Bushrangers' coach Mark Brown has praised his NAB League girls' side for their effort and perseverance despite a loss to Greater Western Victoria on the weekend.
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The Rebels capitalised on a strong first quarter to finish 50-point winners against the Bushrangers at Epsom Huntley Reserve on Saturday.
The Bushrangers managed to put a goal on the scoreboard in every quarter, with two coming off the boot of Olivia Cicolini.
Despite not having seen each other for 10 days prior to the game due to Victoria's snap COVID-19 lockdown, Brown said the side showed clear improvement from their round one loss to Bendigo Pioneers.
"We were really pleased with the girls' performance," he said.
"We always thought it would be a tough game for us, as they all would be.
"They controlled fairly large passages of play which was really impressive.
"From an application and effort point of view, we couldn't have been more pleased with our girls.
"They were much better than they were in round one, the improvement was quite considerable."
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Chloe Locke, Aurora Smith, Molly Kennedy and Kate Adams were all impressive for the Bushrangers, while midfielder Keeley Skepper starred.
"She (Skepper) really took control of the ball," Brown said.
"She was good in round one, but she was very good in round three."
Wagga ruckman Ally Morphet was also a standout in her one goal performance, while Finley's Lily Sharp also contributed to the scoreboard.
Brown said it's now about continuing to get the fundamentals of the game right.
"A lot of these girls have only been playing football for a handful of years," he said.
"We're really just trying to educate them about the fundamentals of the game and make them as sharp as they can be.
"The girls are doing a really impressive job.
"As long as they keep attacking it with the dedication they've shown to date they'll keep getting better."
Brown also acknowledged the side's resilience in the face of adversity, with players coming from both sides of the border.
"We couldn't be more impressed with how the girls tackled preseason and all of the challenges they've faced," he said.
The Bushrangers will now prepare to take on the Western Jets at Wangaratta's Cathedral Collage next weekend.
