SOUTH Australia’s top AFL Women’s draft prospects returned for Round 4 of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s on the weekend. As always, we took a look at each of the state academy athletes running around in the League competition and made notes on their individual performances.

*Each note is the opinion of the individual author.

Norwood:

#51 Coby Morgan

The exciting bottom-ager held her spot in the team despite some big name inclusions, and did not look out of place on her way to eight disposals and adding another goal to her name. She always looked lively in the forward half of the ground, and set up a goal early in the second term thanks to a strong fend off, then hit up Rosette Zerella for a shot on goal early in the third term. She kicked one herself five minutes later showcasing her trademark burst to slot the goal and give her side a 37-0 lead. Defensively she laid a huge tackle on Yasmin Duursma at the top of 50 to win a free kick.

Woodville-West Torrens:

#2 Jemma Charity

Covering the ground with ease, the younger Charity sister went about her business in usual fashion, finding space and using her strong aerial ability to pull down five marks. Charity provided good pressure around the contest, but most impactful with her offensive class, kicking a goal for the Eagles in the final five minutes after a strong grab and set shot in the pocket. Did well in the second term when she marked at half-back and burnt of Shai Hiscock with explosive speed and a bounce to arch the back and kick to half-forward.

#9 Chloe Charity

In for her first League game of the season after cutting her teeth at Development level the past two rounds, Charity played in her new ole up forward and presented well. She took a strong contested mark and worked up and down the front half of the ground, but her pressure at ground level – where she laid five tackles – was the most noticeable aspect of her game.

#30 Marlie Fiegert

Fiegert continues to perform at the same level each and every week with a fierce attack on the ball and consistent defensive pressure. She might have only been credited with three tackles, but Fiegert is always putting her body on the line, and with more midfield minutes in the match, she collected four clearances to go with 15 touches. In a game where it was hard for the Eagles midfield to get their hands on the ball consistently, Fiegert was a leading ball-winner in that regard.

#34 Shineah Goody

Oozed class in her best performance of the year. Though it came in a loss, Goody reminded people once again of what she is capable of as she tallied up a team-high 21 touches and looked more than comfortable against some AFLW listed players. Goody won the ball in each third of the ground, took a number of great overhead marks, provided run in transition and looked for one-two opportunities to break down opposition zones. She almost kicked a ripping goal in the final term, and then had another shot that looked good running in after a one-two with Duursma, but just missed to the right. The clear standout Eagle, Goody also had six inside 50s and laid six tackles for her troubles.

Central District:

#8 Elaine Grigg

Standing strong in her best game for the season, and possibly SANFLW career, the Central District speedster was our Player Focus for the week. She racked up 20 disposals, took two marks, laid three tackles and had two clearances and five inside 50s in the win over South Adelaide, with her performance outlined in detail in that Player Focus.

>> ELAINE GRIGG PLAYER FOCUS

#9 Charlotte Riggs

The key defender did not need to do as much this week thanks to the Central midfield getting on top, but still impressed across the game. She took her fair share of marks across the ground once again, and though she did get outmuscled by Jorja Hooper in the goalsquare for a goal in one instance and had a risky kick in the fourth term that was intercepted across half-back, she was largely effective with her play.

#12 Sophie Eaton

Played her role in the forward half as she picked up eight disposals, took four marks and kicked a goal in a solid performance. At times, Eaton worked up to the wing where she would provide an extra number, and showed off her skill in the final term with a pinpoint pass to a one-on-three but hitting the one. She added some defensive pressure inside 50, and though she was a touch fumbly under the pressure at ground level, was reliable as ever in the air.

#27 Jasmine Evans

The bottom-ager did not have a stack of the footy with just the eight touches, but she had a lot of almost chances. She had a shot from 40m that fell short late in the opening term that was marked by Julia Teakle for a goal, then ran in towards goal on the verge of half-time but was pushed off it by her more experienced opponent. She had an elite pass to Dakota Williams midway through the third term to set up a goal for the fellow teenager, before having a chance on goal herself that drifted to the right.

South Adelaide:

#2 Holly Ifould

After a big stat to the season, Ifould had a quiet game, amassing just the four touches which is bound to happen at some stage, and with Central winning the contested ball, it was harder for the Panthers’ wingers. She still worked up and down the ground and had a great gather at half-forward early in the second term but her kick deep was intercepted in the goalsquare by Riggs.

