VIC Metro has made an impressive statement to the rest of the AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships teams with a clinical 44-point win over Vic Country at Avalon Airport Oval yesterday. Northern Knights middle-ager Ellie McKenzie was absolutely superb playing around the ground, working hard in a midfield that showed it could balance its share of contested and uncontested work, with McKenzie taking a five-bounce run along the wing – just two shy of her effort in the NAB League Girls Grand Final, despite dewy conditions. Knights teammates Britney Gutknecht and Gabby Newton also worked hard through the midfield, while Alyssa Bannan and Sarah Hartwig were prominent up opposite ends.

From the first bounce it was clear the Metro side, led by Western Jets utility and potential Western Bulldogs father-daughter selection, Isabella Grant was up for the match. Grant herself booted two opening term goals – one of which came from a double 50-metre penalty after her opponent tackled her after mistakingly hearing the umpire call play-on. Despite the dominance of play, Metro still could only muster two goals from five scoring shots, before Isabella Simmons got one back against the flow. Just nine points up, and the game seemingly more in Metro’s control than the scoreline suggested, it took a few pieces of magic down the wing, and a flying shot from Alyssa Bannan just before the quarter time siren, for the ball to bounce past the diving arms of defender Millie Brown and bounce through for Metro’s third goal of the quarter as the siren rang out.

Brown was everywhere for the Country side in defence as she swallowed up a number of Metro forward entries, but was ultimately overwhelmed as Metro’s pressure all but locked the ball in their half for the second quarter. Country had just a couple of inside 50s in that second term, while Nell Morris-Dalton started to turn up the heat, spraying a set shot, just missing a snap and then arguably nailing the hardest shot of the attempts. Over the middle two quarters, Metro controlled play, with Bannan, McKenzie and Newton all impressing, including a great one-on-one goal to Morris-Dalton in the third term that saw her stay on her feet against Lucy McEvoy, win the ball and snap around her body to all but ice the game. It came after Shanara Notman converted a vital goal for the Country team, doing all she could leading up forward and making good on her set shot. For all of Metro’s dominance on the field, they finally had it on the scoreboard with a 44-point margin.

The final quarter looked like a different game to start with, as Country began to win more of the ball out of midfield and give its forwards opportunities to kick goals. Renee Saulitis finally got her chance with a bit of space and she weaved her magic not once, but twice, getting the ball over the top and using her calm, cool composure to slot two goals after a miss earlier in the game. Country cut the deficit back to less than 40 points, but another double 50-metre penalty to Grant – with an opponent getting in the protected area – saw her remarkably kick her third goal of the game, and her second from point-blank. Not to be outdone on the scoreboard, the most clinical play of the day came next with Oakleigh Chargers’ Nicola Xenos roving a tap and pumping the ball inside 50 to a contest. Bannan was the first to pick up the ball cleanly, evade an opponent and kick her third truly to match Grant. This time, for all of Country’s dominance, a purple patch by the Metro team saw them draw level for the quarter and enjoy a big win.

Metro had winners across the park, with McKenzie, Lagioia, Gutknect and Western Jets’ skipper Elisabeth Georgostathis all playing important roles through the midfield, while Sandringham Dragons’ skipper Molly Denahy Maloney played an underrated game through the middle quarters, intercepting a lot of ball through the midfield and half-forward to set up plays. Morris-Dalton and Bannan were the benficiaries up forward, while down back, Hartwig was sensational, knowing when to drop off the contest and stand a kick behind play ready for the quick Country clearance out of a wing stoppage. Despite the ball largely being camped up the other end, Hartwig and Isabelle Pritchard rebounded most of what came near them, and loom as a damaging duo not just this year, but next year as well.

For Country, Brown was absolutely sensational throughout the four quarters, often under siege on the last line, she and Murray Bushrangers’ teammate Sophie Locke were often the ones clearing the ball out of the back 50, while Tyanna Smith and Paige Sheppard provided some great run from half-back and through midfield. McEvoy unsurprisingly played a four-quarter game and showed intent laying some massive tackles on opponents as she tried to will the side over the line. Saulitis was another who stood out when given her chance going forward, while the likes of Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels middle-agers Maggie Caris and Simmons kept presenting around the ground. Ultimately though, Metro had too many winners across the park, and head up to Queensland full of confidence following a terrific victory over their Victorian Country counterparts.

VIC COUNTRY 1.0 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 4.2 (26)
VIC METRO 3.3 | 5.6 | 8.9 | 10.10 (70)

GOALS:

Vic Country: R. Saulitis (GWV) 2, I. Simmons (GWV), S. Notman (Gippsland)
Vic Metro: I. Grant (Western) 3, A. Bannan (Northern) 3, N. Morris-Dalton (Northern) 2, E. Georgostathis (Western), G. Newton (Northern)

ADC BEST:

Vic Country: M. Brown, L. McEvoy, P. Sheppard, T. Smith, R. Saulitis, M. Caris
Vic Metro: E. McKenzie, G. Lagioia, A. Bannan, S. Hartwig, G. Newton, I. Grant.