ALL six NAB League Girls fixtures were played on Saturday in Round 4, with a thrilling Grand Final rematch thrown in among three 50-plus point results. There were plenty of top individual performances along the way, which we outline in our next Scouting Notes edition for the year.

Note: All comments are opinion of the individual author.

By: Michael Alvaro

GWV Rebels:

#1 Lilli Condon

The Rebels skipper tried hard all day to give her side a fighting chance in midfield, leading the way with 26 disposals and six tackles in an attempt to set the tone. Condon’s effort and competitive spirit could not be faulted, as she cracked in to win the hard ball and constantly harassed her opponents when it didn’t fall her way. Her perpetual motion saw her fumble at times and skew a share of kicks, but it was a leader’s game from the small midfielder.

#2 Tahlia Meier

Spending a good amount of time forward of the ball, Meier had her least prolific game on pure numbers this week, but still showcased her nifty evasive skills. She got low to win a few ground balls and even rose for a big mark in the corridor during term one, with a feature of her play the consistent desire to play on quickly. Meier’s ability to twist and turn out of trouble suited her attacking intent, but could not quite help her snatch a goal this time out.

#5 Paige Scott

After a rare goalless outing last week, Scott came out with plenty of physical intent and looked to really impose herself on the contest. At times, it proved overzealous – like when she ran past the ball to bump, or conceded a 50-metre penalty – with the pieces not always coming together for her as the Rebels struggled forward of centre. Scott eventually spent more time on-ball after half-time and got her hands on it, channelling her frustration into a booming running shot on goal during term three which showcased all of her prolific talent.

#11 Olivia Leonard

Solid is a pretty apt way to describe Leonard’s last couple of games down back, with the reliable top-ager doing most of the defensive things well. Tackling was the key feature of her game, as she laid an equal game-high total of seven – including two which yielded holding the ball free kicks. Her strength in those situations was important, and helped the Rebels stand up under plenty of duress as Western surged forward in droves.

#24 Jamie-Lee Speakman

It was intercept mark after intercept mark for Speakman on Saturday, with the top-ager kept incredibly busy on the last line of defence. She was often the final hurdle which Western failed to clear, winning a bunch of one-on-one duels from quick kicks to the goalmouth and displaying a clean set of hands. Her reading of the play was super, and Speakman was even tasked with kick-in duties. It was a tough gig on the day, with the ball often finding its way back to her quickly despite her many sound decisions.

Western Jets:

#1 Charlotte Baskaran

There are few superlatives left to describe just how good Baskaran’s start to the season has been, and the Western skipper turned it on once more come Saturday. She lead all comers with 31 disposals and stamped her authority at the centre bounces, winning the first clearance of each quarter. Her acceleration and smarts were on show in those instances, but Baskaran’s work was not done there, as she spread incredibly well away from stoppages and snuck forward to good effect. The top-ager stood up in the face of plenty of heat, and kicked a couple of classy goals – including the last of the day to put a cherry on top of Western’s win.

#11 Stephanie Asciak

One of the Western ball winners who sometimes goes under the radar given the star power of Baskaran and Ham, Asciak ticked up over 20 touches for the first time this season and continued to execute what she has been doing well over the last three rounds. The understanding she has with her fellow midfielders makes for great combination play on the attack, and Asciak often backed herself to break away from congestion. Even in more advanced positions, she would wheel around and look to snare a shot on goal, but couldn’t quite hit the scoreboard this time out.

#17 Lou-Lou Field

Others may have found more of the ball, but Field looked terrific each time she got it in her hands. The 2006-born prospect is certainly one for the future, and has quickly locked down a spot at half-back for Western. She was not afraid to take up aggressive positions when the Jets were attacking, reading the play well to intercept and set up a wall in the front half. She also backed her skills and looked to go through the corridor, looking comfortable at the level.

#38 Montana Ham

In arguably her best performance for the year, Ham looked much sharper and more composed in possession this time out. She started well with the first score of the day and surged the ball forward better than anyone else afield. On several occasions, she found possession on the defensive side of the corridor and took up all the space in front of her with running bounces, before booming the ball inside 50. That finishing product by foot can still be tweaked, but Ham gets plenty of penetration and hit a couple of well weighted short passes as a point of difference. In a well rounded outing, she also demonstrated her overhead marking prowess, setting up behind the ball and clunking some nice grabs.

