The ground was distinctly soggy for round one of the division women's football match Wednesday, April 18. After recent heavy rain it was debatable whether the game should have gone ahead.
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The Narooma team fronted up with the Moruya Royals in a clash that resulted in two Narooma players having to leave the field to injury.
This is a seasoned team having come out of the 2023 season grand final winners. Undefeated throughout last year, only Broulee came close with a two-all draw.
The first match into a season will always be a shake up, and no doubt the months without playing full matches were being felt. But for a team with a strong core, this is where depth and experience steps in.
From the sidelines coach Danielle Campbell sits nursing a recently fused ankle. Nursing may be a stretch because she is animated with every goal missed and ball lost.
Calls of "time" and "on you now" are a constant stream of feedback to her players. She rarely lets up even as the team places good distance between themselves and defeat. Danielle has coached the team for a "few" years.
"I have coached their kids [the under 11's], Narooma women's last year ... and then the under 12 girls rep this year as well," she said.
Danielle also played up until two seasons ago when an ankle injury took her out of the game. She knows she's coaching a strong side.
"We grew up playing soccer here. There's a few on my team, Melissa, Sarah, Jackie that I've played with for a few years - they are parents of kids 8 to 10...we played all through high school as well.
"But then there are a few Kwanna, Melissa, Nakia, Jade - we've [all] kind of played Narooma for a few years as well. It's a big, quite core part of the team," Danielle explains
This year they have been joined by three new players, Romi, Sam and Lauren.
Straight out of the blocks it's evident from these players, the team is not getting any weaker, as Romi scored the first goal of the season from 35 metres back. It's a blinder.
This was followed up in the first half with a second goal by Kwanna. There were no shortage of attempts throughout the game by Narooma, and Moruya's goalie was kept under constant pressure.
Into the second half Moruya began to find their feet. Taking back the ball, and two solid goal attempts by the Royals, the ground was going to mush.
Water was flying off the ball as Kwanna put away the third goal, and her second of the night. Shayla shortly followed up with the fourth. The team was four up and Danielle was beginning to relax.
With one player already sidelined with injury, the next went down. The referee called it before anyone else got injured. The whistle is blown 6 minutes before time.
