WHILE the NAB League Girls competition is on break, we take a quick recap of each team, how the first three rounds have panned out for them and who has already stood up in the short time. In this edition we look at the Oakleigh Chargers, who had the two most impressive results from the opening two rounds before having a bye in Round 3.

2020 RESULTS:

R1: defeated Murray Bushrangers by 50 points
R2: defeated Tasmania Devils by 102 points
R3: Bye

It was an impressive start to the season from the Chargers who looked very ominous with a 50-point win over Murray Bushrangers before giving Tasmania Devils a rough welcome into the NAB League with a record-breaking score and win by any team thus far in its short history. It was tough to narrow the selection down to just five strong starters, as the Chargers had so many players who stood up in that brief time and made an impact. With a percentage of 663 from two rounds, there is little doubt that the Chargers would have had a strong season had it not been for the postponement.

FIVE STRONG STARTERS:

Mimi Hill (24.5 disposals, 1.5 marks, 2.0 tackles, 3.5 inside 50s)

The second year captain led from the front when it came to her ball-winning ability, averaging 24.5 disposals per game and often winning the ball around the ground to open up the game for her teammates. She was able to regularly get it forward and provided some real leadership in the middle, working hard throughout the four quarters to be Oakleigh’s most consistent player across the games.

Eliza James (14.5 disposals, 3.5 marks, 5.0 tackles, 6.0 inside 50s, 2 goals)

James booted a goal in each of the two games and worked well at half-forward to have an influence on the contest. With seven and five inside 50s in game one and two respectively, she provided plenty of opportunities for her teammates in the forward line, while averaging five tackles a game to lock the ball up in the forward half.

Joanna Lin (14.5 disposals, 2.0 marks, 2.0 tackles, 4.5 inside 50s, 1 goal)

The vice-captain and bottom-age best and fairest winner last year started strongly working well on the outside with Hill to keep the ball moving in transition. She hit the scoreboard herself and averaged 4.5 inside 50s from 14.5 disposals, and was a key link in the chain between midfield and forward.

Stella Reid (10.5 disposals, 1.5 marks, 2.5 hitouts, 3.0 tackles, 4 goals)

The leading goalkicker for the side in a team that had plenty of contributors – nine multiple goalkickers – Reid kicked four majors across her two games. She got involved in general play a lot, averaging the 10.5 touches and three tackles per game too, and is still a middle-ager who will have 2021 to continue to develop.

Charlie Rowbottom (11.0 disposals, 1.5 marks, 1.0 hitouts, 2.5 tackles, 2.0 inside 50s, 2 goals)

One of the most exciting middle-agers, Rowbottom boosted all her numbers to start the season and showed some real development another year down the track. She booted the two goals and was able to find the ball around the ground, particularly in the front half after playing more in the back half last season. With another year to go, Rowbottom will be one to watch in 2021 too.

Others who have stood out: Taylah Morton, Alice O’Loughlin, Amelia James, Amber Micallef

All of the above could easily have snuck into the five standout starters, and there are even more on the list that could have slotted into this category as well. With our requirement to play both games to be in the top category, O’Loughlin and James played just the one – against Murray – but were ultra-impressive in that game, kicking a combined five goals in the 50-point win. Standing up in the second game after a solid first game, Morton booted three goals against Tasmania in an impressive performance, while Micallef provided a presence in the forward half too with almost five tackles per game to go with her 14 touches a match.