Twenty minutes into their Super League game with Kingborough last weekend, the Women's Super League title race looked to be slipping away from the Hobart Zebras. Enter Jesse Williams, who has emerged as the ace up the sleeve of the Zebras side, with her stunning hat-trick firing them to a remarkable win over the Kingborough Lions; turning a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 win. Lured back from the Dark Side to the Round ball code, Chris Hey's recruitment of the former Australian Youth International may well have saved his sides season.
The game against the Lions was the first of a difficult four game swing for the Zebras, who this week head to Ulverstone to take on the defending Champions. With Williams now in the mix the Zebras look an even more formidable side and they've added a player who immediately becomes one the competitions very best and most impactful. She won that game off her own boot last weekend and given she hadn't been playing at all in recent times, the worrying thing for the Warriors is that she is only going to get better from here. It increases the chances of the Zebras running the gauntlet through this tough period and entering that final day showdown with the Warriors within reach of the title, or even with an advantage should the Warriors slip up.
Ulverstone will be a tough game for them though, and whilst the Zebras claimed a 2-0 win on their last venture up North, the Reds win over Olympia the week after that game showed they are still a force to be reckoned with. Whilst they may not have reached the heights of 2018, the return of Nellis, McMillan and Mitchell will see them fielding one of their strongest XI's they've put out all season and one suspects that if they had their full squad available all year that this two horse title race would have a third party involved. Coach Mal Gorrie has been urging his side to fight for second place, and with two games against the Zebras they can still achieve that if they were to beat them both times. As such there will be plenty to play for both sides at Ulverstone on Saturday, in a game that looms as particularly significant in the context of the season.
Elsewhere and the Kingborough Lions will look to shake off the disappointment of that manic game last week when they take on South Hobart. The Lions have been pretty good on the bounce in recent weeks, winning the last four games they've played following a defeat in the week prior. This game should feature goals with both sides having troubles at the back in keeping the ball out of the net, but less issues in attack in scoring goals of their own. South Hobart games have averaged 6.6 goals per game, and the Lions 4.85 per game to really highlight that point.
Finally, Olympia should be able to maintain their hold on top spot on the table when they take on Eastern Shore rivals Clarence at Wentworth Park. With victories in their past three games and comprehensive wins of 16-0 and 5-0 in their two games against Clarence this season, they will be the warmest of favourites. Given the current disparity in goal difference between them and the Zebras, this represents an opportunity. With the gap currently at 12 goals, with the Zebras on +52 and Olympia on +40 they will be looking to win as heavily as possible at Wentworth Park, but may find a tough obstacle in the form of Amelia Vanderniet. Ulverstone fired off some 21 shots on target last week, but only produced 3 goals to show for it. The Warriors will need to be much more clinical if they are to bridge the goal differential gap.
Saturday 27 July
South Hobart v Kingborough, 11:45am, Darcy Street
Clarence United v Olympia, 2:00pm, Wentworth Park 2
Ulverstone v Hobart Zebras, 2:30pm, Ulverstone