AS we enter round three of the TAC Cup Girls, we are beginning to see the ladder take shape. There are four undefeated sides – Northern Knights, Geelong Falcons, Eastern Ranges and Murray Bushrangers – while four sides – GWV Rebels, Dandenong Stingrays, Western Jets and Calder Cannons – are yet to taste victory; at least one of which will do so, with the Jets and Cannons clashing on Sunday.

GREATER WESTERN VICTORIA REBELS vs. BENDIGO PIONEERS 

Round 3 – Saturday, March 24, 10.30am
Mars Stadium, Ballarat

The Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels head into their clash with Bendigo Pioneers yet to taste victory after a tough couple of matches against Eastern Ranges and Geelong Falcons. Now back at their home stadium, the Rebels will look to take full advantage of their familiar blustery conditions to knock off Bendigo and claim the win. Georgia Clarke will start at centre-half back, possibly to curb the influence of Kate Douglass who was impressive for the Pioneers last week. Rebels captain Lauren Butler could go head-to-head with Kodi Jacques, while Sophie Molan will face off against Pioneers captain Megan Williamson in the middle.

Bendigo will be keen to bounce back from its loss to Murray, kicking the last three goals of the game but still going down to one of the benchmark teams this season. If they can carry their form into the round three game, they are every chance to get the result. Sophie Kerridge will line up at full-forward alongside Maeve Tupper, while possibly opposed to Georgia Pidgeon and Nekaela Butler respectively. Without the classy Sophie Van De Heuvel in the Rebels midfield, the Pioneers will look to take control and assert themselves through the corridor.

Greater Western Victoria Rebels

B: 6. N. Butler, 26. G. Pidgeon, 14. L. Sykes
HB: 44. E. Bibby, 25. G. Clarke, 34. S. Glover
C: 27. N.  Dojiok, 23. S.  Molan, 10. H.  Simpson
HF: 13. C. Leonard, 28. I. Simmons, 2. R. Saulitis
F: 4. A. Nicholson, 41. K. Harris, 8. E. Wood
R: 22. I. Rustman, 21. D. Henson, 16. L. Butler
Int: 15. T. Jasper, 5. V. Jewell, 9. J. McAuliffe , 7. A. McAuliffe

Bendigo Pioneers

B: 12. T. Coad, 32. S. Reilly, 5. E. Turnbull
HB: 23. G. Murrell, 3. C. Isaac, 25. T. Stewart
C: 11. J.  Finning, 28. M.  Williamson, 15. T.  Goodrem
HF: 27. B. Hards, 20. K. Douglass, 30. B. Heiden
F: 17. G. Sladden, 13. S. Kerridge , 1. M. Tupper
R: 9. D. Kelly-Guthrie, 19. K. Jacques, 2. M. Baldwin
Int: 6. M. Curran, 18. I. Gould, 14. O. Taverna, 22. M. Ward

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS vs. GIPPSLAND POWER 

Round 3 – Saturday, March 24, 2.45pm
RAMS Arena, Craigieburn

Murray Bushrangers are running hot at the moment and will look to use their experience against the young Gippsland Power side. One of the most exciting battles of the day has to be Rebecca Webster going head-to-head with Tyla Hanks. Both players are among the top echelon in the competition and have been in super form this season. Up forward, the dangerous pocket rocket Julia Harvey or teammate Claudia McKimmie could have Power defender Emily Haeusler stand them, all three of whom are in good form.

Eloise Ashley-Cooper and Grace Egan represent some pretty potent half-back flankers and Holly Andrews and Nikia Webber will be looking to quell their influence. Julia Redmond has been a rock in defence, but she will be tested against Sophie Damon or Olivia Barber this weekend. Murray will head into the match as strong favourites, but with nothing to lose and plenty of speed, Gippsland has every chance of taking it up to one of the top sides in the competition.

Murray Bushrangers

B: 14. A. Duguid, 21. C. Boschetti, 32. N. Watts
HB: 16. E. Ashley-Cooper, 34. E. McPherson, 42. G. Egan
C: 11. A.  Chessor, 17. R.  Webster, 3. P.  Crelley
HF: 19. M. Brown, 6. K. Adams, 1. J. Harvey
F: 37. S. Damon, 45. O. Barber, 36. C. Mckimmie
R: 43. T. Verhoeven, 22. T. Smith, 4. C. Knight
Int: 8. O. Hall, 31. S. Locke, 26. E. Nicholson, 33. M. Trethowan

Gippsland Power

B: 29. C. Bray, 65. J. Redmond, 17. S. Trewin
HB: 6. E. Haeusler , 45. L. Van Berkel, 49. M. Shaw
C: 12. M.  Fitzsimon, 28. T.  Hanks, 30. A.  Rippon
HF: 13. H. Andrews, 8. C. Abrahams, 27. N. Webber
F: 4. J. Ross, 57. J. Ferguson, 60. E. Williams
R: 58. A. Dunn, 31. L. Berry, 10. T. Dower
Int: 1. E. Jones, 48. C. Prestidge, 50. M. Van Berkel, 11. S. Walker