#50 Krystal Russell

Stamping her authority as one of the leading pure rucks of the competition, Russell gave her dangerous midfielders first use against some stiff opposition, and continues to improve her work around the ground. She stood up strongly in packs and pulled down a nice intercept mark in term four, with another pack grab not paid in term one. Her movement has improved, and this was another solid outing for the 180cm top-ager.

By: Toby Mew

Geelong Falcons:

#7 Sara Howley

This Under 16s defender was quiet in the first half, before showing her potential with a storming second half. Howley found plenty of uncontested possessions in space, and her speed and agility was entertaining to watch. One particular play saw her dance around her opponent with ease, sending her the opposite direction, and the crowd into raptures. Howley was a strong penetrating kick with each of her 25 disposals having an impact. An impressive display from the under-ager, who didn’t look out of place at all against older and stronger players.

#8 Mekah Morrissy

The Under 16s talent has a knack of always being in the right positions around the ground. Although she had a quiet game, Morrissy was able to find the ball with some hard running into space on the wings and through the middle. Her speed stood out in a congested game, and despite her size, she was able to bring the ball to ground aerially against much taller opponents. Morrissy’s ability to always provide a contest was crucial in many moments.

#10 Grace Purcell

Possibly Purcell’s strongest game yet, as she simply kept finding a way to get herself involved. She provided some much needed dash from the contest in what was primarily a game about contest possessions. Her final quarter arguably turned the tide for the Falcons, as her speed and clearances finally provided the links inside fifty that the forwards were crying out for. Purcell was impressive on the defensive end too, laying 11 tackles, five of which resulted in holding-the-ball calls. Purcell is knocking on the door to be considered a star performer in the Geelong midfield.

#26 Analea McKee

The was plenty to like about the 183cm key forward, who was the other common contributor in the Falcons’ final quarter surge. Despite few opportunities in the first half as the midfield struggled to get the ball forward, McKee presented strongly at the ball and with aggression. She pulled down multiple crucial contested marks in the second half, helping to provide a link to the forward line. Her vision was also on display, with a short patient kick under time pressure to Leila Owens resulting in the winning goal.

#29 Mia Van Dyke

The tall utility started slowly, fumbling a few easy grabs in the first quarter. Tasked with stopping livewire forward Kristen Smith, Van Dyke worked her way into the game, eventually impressing with her stability in defence. Van Dyke reminded us of her ability in the second half, with an excellent four-bounce run out of the backline, and exceptional kicking accuracy under pressure with the ball in hand. She continues to be one to watch.

#44 Charlotte Simpson

The big-bodied bull was dominant in the first half, winning contested possessions at ground level with ease. Simpson’s aggression was crucial in the absence of star midfielder Ashleigh van Loon, who missed due to a knee injury. Simpson was consistently the first player in at the stoppage, and no player could compete with her size. She was arguably best afield before an early knock at the start of the third quarter sent her off the ground. She came back on to have an impact a few minutes later, but was forced to call it a day before three quarter time. She finished with 16 disposals despite her approximately 50% game time, an impressive feat.

Oakleigh Chargers:

#1 Lily Hart

The small midfielder was able to find the ball out of the stoppage often, and dispose of it quickly and efficiently. Her speed was also on display in space. It was ultimately a quiet game, but she showed enough to be satisfied.

#7 Charlotte Taylor

Stepping up in the absence of star midfielder Jasmine Fleming, Taylor shone with her ability to win the ball and dispose of it cleanly. Her composure under pressure going forward provided strong link-up opportunities for her teammates. Taylor was rarely beaten in one-on-one aerial contests around the ground, with her height giving her an unassailable edge. Her ability was best demonstrated by Geelong’s dominance around the contest when she was off the ground. Taylor also demonstrated considerable grunt, finishing with an additional team-high 6 tackles. She only slowed down when matched up against big-bodied midfielder Charlotte Simpson, where Taylor’s size was no longer an advantage. Luckily for her, Simpson came off the ground injured soon after.

#9 Charlotte van der Vlies

Van der Vlies also helped to fill the void left in the midfield, winning plenty of the ball herself. She was a strong kick down the ground, and her clearances provided plenty of opportunities for the Chargers up forward. She worked hard around the ground to get to most contests, playing on-ball for most of the game. Whilst she wasn’t necessarily dominant, she did show that she had plenty of upside to look out for.

#16 Erin Woodford

Woodford continued to do Woodford things down back, providing a strong aerial presence and dash when required. She was a major reason why Geelong was unable to find the ball in space inside fifty, making things difficult every time it went forward. She took on the kickouts during the second half, gaining a plenty of meterage before launching it down the ground. Her intercept marking and spoils were the major talking point out of her game.

