That’s the message that the Wodonga Heart received after its gruelling encounter with the lions of the Murray.
The Division 1 girls took on 2023 Division 2 league champion Wodonga Heart, who has been promoted to Division 1.
The Roarettes took a few minutes to adjust to a new style of play they had been practising, but it wasn’t long before Hayley Burn received a classy through ball from Frankie Zuccarello, who gave Burn a one-on-one contest with the Heart goalkeeper.
Less than two minutes later, it was almost an exactly identical play, except this time, it was Reegan Hawke who assisted Burns as she scored her second goal for the half.
The first half was dominated by the Roarettes, who kept creating a lot of chances.
The second half saw the Roarettes start strong, with great combination passes throughout the team.
Zuccarello scored, a just reward for all her hard work.
With a mild lapse in concentration, Wodonga made a quick transition, which saw goalkeeper Emily Ryan have to make a one-on-one save not once but three times.
Not long after, Burn got her first hat-trick for the season with a great finish, scoring her third goal.
The Roarettes weren’t done at 4-0.
They were hungry and determined to put the sword to Wodonga and give them a good welcoming gift to Division 1 women’s football.
Monique Goegan scored a cracking strike outside the 18-yard box, and the goalkeeper had no chance of saving the strike.
A great combination of passes by Georgia Kerr, Goegan and Ella Janssens down the left side saw Burn replicate her same run from the first two goals she scored to her a fourth for the afternoon.
The Roar had one last goal left in them, and it was young up-and-coming star Luana Mete who was awarded a penalty, and she didn’t disappoint, calmly placing the corner to the bottom left corner.
The final score was 7-0, Cobram’s way.
Cobram’s senior women’s coach Taner Tekin said the girls were very professional and disciplined about how they took on the opposition.
“We were pretty much well in control for the whole game,” he said.
Tekin is hoping that the strength of the Cobram team will grow in the next few weeks as it had had quite a few players out due to unavailability or injury.
Round five will see Cobram play at the Apex Reserve in Cobram against the Wodonga Diamonds.
Asked if he was confident, Tekin said he was but is taking nothing for granted.
“You never know with football,” he said.
If the girls showed how it was done, the Cobram men’s Division 2 was apt learners.
Cobram took the field with a strong Reserve side for the Division 2 match in the absence of Heart having a seniors team.
After a bright start, Roar fell behind to a goal after a cross-come shot by a Heart attacker.
Cobram soon found itself 2-0 down when a well-struck free kick found its way into the net.
Closing on half-time, Cobram pulled itself back into the game with a fine finish by Kieren O’Donnell after a great build-up.
The second half brought a far better performance by Cobram.
O'Donnell made it 2-2 with a brilliant near post finish.
Shortly after, Ted Thomas scored from 22 meters out to put Cobram 3-2 up.
The game then went from end to end.
That was until Thomas got his head on the end of a perfect cross from Conor Dodson to grab his second goal.
The remainder of the game was seen out reasonably comfortably, with Tarkin Hyde adding another to make the final score 5-2.
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