touch Club Dinner (Fancy Dress)
Sat 6 Dec – Manly Women’s Touch 2014 Awards
NOTES: Fri 17-Sun 19 Oct – Aus 20 Girls Camp Sydney, Sun 16 Nov – Peninsula & Scorpions Gala Day, Sat 8- Sun 9 Nov – Aus 18 Girls Camp Brisbane
Vawdon Cup Round 10 Results & Player of the Season Points 04.10.14
Premier League: Sea Eagles 10 defeated Berkeley Vale 2
Touchdowns: Laura Peattie 3, Sam Rodgers 2, Tayla Clifford 2, Yasmin Meakes, Sarah Peattie, Shellie Davis
Player of the Season: 3.Laura Peattie 2.Sarah Peattie 1.Sam Rodgers
Division 1: Sea Eagles 6 defeated Varsity Stingers 3
Touchdowns : Jess Shanahan 4, Jess Fowler, Chloe Scranage
Player of the Season: 3. Rachael Cleave 2.Jess Fowler 1.Kristie Leonard
Division 2: Sea Eagles 6 defeated Hornsby Lions 0
Touchdowns : Linda Robertson 2, Edith Nathan 2, Chloe Donovan, Ellie May Asprey
Player of the Season: 3.Linda Robertson 2.Holly Shorter 1. Jess Beakey
Vawdon Cup Round 8 & 9 Results & Player of the Season Points 04.10.14
Premier League: Sea Eagles 8 defeated Newcastle 2
Touchdowns: Zara Nicholas 2, Hannah Dyball, Steph Maiolo, Sam Rodgers, Danni Davis, Laura Peattie, Sarah Peattie
Player of Season Points: 3.Elesha Dougal 2.Laura Peattie 1.Sarah Peattie
Premier League: Sea Eagles 13 defeated Penrith 0
Touchdowns: Bec Beath 3, Danni Davis 2, Sam Rodgers 2, Yasmin Meakes, Laura Peattie, Elesha Dougal, Brittney McLeod, Kasey Dragisic, Sarah Peattie
Player of Season Points: 3.Laura Peattie 2.Sarah Peattie 1.Kasey Dragisic
Division 1: Sea Eagles 0 drew Taren Point 0
Touchdowns: Nil
Player of Season Points: 3. Rachael Cleave 2.Jess Shanahan 1.Drew Alexander
Division 1: Sea Eagles 9 defeated Penrith 6
Touchdowns: Tayla Clifford 2, Rachael Cleave 2, Britt Clifford 2, Tayla Fraser, Chloe Scranage, Kate Devlin
Player of Season Points: 3.Rachael Cleave 2.Britt Clifford 1.Tayla Clifford
Division 2: Sea Eagles 7 defeated Carlingford 1
Touchdowns: Hariata Ahipene 2, Emily Roberston 2, Emma Crerar, Teagan Wilson, Janina King
Player of Season Points: 3.Roha Paki 2.Emma Crerar 1.Edith Nathan
Division 2: Sea Eagles 8 defeated Wests 0
Touchdowns: Tiara Wano 3, Shaylee Brunnell 2, Holly Shorter, Britt Skewes, Janina King
Player of Season Points: 3.Shaylee Brunnell 2.Teagan Wilson 1.Tiara Wano
Vawdon Cup Round 5 Results & Player of the Season Points 04.10.14
Premier League: Sea Eagles 8 defeated UTS Northern Suburbs 0
Touchdowns: Zara Nicholas 3, Yasmin Meakes 2, Laura Peattie, Sarah Peattie, Jenna Hitch
Player of the Season: 3. Chloe Cheney 2. Sarah Peattie 1. Nicky Albery
Division 1: Sea Eagles 6 defeated UTS Northern Suburbs 2
Touchdowns: Jess Fowler 3, Emma Williams, Kasey Dragisic, Rachael Cleave
Player of the Season: 3. Jess Fowler 2. Kasey Dragisic 1. Rachael Cleave
Division 2: Sea Eagles 4 defeated Campbelltown Ghosts 1
Touchdowns: Britt Skewes 3, Shaylee Brunnell
Player of the Season: 3. Claudia Mete 2. Britt Skewes 1. Kate Devlin
2014 Vawdon Cup Round 3 & 4 Sunday Review 16.09.14
The catch-up Double Header took place on Sunday at Doyle Ground, North Parramatta with Manly getting a number of good wins on the day. They sit on top of the ladder in Premier League, Division 1 and in equal second position in Division 2. The players now have a week off as State of Origin & NYC take place on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Good luck to all our players and Coaches involved in the tournament!
