Tiger women primed for season opener

Richmond AFLW team's preseason campaign has given it plenty of momentum as the kick-off approaches for the seventh season of the women's competition next weekend.

The Tigers capped their preseason campaign with a 44-point win over Hawthorn, 8.4.52 to 1.2.8, in the side's first game before a crowd at the MCG on Sunday. The result backs up its victory over Fremantle the previous week to give the Tigers the perfect start.

Richmond led from start to finish as the team flexed its muscles against a youthful Hawks outfit, which was not able to cope with the Tigers' tenacity and pressure at the contest.

The Tigers' first round match will be a solid away encounter against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.

Katie Brennan; who missed the final practice match, has been named captain of the team for the fourth consecutive season.

The dual All-Australian will lead a five-person leadership group featuring Sarah Hoskins who has been named vice-captain for the third time. The leadership group will be rounded out by Bec Miller and Gabby Seymour, who each came through the Tigers VFLW program, and three-time best and fairest winner Monique Conti.

In the VAFA Division Three, the Richmond Centrals Football Club bowed out with a loss in its final game of the season, going down to Parkside, 4.8.32 to 12.15.87.

Although disappointed, senior coach George Koumantatakis remained measured and pragmatic even though his team could not get the job done in the second half to finish on a high note.

"The conditions were quite fine and the game was pretty much even-steven as far as general play was concerned," he said.

"They got out of the blocks and played their fast brand of slingshot footy while we were able to make it more of a contested game in the second quarter. Bar for some poor kicking, we probably should have been pretty close at half time.

"We went into half time pretty confident ... but as the game started to slip away, emotions take over and you realise there isn't much left to play for. The [opposition] blew it out in the last 10 minutes with some easy goals to extend the margin."

Despite inconsistencies throughout the the season, Koumantatakis was pleased with how the group fought out the year and the experiences it gained from the campaign.

"We had a very inexperienced defensive group but they learned a lot of valuable lessons playing against some really good senior players which will give them confidence for next year," he said.

In the Premier C Women's Reserve Grade, the Richmond Centrals fell just short of grand final success in their inaugural season after they were defeated by St Bede's/Mentone Tigers by four points at Elsternwick on Sunday, 2.7.19 to 3.5.23.

"They had an opportunity to win on the siren but the fairy-tale finish didn't quite happen," coach George Koumantatakis said.

"At the start of the season, we weren't quite sure whether we'd have a second team in play. Not only we were able to get a second team but they were a minute or two from having a premiership in their inaugural year.

"Up until three or four minutes to go, we held sway but the opposition got one in the end."

In VAFA Division One, the Kew Football Club put in a consistent four-quarter performance to run out a convincing 61-point winner over Prahran Assumption, 18.9.117 to 8.8.56, courtesy of a 10 goal-to-four second half.

The Bears took control of the game in the second quarter as they built a 26-point lead at half time before extending it in the third quarter after a four-goal-to-two term.

Round 18 will see the Kew Football Club Senior Men's team take on Old Camberwell Grammarians this Saturday at Victoria Park at 2:00pm before finals footy comes around.

The campaign of Kew's team in the Division Three Thirds competition came to an end at the hands of Williamstown CYMS in the preliminary final by 28 points, 6.13.49 to 12.5.77, while in William Bucks Premier Women's Division, Kew defeated the Caulfield Grammarians in a tense encounter by 12 points, 2.7.19 to 1.1.7 in the qualifying final.

The victory sees Kew progress to the semi-finals where it will take on ladder leaders in St Kevin's for a place in the grand final.