ONLY four games remain in the Coates Talent League Girls prior to a month-long community break, with Round 15 of action a shortened weekend. All four games take place tomorrow, with the July 22 matches the last until August 25, giving players once last chance to shine prior to the remainder of the AFLW Under 18 Championships.

Today’s feature match from the round is the huge top five clash between Northern Knights and Dandenong Stingrays.

Saturday, July 22 @ Highgate Recreation Reserve, 12pm

Both the Northern Knights and Dandenong Stingrays are finals found, sitting fifth and fourth respectively. They have each won seven games from 10 matches, with the Stingrays’ gaining a massive percentage boost in the past month. Northern slipped out of the top four following a shock loss to GWV Rebels, but remain a tough team to face, and are still four points and percentage clear of sixth placed Calder Cannons.

Since going down to Oakleigh Chargers by 59 points in the first week back from the earlier community break, Northern Knights strung together four straight victories, Though three of those came against bottom four sides, the Knights did get up over Calder Cannons by 27 points, and crushed Murray Bushrangers by 88 in that time. However a loss to the Rebels last round knocked them down to fifth.

Since losing to Oakleigh back in Round 5 – and its season record moving to 2-3 – Dandenong has looked a different side. Returning from the community break, the Stingrays have won five matches, all by five goals or more, and two by 100-plus points. Bendigo Pioneers bore the brunt of those two big results, with the Stingrays winning by 107 and then a record-breaking 157 points on the weekend.

TOP-AGE DRAFT WATCH:

#7 Mikayla Williamson (Dandenong Stingrays)
05/08/2005 | 174cm | Midfielder/Defender

The AFLW Academy member has got better as the season went on, and while her run of 20-plus disposal games ended last week, the big win over the Pioneers was more about everyone sharing the ball around. She still had the 17 touches, and has had five 20-plus disposal games this season, with her explosiveness and ability to crack in defensively her highlights. As a player who can match it with some of the quicker Knights midfielders, Williamson will be key around the stoppages.

#5 Sophie Butterworth (Dandenong Stingrays)
12/11/2005 | 181cm | Forward

Coming off a massive five-goal haul against the Pioneers on the weekend, Butterworth was our Rookie Me Central Player of the Week. She also clunked four marks from 15 disposals, and just missed the chance at a sixth goal. Boasting strong hands and a powerful left foot, she is difficult to match up on, and even if she is not kicking goals, she is setting her teammates up. Butterworth has booted 19.15 in 10 games, hitting the scoreboard with a major in nine consecutive matches.

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

Adapting to a new role as a predominant forward, Jordan has shown her class and footy smarts inside 50, with her reading of the play among the best in the competition. She crumbs off hands well at ground level, and draws free kicks due to her size. Though she might lack speed of some others, her goal sense and ability to execute under pressure is superb, and she is a vital player for the Knights forward of centre.

FUTURE STARS:

#45 Elli Symonds (Dandenong Stingrays)
10/07/2006 | 179cm | Ruck/Forward

The most promising bottom-age ruck in the Victorian crop next year, the athletic Symonds might have had a quieter game against the Pioneers by her standards, but still showed off her trademark dash, and dare to take it out of the ruck. She is capable of hitting the scoreboard, and works hard around the ground to find midfielder-numbers, with her explosiveness an eye-catching feature. Once she can develop further on some fundamentals, she could be an all-round threat.

#5 Zoe Hargreaves (Northern Knights)
03/06/2006 | 171cm | Midfielder

Enjoying a sensational debut season at the Knights, Hargreaves already has an AFLW Under 18 Championships match under her belt and is consistently impacting games for the Knights. Since Round 9, Hargreaves has had three 20-plus disposal games, averaging just under 25 disposals per game in that time, and more than eight tackles per match. With a balance of offensive and defensive traits, she is a smooth-moving midfielder with plenty of upside.

#9 Kira Lemire (Northern Knights)
14/09/2006 | 167cm | Forward

The bottom-ager marking forward is a player who has really improved off the back of adapting at Coates Talent League level. After playing three games last season, Lemire came in and has made an impact, kicking five goals in four games – at least one in each over the past month and a half. In that time, she has averaged 11 disposals and 3.5 marks, and has a safe set of hands. She is one to keep in mind for next year as a point of difference forward in a strong crop.

PREDICTION:

Dandenong Stingrays have found the rhythm that makes them a premiership contender. After falling short in the grand final last season, the Stingrays look every bit a challenger in 2023. They took a while to gel, but since the community break have looked unstoppable and that is unlikely to change here. Northern is usually competitive so should keep it within five goals, but the array of weapons at the Stingrays’ disposal, as well as their current confidence levels, should see them home.

AROUND THE GROUNDS

GWV Rebels vs. Eastern Ranges
Saturday, July 22 @ Marty Busch Reserve, 12:00pm

Up in Ballarat, the GWV Rebels, hot off a win over Northern Knights, will be gunning for their third consecutive victory. They knocked off the Murray Bushrangers and then the Knights, after not tasting success since Round 3. The Ranges on the other hand are sitting pretty with eight wins from 10 matches, and a victory in this clash would draw them level with Oakleigh Chargers at the top of the table. As a premiership contender, the Ranges will be favourites here and keen to head into the final fortnight in a move with some great form under their belts.

Tasmania Devils vs. Calder Cannons
Saturday, July 22 @ Twin Oval Kingston, 12:00pm

A good old fashioned mid-table battle takes place on the Apple Isle, with the Devils hosting the Cannons in a clash of sixth against seventh. Tasmania is 4.1 per cent behind Calder on the ladder, and has also played an extra game, so a win here is a must if the Devils are to leapfrog the Cannons ahead of finals this season. After being a touch inconsistent with form of late due to unavailability with the national carnival, the Devils have knocked off Murray Bushrangers and took it up to Oakleigh in the past fortnight. The Cannons have strung back-to-back wins together themselves and it looms as a fascinating clash.

Western Jets vs. Murray Bushrangers
Saturday, July 22 @ Highgate Recreation Reserve, 2:00pm

For the second time this season, the bottom two sides in Western Jets and Murray Bushrangers will go head-to-head. It was only back in Round 11 that the Jets finally got on the board in season 2023 with a 51-point victory over Murray. Since then, they have been competitive in losses to Northern Knights (11 points) and Geelong Falcons (26). Murray has also picked up a victory since the loss to the Jets, rolling the Pioneers by 22 points, before going down to GWV Rebels and Tasmania Devils the past fortnight.