Vawdon Cup Round 3 Results & Player of the Season Points:
Premier League: Sea Eagles 7 defeated Easts 2
Touchdowns: Laura Peattie 2, Yasmin Meakes 2, Brittney McLeod, Sam Rodgers, Sarah Peattie
Player of the Season: 3.Brittney McLeod 2.Elesha Dougal 1.Danni Davis
Division 1: Sea Eagles 4 defeated Easts 3
Touchdowns: Brittney Clifford, Emma Williams, Kasey Dragisic, Claudia Mete
Player of the Season: 3.Jenna Hitch 2.Steph Maiolo 1.Kasey Dragisic
Vawdon Cup Round 4 Results & Player of the Season Points:
Premier League: Sea Eagles 6 defeated Wests 3
Touchdowns: Laura Peattie 2, Zara Nicholas 2, Tayla Clifford, Hannah Dyball
Player of the Season: 3.Laura Peattie 2.Yasmin Meakes 1.Hannah Dyball
Division 1: Sea Eagles 6 defeated Wallsend 5 (Final Shot)
Touchdowns: Kasey Dragisic 3, Jenna Hitch, Steph Maiolo, Paige French
Player of the Season: 3.Kasey Dragisic 2.Jenna Hitch 1.Laura Coleman
Division 2: Sea Eagles 3 defeated by Carlingford 5
Touchdowns: Abbey Steanes, Roha Paki, Britt Skewes
Player of the Season: 3.Britt Skewes 2.Roha Paki 1.Claudia Mete
2014 Vawdon Cup Round 5 Review 8.09.14
Vawdon Cup headed to Jones Park, Westmead, after a few weeks of postponed fixtures due to poor weather. The Sea Eagles were up against the UTS Northern Suburbs Bears, with Brittney McLeod tonight celebrating her 100th Premier League appearance for the club. The team were focused on a strong performance with a number of big games coming up against Wollongong, Easts and Wests, and places up for grabs. The game got underway and… on the 5 minute mark Zara Nicholas got the Sea Eagles on the scoreboard after a nice Laura Peattie pass. Four minutes later Zara had her second touchdown and Manly had a 2-0 lead. Norths were looking to hit back and had a number of opportunities on the Manly scoreline, however the Sea Eagles defence was very strong, probably the only low point was a number of conceded penalties. An excellent combination of rucking into running attack looked to give Yasmin Meakes a touchdown in the corner after a Sarah Peattie long ball, however it was called back for a forward pass. Manly did get one more just before half-time when Jenna Hitch and Laura Peattie combined for Laura to make it 3-0 at the break.
