VIC Metro shook off a determined Allies side by 19 points to win its first 2023 AFLW Under 18 Championships match at Springfield yesterday. There were plenty of impressive individual performances in the match and we highlighted a few who caught the eye.

Allies:

#7 Holly Cooper (Swans Academy)
23/02/2005 | 164cm | Midfielder

The top-age Swans Academy member might not have had the high production rate of some others, but each time she got it, she seemed to do nice things with ball-in-hand. In particular the timing on her handballing and decision making by hand or foot really stood out, and she put it into dangerous positions for her teammates.

#9 Mackenzie Ford (Tasmania Devils)
27/04/2005 | 164cm | Midfielder

A player who typically just does a lot of things right, Ford did just that again, collecting 17 disposals – the second most in her team – as well as recording three clearances and six tackles – equal team-highs in both. Ford’s looked to run in transition and had a crack both inside and outside of midfield, and laid a massive run-down tackle which caught the eye.

#13 Tatyana Perry (Northern Territory)
28/02/2006 | 170cm | Defender

The bottom-age defender looked a class above with her decision making under pressure, able to dispose of it in traffic and intercept on a number of occasions. She a brilliant run from the defensive 50 and weighted a kick perfectly, continuing her great form at representative level. The Palmerston Magpies utility will be a classy midfielder for the Allies next year, but is just as suited behind the ball with her footy IQ.

#19 Cleo Buttifant (GIANTS Academy)
03/05/2005 | 174cm | Defender

The standout from the Allies because of her sheer impact out of the back half, Buttifant quickly proved herself on the national stage. After some promising performances for the GIANTS Academy at the start of the year, she showed just as much talent in Allies colours. An outstanding athlete with line-breaking speed, Buttifant is a great size and the touch football player backed herself every time to take the game on. Her decision making and execution at times could be improved, but she has rare athletic traits and is strong overhead and clean at ground level. A draft bolter.

#20 Georgia Clark (Tasmania Devils)
11/12/2005 | 174cm | Forward

It was a mixed day for Clark, but after some uncharacteristic dropped marks, worked her way into the game well. She had a tough day early up forward, but what Clark does well is she brings the ground level pressure and is rarely outmarked in a contest. She has a crack pushing up the ground, and got reward for effort by marking at the top of the goalsquare and converting in the third term. Not her personal best game, but she was still among the best and was effective at ground level.

#24 Maria Rioli (Northern Territory)
06/03/2005 | 172cm | Forward

Richmond fans would have been very excited watching another Rioli strut her stuff at the national carnival, and the daughter of the late Maurice Rioli Snr did not leave them waiting too long. Running into goal. Rioli produced a perfect inside out bender running into goal for a major. She went on a run in the second term and hit a low ball into Northern Territory teammate Grace Whittaker to set up a goal, but is still a developing type, finishing with the five touches and a goal.

#29 Mackenzie Williams (Tasmania Devils)
26/06/2006 | 172cm | Defender

The Tasmanian defender was one of the most prolific players on the ground, picking up 16 disposals and 10 rebound 50s, mopping up for the Allies and often taking the kickout duties. While that fact helps inflate the statistics a bit, she was able to still play a key role behind the ball. She clears the danger from defence, and though she can be hit or miss with her execution, is able to put it well outside the back 50 to buy her teammates time.

#35 Tunisha Kikoak (Tasmania Devils)
12/05/2005 | 180cm | Utility

The usual defender/ruck started in a different role yesterday up forward and though she found it tough early on, was moved into the midfield and immediately had an impact with her first clearance. Then she was able to hit the scoreboard herself with a goal in the second term, reading the ball off hands and slotted it from point blank range.

Vic Metro:

#1 Ava Jordan (Northern Knights)
29/04/2005 | 148cm | Forward

One of the standouts for Vic Metro, Jordan played a key role as a small inside 50 and completed the marking targets in there. Her delivery by hand or foot, reading of the play and decision making was superb, with her footy IQ off the charts. Though not quick, Jordan knows where to be and when to be there to rove off hands. She can also draw free kicks due to her size, and yesterday converted two goals with clever snaps around her body.