#27 Kristen Smith

There’s no doubt that the livewire forward has a knack for kicking goals. Whilst she didn’t have many opportunities in a congested game, Smith found herself in the right positions all the time, eventually finishing with one goal. The only knock on her game was that close to goal, she would attempt shots under pressure when a simple pass to a teammate could’ve yielded a better result. All in all, a decent game, showing plenty of promise.

#33 Maggie Mahony

The under-ager backed up a promising debut last week with 22 disposals and six inside fifties this week in an impressive showing. Mahoney demonstrated a remarkable knack for winning the ball in the air and on the ground, and clearing it with ease. The potential she showed in this game leaves her as one to look at for this season.

By: Peter Williams

Gippsland Power:

#1 Sunday Brisbane

Just gives a four quarter effort each and every week, and after a quiet week last round, Brisbane was back to her ball-winning best. She amassed five more touches than anyone else on the field and accumulated them around the ground. Though she had a rushed shot at one stage that did not go to plan, she kept having a crack from start until finish.

#5 Yasmin Duursma

Though not always having the time and space on the inside, Duursma worked hard to find space on the outside and dropping back into defence. She had a couple of nice touches early on, and then shrugged off a would-be tackler at half-forward charging towards goal. She continued to direct traffic throughout the match when dropping back into defence, and set up a lovely kick to Macie Gilmour at centre half-forward in the final term in a rare forward foray for the Power in that quarter.

#16 Ash Centra

Another outstanding performance despite being on the losing side and was able to catch the eye throughout the game. Rotating between forward and midfield, she often had an opponent close checking her, but she still managed to get involved and push on when required. Clever at knowing when to utilise her energy and quick burst, Centra was able to push off her opponent when she wanted to charge and win the ball, something she did consistently. Early on she looked incredibly damaging inside 50, taking a lovely mark and producing a pinpoint pass. She had a couple of set shots – including one after a contested mark – but missed both. Though it might have proved costly on the scoreboard, Centra could not have done much more around the ground, working well around the stoppages, cracking in and using her raking boot to get the ball forward time and time again.

#19 Ella Stoddart

Another reliable game from the Under 16s talent who found plenty of the ball inside Gippsland’s back 50. Tasked with the kickouts for the most part – though she shared that role with Alexei Guy-Toogood – Stoddart looked to play on at every chance she got and clear it from the defensive 50. Though not able to impact aerially, she was generally safe with ball-in-hand, able to move the ball in transition and just clear the danger zone. The second kick out of defence was generally an issue for the Power, so running and gunning it like Stoddart can at times, helped get it to a more favourable position for her side.

#20 Indiana Makai

Gippsland’s most consistent inside mid on the day, Makai had some great defensive and offensive moments. Not afraid to lay some big tackles on the inside, Makai was also able to use the ball cleanly by hand under pressure, and even burst out of the stoppages on occasion. Though she might not have won a truckload of the ball, she did not waste it too often, and it was her defensive effort – tackle after tackle – that really stood out on the day

Calder Cannons:

#2 Reese Sutton

Another smaller midfielder who just had a crack throughout the game, Sutton also showcased her weapons by bursting out of the stoppage and kicking it inside 50 on a few occasions. Particularly when having the wind in the second and fourth quarters, Sutton navigated the congestion well to pump it inside 50. In the second term she had a good follow-up effort to kick inside 50 then look for the next touch, and then not long after work back to win the ball again at the top of 50 and search long for a target inside 50. Arguably the most impactful Cannon on the day.

#10 Olivia Manfre

Looked a dangerous forward all game, the over-ager provided a strong marking target be it leading out at high half-forward or as a deep forward one-on-one. Her first goal came in the second term with a strong mark over the top of Brisbane, nailing the set shot, then handed one off to Sutton instead of going for goal. Her next set shot just fell short after a strong overhead mark, with her second goal coming in the fourth term with a simple lead out, mark, set shot and goal. She also set up the last goal of the game to Amy Trindade with a nice mark at half-forward, turn and hitup inside 50 just before the siren.

#15 Mali McLeod

Piecing together a consistent over-age season, McLeod was again productive throughout the game. She got the Cannons going in an opening quarter where the chances were few and far between against the wind. She took a strong mark and dutifully converted the set shot. She continued to win the ball through the middle and around the ground, creating opportunities for her teammates and running in transition. Though often utilised on the wing, McLeod did play an attacking role forward of centre looking to drive the ball up the field quickly.