WESTERN JETS v. CALDER CANNONS

Round 3 – Sunday, March 25, 11am
RAMS Arena, Craigieburn

In the battle of the winless teams, Western and Calder will look to kick-start their 2018 campaign on Sunday. Western have been drawn as the “home” team given the fixture was originally scheduled for Avalon Airport Oval, but a late change to RAMS Arena hands the Cannons the homeground advantage. On the field, Isabella Pritchard and Katarina Rebuffo form a strong defensive duo, while Isabella Grant and Cleo Saxon-Jones are among the targets up forward for the Jets. Through the midfield, Olivia Forsythe and Elizabeth Georgostathis will be hoping to continue their form from last round against a strong Cannons midfield.

For the Cannons, all eyes will be on Madison Prespakis through the midfield as the star playmaker in the team. Down back, Molly Warburton and Eleanor Cornish will combine to provide some drive off half-back, while Georgia Patrikios is a skilful player in the forward half. With the likes of Faith Holloway and Felicity Theodore coming off the bench, the Cannons will have plenty of youthful run in the side.

Western Jets

B: 33. L. Basto, 31. K. Rebuffo, 2. C. Gashi
HB: 21. M. Fenech, 44. C. Myors-Moore, 30. I. Pritchard
C: 22. A.  Chivell, 4. L.  Spargo, 25. T.  Kolevski
HF: 8. E. Gardner, 36. J. Goodman, 14. I. Grant
F: 26. I. Negri, 39. C. Saxon-Jones, 40. S. Whiting
R: 43. C. Greiser, 19. O. Forsythe, 16. E. Georgostathis
Int: 5. M. Daw, 34. T. Evans, 17. I. Freeman, 27. P. Ozols

Calder Cannons

B: 29. S. Elias, 48. C. Brown, 44. I. McNeill-Wren
HB: 22. M. Muller, 17. E. Cornish, 9. M. Warburton
C: 32. T.  Fry , 31. K.  Petrevski, 8. E.  Vale
HF: 21. G. Patrikios, 28. R. Love, 11. A. Barba
F: 34. Z. Hardiman, 49. T. Crook, 25. A. Magri
R: 18. C. Rendelmann, 23. G. Dicker, 3. M. Prespakis
Int: 37. F. Holloway, 45. C. Macumber, 2. F. Theodore, 35. I. Young

GEELONG FALCONS v. DANDENONG STINGRAYS 

Round 3 – Sunday, March 25, 11am
Deakin University, Geelong

The unbeaten Geelong Falcons welcome the determined Dandenong Stingrays to Deakin University on Sunday morning. The Falcons midfield which includes guns Olivia Purcell and Nina Morrison will go head-to-head with the lines of Jordyn Allen and Isabella Shannon, while Lucy McEvoy will have the job on dangerous Stingrays forward Samantha Ryan. Shelley Heath is another nimble Stingrays player who might face off against the Falcons’ Demby Taylor.

Brooke Struylaart will go forward for the Stingrays, while Lucinda Cripps will hold down the fort – and for her sake hopefully Sachi DeGiacomi, with the Geelong Falcons centre-half forward in ripping form. Samantha Atkins and Molly McDonald played well last week and might go head-to-head in what should be a fascinating contest. The Falcons will naturally be favourites heading into the clash, but the Stingrays are strong defensively and will be hoping to nullify some of Geelong’s key ball winners.

Geelong Falcons

B: 22. K. Haustorfer , 37. A. Chapman, 33. M. Sheppard
HB: 38. S. Dinneen, 24. L. McEvoy, 28. D. Taylor
C: 18. N.  Morrison, 15. J.  Devarakonda, 36. S.  Walmsley
HF: 10. S. Atkins, 42. S. DeGiacomi, 2. E. Vella
F: 20. T. Love, 39. R. Tierney, 27. M. Skinner
R: 34. Z. Inei, 11. L. Lesosky-Hay, 7. O. Purcell
Int: 25. K. Gleeson, 46. E. Lawson, 31. S. Milsome, 6. P. Sheppard

Dandenong Stingrays

B: 19. B. Borchard, 51. Z. Hill, 47. L. Metcalfe
HB: 5. E. Allen-Burns, 35. L. Cripps, 12. M. McDonald
C: 46. J.  George, 26. I.  Shannon, 28. T.  Smith
HF: 1. S. Heath, 44. S. Ryan, 3. C. Jones
F: 42. A. O’Sullivan, 29. B. Struylaart, 31. B. Vernon
R: 45. M. Graham, 15. J. Allen, 21. G. Hodder
Int: 40. R. Clancy – Dillon, 10. A. Jordan, 2. S. Stratton, 39. N. Taylor

NORTHERN KNIGHTS v. SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 

Round 3 – Sunday, March 25, 12.45pm
RAMS Arena, Craigieburn

In arguably the match of the round, the unbeaten Northern Knights take on the impressive Sandringham Dragons. The Dragons bounced back from a round one loss to Geelong Falcons, to run all over Oakleigh Chargers last week. The rebound off half-back from the likes of Winnie Laing, Sarah Hartwig and Eleanor Brown was telling, while Eliza McNamara and Abbie McKay were prime movers in the middle. Up forward, Laura Amelung and Sophia Rothfield could be dangerous, but the Dragons key to scoring lies in their ability to share the goals around.

