FOUR clubs are evenly represented in the Draft Central NAB League Girls Team of the Week this round, with three representatives apiece for Round 8. In a week where the midfield depth in particularly was unbelievable, there were some serious quality individual efforts named as emergencies due to the sheer weight of numbers having to try and squeeze top performances in. With all 13 sides playing – as has been the case, Northern Territory Thunder will not be included but mentioned at the bottom – there was an extra team to include this round. Despite this, only the 12 teams had representatives, with four teams only managing the one player, such was the evenness across the board and difficulty in squeezing players in.

Geelong Falcons could lay claim to the most impressive effort of the weekend, both on-field and in our Team of the Week, defeating the previously undefeated Oakleigh Chargers on the weekend, and then having three starting players and one emergency in our Team of the Week. Poppy Schaap, Annie Lee and Renee Tierney are named in each third of the ground after their efforts on the weekend, with Tess Craven named first emergency for the team and very close to making yet another team. The Chargers had just the one player, with midfielder Charlotte Taylor pushed back to half-back for this hypothetical side.

Dandenong Stingrays also had three starters in the team, with defender Jemma Radford, midfielder Felicity Crank and forward Georgia Malkoun making the side. Malkoun is one of four three-plus goal scorers in the side, along with Eastern Ranges’ duo Alyssia Pisano and Georgia Wilson, named in the side with Isabelle Khoury also joining them in the 24-player squad. Tasmania Devils’ Amy Bissett earned our Player of the Week honours and therefore captain in this team, and was the other dominant goalkicker inside 50, named in the team alongside teammate Ella Maurer.

Calder Cannons also had three players in the team this week, with midfielders Zali Friswell and Georgie Prespakis, while versatile tall Tahlia Gillard – who predominantly played through the ruck – was named at centre half-back showing off her versatility and providing some height back there. It is quite a tall team, with ruck/forward Ally Morphett holding down the centre half-forward position for the Murray Bushrangers, and Keeley Skepper another of the three emergencies unlucky not to make it into the side based on the midfield strength this week.

Northern Knights’ Ava Jordan is the other emergency for this week, narrowly missing out with Maeve Chaplin just given the nod to return to the side as that inside midfielder. She teams up with Charlotte Baskaran onball, with the Western Jets ball magnet in the side with Jemima Woods who has been named on the bench. Also in the side are a couple of Gippsland Power players in ruck and key position talent Matilda Van Berkel who is vice-captain, while Alexei Guy-Toogood makes her debut in the Team of the Week off half-back.

Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels have the two nominees this week, with defender Molly Walton and midfielder Lilli Condon the standout performers from Round 8, whilst the other sole representative is Bendigo Pioneers’ Octavia Di Donato on the bench. Northern Territory Thunder did not have representatives to keep it consistent with the Team of the Week throughout the season, but Freda Puruntatameri, Bella Clarke and Ashanti Bush were in line to make the side if they were.

DRAFT CENTRAL NAB LEAGUE GIRLS TEAM OF THE WEEK: ROUND 8

B: Jemma Radford (DS) – Molly Walton (GWV) – Annie Lee (GF)
HB: Charlotte Taylor (OC) – Tahlia Gillard (CC) – Alexei Guy-Toogood (GP)
C: Poppy Schaap (GF) – Felicity Crank (DS) – Zali Friswell (CC)
HF: Alyssia Pisano (ER) – Ally Morphett (MB) – Georgia Malkoun (DS)
F: Amy Bissett (TD) – Renee Tierney (GF) – Georgia Wilson (ER)
R: Matilda Van Berkel (GP) – Maeve Chaplin (NK) – Charlotte Baskaran (WJ)
INT: Lilli Condon (GWV) – Octavia Di Donato (BP) – Isabelle Khoury (ER) – Ella Maurer (TD) – Georgie Prespakis (CC) – Jemima Woods (WJ)

EMG: Tess Craven (GF) – Ava Jordan (NK) – Keeley Skepper (MB)