GEELONG Falcons bottom-ager Sara Howley has enjoyed quite the start to her 2023 Coates Talent League season, notching over 25 disposals thrice in her first four matches. While the Falcons midfielder hit 31 back in Round 2 against the Dandenong Stingrays, she surpassed that effort with a massive 36-disposal haul against GWV Rebels, a performance which is the subject of our Player Focus this week.

Geelong Falcons, Vic Country GirlsMidfielder

Sara Howley

Height: 173cm

Weight: -

DOB: 29-01-2006

2023 Coates Talent League Girls: Round 4
Geelong Falcons 4.8 (32) defeated GWV Rebels 3.1 (19)

STATS: 36 disposals (25 kicks, 11 handballs), 3 marks, 8 tackles, 5 inside 50s, 6 rebound 50s

FIRST QUARTER

After a quiet Round 3 with just 13 disposals, Howley started Round 4 in fine form, finding plenty of the ball in the opening term. Though her first touch was a rushed kick off half-back, it proved effective, and she worked into the game very quickly. The Falcons bottom-ager moved through traffic seamlessly and burst away with a slick pass by hand, then worked into attack to intercept mark 40m out from goal. Her kick fell short in the end, but her eye was in for the game.

At the five-minute mark she had a shot that went wide and out of bounds after earning a free kick, with her next kick also turning over at half-forward, but not before a bursting run that helped gain her team important meterage. At the 12-minute mark, Howley roved the back of the stoppage well and kicked to the wing that proved effective. Her work rate was on display to get to that next contest, winning the ball and giving off by hand.

Later in the quarter, Howley won the ball again, this time in defence. She had a clearing kick from the back 50 and worked up the ground to get inside 50, where she laid a tackle close to goal in the final two minutes of the term. She had another couple of kicks just before the quarter time siren to be a dominant ball winner in the first term.

SECOND QUARTER

Howley immediately made her mark on the second term with the first centre clearance of the quarter, then pushed up to gather the ball, handball it to a teammate who was albeit under pressure. Working hard to win it back again, she intercepted it on the same wing and then put it inside 50 yet again. Unfortunately that kick was turned over, but Howley soon notched up another touch with a kick at half-back.

At the seven-minute mark of the term, Howley won the ball in congestion and threw it on the boot for distance, but was turned over. She followed up with a big tackle and forced a turnover as it went out of bounds. Her reading off hands at the stoppage was a feature of the second term, doing just that at half-back midway through the quarter and kicking to a contest on the wing. Her final play of the half was a strong mark at HB one-on-one and then hit a pinpoint pass to a teammate on the wing.

THIRD QUARTER

The third term was a little quieter from the Geelong Falcons talent, but she still had a number of nice plays. Early in the term she had a brilliantly clean pickup off the deck to give the ball off to Chloe Adams while under pressure, then laid a good tackle at a defensive stoppage a couple of minutes later.

Midway through the quarter, Howley had another good pickup at half-back and cleared the ball up the ground with a snap around her body. She did it again in the forward half at the 16-minute mark with another slick pickup off the deck.

FOURTH QUARTER

Picking up the slack again in the fourth term, Howley finished strong after a slow start in the opening few minutes. At the eight-minute mark, she showed her trademark burst away after a clean pickup, shrugged off a would be tackler but had to get back onto her right boot to kick it forward. There were a couple of moments where she should have put it on the left but overly favoured the right boot and the snap turned over.

Her technique with her kicking is impressive, and it was the case midway through the term even though her kick to a one-on-one was intercepted by GWV Rebels defender Millie Lang. She did well a couple of minutes later by winning the ball at a forward stoppage and handballing to a teammate while under pressure.

At the 16-minute mark, Howley won a free kick for being held and drilled a pass to Mekah Morrissy on the wing. A minute later she took the ball from a last touch infringement and booted it to the hotspot inside 50, before finishing off with another kick from a free kick, going inboard to the centre to hit-up her captain Adams in the centre.

CLOSING THOUGHTS ….

Sara Howley is one of the more impressive talents for 2024. Still a bottom-ager with development left, she has moved into the midfield seamlessly and looks to be the primary ball-winner for the Falcons in there. Her strengths are definitely eye-catching, with her burst speed, ability to rack up the ball on a whim and cover the ground, and her clean hands at ground level make for a fantastic draft prospect.

In terms of her improvements, Howley could continue her development on her opposite side, but also add that extra element of composure when bursting from a stoppage. She has the pace to already leave her opponent in the dust, so could take the extra second to compose herself and nail her kick over blazing away. After taking a mark and having that time, Howley hits her passes with precision and being able to do that consistently at top speed would be an incredible weapon to over.

Overall, Howley is tracking really nicely for next year and would be among the top Falcons this year with Adams for the club best and fairest and league accolades. The fact she has played in defence and now midfield shows her versatility., and is one to watch for the future.