WESTERN Australia might have just had the one win throughout the week, but had one of the toughest draws, coming up against both Victorian teams. They pushed Vic Metro all the way on day one, then matched it with Vic Country for the most part on the final day, while defeating Eastern Allies in the final game at Broadbeach on the Wednesday. They not only had impressive top-agers, but bottom-agers and 15/16 year-olds which will hold them in good stead for the future. We take a look at some of the key players, and results of the championships.

Key players:

Sabreena Duffy

The team captain and West Australian Most Valuable Player (MVP), Duffy was a rock of consistency across the three games, just doing everything she could on the field through the midfield. Duffy continually worked hard on the inside, ran on the outside and had a number of crucial inside 50s to her leading forwards. Has a nice balance between inside and outside, and is versatile as well. One of six West Australians in the All-Australian squad.

Mikayla Bowen

Really impressed with her work in midfield and in terms of consistency, would have been my top three for Western Australia across the carnival for the MVP stakes. Just burrows in through the midfield, bursts away and does everything right defensively as well as offensively. Bowen seems to cover ground really well and wins it in all thirds of the ground. Seems to play an underrated role through midfield, but she leads by example and is a really important player in there.

McKenzie Dowrick

The AFL Women’s Academy member was another who had a consistent carnival and just kept working hard through midfield. Just has that extra touch of class compared to most players, and is a lovely kick of the football. One of those players you want with ball-in-hand if you are a leading forward. Dowrick also does the defensive things right, laying strong tackles and throwing herself into smothers to ensure her team regains possession. Can play anywhere, but looks a real impressive midfielder and is a good height that can play tall or small around the ground. Just an eye-catching player overall.

Kate Bartlett

The overage forward looked damaging inside 50, particularly on the open spaces at Metricon Stadium. She clunks marks, leads hard and is a penetrating kick of the football. One of the standouts up forward from all teams, she is able to pick the right gaps to lead into, and then finish off with scores on the board. Booted just the three goals for the carnival, but showed glimpses of what she is capable of when given an inch.

Matilda Sergeant

Playing through the midfield, Sergeant was well deserving of her All-Australian nomination. She won the ball in midfield, moved well and would have one of the highest inside 50 counts across the competition. She has the smarts to stand a kick behind play when dropping back and ensure the ball is constantly pumped forward, and is able to change direction cleanly. A composed user of the football who is another overage player in the West Australian side who stood up and performed well.

Rikki Ryan-Carling

A nimble and determined player, Carling hunts the ball carrier and is clean at ground level. She is one of a number of impressive top-agers and while she is not a huge accumulator compared to others, she just adds that element of class, and is able to dance around her opponents with grace and poise. Carling has great closing speed and is able to run down the ball carrier before they even know they are in trouble, and her ability to use the ball well was on show on the second day, when she managed to extract the ball from a stoppage, spin around and dispose of it before anyone could touch her.

Roxanne Roux

A bottom-ager who really had a profound impact up forward, and her work rate was enormous running up to the wing to provide a target. So strong at ground level or in the air, Roux clunks the marks she has to take, and is a really hard worker at ground level if she does not take the grab. Able to apply blocks and lay tackles, Roux is one to keep an eye on at next year’s carnival after an impressive series this year.

Abbey Dowrick

For a 15 year-old, Dowrick really stood out and gave West Australian fans a glimpse into the next few years. She played through the midfield and loved going in hard and then spreading well to balance the load on the other midfielders. She was by far the loudest on the ground, often having a cheeky dig at opposition players going for goal, and seems like one of those players that teammates love to play alongside. Just so hungry to win the ball at every opportunity, and attacks the contest with a natural ferocity that not all players have, which was fantastic to see.

Mikayla Hyde

A goal sneak who finished the carnival as the only West Australian to boot a goal in every game, as well as lead the goal kicking for the state with five majors. She was the difference in game two against the Eastern Allies, booting three second half goals to close the door when the opposition was pushing hard. Hyde has a really keen goal sense and loves to run into open space, tricking her opponents by leading up then doubling back, with teammates often booting the ball in front of her, and letting her run onto the pill and give her the space out the back. Like Abbey Dowrick, Hyde has another two years of development, which is really exciting for West Australian football.

Emma O’Driscoll

A team player who was rarely beaten in defence, she played a great solid role back there, intercepting and rebounding throughout the carnival. Strong overhead and smart with her positioning, O’Driscoll was a rock and had great closing speed on the lead. Most importantly, she was often clean at ground level and did not panic under pressure. A top-ager who stood out in defence and was a shining light back there for the Black Swans.

Results:

Monday, July 9

VIC METRO: 3.2 | 5.2 | 7.5 | 7.9 (51)
WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 6.7 (43)

GOALS:
Vic Metro: Daisy Bateman 2,Gabby Newton 2, Georgia Macpherson, Britney Gutknecht, Cleo Saxon-Jones.
Western Australia: Kate Bartlett 2, Mikayla Hyde, Tanisha Anderson, Sabreena Duffy, Roxanne Roux.

ADC BEST:
Vic Metro: Mikala Cann, Gabby Newton, Madison Prespakis, Abbie McKay, Katie Lynch, Georgia Patrikios.
Western Australia: McKenzie Dowrick, Kate Bartlett, Matilda Sergeant, Rikkiesha Carling, Mikayla Bowen, Roxanne Roux.

Wednesday, July 11

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1.1 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 7.3 (45)
EASTERN ALLIES: 0.0. | 0.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 (15)

GOALS:
Western Australia: Mikayla Hyde 3, Caitlin Hill, Kate Bartlett, Abbey Dowrick, Sarah Verrier.
Eastern Allies: Chloe Haines, Brea Quinlivan.

ADC BEST:
Western Australia: Sabreena Duffy, McKenzie Dowrick, Mikayla Hyde, Matilda Sergeant, Abbey Dowrick, Emma O’Driscoll.
Eastern Allies: Chloe Haines, Alyce Parker, Brea Quinlivan, Libby Haines, Alexia Hamilton, Georgia Garnett.

Friday, July 13

VIC COUNTRY: 2.1 | 2.7 | 4.9 | 7.11 (53)
WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 0.3 | 1.3 |  2.4 | 2.5 (17)

GOALS:
Vic Country: Sophie Van de Heuvel 3, Nikia Webber, Lucy McEvoy, Courtney Jones, Nina Morrison.
Western Australia: Mikayla Hyde, Savannah Ahearn.

ADC BEST:
Vic Country: Sophie Van De Heuvel, Olivia Purcell, Nina Morrison, Courtney Jones, Georgia Clarke, Rebecca Webster.
Western Australia: Sabreena Duffy, Emma O’Driscoll, Mikayla Hyde, McKenzie Dowrick, Sonia Dorizzi, Brianna Hyde.