THE best third quarter performance in their short but impressive history - that is what Bathurst Giants coach Liz Kennedy credits for her side's 39-point win over the Orange Tigers in Saturday's AFL Central West women's clash.
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Little separated the rivals over the opening half at Waratah Sports Club, but the Giants blew the game open with a five-goal third term.
Every player across the paddock showed renewed intensity and as the final siren sounded, they emerged comfortable 9-5-59 to 3-2-20 victors.
The Giants had restricted the Tigers to just a pair of behinds for the entire second half.
"The first half was just really solid, hard footy. The girls said 'We just love this, it's so close', but they were doing it pretty tough, Orange came out and made some hard tackles," Kennedy said.
"But at half-time they broke into their little groups and worked out what was working for them, what wasn't working and went out there and absolutely blitzed the third quarter.
"You could feel the intensity lift in the third quarter, Mick [Sloan] and I both said it was probably the best third quarter we'd seen them play. It was really, really good.
"The whole team got involved - it was just an awesome third quarter."
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Playing on their home turf, the Tigers came out hard in pursuit of their first win of the season, pressuring the Giants with their physicality.
But by the end of the second quarter an upset was still on the card as the Giants led 3-3-21 to 3-0-18, but Kennedy's players fired each other up with their half-time evaluation.
With skipper Katie Kennedy absent, former Orange Tiger Jayarna Kay stepped up and led by example while Amanda Scrivenor - who is new to the Giants' ranks this season - was solid as she pushed out of her usual defensive role to play on the wing and at centre-half-back.
But Kennedy said every Giant lifted and did their job.
"One of the girls spoke at half-time and said that they are all mates and I think that's what helped the fight, they spend a lot of time together and enjoy being with each other and they go out there and help their mate," she said.
BATHURST GIANTS 9-5-59 (Oliva Johnston 2, Hailee Provest 2, Laycee Covington-Gorst, Bridget Warne, Kaylee Barnes, Sarah Day, Saige Davies) defeated ORANGE TIGERS 3-2-20 (Lyndell Bassett 2, Erin Naden)
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