WHILE some AFLW Academy members were missing in Round 3 of the SANFL Women’s, there were plenty of talented State Academy members stepping up to the plate. We took note of each of those players in the Academy with all notes the opinion of the individual author.

Central District:

#3 Miyu Endersby (Ruck)
Stats: 6 disposals, 1 mark, 4 tackles, 13 hitouts, 1 inside 50

The athletic double-bottom ager had her moments throughout the game on her way to 13 hitouts against quality rucks in Alex Pearce and Shay’Lee Dayman. Her defensive pressure through the game really stood out and she is clean below her knees and a clever user of the ball around the ground.

#12 Sophie Eaton (Forward)
Stats: 11 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles, 1 inside 50, 4 goals

After a quiet start like many of her teammates, Eaton’s move inside 50 after half-time was outstanding. She converted four goals from seven disposals – at 100 per cent efficiency – in that term to give the Bulldogs the most unlikeliest of sniffs heading into the final term. Her goal sense to convert under pressure, on the run or go back and convert the set shot is well beyond her years with a consistent and outstanding technique that is ever-reliable.

#27 Jasmine Evans (Forward/Wing)
Stats: 11 disposals, 5 marks, 2 inside 50s

Though not able to hit the scoreboard like past weeks, Evans was starved for opportunities so pushed up the ground, and later rotated with Eaton. She still made her own space taking five marks, and even did a number of paddles along the ground to keep the ball under control which would not have shown up on the stats sheet. With ball in hand, she used her elite kicking to perfection, producing a number of sizzling passes in the forward half of the ground.

Glenelg:

#6 Violet Patterson (Wing)
Stats: 25 disposals, 1 mark (1 contested), 8 tackles, 1 clearance, 5 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

The potential Collingwood father-daughter prospect played her best game of the season, and realistically her SANFLW career by amassing 25 touches running hard on the wing. Patterson’s defensive pressure has always been a highlight of her profile, but her ability to continually get into the right spots and win it both close to the contest and in space was strong. We detailed her full performance in our weekly SANFLW Player Focus.

>> SANFLW Player Focus Round 3: Violet Patterson

#9 Eloise Mackereth (Forward)
Stats: 9 disposals, 3 marks (1 contested), 1 inside 50, 2 goals

After not hitting the scoreboard the week before, Mackereth enjoyed kicking a couple of goals from nine touches and three marks deep inside 50. She kicked her first via a great back with the flight mark 30m from goal, then went to do it again later in the match and won a free after being infringed. She competed hard throughout the game, but unfortunately made “forceful front-on contact” in one instance going for the ball against Tarly Borgas, and was suspended for two matches.

South Adelaide:

#17 Shae Archbold (Forward)
Stats: 2 disposals, 1 mark, 1 tackle

Archbold would have been better for the run, returning from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the match. She only had the two touches and did not see a lot of it, but made leads and had a crack going hard at the ball. With more minutes at the level she will only get better.

#20 Layla Vizgaudis (Forward)
Stats: 11 disposals, 2 marks, 2 clearances, 1 inside 50, 1 rebound 50

The slick double bottom-ager continues to improve week-on-week as she adjusts to the speed and strength of the level. Her kicking is a highlight and she has the smarts to go with more experienced players, winning 11 touches across the ground. She will develop into a midfielder over the next couple of seasons, but is doing well coming off half-forward and working up the ground.

#23 Esther Schirmer (Defender)
Stats: 15 disposals, 4 marks (1 contested), 4 tackles, 1 rebound 50

Found plenty of the ball throughout the game and took a number of good marks after dropping one early she should have taken. Reading the play and able to use the body well in terms of positioning when in defence, Schirmer pushed up the ground and was able to hold a high line. She plays a defence-first style to her game, protecting possession and gaining meterage when possible, while she showed good vision and quick hands throughout the contest.

#25 Emma Charlton (Forward)
Stats: 10 disposals, 2 marks, 7 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal, 1 behind

Winning the Rookie of the Week for her performance on debut against North Adelaide, the talented Charlton kicked her first SANFLW goal by getting into the right spot at the right time running hard into the goalsquare. She had a great battle with Ebert, and after adjusting to the speed following a run-down tackle and smother from her opponent, she looked lively in the front half, setting up scoring opportunities and applying outstanding pressure for a smaller player.