#23 Esther Schirmer

Had an unassuming game in the back half of the ground where she worked hard, had a few good defensive plays, and largely looked to pass it off and keep the ball moving in transition. Schirmer finished with nine touches and two marks – one contested – while laying three tackles.

#37 Brooke Boileau

The standout player of the State Academy members and the one who has hardly put a foot wrong this year. Tried her best to stand up to a dominant Central midfield, collecting five clearances which was two more than anyone else on her team. She cracked in and won that contested ball, but also spread well to take four marks to go with her 16 touches. Though it was not her best game, she still played a high level and cracked in hard from start to finish, and was clean with her hands on the inside.

#56 Lily Baxter

It was unsurprisingly a tough day for the South forwards, but Baxter held her own when given the chance. She provided good pressure early in the match, and though her first attempt on goal from a forward stoppage midway through the second term was smothered, Baxter would hit the scoreboard in the third term, popping up for a great goal. She recorded the seven disposals to go with her one goal.

#60 Kyanne Campbell

The NT local had a tougher outing against the Central defence, matched for pace at times, though had the smarts to get deep late in the first term and soccer it off the deck for a goal in the goalsquare. Often against bigger and more experienced defenders, she was often forced into one-on-one marking contests or the ball put in the air, which made it tricky to try and win. She did well early in the third term with a great pickup in the middle and even fended off an opponent, but a second opposition player came over and wrapped her up.

West Adelaide:

#2 Lucy Boyd

It was another strong game from Boyd who has built up a month of good, consistent footy to-date. Boyd recorded an 18-disposal, six-mark, six-tackle and five-rebound 50 game. Boyd took a number of strong grabs one-on-one and looked strong when standing up in a tackle early in the game. She had a massive opening term with nine touches and it set the tone for the rest of the match, even getting further afield and getting a number of inside 50s and played midfield for a bit and had three clearances.

#30 Lauren Young

It turns out even the very best can be subdued at times, and Young could be deemed ‘quiet’ for one of the first times in her SANFLW career. That being said, she still had 11 disposals and laid two tackles always having a crack, but the Sturt defence did well to contain her to the point where for the first time in her career, she did not take a mark in the game. Despite that, she still competed at the contest, and set up some scoring chances including an elite pass to Gemma Houghton in the pocket for a goal in the first term.

#42 Steph Tredwell

Another West Adelaide forward who tried hard but the Sturt defence did well on, with her opponents looking to always get front position and stop her from leading and using her pace. She had an impressive gather at half-forward in the third term to get it to Houghton, but overall finished with the seven disposals and two tackles in the game.

#43 Emma Kilpatrick

Playing in her usual defensive role, Kilpatrick won a bit of the ball across half-back and even taking a strong mark at half-forward later in the second term. Her usual high efficiency was down on her typical output with a few shaky kicks including a kickout that went straight to the opposition, but she did produce a good spoil on Georgia Swan moments earlier in the goalsquare to save the day. Kilpatrick managed the eight disposals, three marks, three tackles and two inside 50s.

#46 Asha Dufour

Providing a strong aerial presence, Dufour was the pick of the attacking West Adelaide youngsters clunking six marks and benefiting from the attention to both Young and Houghton. She found herself getting free in space and even back into defence to take a couple of good marks off half-back. Her defensive pressure was impressive, and though at ground level she could be a little cleaner, Dufour covered the ground well and was able to brilliantly mark in space 20m out to slot a goal midway through the final term to cut the deficit to a point.

#51 Ruby Ballard

Just accumulating the ball unassumingly throughout the match, Ballard brought her usual pressure to the contest and got a taste of some important midfield minutes. In the absence of the injured duo in Jess Macolino and Paige Allan, Ballard moved into the midfield and actually stepped up to the point of winning an equal team-high four clearances to go with 13 touches and six tackles. Not having that time and space she normally would, Ballard made up for it at the coalface.

Sturt:

#6 India Rasheed

Playing her first match of the season returning from injury, Rasheed looked as if she had never left. It was not the multiple goal performance, or banana bender from the pocket, but she still produced some incredible magic, from her skill and composure with ball-in-hand. Rasheed collected 15 disposals and was that slick ball user in the front half, delivering passes up the ground with precision including a lovely weighted pass to set up the winning goal to Tessa Doumanis. To sum up Rasheed’s natural ability, her first touch was a one-handed mark and then elite pass to Elsie Dawes close to the boundary line that could not afford to miss.