At half-time Manly were focused on picking up the pace of the game and really finishing strongly. After 7 minutes of the second half Zara Nicholas got her hat-trick of touchdowns after a Shellie Davis set-up. Three minutes later Sarah Peattie scored when combining with Hannah Dyball and then nice footwork from the ever-elusive Hannah resulted in a nice long ball from Nicky Albery to see Yasmin Meakes score in the corner. It was now 6-0 to Manly and the team were determined not to concede a touchdown, with excellent communication seeing their line remain intact. With 5 minutes remaining Chloe Cheney capped off her Player of the Match performance scooping through and teaming up with Jenna Hitch who scored and then Yasmin Meakes scored the final touchdown off another Nicky Albery long ball. The final score was 8-0 to Manly, overall a solid performance against a team that has most definitely improved in Premier League. The Sea Eagles had a number of strong performers including Captain Sarah Peattie who played with excellent energy all game, Zara Nicholas finished off her touchdowns extremely well, Nicky Albery played a big part in a number of touchdowns, and Chloe Cheney was a standout displaying excellent work rate in defence at link and looking dangerous in attack. Manly will return to Jones Park this Friday when they take on the Wollongong Devils, the team that knocked them out of the 2013 State Cup and a team that the Sea Eagles have tradionally struggled with. Following that on the Sunday is the first Double Header of the season and this will see Manly up against the Roosters and Magpies at the Doyle Ground, North Parrmatta.
Vawdon Cup Round 5 Results & Player of the Season Points:
Premier League: Sea Eagles 8 defeated UTS Northern Suburbs 0
Touchdowns: Zara Nicholas 3, Yasmin Meakes 2, Laura Peattie, Sarah Peattie, Jenna Hitch
Player of the Season: 3. Chloe Cheney 2. Sarah Peattie 1. Nicky Albery
Division 1: Sea Eagles 6 defeated UTS Northern Suburbs 2
Touchdowns: Jess Fowler 3, Emma Williams, Kasey Dragisic, Rachael Cleave
Player of the Season: 3. Jess Fowler 2. Kasey Dragisic 1. Rachael Cleave
Division 2: Sea Eagles 4 defeated Campbelltown Ghosts 1
Touchdowns: Britt Skewes 3, Shaylee Brunnell
Player of the Season: 3. Claudia Mete 2. Britt Skewes 1. Kate Devlin
2014 Vawdon Cup Round 5 Preview 14.09.14
In another great milestone for the Manly club, Brittney McLeod will make her 100th Premier League appearance when she lines up for the Sea Eagles against the Northern Suburbs Bears this Friday evening. Brittney made her Manly Women’s Premier League debut in 2008 after a number of years representing the Sea Eagles at juniors level. Brittney is renown as an excellent club role model, regularly assisting with the Women’s Junior Development programmes. Brittney has been a member of the Sydney Scorpions & NSW Scorpions Women’s Opens for a number of years and disappointingly she missed the 2014 Elite 8 Final due to injury. However her strong efforts in that tournament and through six years of Premier League, she was rewarded with her first NSW representative honour this year. Brittney along with many of her team-mates will take on Queensland for the NSW Women’s Opens in a fortnight’s time at Caloundra. The Sea Eagles take on the Northern Suburbs Bears this Friday evening at Westmead and we wish Brittney all the best for her century appearance game. A presentation will be made to Brittney and other players with similar Premier League milestones at the annual Manly Warringah Touch Association Club Dinner which will be held during State Cup on Friday 5th December, 2014.
2014 Vawdon Cup Round 2 Review 18.08.14
Round 2 of the 2014 Vawdon Cup was played at the Doyle Ground, Parramatta, on Friday evening. The Sea Eagles were up against the newly promoted Berkeley Vale Panthers. Recent matches between the two clubs included the Manly Women’s 20’s State Cup Final victory over Berkeley Vale, however this season both teams were coming off first round Vawdon Cup wins. The game got underway and it was evident very early that Berkeley Vale were a very fast and fit team, and to their credit they looked to apply pressure on Manly at every opportunity. The Sea Eagles were on the score board after 3 minutes when Yasmin Meakes scored from a Sarah Peattie long ball. Manly then scored again 4 minutes later with Emma Williams finishing off nice lead-up play by Laura Peattie and Elesha Dougal. Sarah Peattie then scored a trademark individual touchdown and Nicky Albery scored after Hannah Dyball & Jenna Hitch assisted. It was now 4-0 to the Sea Eagles and although the scoreboard was ticking over there didn’t seem to be the same focus and intensity in this performance, with Manly making quite a few unforced errors. Brittney McLeod on her 99th Premier League appearance teamed up with Captain Sarah Peattie to make it 5-0 and then Berkeley Vale hit back to score a nice touchdown. Manly scored right on half time after a Bec Beath long ball found Emma Williams to make it 6-1. The second half never really rose to any great heights with Manly failing to go on with the job only scoring two more touchdowns and conceding one more. Both the Manly touchdowns were nice diving efforts to Chloe Cheney who has had a very impressive start to the season. So the Sea Eagles took out the victory by 8-2 with the highlight being their aggressive defence. Next round, weather pending, the Sea Eagles are due to take on the Roosters in a 2013 Vawdon Cup Grand Final replay.
