Dubbo hands Lady Bushrangers a rare defeat

But while there was disappointment as the full-time siren sounded in Saturday’s grand final re-match, the Bushrangers also had reason to be happy.

As Elise Hull pointed out, the result is an indication of how the standard of the league has improved since the first game was contested in 2015.

“I think we’d only lost once in three years, so it just shows how much the calibre of Australia rules for women in the Central West is just lifting. If we want to win the premiership again we’re going to have to get better and it’s a good thing to have, it pushes us,” she said.

“It stops us from getting lazy and complacent and really lights the fire in us. It think it’s a courtesy to our opponents as well that we’re a bit worried about what they’re going to get up to on the field.

“Every year you get different players in, new girls from different sports who haven’t played before, and they just pick it up so quickly.”

Though the three-time defending champions went into the match at Dubbo as the favourites given their 101-point season opening win, the Demons impressed on their home turf.

They booted two majors to the Bushrangers’ one in the opening term, then held the visitors scoreless in the second.

While the likes of Sydney recruit Amelia Wright impressed in then centre of the park for the Bushrangers, the Demons kicked four goals in the last quarter to post their maiden win over Bathurst.

“We have a few of our key players overseas at the moment – they’ll be away for a month – so we’re really having to switch up and find our strength in other players,” Hull said.

“But look, Dubbo had a brilliant outfit. They’ve always impressed me personally with their skills, but they were just on fire and we couldn’t keep up.

“The first half was a bit tight and we had the opportunity to wrestle it back from them, but we just couldn’t catch them. They gained the momentum and went on with it.”