IN the NTFL Women’s Premier League, St Mary’s came from behind to comprehensively defeat the Tiwi Bombers by 46 points.

After a slow start from the victors, they worked their way back into the game in the second term, and then once the second half hit they really got going and ran away with the game.

One star that was named best on ground for the Saints was Macie Brown, whose game this Player Focus is set to take a deep dive into.

QUARTER 1

Brown’s first interaction in the game was not exactly a positive one, as the ball slipped past her near the boundary and was picked up by an opponent. However, she responded straight away with a tackle on the Bombers player.

It took Brown a few more minutes to have another opportunity to get involved in the game, but when she did she took a solid chest mark just inside the forward 50. Unfortunately for Brown and the Saints, the subsequent kick was turned over.

It mattered little as the Saints were able to lock the ball in their forward 50, surging it to the top of the goalsquare where Brown roved the ball and slotted it through for St Mary’s first goal of the game.

Unfortunately for Brown, her opportunities for involvement in the game dried up as the quarter progressed, as Tiwi gained ascendancy and locked the ball in their forward half.

As a result, she ended up in St Mary’s defensive 50 and was involved in a few clearing plays.

Stats: 3 kicks, 1 tackle, 1 mark, 1 goal, 1 handball

QUARTER 2

It did not take long for Brown to get involved in the action, as she got a clearing kick out of the centre to set up an early attacking play for her team.

After applying some pressure at the contest, she set up another forward foray merely minutes later, but unfortunately for the Saints it did not result in a score.

This was not the end of the action for Brown, as she was involved in a handball chain as the Saints shifted into its attacking phase in transition.

She helped her teammate later in the quarter lock up an opponent on the forward 50 line.

But much like in the first term, opportunities started to dry up in the back end of the quarter for Brown and the other St Mary’s forwards as Tiwi locked the ball inside their forward 50.

Stats: 3 kicks, 1 handball, 1 tackle

QUARTER 3

Brown was involved in the contest early with the ball situated in her side’s forward line. Once Tiwi forced a change of possession and territory, she continued to be involved in the play further up the ground, but her influence was more without the ball, creating pressure.

She attempted to intercept a Tiwi kick in about halfway through the quarter but could not quite force the turnover.

Her first proper touch of the ball in the middle part of the quarter as she snapped the ball around her body and into the St Marys forward line.

She moved into the middle towards the back end of the term as her team started to really put the foot on the gas, delivering straight away as she laid a smother on a would-be Tiwi clearance.

Stats: 1 kick, 1 smother

QUARTER 4

Brown started in the middle for the final quarter as St Mary’s looked to put the result beyond any reasonable doubt.

She got on the end of a really good looking passage of play from the Saints and almost kicked her second major of the afternoon, but her kick when slightly wide and through for a behind.

It was not long before Brown was involved in the play again, cutting off a Tiwi kick and setting up a strong inside 50 opportunity. Although Brown’s kick was marked, it took a few more kicks before St Mary’s truly capitalised with a goal.

Overall, Brown’s influence in the forward half of the ground was a combination of effort both with and without possession, as the young gun hit the scoreboard and looked to be position in possession.

Stats: 2 kicks, 1 mark

AROUND THE GROUNDS

Southern Districts inflicted a solid amount of pain on the Wanderers, defeating them by 84 points and keeping the home side to a single first quarter behind for the whole game.

In another one sided affair, Palmerston could only manage one goal as they were comprehensively beaten by PINT to the tune of 75 points.

In a slightly closer affair out at TIO Stadium, Darwin inflicted a second straight loss on Waratah, coming back from a slow start to win by eight points.