In Division 1 the Sea Eagles were up against the Northern Beaches Renegades. The Sea Eagles were fast out of the blocks with Chloe Scranage scoring an early touchdown after just 2 minutes. Manly were looking full of running and their talk and enthusiasm in the sub-box was excellent. After 7 minutes Britt Clifford scored to make it 2-0 after nice lead-up play by Jess Shanahan. Northern Beaches hit back 2 minutes later to make it 2-1 to Manly, only for the Sea Eagles to score again. Once again Britt Clifford scored the touchdown after hitting a fantastic hole at link after great static lead-up by the dynamic duo of Shellie Davis and Tayla Clifford. It was 3-1 at the half time break and in the second half the Sea Eagles were looking to go on with the job. There were many stand out performances with Kasey Dragisic looking dangerous each time she had the ball, as too was the speedy Jess Fowler. As much as both teams wanted to score again the defensive patterns for the majority of the second half held strong and it wasn’t until right on full time that Jess Fowler outran three defenders to find the scoreline to secure the win and bonus point for the Sea Eagles by 5-1. A comprehensive win to the Sea Eagles with some excellent pleasing performances from many of the younger players including Tully Marr, Kasey Dragisic, and Britt Clifford. In Division 2 the Manly team came back well after being behind to defeat the Bankstown Jets by 3-2. Early on in the game the Sea Eagles had a lot of possession on the Jets scoreline but just couldn’t get across the line. However in the second half they put it all together to deservedly earn the victory. Touchdowns to Jorja McDonald, Janina King and Drew Alexander helped Manly get the victory and after two rounds the Sea Eagles are undefeated across all the three Women’s divisions.
Vawdon Cup Round 2 Results & Player of the Season Points:
Premier League: Sea Eagles 8 defeated Berkeley Vale Panthers 2
Touchdowns: Chloe Cheney 2, Emma Williams 2, Yasmin Meakes, Nicky Albery, Sarah Peattie, Brittney McLeod.