#2 Alyssia Pisano (Eastern Ranges)
01/07/2005 | 162cm | Forward

Pisano got on the board early via a beautiful snap off her trusty left making her own space and converting well. It came after a few earlier uncharacteristic fumbles, but she still looked dangerous. So used to going onto her left, there was one instant where she turned into traffic towards goal rather than going onto her right, which is an area of improvement – her opposite foot – but still looked lively at the feet of the forwards.

#4 Lou-Lou Field (Western Jets)
18/10/2006 | 167cm | Defender

Coming in as a late inclusion for Metro, Field came away as the most prominent defender for her side, using run and carry to bring it out of the back 50. Composed under pressure and clean by hand or foot, Field was an eye-catching talent who will be among the best prospect for 2024. Her aerial ability and ground level work both stand out and she finished with 12 touches, four marks and three rebound 50s.

#8 Sarah Poustie (Oakleigh Chargers)
05/01/2006 | 170cm | Wing/Midfield

Another bottom-ager who stood up against older opponents, Poustie was a prominent ball-winner for the Chargers and able to play both inside and outside of midfield. She cracked in hard at ground level and uses the ball well when in space, and it is about working her way through disposing it cleanly when under pressure. Recorded the second most disposals for her team with 21 touches.

#9 Hayley McLaughlin (Eastern Ranges)
22/11/2005 | 164cm | Wing

McLaughlin provided run on the opposite wing to Poustie and did plenty of nice things. Her ball use and general awareness really stood out, and the top-age Eastern Ranges talent was ale to hit targets in transition. Her vision enabled her to find targets in space, and though she was often under more pressure than usual, still managed to be effective.

#10 Isabel Bacon (Sandringham Dragons)
11/05/2005 | 172cm | Midfielder

Backing up a strong performance for Sandringham the week before, Bacon was lively for Metro. She won the ball on the move between the arcs and sent it forward on a number of occasions, usually putting it into dangerous spots. Though she is right foot dominant, Bacon has the athleticism that catches the eye and runs well on the outside.

#14 Kayley Kavanagh (Calder Cannons)
06/07/2005 | 169cm | Midfielder

In her best performance of the year – factoring in both her role and the quality of the opposition – Kavanagh showed she had the potential to go to that next level with an extra gear around the stoppages. Racking up 11 clearances – six more than anyone else on the field – the Calder Cannons midfielder dropped the long sleeves but did not drop the ball in terms of her consistency, being a prime midfielder for the winning team. Early on she make a couple of errors, but as the game went on she worked into it, and was the hardest running player in the final term, racking it up with ease and hitting targets going inside 50. Defensively she was strong once again, and was a key player in the match.

#15 Laura Stone (Eastern Ranges)
22/11/2005 | 170cm | Defender/Midfielder

Starting in defence and pushing up teh ground, the Eastern Ranges jet was superb in her run and carry game, intercepting on a number of occasions and mopping up in the back 50. She took the game on and looked to weave her way through traffic, leaving her opponents in the dust. Her disposal was generally effective, and with time and space, she can make others pay. What really caught the eye was her aerial ability, taking five marks, three of which were contested.

#20 Jemma Rigoni (Oakleigh Chargers)
04/06/2004 | 173cm | Defender

Not for the first time, Rigoni caught the eye with her run-and-gun approach out of the back 50. A raw talent who missed last year with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Rigoni has all the athleticism one looks for in a 173cm tall. She has to work on her decision making and execution, but is no stranger to winning the ball and taking multiple bounces charging down the corridor.

#27 Emma McDonald (Oakleigh Chargers)
18/04/2006 | 180cm | Forward

The star of the show, it was hard to look past McDonald’s five-goal haul as a best on ground performance. She is such a multi-faceted player and after kicking the first mark off a clever snap, she finished the match with four more, all from set shots. She is good one-on-one, with a nice leap, clean at ground level and stays active at all times. That allowed her to mark in the goalsquare when she saw a Jordan set shot falling short. Overall she was sensational in her first competitive match for the ‘Big V’ and looms as one of the top Victorians in next year’s draft pool.