WSL2  Report by Torben Fink Jensen

Essendon had 8 v 8 tonight and made a much more solid start against Monash than the previous time we had played them 3 weeks ago.

We had a goal in the first minute when Mietta hit the corner from 7m. The next few minutes were back and forward with no goals on either side until Mietta got the ball again in front of goal and slotted home. Monash got one back before Josie popped up on the left post and sent a clean shot in. Essendon  were looking solid at 3-1 but unfortunately two late goals spoiled the book for 3-3.

Essendon then completely owned the 2nd term. Our attacks were lethal as Monash were slow to get back in defence and lost their shape. Katie came out on fire and shot the first two goals before Mietta took over again. Our players swam into space and passed effectively. Olivia played a fantastic game at Centre Back, aggressively defending against an overly aggressive Monash Centre Forward. The refs felt the aggression was going both ways and so weren't giving out much, but Darren momentarily lost his sense of humour after watching the attacker constantly lead with her head. Josie got her second, a good reward for her tireless swimming. Back in goal, Kate was leaping about like a spawning salmon, keeping everything out, at 9-3

Essendon continued their good performance in the 3rd quarter as we kept piling on the goals. Josie scored a great goal from CF, giving her 3 for the match. The other main highlight was an Alex backhand near the end of the quarter which was then devalued somewhat as one of their players took a shot from her own half and scored, cancelling out Alex's great score. Scoreboard read 14-7.

In the final quarter Emmy came off injured, meaning we were down to our 7 players and they were pretty tired. We still managed a couple of goals with Katie and Mietta adding to their totals. Monash pinched one but Essendon slowed the game down and managed to roll the Monash CF in a nice touch of karma meaning they too were down the bare minimum. A final score of 16-8 and good revenge to Essendon after the loss in the first game of the season.

A game high 6 goals to Mietta (should have been 7 when she was inexplicably not given a penalty in the dying minutes after being clearly tackled from behind). I note that her boyfriend Angus was watching - just coincidence? Essendon will want him there every week from now on!

Essendon defeated Monash : 16 - 8

Goals : Mietta 6, Alex 4, Josie 3, Katie 3

Below : Our WSL2 team in action (Photos courtesy of Torben Fink-Jensen, see more on our FB page)

WSL3  Report by Lisa Murray-Segal

Up against Monash this week, we started the day with a strong list of 9 from our squad of 10.  By 8pm that had dwindled to just the bare 7 players for our 9.10pm game.  No one was looking forward to that scenario.  Monash had 3 on the bench, but we were encouraged to learn some of their stronger players were now up in the 2s.  But things didn't start well for us, as they put their foot down quickly and got on with the game.  We were less focussed, and made some defensive slips allowing goals to get through.  We had a couple of good chances but couldn't get the shots off cleanly, and it was 0-4 at the break.  Our second quarter scoreboard didn't improve despite our efforts to right our wrongs.  We played reasonably well, but they were sloughing back on our centre forward and we failed to use the free player to our advantage.  Down 0-7 at halftime.  LisaAs had swapped into goals to free up Sandra in the field and our third quarter reflected some excellent passages of play.  We missed a penalty and some shoulda been goals within 1.5m of the cage, which was frustrating but encouraging.  They scored 2 goals for the quarter, while Hannah got our first with a grappling shot from centre forward.  We were all pretty buggered in the final term, with LisaMS and LisaAs swapping over but continued to step up and deliver some solid attacks.  Our final goal came from Kerrie's rocket arm but Monash put away another 3 with LisaMSs short flailing arms out front of the cage having little impact.

Essendon were defeated by Monash : 2 - 12

Goals : Hannah 1, Kerrie 1

Below : Essendon's Marcus Jones reffed our WSL3 game this week, sporting a fashionable water polo cap beanie... now we all want one!

MSL4  Report by Luke Smith

It was a late game with a 9:15pm start against Monash. Well past the iPhone sleep function kicking in for a number of the elder statesmen. Maybe the water should have been colder, we were still asleep at half time without having troubled the scorer, 0-3. Finally 3 minutes into the third quarter and the full bench starting to turn over, we hit the scoreboard.  Coach Marcus started to find his voice and we had a sniff, down 2-6 at the final break. The final term should have been filmed, if not for the team, at least for fearless Matt in goals. He saved 4 one on ones in a row and we started finding the net. However a strong last quarter was not enough going down 4 - 7. MVP to Matt with a season defining Masterclass in goals.

Essendon were defeated by Monash : 4 - 7

Goals : Paul 1, Drew 1, Jack 1, Lucas 1

OSL5 Report by Andrew Cover

Essendon faced a tough challenge against current ladder leaders La Trobe Uni, with the young and energetic opposition bringing plenty of speed and pressure from the opening whistle. La Trobe started strongly, racing to a 4–0 lead in the opening quarter. Rohan was kept busy in goals, producing multiple important saves across the first three quarters to keep Essendon in the contest.

La Trobe continued their fast-paced attack in the second quarter, forcing Essendon into plenty of swimming as they worked hard to contain their quick-moving opponents. The ladder leaders extended their advantage to 6–0 at half time, but Essendon continued to battle and remained committed defensively.

Essendon responded after the break, finding two goals in the third quarter through Bryan and Lewy to bring some momentum back into the game. Rohan continued to make crucial saves, while Essendon worked hard to match La Trobe’s pace and energy. At three-quarter time, La Trobe led 8–2.

Essendon continued to fight until the final whistle, with Bryan and Lewy again finding the back of the net in the final quarter as Essendon added another two goals to finish with four. La Trobe’s speed and youthful energy ultimately proved decisive, with the ladder leaders securing an 11–4 victory.

Despite the result, Essendon showed resilience against one of the competition’s toughest sides. The match provided a valuable test of fitness, defensive discipline and determination, with plenty for the team to take forward into the next game.

Essendon were defeated by La Trobe University : 4 - 11

Goals : Bryan 2, Lewy 2