Tara Murray
The Western Jets are hoping to finish the Coates Talent League girls’ season strongly.
It’s been an interrupted few weeks for the competition, with not as many games due to the under-18 national championships.
Coach Hayley Gossow said there are positives and negatives about the break.
“It’s been a bit on and off with Vic Metro,” she said. ”It’s always a long season and it gives them a break, but the momentum wears a little bit.”
The break gives many of the Jets the opportunities to play at their home clubs.
For a couple in Sierra Grieves and Lou-Lou Field they’ve been part of the Vic Metro squad, while Gossow is part of the coaching team.
Gossow said she’d been thrilled with their development this season.
“Sierra has had a really strong year for us and was best on ground in the academy game.
“Lou-Lou has been a bit more with school footy, then all-stars and now metro. It’s been a good balance for her.
“I’ve been really pleased with how they’ve attacked their footy this year. They’ve shown positive signs and improvement in games.”
For the Jets it has been an up and down season with just two wins from eight matches in the Coates Talent League season.
Gossow said there had been a mixture of performances with a young squad.
“We’ve had a young list this year, two-thirds bottom age,” she said. “We’ve played some good footy and it’s been good to see all the young kids getting games and development for next year.
“Some of our top agers are new with most of our new recruits, 17-year-olds.”
Gossow highlighted Alex McBride-Loane as one of the standout bottom-agers this season.
“She’s been a standout,” she said. “She’s a train on with the metro squad.
“She’s been part of the 16s, the futures program and now in the under-18 program. We played a handful of games last year as a 16-year-old.
“Last year she played as a forward, this year she’s been more in defence and as our second ruck.
“It’s been good education in different roles.”
The Jets are back in action this Saturday to face the Tassie Devils.
Gossow said she wasn’t keen on the cold weather, but it would be good for the side, along with the boys’ team, to travel down there as a group, with both teams playing the Devils.
For the rest of the season, Gossow said they’re keen to get as much out of the players as they can.
“I think we want to see them all do well,” he said. “As coaches we want to continue to help them develop as girls and finish the season.
“We’ll look at what areas they want to hone in on and focus on working hard at training and take learnings into games and see the little improvements.”
