After losing to top teams Learmonth and Bungaree, Waubra player-coach Hana Baker said it made Saturday’s six-goal victory over Buninyong all the more important. 

“Coming into this weekend we wanted to get close,” she said.

“Because we play a lot of the top teams at the start of the season, we need to know where we’re at and prove we do deserve to be up there with them because we won’t get another chance.”

Despite leading for most of the game, the Kangaroos felt pushed to the final buzzer. 

“It was a pretty tight game the whole time and pretty intense,” Baker said. 

“And it did feel like it was backwards and forwards throughout the game in terms of who was in control.”

During the close contest, Baker was particularly impressed by the players’ attitudes and ability to keep smiling and persevering. 

“We have a really strong, supportive culture within our team at the moment and I think that’s what got us over the line,” she said.

“Buninyong threw everything they had at us and they’ve got a really talented, young team, but we stuck together and backed each other.

“When the pressure was on we weren’t feeling pressure from each other.”

Even more pleasing for the coach was the strong team effort, with Rachel Murphy producing her best performance so far this season in wing attack, and Caitlyn Murphy strong in defence.

“Our defending team of Caitlyn Murphy and Caitlin Barker, they’ve just gelled really well together and the more they play together the better they get,” Baker said.

The Kangaroos will use the week off due to interleague matches to address their number of turnovers during high-pressure situations as well as other areas of improvement. 

“Sometimes we want to protect the ball, so we’re a bit hesitant of letting go in these big games,” Baker said. 

“But I think after a game like that against Buninyong, it will be something we’re more confident in doing.”

Waubra sits in fifth position on the ladder, but the A graders are equal in points with five other teams. 

Learmonth, Bungaree and Springbank make up the top three and remain undefeated after six rounds.