A new-look Greater Western Victoria Rebels girls side kicked off their NAB League campaign with an impressive 59-point win over the Gippsland Power.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In hot conditions, the Rebels hit the scoreboard strongly, cruising to a 9.7 (61) - 0.2 (2) win.
READ MORE SPORT:
COVID-19 and other commitments affected a handful of players' availability, so the Rebels were forced to rely on their depth.
The evenness of the squad was on full display, coach David Loader said.
"Really quite impressive they were, especially the younger ones," he said.
"We were really, really good."
On a quality surface at La Trobe University, Bundoora, Loader said the side's leg speed was evident in the victory.
"We're totally different to last year because we've got some leg speed, we looked too quick for the opposition," he said.
Leadership group member Molly Walton was named best player for the Rebels.
Captain Lilli Condon started where she left off last season with another strong performance, picking up 21 touches.
"We were just pretty even across the ground, it was a really rounded performance," Loader said.
Earlier, the futures squad got the Rebels off to a winning start, prevailing by 50 points.
The girls hit the scoreboard strongly early in the contest, albeit inaccurately, with 11 scoring shots in the first half to lead Gippsland 3.8 (26) - 0.3 (3) at the main break.
Two and three goals in the next two terms pushed the margin out to 50 points, the side victorious 8.13 (61) - 1.5 (11).
"They kicked against probably a three-goal breeze (in the first quarter), big ground ... and I thought 'this will be a test'," Loader said.
"We had a couple of girls that just stood up in defence.
"At the end of the (game) they just kept running."
The sides now turn their attention to the Bendigo Pioneers in round two next Saturday at Epsom Huntly Reserve.
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.