Player of the Season: 3. Sarah Peattie 2. Chloe Cheney 1. Nicky Albery
Division 1: Sea Eagles 5 defeated Northern Beaches Renegades 1
Touchdowns: Britt Clifford 2, Jess Fowler, Chloe Scranage, Shellie Davis
Player of the Season: 3. Shellie Davis 2. Britt Clifford 1. Kasey Dragisic
Division 2: Sea Eagles 3 defeated Bankstown Jets 2
Touchdowns: Jorja McDonald, Janina King, Drew Alexander
Player of the Season: 3. Gloria Berryman 2. Edith Nathan 1. Drew Alexander
2014 Vawdon Cup Round 1 Review 11.08.14
The opening round of Women’s Premier League Vawdon Cup saw the Manly Sea Eagles up against the Canterbury Bulldogs, with Captain Sarah Peattie celebrating her 100th Premier League appearance for the Manly club. The game got underway in cold conditions with both teams ball security impressive, with very few handling errors even with the heavy dew on the field. The Sea Eagles took the lead in the 3rd minute when Tayla Clifford and Shellie Davis teamed up for Tayla to score a trademark low diving touchdown. The pressure on the Bulldogs was showing and through Manly’s aggressive defense they were struggling to win the field position battle. On the 10th minute last year’s Rising Star Award winner Bec Beath scored a great individual diving touchdown. Manly were up 2-0 and looking confident, dominating the majority of the first half. However to the Bulldogs credit they managed to score two back to back touchdowns on the 17th & 18th minutes to even it up at the break. The half time break discussion was mixed; overall the performance was strong however the early lead was lost so close to the break. In the second half Manly came out firing once again and on the 27th minute scored when Nicky Albery showed her class with a tap on pass finding the unmarked Sam Rodgers. Sam doubled her tally with 8 minutes remaining after a superb Laura Peattie long ball. It was now 4-2 and Canterbury threw everything at the Sea Eagles looking to get back into the game. With 3 minutes remaining the Bulldogs pulled it back to 4-3 however the Sea Eagles weren’t going to fall asleep again and lifted the tempo finishing the game extremely positively. Laura Peattie capped off her Player of the Match performance scoring a touchdown with a minute remaining. The Sea Eagles got the win 5-3, with a number of pleasing performances including Laura & Sarah Peattie and Elesha Dougal. Next week the Sea Eagles meet the Berkeley Vale Panthers who are coming off their first Premier League Vawdon Cup win. In Division 1 Jess Shanahan Captained the team to an impressive 12-3 win over the Varsity Stingers. There were a number of Vawdon Cup debuts including Chloe Scranage, Kasey Dragisic, Laura Coleman, Britt Clifford, Abbey Steanes and Tayla Fraser, with Kasey also making her full debut for the Sea Eagles. Jess Fowler bagged a hat-trick of touchdowns, with Tully Marr, Britt Clifford and Chloe Scranage all grabbing two touchdowns each. Jenna Hitch led the way with an impressive performance, followed by Jess Shanahan and Laura Coleman. In Division 2 the girls were up against the Hornsby Lions, getting a 1-1 draw with Janina King and Tiara Wano making their Manly debut, whilst the same two players along with Drew Alexander and Kellie Nicholas made their Vawdon Cup debuts. All games next week are at the Doyle Ground, North Parramatta.
Vawdon Cup Round 1 Results & Player of the Season Points:
Premier League: Sea Eagles 5 defeated Bulldogs 3
Touchdowns: Sam Rodgers 2, Tayla Clifford, Bec Beath
Player of the Season: 3. Laura Peattie 2. Sarah Peattie 1. Elesha Dougal
Division 1: Sea Eagles 12 defeated Varsity Stingers 3
Touchdowns: Jess Fowler 3, Tully Marr 2, Britt Clifford 2, Chloe Scranage 2, Abbey Steanes, Maddie Hartman, Jenna Hitch
Player of the Season: 3. Jenna Hitch 2. Jess Shanahan 1. Laura Coleman
Division 2: Sea Eagles 1 drew Hornsby Lions 1
Player of the Season: 3.Emma Crerar 2.Gloria Berryman 1.Jorja McDonaldDivision 1: Sea Eagles 12 defeated Varsity Stingers 3
Player of the Season: 3. Jenna Hitch 2. Jess Shanahan 1. Laura Coleman
Sarah Peattie Reaches Century of Premier Leagues Appearances 31.07.14
When the NSWTA Vawdon Cup commences on Friday 8 August, the Manly Sea Eagles Captain Sarah Peattie will be celebrating her 100th Premier League appearance for her club. Sarah is a current member of the NSW & Australian Women’s Opens, and was a member of the victorious 2014 Elite 8 NSW Scorpions champions. Currently sitting on 99 Premier League appearances, which includes Vawdon & State Cup, Sarah will lead her team in the opening round against arguably the most dominate Women’s team since the Premier League division commenced in 2005 – the Canterbury Bulldogs. The only Sea Eagles player to have more appearances is Rachael Cleave on 130 games.