#24 Amy Gaylor

The bottom-age talent was a fierce defensive player, as much as she was an evasive offensive one. She won her fair share of the ball, but also applied immense pressure when required, which really caught the eye. Her best moment came when she produced a terrific spin out of trouble, winning the ball at ground level and turning out of congestion to clear it to a teammate. Backing up her 13-tackle performance last week with another 12 tackles this week, Gaylor not only stopped the opposition players in their tracks, but also drove it forward on a number of occasions, creating scoring opportunities for the Cannons.

By: Liam Badkin

Bendigo Pioneers:

#1 Lila Keck

The under-age prospect was once again impressive in traffic against the Devils on Saturday. Her evasive work in the contest was something to be marvelled at, as she managed to slip through tackles on numerous occassions. Her hands were eye-catching in the contest as she looked to find an outlet from the coalface. Rotating forward, she was impressive in her ability to push up the ground and create a contest whenever her side needed. She finished with 18 disposals and five tackles in another strong performance.

#3 Octavia Di Donato

One of Bendigo’s premier top-age talents was once again amongst the best for her side despite the loss. She provided some much-needed run for the Pioneers throughout the contest, looking to receive the ball back after she had dished off to an open teammate. Pressure seems to be no issue Di Donato, as she managed to elude would-be tacklers and find some space in the most unlikely places. Her disposal count finished at 19 in a valiant effort, despite being in a losing side.

#5 Lucia Painter

Painter was absolutely the standout for the Pioneers, proving a class above many others on the ground. She was extremely physical around the contest, setting the tone for her side with some tough possessions and bone-crunching tackles. She led all-comers for the match with 22 touches, and really lifted in the second half when the game was in the balance, working hard up and down the ground. She can hold her head high despite the result, and has emerged as one of the premier 2006-born talents.

Tasmania Devils:

#1 Brooke Barwick

The tough midfielder was right amongst the action again this weekend, delivering a truly impactful performance in the guts. Her low centre of gravity allowed her to break away from stoppages, as she gave her side some valuable territory with her dashing run. She also chimed in for a final-term major that sealed the result for the Devils, which was a reward for the hard work she put in around the ground. When the final siren sounded, Barwick had 17 touches and five tackles next to her name, in a typically tough outing.

#7 Meghan Gaffney

Gaffney produced one her strongest performances this season against the Pioneers, popping up all over the place to impact the contest. She used her pace around the ground to work from contest to contest and use her strengths to give her side a boost. This was evidenced with a terrific goal, where she recieved the handball steaming inside-50, sidestepped a would-be tackler and delivered the ball to a teammate. Gaffney was not done here, following up when the ball hit the ground and got involved again to get the ball back and produce a dribble goal that was crucial in the context of the match, which was reflective of her day.

#9 Claire Ransom

It’s getting to the stage where it is just expected that Ransom will be amongst the best for Tasmania on any given day. Her work at the coalface was once again the difference inside some 50/50 contests. She was able to release the ball to her teammates with handballs that were perfectly weighted and timed, as she made life extremely easy for the outside runners of the Devils. She finished with 20 touches, six tackles and seven inside-50’s for the day, which was made even more impressive given the defensive attention she received from Bendigo.

#36 Bellah Parker

The key forward produced her best game in a Devils jumper against the Pioneers on the weekend, proving a serious threat up forward. When teammate Georgia Clark once again moved to the backline, Parker became the number-one target for Tasmania, a role she thrived in. She booted 3.2 for the day, but what was most impressive was the timing of these goals. Two of her three majors came in the final term when the contest was up for grabs, as she demonstrated her ability to read the ball in the air.

By: Declan Reeve

Dandenong Stingrays:

#6 Amber Clarke

Clarke was once again an excitement machine in the forward half of the ground, consistently blazing away from opponents in foot races around the ground and delivering well inside 50 for teammates to run onto. Despite earning herself two goals through the game, Clarke was given more time in the midfield than she has of late, and proved she can be just as dangerous in either role. Clarke was a danger around stoppages with her speed and read of the ball giving her a strong advantage on most of her opponents. Clarke once again showed her two way running proficiency, pushing down into the defensive 50 a few times to assist in getting the ball out, in one such instance taking a few bounces on the way out and kicking well to a teammate on the wing.