#56 Lily Baxter (Forward/Wing)
Stats: 3 disposals, 1 rebound 50

It was just a quiet game from Baxter who was starting forward, but worked hard to get up the other end of the ground and even take it out of defence midway through the second term. When she did win it she was clean and quick by hand, still showing off her classy traits.

North Adelaide:

#7 Jemma Charity (Defender)
Stats: 1 disposal, 1 mark

Unfortunately it was a heartbreaking day for Charity who had to be stretchered off in the first term after an innocuous change of direction saw her clutch at her knee. Her one disposal prior to that was a neat short pass across half-back, but the solemn feeling across the ground was evident with hope going forward that her recovery can make her even stronger.

#9 Laela Ebert (Defender)
Stats: 19 disposals, 3 marks, 4 tackles, 3 rebound 50

The defender did well on Charlton early with some fantastic one-on-one duals and a run-down tackle. With ball-in-hand she was classy and skilful as usual, and that ability to use her left just as well as her right was fantastic. At times she was forced to just go long down the ground to gain field position, but she was once again one of the better Roosters, asserting her influence at half-back and providing pressure as well as rebound from the back 50.

#52 Sarcha Taylor (Forward)
Stats: 7 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50s, 1 behind

A bottom-age talent, Taylor oozes upside with her ability to have ‘moments’ throughout games. She uses her speed to create pressure on the opposition and found some space to work into when up the ground as well. Taylor has some nice vision and is quick to get boot to ball, just missing a chance on goal in the second term where she burst away but missed to the right.

West Adelaide:

#2 Lucy Boyd (Defender)
Stats: 8 disposals, 2 marks, 5 tackles, 1 rebound 50

Though Boyd did not have as much of the footy as she can tend to have, what was really impressive was her intent. She was often opposed to the explosive Walsh who has the leg speed on her, but Boyd was clever enough to close her down by reading the situation quickly on a number of occasions. Her body work was great and her defensive pressure sublime, laying multiple bone-crunching tackles. Boyd did know when to drop into the hole for support and even got forward to have a set shot in the third term but it went to the left. She finished the game with a timely spoil on the wing just before the final siren.

#14 Chloe Tonkin (Forward)
Stats: 7 disposals, 3 marks (2 contested), 1 tackle, 3 hitouts, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50

Tonkin is a player who when it all clicks, is going to be near-unstoppable as a marking target. She leads the league in contested marks, and clunks so many ripping grabs that it is easy to forget she drops a few as well that will come with improvement. Her body work is great, she creates a presence, can take bodies if she does not mark it, and is a chop out ruck option as well. She had a set shot in the third term from long range but pushed it wide out on the full, still she looked a threat when the ball was headed towards her.

#15 Asha Dufour (Midfielder)
Stats: 14 disposals, 2 marks, 5 tackles, 1 clearance, 3 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50

Just playing her role, Dufour had more of a defensive impact this week with her tackling pressure around the ball compared to her offensive output. She is a well-balanced midfielder who can win the ball on the inside our out and showed a clean set of heels to sidestep an opponent and dish off to Hannah Button for a shot on goal. She is clever and the start of the second term was a purple patch for the top-ager who is piecing together a nice season thus far.

#22 Ruby Ballard (Forward/Midfielder)
Stats: 16 disposals, 2 marks, 3 tackles, 3 clearances, 1 inside 50

Really liked her game and felt she impacted the match in subtle ways just by being around the ball. She is so clean below her knees, creates her own space and is another player who can win it inside or out without much fuss. When forward she can still be a leading target despite being a small, but the hands in close are super and she is a player who will go far because of her ability to release teammates and do all the team things.

#27 Emma Kilpatrick (Wing)
Stats: 12 disposals, 1 mark (1 contested), 2 tackles, 4 inside 50s, 2 goals

After kicking her first goal to win her side the game in Round 1, Kilpatrick decided it was pretty fun and decided to kick a ripper from 45m off a quick shot two minutes into the match. She would kick a second 15 minutes into the third term to push the lead out to 12 points from a free kick which was well rewarded given she could have had a snap moments early. An unselfish player who brings meterage through her kicking, Kilpatrick had an impact on the scoreboard and her ability to drive the ball inside 50.

#44 Emily Mableson (Defender)
Stats: 18 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 2 clearances, 1 inside 50

An eye-catching display from the third gamer who really showed off her best traits against Sturt. She is not afraid to go in hard, and reads the ball so well, intercepting a Rasheed handball in traffic and also following up her work across the ground. She won it all over the place, and got more involved up the ground than in previous weeks with her decision making and vision standout traits, while being clean by hand under pressure.

