WPD PENNO Vs UNSW

WPD -R11 27 Jun 2026 Sat - 12:20 pm - Henson Park
G B Score PENNO 0 0 0 UNSW 14 14 98					G B QT ST 0 0 0 0 5 5 35 35					G B QT ST 0 0 0 0 3 5 23 58					G B QT ST 0 0 0 0 4 2 26 84					G B QT ST 0 0 0 0 2 2 14 98
Best Players Ashleigh Grubba Greta Clatworthy Remy Ally Caitlin Gurney Laura O Connell Lillian Ward

Henson Park is a place of opposites. It is one of the great grounds to coach and play on, yet one of the hardest to get to and park around! With rain threatening throughout the morning, our Under 20s fixture was moved to the wet weather round, presenting an opportunity for three players to make their WPD debuts.

Congratulations to Jemima Graham (Mime), Georgia Waters (Muddy) from our Under 17s, and Charlotte Denney (Chardy), who all stepped into senior football and represented themselves and the club with courage and determination. Every one of them embraced the challenge and should be incredibly proud of their efforts.

Q1 – A Drying Deck
As a programme, we have committed ourselves to three simple themes that will guide us through the remainder of the season:
• Own the Ball at Source
• Control the Contest
• Ball Security – Value and Treasure the Football
Against the competition leaders, our challenge was always going to be limiting their ability to move the football freely. While UNSW were able to get out of the blocks quickly, finishing the quarter 5.5 (35) to 0.0 (0), there were already encouraging signs. We won the opening centre bounce, contested strongly around the football and showed that our ability to own the contest was there. Our next step was simply applying greater pressure to restrict their ball movement.

Q2 – Restricting Ball Movement
UNSW demonstrated why they sit near the top of the ladder. Their ball movement was polished, their structures were well drilled and they made the most of opportunities when they arose. But enough about them. Our Demon girls continued to embrace the challenge. Pressure at the source of the contest improved, our forwards worked tirelessly to slow UNSW's transition, and for the first time we began creating opportunities to break the ball out of our defensive half. The exciting part wasn't simply escaping defence — it was beginning to create the next phase of play. The result? UNSW were held to just eight scoring shots, two fewer than in the opening quarter.

Half Time:
UNSW 8.10 (58)
Pennant Hills 0.0 (0)

Half Time – Belief
Half time saw three coaches genuinely excited by what was unfolding. More importantly, the energy amongst the players told the story. The belief was growing. Our intensity around the football belonged to us, and our challenge for the second half was simple:
• Continue to restrict UNSW's ball movement.
• Continue to pressure the contest.
• Continue to treasure every possession we won.

Q3 – Theme Execution
Football people often describe the third quarter as the "premiership quarter". For us, it became a measure of our commitment to our themes. How could we continue to squeeze one of the competition's best teams into contested football? How could we make every possession difficult? How could we continue to value the football when we won it?

Our players answered those questions brilliantly. Again, we created opportunities to move the ball from our defensive half, while our pressure and contest work forced UNSW to earn every possession. Against one of the strongest teams in the competition, limiting them to just six scoring shots during the third quarter reflected the discipline, effort and belief this group continues to build.

Q4 – Rain, The Great Leveller?
Well... not quite. UNSW still possess enormous talent, yet our pressure continued to force rushed decisions, fumbles and skill errors. While much of the play remained inside our defensive half, our girls continued to scrap, compete and repeatedly force the ball back into open play. The final quarter summed up exactly what this group is becoming.

Across the afternoon we reduced UNSW's scoring opportunities from:
• 10 scoring shots (Q1)
• 8 scoring shots (Q2)
• 6 scoring shots (Q3)
• 4 scoring shots (Q4)

That progression says far more about our effort, discipline and willingness to compete than any final score ever could. The coaching group couldn't have been prouder of the way our players continued to fight until the final siren.

Our Best
Ashleigh Grubba (Best on Ground) - Ash was an absolute rock at full back. Week after week she prepares herself for one of the toughest roles on the ground and once again stood tall. Her marking, tackling, composure and ability to move the football under pressure were outstanding, with teammates regularly celebrating the work she produced throughout the afternoon.

Greta Clatworthy - Another Under 20 stepping confidently into WPD football, Clats continues to settle beautifully at senior level. Her intercept marking, composure and ability to retain possession across half back continually relieved pressure and protected our defensive goal line with determination and class.

Remy Ally - Remy was once again outstanding. One of the generals of our backline, she continually demonstrated leadership through her marking, tackling, communication and defensive work, helping organise those around her throughout the contest.

Caitlin Gurney - Caitlin seems to know no physical limits. Once again she embodied our first theme — Own the Ball at Source — attacking every contest with relentless intensity. Her willingness to compete around the football continues to set the standard for our midfield group.

Laura O'Connell - Laura embraced her opportunity on the wing with enthusiasm. Her tackling pressure, work rate and developing structural awareness gave the team another strong contributor throughout the afternoon and highlighted the exciting depth developing within our programme.

Lillian Ward - Starting at half forward before working higher up the ground, Lillian produced one of her strongest performances of the season. Her willingness to compete around the contest and provide another strong body at the source of the football added valuable toughness and reinforced our commitment to winning the ball first.

Final Words: Results matter, but so does growth. Against one of the competition's benchmark teams, our group demonstrated discipline, resilience and an ever-growing belief in the way we want to play our football. The reduction in opposition scoring opportunities throughout the afternoon reflected our commitment to our three themes: Own the Ball at Source, Control the Contest, Ball Security – Treasure the Football.

Every week we continue to lay another brick in the foundation of this programme. The effort, belief and willingness to compete shown by every one of our 19 players gives us enormous confidence about where this group is heading.

The challenge now is simple. Continue to build. Continue to learn. Continue to believe.

Train together. Play together. Have fun together.