#13 Taylah Gatt

Whilst it wasn’t necessarily a prolific game in terms of disposals for Gatt, she maintained a strong influence through the contest with her control of her wing giving Dandenong a reliable area to kick to constantly. What was most impressive about Gatt’s performance was how comfortable she looked in congestion through the game, an aspect we haven’t seen a lot from her, where she utilised her evasion through traffic to get into space and use the ball well.

#20 Jemma Ramsdale

With the daunting task of lining up on goal kicker Mindy Quade, the bottom-aged tall defender did well to step up to the task despite her relative inexperience. Ramsdale was a rock in defence with her intercepting, marking and safe ball use being strong traits that had her stand out, as well as her ability to play on a range of opponents, both talls and smalls. Ramsdale had a few key defensive acts through the game, with a goal line tackle in the first quarter a particular highlight

#27 Charley Ryan

Ryan wasn’t as prominent as we’ve become accustomed to early on in the game, when she started to warm into it the floodgates opened. It’s Ryan’s smarts and use by foot that really catch the eye, starting a few promising plays for the Stingrays with her precision kicking over long distance, even looking to aggressively move the ball into the corridor when the option was there. Her composure through traffic was also impressive, a few times moving through opponents like she couldn’t be tackled and spotting a handball out to a teammate in space and looking to shepherd for them to continue to run.

#44 Jaide Anthony

Arguably the barometer for Dandenong as they began to run over the top of the Bushrangers, Anthony’s read of the ball and her incredible ball use tore Murray apart at times, with her ability to spot targets others wouldn’t key to Dandenong’s second quarter run. She played mostly in the midfield for the second quarter and looked dangerous around stoppages and in link up chains, reading it well through traffic and coming out the other side with the ball. When she was moved into defence in the third quarter she was another that made it almost impossible for Murray to get a mark inside 50.

#58 Meg Robertson

The bottom aged forward played a tremendous game, stepping up in place of the Dandenong ‘outs’ it felt like Robertson was everywhere. Despite being stationed mostly up forward, Robertson worked hard to impact in the defensive half of the ground with her tackling pressure seeing a few turnovers that got Dandenong moving forward. Robertson’s most eye catching moments were when she flew for marks, not afraid to get up on an opponents back to try and secure the ball, her courage in her approach was admirable.

Murray Bushrangers:

#5 Zarlie Goldsworthy

Despite playing a quieter game by the lofty standards she’s set early on, Goldsworthy still managed to be an influential part of the game as a midfielder and forward. She kicked the opening goal from the boundary line in an impressive display. It was another game where Goldsworthy showed impeccable technique in her ball use but wasn’t always placing it well for her teammates, but generally still put it to their advantage. Whilst not as influential around stoppages as she generally has been, she was still able to apply tackles and pressure regularly, and manage her usual clearance work when given the space to do so

#9 Zara Hamilton

Hamilton didn’t reach the lofty disposal numbers she’s been able to in recent weeks, but arguably looked her most influential for the season. By now, it’s no surprise to hear that Hamilton ran hard all day, got to the right spots and consistently applied pressure, but playing close to a full game as an inside midfielder saw these traits shine through more than usual as she was closer to the action. Despite this change, Hamilton still found her time in space, where her use by foot was impressive, not always hitting targets but putting it into good spots for teammates to run onto.

#17 Keeley Skepper

Once again spending time in defence, Skepper was impressive with her read of the ball and composure down deep, able to weight her kicks out of the defensive 50 to hit teammates well, or put it in front of them for an easy opportunity to run onto it. It was Skepper’s work in the midfield that caught the eye the most however, enjoying more minutes than she has done recently and rewarding that faith with her run and carry around the ground, and read of the ball around clearances

By: Michael Alvaro

Northern Knights:

#14 Ava Jordan

It was more of what we have come to expect from Jordan on Saturday, with the diminutive midfielder having a crack against more seasoned and physical opponents. She dominated the first 10 minutes of the match, getting her hands on everything at the stoppages and looking crafty with her decision making. Though as the match wore on, Eastern got on top around the ball and Jordan could not quite find enough space to chain her usual possessions together. Her urgency proved unwavering though, especially with a nice double-baulk in the final term.

#25 Molly McErlain

One of the green shoots for Northern in a besieged defence, McErlain’s clean hands and aerial prowess came to the fore. The bottom-ager has played every game so far this season and clunked three marks for the second week running, reading the play when positioning behind the ball. She was even swung forward in the latter stages in an attempt to further test her overhead ability, and looks a solid type for the future.