#11 Abbey Rigter

Rigter just finds a way to hit the scoreboard even when things are not always easy, she continued her work with a goal midway through the third term. She showed strong forward craft to snap a goal from the outside of the boot 30m out. She did get pinged for incorrect disposal running into goal early in the first term, but finished the game with seven disposals and one mark to go with her goal.

#16 Monique Bessen

The double bottom-ager just keeps on performing even when the heat is up, and she found her way to 15 disposals, five marks and a goal in the win. Bessen is a clean player at ground level and is quick with her disposal, showcasing a lovely kicking technique. Though she did clunk five marks, her aerial work could still improve even further with a number of other chances for marks just slipping through her mark. She made a blue by trying to sell candy to Iilish Ross at half-back in the second term, but got forward and hit the scoreboard herself early in the fourth with a good mark 30m out straight in front, slotting the set shot. She moved into the midfield after Georgia Bevan came off and cracked in hard.

#24 Lily Whitcombe

Whitcombe just played her role in what was a low-production, but reliable defensive effort yet again. She only had the five touches, but she has come to be known for her work one-on-one and competitive effort which she does week-in, week-out in the Double Blues’ defence.

Glenelg:

#6 Violet Patterson

One of her better games for the year, the prospective Collingwood father-daughter was able to tally up 15 disposals, take four marks – one contested – lay three tackles and have two clearances. Though her game stated off a little quiet – other than a couple of quick kicks and a good mark in defence – she picked up in the second half and really started getting involved. She worked up and down the ground as she had all game, and picked up a number of intercept possessions to move the ball in transition. Even if she could not gather it cleanly she would tap it to her opponent’s advantage or draw extra attention from the opposition aware of her speed to win a free kick.

#8 Piper Window

Continuing her ridiculous top-age season, Window is bordering on unstoppable at this stage, with Roosters co-captain Jess Edwards doing her best at stoppages to quell the youngster, but Window’s explosive speed and power providing too much. She would instead back away a couple of steps and burst straight past Edwards who tried to get an arm across her at every chance, with the Roosters well aware of her clearance ability. Window still racked up six clearances and five inside 50s to go with 21 touches. Then when she went forward, she got goalside of Amelie Borg, and though the Port defender tried to push her off the ball, Window remained upright and ran in and kicked a goal. In the best form of any top-ager in the country, albeit with many yet to begin.

#19 Matilda Wilmore

The double bottom-ager kicked the first goal of her SANFLW career in the match as she finished with seven disposals and three tackles, earning reward for effort with the major. She cleverly stabbed at the ball with her set shot from 20m with tricky wind conditions in play,. She had a couple of other kicks going inside 50 but one went directly to Kristi Harvey in the opening term, and then a flying shot in the last drifted to the right and went out of bounds.

#20 Poppy Scholz

A solid, reliable game that was a little different to her others this season. Scholz largely impacted with her defensive pressure more so than her aerial ability, which is backed up by statistics. The defender had nine disposals, three marks but laid a massive seven tackles, the second most of anyone on her team. On a couple of occasions, Scholz found her older sister down the ground leading out well as if it was backyard kick-to-kick or markers up.

#28 Matilda Scholz

The Port Adelaide recruit was again impressive through the ruck without being as dominant around the ground, collecting the 18 hitouts from seven disposals. She missed a gettable set shot, but her presence was still there as she worked hard leading out from the forward 50. Well tested by the hard-working Isabelle Starmer, Scholz definitely had a hold of her in the opening half, but the North Adelaide ruck fought back to earn her stripes in the second half. Critically she took a great mark on the lead early in the second term on the lead with her arms outstretched which was great for the confidence.

North Adelaide:

#9 Laela Ebert

Working hard from the wing and between the arc, she set up a goal to Sky Jensen in the first term as she collected the four touches in the opening quarter. Though ultimately it was a quieter game from Ebert to finish with the eight disposals, she was in the scoring chain for a Britt Perry goal in the third term, and continually pushed into space to be an option around the ground.