IN our new series of Player Focuses, we are taking a specific look at one of the Rising Star nominees each week, and their nominee worthy performances.

This week’s focus is on Eagle Sarah Lakay, who really stood up for her side in their loss to Fremantle.

Sarah Lakay stats vs West Coast

Disposals: 7
Marks: 3
Tackles: 5
Hit Outs: 42

FIRST QUARTER

Lakay certainly had plenty of work to do early as there was plenty of tackles in the opening stages which resulted in ball ups.

One thing with Lakay that was obvious from the get go was her strength in the ruck contest and her leap. She was regularly getting her body in front position and was also regularly able to leap higher than her Fremantle opponent to get first touch of the ball. Unfortunately though her first touch of the ball did not always result in first touch for the West Coast midfielders for one reason or another.

She also showed how strong she can be at marking during the quarter, taking a strong grab over the head of Nikki Gore.

She however did not ruck in the forward line, but did in the defensive 50 and between the arcs. Rucking duties in the forward line was left to fellow young star Ella Roberts.

SECOND QUARTER

Her endurance may be very good but she is not overly quick around the ground, so she was not able to get to a contest and affect an intercept. She did however attempt to inflict an intercept running backwards later in the quarter which unfortunately for Lakay did not pull off.

In the second quarter she continued to show her strength in the ruck contest and her leap, continuing to regularly get her body in front position and also regularly leaping higher than her Fremantle opponent to get first touch of the ball.

THIRD QUARTER

As Fremantle started to really come at the Dockers, Mim Strom also started to win more of the ruck contests against Lakay.

Lakay made her presence felt in other ways during the quarter though, as she crunched through a pack in the middle part of the term, which left Hayley Miller feeling worse for wear.

Lakay got a bit of a break in the back half of the quarter, so there was not too much for her to do.

She re emerged in the final few minutes of the quarter strongly contesting in a pack.

FOURTH QUARTER

The ruck battle between Lakay and Strom was fairly even in the last quarter, with both winning a fairly even number of ruck battles.  

Although it was in vain, Lakay tried to be a strong marking target up forward but unfortunately for her and her Eagles she could not reel in the mark.

She then kept running up the other end to be involved in the next ruck contest right up the other end of the field.

She took another strong mark with a mater of seconds left, but unfortunately she was a little bit too forceful pushing Gabby O’Sullivan off her, so in doing so gave away the free kick and ultimately ending West Coast’s push up the other end to take the win.