Local rivals go head-to-head in North Pilbara Football League round four

It was a week of electrifying footy at Windy Ridge Oval in Dampier as round four of the North Pilbara Football League delivered fierce contests against local rivals, Karratha Falcons and Dampier Sharks.

Kicking off the action on Thursday, May 15, the women’s clash set the tone for a fiery round. With a strong breeze behind them, the Sharks made an explosive start, dominating the first quarter and never looking back. Their attacking pressure paid off, cruising to an emphatic 10.5 (65) to 4.2 (26) victory over the Falcons.

“Our focus was to hit the scoreboard early, and that’s exactly what they delivered,” Dampier Sharks women’s coach Matthew Burgess said.

“Ball movement out of the midfield was electric, with Jayda Viti, Tanya Adams, Sarah Dodd and Peta Gilla linking up beautifully to keep the momentum charging forward.

“Up front, Tiahnee Pasche and Lilly Dhu were strong targets in the forward line, presenting well and keeping the pressure on the scoreboard.

“Down back, our defence stood tall. Kira Gusterson and Bree Pink laid some ferocious tackles and kept the opposition under wraps with a rock-solid effort.”

The action ramped up again in Friday night’s reserves, with the Sharks bursting out of the gates thanks to slick midfield play. The Falcons showed grit and clawed their way back to take the lead in the final quarter, but the Sharks dug deep, finishing with a late surge to seal the win 12.10 (82) to 10.5 (65).

Capping off the round in style, the league game had supporters on the edge of their seats. After a sluggish start, the Falcons roared back into the contest, finishing 13.14 (92) to 10.10 (70).

“The first half was tight and if they’d kicked straight in the first quarter, it would’ve put a lot of scoreboard pressure on and made things difficult,” Karratha Falcons league coach Dean McDonald said.

“Overall it was a good game but we have many areas of our game we need to work on.

“The Sharks are a fantastic side and have been the benchmark for four years; it’s only four games into the year and all sides will look very different come the pointy end of the season.”

Elsewhere at Kevin Richards Memorial Oval, the Karratha Kats went head-to-head with Port Hedland Rovers in the women’s clash on May 17.

The Kats women were ruthless, holding the Rovers to just a single point and storming to an 8.14 (62) to 0.1 (1) win. The Kats reserves squad followed suit, 15.6 (96) to 9.8 (62). In dominant fashion, the Kats racked up a commanding finish in the league, 21.16 (142) to 9.9 (63).