When asked about the upcoming game and milestone Sarah commented, “This is a really special time to reach this milestone because of the incredible success that this group is having. I am extremely excited to be playing in my 100th game, especially against a team such as the Bulldogs. I remember playing against them in our first couple of seasons in Premier League and to see how much we have grown since then is truly incredible. I couldn’t think of a better group to be able to achieve this milestone with”.
It’s a fantastic achievement for Sarah who started playing touch for Manly Warringah in 2004 at the age of 11 years. Initially in the Under 12’s division, Sarah has progressed through the juniors and in 2006 Sarah played Manly Under 20’s State Cup under Coach and mentor Barry Gibson. Then the following year in 2007 Sarah was a member of the Manly Women’s Division One Vawdon Cup championship winning team. Also part of that side was Australian dual sporting international representative Ellyse Perry. In 2008 Sarah made her Women’s Premier League debut and the following year became the youngest ever Manly Opens Captain at the age of just 16 years. Six years later she retains that title which she cherishes above anything else in touch. Also this year Sarah was inducted into the Manly Warringah Rugby League Eagles Angels, and she is now in her 11th year as a Manly Warringah player and her 7th year in the Women’s Premier League team.
Manly Coach Anthony Dudeck also reflected on the significant event. “This pre-season has been amazing for Sarah, she has really taken her own training to another level as well as leading from the front with our squad. She is really focused on having a huge season, especially after missing out on last year’s Vawdon Cup final series due to injury. I recall the story from her Coach Barry Gibson who couldn’t believe Sarah’s hunger when he first came across her all those years ago. Barry needs to take a lot of credit for his belief in Sarah’s leadership qualities, don’t underestimate the pressure the game and sport in general puts on our young and developing athletes. Sarah is also blessed to have an extremely close and supportive family, and she is very lucky as she will have her sister Laura on the field alongside her”.
2014 Sea Eagles Management Team Announced 14.06.14
Manly Sea Eagles Women’s Touch are pleased to announce our 2014 Management team as follows:
Premier League Coaches: Barry Gibson & Anthony Dudeck
Division 1 Coaches: Jamie Clifford & Keith Smith
Division 2 Coaches: Tearoha Paki & Gloria Berryman
GenNext (Junior Eagles & Youth Academy) Coordinators: Keith Smith, Matt Scranage, Barry Gibson
Strength & Conditioning Coordinators: Matt Scranage & Christian Browne
Tournament Managers: Sandra Dyball, Jenny Rodgers, Ray Peattie & Anthony Dudeck
Finance Coordinators: Keith Smith & Anthony Dudeck
Fund Raising Coordinators: Kellie Grawich, Stacey Hitch, Siobhan Tuckerman
Premier League Captain: Sarah Peattie
Head Physio/Medical Consultant: Steve Cunningham
2014 NSW State of Origin & Australian Youth Squad Representatives 11.06.14
The NSW Women’s Opens team for the upcoming State of Origin series against Queensland has been announced, with the Manly Sea Eagles taking up 7 spots in the final team of 14. Sea Eagles Captain Sarah Peattie backs up for her second State of Origin Women’s Opens series and is once again joined by her younger sister Laura. One of the debutants is Danni Davis, fresh on the back of her Australian Women’s Opens Trans-Tasman debut. Yasmin Meakes and Sam Rodgers who were part of the victorious Australian Mixed team will also debut for the Blues Women’s Opens team. Hannah Dyball and Brittney McLeod have both forced their way into the team after exceptionally strong Elite 8 tournaments for the victorious NSW Scorpions. In the NSW Women’s 20’s the following Sea Eagles girls were selected, inlcuding Chloe Cheney, Tayla Clifford, Shellie Davis, Laura Coleman, Steph Maiolo, Zara Nicholas with our own Barry Gibson Assistant Coach. Additionally in the Women’s 30’s division Rachael Cleave has been selected for NSW. At the national level, the Youth Australian Squads for the upcoming Trans Tasman series have been announced with Manly once again well represented. Australian 18’s Girls Squad: Chloe Cheney, Tayla Clifford, Shellie Davis, Kasey Dragisic, Steph Maiolo, Zara Nicholas. Australian 20’s Girls Squad: Danielle Davis, Hannah Dyball, Yasmin Meakes, Laura Peattie, Samantha Rodgers. Congratulations to all players on their well-deserved selection in the state elite teams and national squads.
