VFLW Match Report: Round 3 vs Carlton
05/05/2025
The Zebras make it three in a row with a Zoe Barbakos masterclass
Photography by Jake Phillips
Zebras hold on in four-point thriller over Blues
First Quarter
Sandringham hit the ground running, dominating from the first bounce as Zoe Barbakos burst out of the centre with a clearance that set the tone for a ferocious opening. Emily Shepherd provided elite forward pressure all quarter, and Natasha Entwistle asserted herself early with some strong grabs. Chloe Saultry kicked truly in heavy traffic, rewarding our relentless forward pressure. Down back, Ali Hynes was rock solid, while Eleri Morris had a massive impact with intercept marks and a massive smother to halt a potential Blues counterattack.
Quarter time: Sandringham 1.3 (9) to Carlton 0.0 (0)
Second Quarter
Carlton got on the board early in the second with a composed set shot from 40 metres out, but we kept up the heat. Entwistle continued to intercept across half-back, finishing with a team-high five marks. Melanie Bertuna lit up the quarter with blistering pace through traffic, injecting energy into the contest. Despite a knock that saw her bandaged up, Barbakos remained at the coalface, winning tough contests and surging the ball forward. Imogen Evans was everywhere, finding plenty of the footy and consistently pushing us into attack.
Half time: Sandringham 1.5 (11) to Carlton 1.1 (7)
Third Quarter
Barbakos continued to put her body on the line, landing a crunching tackle before bursting out of the stoppage yet again. Her clearance found its way to Arianna Clarke, who coolly converted a set shot to extend the lead. Carlton responded with a scrappy goal from the square, keeping the game on a knife’s edge. Barbakos was relentless, recording eight tackles by the end of the term, while Bella Enno and Abbey Tregellis were getting in all the right spots to surge from the midfield.
Three-quarter time: Sandringham 2.5 (17) to Carlton 2.2 (14)
Fourth Quarter
The game reached boiling point in a bruising final term. Jordan Membrey and Erica Fowler collided heavily in a friendly fire contest that typified the intensity. Evans continued her strong game, finishing with a team-high 20 disposals. Fowler’s desperate spoils and Hynes' presence down back held the line, while Barbakos kept driving our ball forward with tireless effort and pressure. Late in the quarter, Evans got a crucial clearance that was able to keep the ball locked around our forward 50 leading to the sound of the final siren.
Full time: Sandringham 2.6 (18) def. Carlton 2.2 (14)
Sandringham Zebras: 1.3 2.5 2.5 2.6 (18)
Carlton: 0.0 1.1 2.2 2.2 (14)
Best Players: Zoe Barbakos, Eleri Morris, Imogen Evans, Isobel Hartog, Bella Enno, Mel Bertuna
Goal Scorers: Chloe Saultry (1), Arianna Clarke (1)
Written by Josh Speechley - Sandringham FC Media