A MATCH-WINNING six-goal haul from East Fremantle forward Julia Teakle was the standout performance from the West Australian Football League (WAFL) Women’s competition over the weekend. The Sharks talent has enjoyed a big year since moving from the Mid-West to Perth for university studies, but her six-goal bonanza helped her side defeat South Fremantle. She is the latest player under the microscope for our WAFL Women’s Player Focus.

SEASON SO FAR

Averages: (5 games):

10.4 disposals
7.2 kicks
3.2 handballs
2.6 marks
3.4 tackles
1.0 inside 50s
2.2 goals

Teakle is a talent who has burst onto the WAFL Women’s scene this year since moving from the Mid-West to Perth in order to study physiotherapy. Slotting three goals from 13 touches and four marks on debut, Teakle has provided a target inside 50, hitting the scoreboard in all bar one of her matches. In those four other matches, she has taken at least three marks, and picked up double-digits disposals. With five goals in four games to her name coming into the Round 6 clash against South Fremantle, Teakle slammed home five in 20 minutes, and six for the day in what was simply a dominant performance.

ROUND 6:

East Fremantle 7.10 (52) defeated South Fremantle 2.2 (14)

Stats: 13 disposals (9 kicks, 4 handballs), 3 marks, 4 tackles, 2 inside 50, 6 goals, 1 behind

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER:

First Quarter

Though not as involved early, Teakle did what every good tall forward should do, and was able to convert when she had the chance. In the third minute of the match, the Sharks talent ran forward, received the handball and got goalside to slot home her first of the contest. Later in the term, Teakle pushed up to the middle where she was able to keep knocking it forward to her advantage without taking possession, and gaining 30m for her side by forcing a stoppage. It showed good game smarts and awareness not to take possession and potentially draw a free kick.

Second Quarter

Teakle continued building in the second term despite the opposition having most of the play up the other end. The Sharks did not kick a goal in the quarter, but the forward still had some handy involvements. She intercepted a mark off a kick-in two minutes into the game, and put it to the danger zone, but the defender read it well and marked. In the 10th minute of the term, Teakle lead out, brought the ball to ground which enabled a teammate to crumb, but it only resulted in one behind. She had a good opportunity a couple of minutes later running hard close to goal under pressure, but the ball just beat her and her opponent by crossing the line before Teakle could control it.

Third Quarter

Having the one goal to her name at half-time, no-one – not even Teakle – could have imagined what was about to happen next. She slotted four goals throughout the term, and all from different methods. Her first came less than two minutes into the premiership quarter, when she won a free for being held 35m out, timing her set shot to perfection for it to sail home right to left. In the sixth minute of the term, she showed elite smarts to pick it up and slam it onto the right to create something out of nothing for her third of the contest.

Throughout the term, Teakle harassed multiple ball-carriers and showed her athleticism as a two-way runner to hassle opponents into either dropping the ball or turning it over. It came to a head when she ran down an opponent in the goalsquare as they tried to clear the ball, and won the holding the ball free kick, then converted the major from point blank range. Her fifth goal came from the more traditional leading out mark and set shot that was so well timed on both fronts, getting to the right spot, pulling it down and then nailing the goal to perfection.

Fourth Quarter

The third term may have belonged to Teakle, but it looked as if she was on her way to double-figures when she slammed home her sixth from getting goalside, turning at the right moment and picking up her half-dozen major. When she was lining up for goal in the eleventh minute of the term, ti looked like she was about to be in seventh heaven, but it was a rare miss for the forward, with the set shot fading to the right. Still, she had booted six goals from seven scoring shots, of which five goals had come in the space of 20 minutes.

Her 20-minute purple patch was arguably the most dominant patch across any state league competition this year, and she tore the game open. Though she got the reward for her effort on the weekend, it was far from a surprise performance, with her traits building over the last couple of weeks. With obvious game and goal sense, a high level of athleticism and defensive pressure to match her offensive ability, Teakle would have no doubt interested AFLW clubs with that performance and her ongoing efforts.