They may not have gotten the result, and may have been let down by numerous injuries and work commitments, but there is no denying the Parkes Panthers played with plenty of heart and determination against their more fancied rivals and premiership favourites, the Bathurst Bushrangers on the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While the final score line of 106-7 did not reflect how well Parkes played, they did however manage to keep the Bushrangers to only two behinds in the final term and did so with only 11 Parkes players on the field the entire game.
Coach Ralph remained upbeat despite the loss saying that the commitment of the girls cannot be questioned and predicts brighter things for the fledgling side.
“I think once we get all our players back and have a full side we can be more than competitive with the competition heavyweights,” he said.
“While Bathurst did loan us some players and we are thankful, it obviously is a little inhibitive when we are missing so many stars due to things beyond everyone’s control.
“At the end of the day all you can do is ask for everyone to muck in and have a go and that’s exactly what the girls did on the weekend as they do every week,” he said.
Lauren Andrews was awarded Players’ Player on the day and led admirably from centre-half back while Kimberly Dixon was everywhere in midfield often scuppering promising Bushranger raids through the middle.
While Parkes maybe sitting at the foot of the ladder next to Cowra, Ralph is convinced that Parkes has the ability to win the next three games with two against Orange (one of which is at home) and then a mini grand-final against the Cowra Blues in Parkes thereafter.
“Two of our next three games are at home so we encourage all players and supporters to get behind us as we try and climb our way up the ladder and into semi-final contention,” said Ralph.
“Crowd support has been great and means everything to the girls, and with a full compliment of players I think we can take the fight to anyone.
“It has just been a little difficult to refine our combinations and get any continuity and rhythm but we make no excuses,” he said.
“At the end of the day we succeed or fall as a team.”
Parkes play Orange in Orange this Saturday at 12:45 at Bloomfield Oval.