For the Knights, they have one of the most potent forward lines in the league, with leading goal kicker Alyssa Bannan alongside other goal kickers Abigail Bennett, Alex Pronesti and Olivia Dikranis. Through the midfield, Nell Morris-Dalton, Maddy Bracantisano and Gabby Newton will look to take control, while Magdelene Antypas and Britney Gutknecht are other names to look out for. The battle in the ruck between Knight Neve O’Connor and Dragon Alanna Dalley will be another fantastic battle.

Northern Knights

B: 1. M. Antypas, 27. P. Kearney, 13. M. Suzuki
HB: 10. P. Chisholm, 18. S. Sansonetti, 21. E. McKenzie
C: 2. M.  Jarvis, 5. M.  Brancatisano, 23. G.  Newton
HF: 7. A. Bennett, 6. A. Bannan, 12. O. Dikranis
F: 17. C. Fitzgerald, 24. A. Pronesti, 11. A. Williams
R: 4. N. O’Connor, 14. J. Fitzgerald, 3. N. Morris-Dalton
Int: 8. G. Ceravolo, 26. E. Clayton, 22. B. Gutknecht, 16. T. Manson

Sandringham Dragons

B: 40. N. Borg, 42. R. Woods, 46. A. Burke
HB: 2. W. Laing, 32. S. Hartwig, 13. D. Walker
C: 30. E.  Brown, 43. A.  McKay, 5. J.  Tait
HF: 49. L. Amelung, 3. S. Rothfield, 31. B. Arnold
F: 25. I. Eddey, 50. H. Bate, 1. M. Wilson
R: 20. A. Dalley, 36. J. Owen, 64. E. McNamara
Int: 48. N. Amiet, 58. G. Bridges, 33. M. Denahy Maloney, 15. P. Hobday, 65. C. Saultry, 60. G. Strangio, 53. I. Stutt, 11. T. Tysoe

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS v. EASTERN RANGES 

Round 3 – Sunday, March 25, 2.30pm
RAMS Arena, Craigieburn

In the final game of the round, Oakleigh Chargers will test themselves against Eastern Ranges at RAMS Arena. Oakleigh has some fantastic ball winners – lead by the classy Gemma Lagioia – and some huge inclusions for the clash, with Katie Lynch – who missed the round two loss – returning, as is Isabella Gietzmann, the dual sports athlete who has returned from cricket season. The forward line for the Chargers looks more potent with captain Hannah McLaren down at full-forward, while Melanie Bertuna will play off a flank. A big omission is that of goal sneak Daisy Bateman, who was quiet last week after starring in round one. Jasmine D’Amato, Nicola Xenos and Emily Harley are other players who have impressed so far this season.

For Eastern, it is harder to find a line without a star than one with it. Georgia Macpherson, Charlotte Wilson and Lauren Szigeti provide plenty of rebound, Laura McClelland, Tahlia Merrett and Emerson Woods will be a damaging half-forward set-up, while the speed machines in Mikala Cann and Olivia Meagher will look to outrun the Chargers midfield. An interesting head-to-head will be that of rucks Sarah Kendall and Bridie Winbanks, with both smart players when it comes to positioning at stoppages.

Oakleigh Chargers

B: 26. A. Micallef, 45. T. Cowan, 17. N. Xenos
HB: 6. T. Johnson, 39. T. Nichols, 32. C. O’Malley
C: 2. M.  Hill, 50. C.  Nancarrow, 30. G.  Lagioia
HF: 29. M. Bertuna, 21. C. Moon, 52. L. Harris
F: 33. G. Byrne, 14. H. McLaren, 18. I. Gietzmann
R: 11. B. Winbanks, 16. A. Porter, 41. K. Lynch
Int: 3. J. D’Amato, 68. A. Dyer, 19. E. Harley, 15. A. Ling, 22. Z. Makris, 5. A. van Oosterwijck, 70. P. Fennell

Eastern Ranges

B: 18. A. Allsopp, 50. S. Zappia, 17. M. Kendall
HB: 37. G. Macpherson, 49. C. Wilson, 48. L. Szigeti
C: 16. E.  Horne, 39. O.  Meagher, 41. J.  Richardson
HF: 38. L. McClelland, 40. T. Merrett, 3. E. Woods
F: 26. T. Brown, 42. M. Taverna, 22. C. Chamberlain
R: 46. S. Kendall, 21. M. Cann, 10. N. Cormack
Int: 34. S. Bowden, 35. B. Cubitt, 6. G. De Angelis, 47. J. Provan