2014 Elite 8 Champions – NSW Scorpions Women’s 20.03.14
The 2014 Elite 8 & National Touch League has taken place in Coffs Harbour with the NSW Scorpions Women’s taking out the prestigious Elite 8 title going 9 games undefeated. The team boasted 11 Manly Sea Eagles players, with coaches Barry Gibson and Anthony Dudeck also at the helm. In the Women’s T-League NTL division coaches Jamie Clifford and Keith Smith saw the team make it to the semi final only to go down 2-1. The Elite 8 Final has been described as the best game of the tournament with NSW Scorpions ending NSW Mets domination in the Women’s division by claiming the Elite Eight title in a thriller. A touchdown to Yasmin Meakes with 15 seconds left on the clock gave the Scorpions a 7-6 victory. Three touchdowns were scored in the final minute as the two combatants threw everything but the kitchen sink at each other. The win maintained the Scorpions’ perfect record at the 2014 tournament. It also gave them their first NTL Women’s Open title. Scorpions Captain Elesha Dougal said it was an incredible achievement for her team. “People said at the start [of the tournament], ‘errr, I don’t know how they will go’ but we have just proved them all wrong,” Dougal said. “I am so proud of the girls. It was the hardest game we’ve played in and I knew it would be; so credit to our team and credit to Mets. They pushed us. “We believed in ourselves so a full credit to the girls and the coaching staff.” In a match that was tit-for-tat until the final whistle, the Mets opened the scoring first through Botille Veitte-Walsh. Both teams attacked each other’s scoreline but could not get the touchdown. A bit of Teagan Chandler magic put Laura Peattie over for a touchdown to level the scores. The Scorpions hit the lead through Yasmin Meakes but it was cancelled out by Claire Moran’s touchdown in the corner. In the final two minutes, Mets scored twice and Scorpions once, which made the score 4-3 in favour of the two-time champions. Shortly after the break a Hilder pass put Sarah Peattie over the line and levelled the scores again. Scorpions hit the lead when Lizzy Hewitt found the scoreline and immediately after, Mets were disallowed a touchdown due to a forward pass. But it soon did not matter as Kristin Boss scored to level the scores. The final minute had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Scorpions thought they had won it when Shellie Davis buried her way over the line to score. But Mets’ captain Claire Tandek scored immediately and a drop-off was highly likely. The Scorpions had one last shot and they made it count when Meakes scored the decisive touchdown in the corner with 15 seconds to go. The referees conferred on the field and they were happy for the touchdown to count.
NSW Scorpions 7 defeated NSW Mets 6
Touchdowns: Scorpions 7 (Yasmin Meakes 3, Sarah Peattie, Laura Peattie, Lizzy Hewitt, Shellie Davis) defeated Mets 6 (Botille Veitte-Walsh 2, Claire Moran, Kirstie Jenkins, Kristin Boss, Claire Tandek)
Player of the Final & Scorpions Medal Winner: Danielle Davis
TFA YouTube: Full video footage of the game can be found here. Highlights of the game can be found here.
Player Interviews: Sam Rodgers, Laura Peattie
Sea Eagles Players: Brittney McLeod, Danni Davis, Elesha Dougal, Hannah Dyball, Laura Peattie, Sarah Peattie, Shellie Davis, Steph Maiolo, Tayla Clifford, Yasmin Meakes, Zara Nicholas.