AFTER helping the Essendon Bombers chalk up their first women’s VFL victory on July 8, Nowra’s Maddy Collier and her side have struggled to build on that strong performance.
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Going into their round eight fixture against Richmond at Windy Hill on a seven-game losing streak, Collier produced a best on ground performance to help the Dons win 5.4-34 to 3.8-26.
“I think for the first time this year, as coach Brendan Major said, we put in an 80-minute effort,” the 22-year-old told the Essendon Bombers.
“That was a really big goal for us, we’ve been good in patches but to put it together for a whole game has been a huge task for us.
“We had a lot of synergy – it came with how much we wanted it in the dying minutes of the last quarter.
“We had the wind against us but our grit and just how much we were all on the same page in terms of wanting to win the game really helped us pull through.”
The statistics back up why midfielder Collier, who only debuted for Essendon in round two, was named best on ground, as she recorded 20 disposals and nine tackles in the win.
“The biggest thing [to me joining the club] was the level of footy – I was looking for more of a challenge,” she said.
“I wanted to make sure I was improving or doing as much as I could to improve.
“In the last three games, I’m starting to play a bit more naturally and think less.
“I play my best when I’m not overthinking.”
Unfortunately, Collier, who is contracted to the GWS Giants, and her team have failed to back up this maiden win, suffering two straight losses, to the Western Bulldogs (5.5-35 to 4.5-29) and then Darebin (5.11-41 to 2.2-14).
The Bombers will attempt to return to the winner’s circle on Saturday when they battle Collingwood from 1pm at RAMS Arena.