#37 Rylie Wilcox

As has been said week after week, there is absolutely no faulting the effort Wilcox brings. She set the tone for her Knights, who were competitive until late in the third term and brought the heat to Eastern in the way of defensive pressure. Wilcox laid four tackles, including a couple for holding the ball free kicks, and instantly set Northern in forward motion with her breakaway speed. She looked like inspiring her side to a massive upset in the early stages, and was prominent in each third from her post on the wing.

#40 Tannah Hurst

A leader among Northern’s setup, Hurst had plenty to do down back and showed her smarts in one-on-one situations. While standing at 164cm, Hurst is deceptively strong and showed as much as she nudged her opponents away from the drop zone to intercept inside defensive 50. She eventually took on the kick-in duties and made a decent fist of them, booting long in a constant attempt to clear the Knights’ lines across a tough second half.

Eastern Ranges:

#6 Tilly Hardy

It took her a bit of time to get going, but Hardy enjoyed a strong second half and provided plenty of forward drive for the Ranges. She found plenty of the ball in term three as Eastern began to break the game open, with her outside run and attacking intent helping put her side into dangerous areas. Hardy laid a couple of solid tackles too, including one on the elusive Rylie Wilcox.

#9 Mia Busch

Busch was a weapon across half-back, forcing many a turnover and setting Eastern into transition immediately. Her ability to impact several contests, bring the ball to ground, and recover quickly than anyone else made her difficult to beat both in the air and on the ground. With the ticker to go back with the flight or crack in for loose balls, Busch complimented her rebounding class with a hard edge that is tough to teach, making her a true two-way player suited perfectly to her role.

#11 Georgia Knight

A real surprise packet on the day, Knight’s transition to the Under 18 side proved seamless as she slotted three goals on debut. The 15-year-old (2006-born) looked a natural and balanced forward, able to position off the back shoulder of her direct opponent, nudge them under the ball if necessary, and mark out the back. Her conversion was on point as well, with two of her majors helping to kick Eastern clear during term three.

#13 Alyssia Pisano

While not as prolific as she can be, Pisano continued to make things happen each time she touched the ball. Her ability to burst away and evade opponents in tight spaces helped open up a congested game, setting up scoring chances for the Ranges from the forward 50 arc. She spent a little time in midfield and looked most lively when attacking, kicking a patented snap goal in the final term and set up another after streaming through the centre corridor.

#15 Bridget Deed

Deed is a level above the NAB League by now, it’s as simple as that. The over-ager dominated once again with her second 30-plus disposal outing for the season, steadily clicking into gear and accumulating in all parts of the ground. She looked clean in possession and always seemed to want the ball; communicating beautifully to navigate stoppages, demanding hand-offs, and proving ultra competitive to win the contested ball back if she couldn’t get first hands on it. She went for marks with confidence when required and has boosted her foot skills, making for another well rounded performance from the Ranges skipper.

#16 Izzy Khoury

With a wealth of experience behind her, Khoury’s smarts were evident as she returned another crafty outing in Ranges colours. The over-ager rotated forward from midfield and brought others into the game as it wore on with well-timed drawing handballs into space. Earlier, particularly in midfield, she looked to surge the ball forward with short bursts and a kick, but looked more effective when looking to deliver laterally or forward by hand. She aided the flow of play for the Ranges as they got on top, proving a key player once again.

#20 Scarlett Potter

One who looked dangerous in attack, Potter worked well in tandem with the likes of Alyssia Pisano to work over the Knights defence with pace and constant movement. She almost kicked a blinder of a goal in term two, smothering on the boundary line and nearly squeezing the ball home, but generally used her speed in possession to cause a bit of havoc around the arc. The finishing touch was all that lacked at times.

#42 Jess Vukic

One of many promising talls across the Eastern lineup, the 180cm Vukic showcased her potential with another solid bottom-aged outing. She rotated forward from the ruck and converted her first two goals of the season, the first being a wobbler of a set shot. Her second major, another set shot, was hit with more conviction and both goals came from clean grabs inside 50 where Vukic’s height and heading of the flight came to the fore.

#43 Mia Austin

Another tall with great potential, this time in the top-age category, Austin did not quite hit the scoreboard like last week but still managed to snare a lone goal. Her athleticism is clear when rucking, as the 178cm prospect rose above every opponent and looked fluent in her movement. She is still a touch raw in her decision making and ground level game, but got her goal with a nice mark on the lead and conversion in term four.