Sturt:

#6 India Rasheed (Midfielder/Forward)
Stats: 24 disposals, 2 marks, 9 tackles, 7 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

It was a stat-stuffing performance from the talented top-ager who influenced the game offensively and defensively in a big way. She started in the middle and was able to win a number of crucial clearances to get it forward, nailing an elite pass to Bessen for the Double Blues’ second goal. Her efficiency at time was down compared to her usual high standards, but when she was given an extra split second, it was fantastic. Seeing her lay nine tackles and get her hands dirty while winning a truckload of the ball meant she was switched on for the whole game.

#16 Monique Bessen (Midfielder/Forward)
Stats: 11 disposals, 3 marks, 5 tackles, 2 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 1 goal

Stepped up to take a good mark inside 50 and deliver the visitors’ second goal of the day and cut the deficit to four points late in the second term, the bottom-ager once again had her moments. Her clean hands at ground level, work through traffic and decision making is a delight, and while she is not consistently a big ball-winner, is tracking nicely and her defensive attributes on the weekend also stood out.

#17 Sophie Thredgold (Defender)
Stats: 6 disposals, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50, 2 rebound 50s

The defender played an effective game without too much fuss. She turned over a kick in the opening minute, but was strong after that. Without having too much opportunity to win the ball herself, Thredgold instead just kept tight on her opponent.

#25 Edwina Thornquest (Defender)
Stats: 11 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles, 1 rebound 50

Thornquest had a couple of ‘almost moments’ including a nice fly for mark but could not bring it down which could have elevated her performance, but she still clunked four grabs from 11 touches. Her kicking was effective and she attacked the ball hard at ground level, showing defensive intensity to go with her nice skills. Unassumingly building a nice debut season at SANFLW level.

Woodville-West Torrens:

#3 Bianca Portaro (Defender)
Stats: 9 disposals, 2 marks, 8 tackles, 1 inside 50

Have liked her games this season because she’s naturally a defensive player but has midfield potential with her work rate and strength around stoppages. She is not a huge ball-winner but has the room to be so when through the middle, but her defensive traits are her standout qualities. Her speed is a way to further develop and she dropped a couple of chest marks she could have taken, but she has great second efforts, mops up in defence to help her teammates and lays some huge tackles.

#7 Grace Martin (Midfielder)
Stats: 18 disposals, 1 mark, 1 tackle, 4 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Martin has developed into a pretty strong midfielder this season and had another all-round solid game. Funnily enough she might have more impact as a forward due to her finishing skills as she showed when in the second term, toepoked it in front of her, coming off an opponent’s boot. She did not even lose stride when she collected it, spun onto her right and slammed home a great major. Her other play that was brilliant came late in the third term where in the dying moments got a couple of crucial handballs forward allowing McKenzie Dowrick to soccer home a goal to put her team back 21 points up at the final break. Unfortunately she will miss the next two weeks after entering concussion protocols from a dangerous tackle.

#18 Klaudia O’Neill (Defender)
Stats: 8 disposals, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 clearance, 2 rebound 50s

Playing a defensive role once again, O’Neill just competes in everything. She has a nice long kick but is often just forced to clear the area and buy times which she does well. Her hands are clean and overhead she will match it with just about anyone. Her switch to defence has been a good one for the top-age Eagle this season.

Norwood:

#2 Coby Morgan (Forward)
Stats: 11 disposals, 4 marks (1 contested), 3 tackles, 1 clearance, 1 rebound 50

Morgan had a blistering start to the match, picking up five of her 11 touches in the first term and nine by half-time. She loves to run, and those first few steps are electric, which allows her to apply pressure to the opposition. She can run herself into trouble at times, with Morgan needing to get onto her right side, but when she is up and about the Norwood top-ager creates plenty of metres gained and has the attributes to develop in the future.

#39 Charli Hazelhurst (Defender)
Stats: 10 disposals, 1 mark, 4 tackles, 3 rebound 50s, 1 behind

Another Redleg who had a big first term, Hazelhurst walked to quarter time with five touches to her name, and was really active in defence. She took a good mark in the opening term and read the play quickly to mop up at half-back on a number of occasions. Her first interaction she beat three opponents to the ball and thumped it clear from danger, while laying a number of strong tackles. She did get run-down twice in the second term trying to take the game on, but it is that kind of proactive determination that can just as easily break games open. Went forward late in the game and had a flying shot off hands at the 15-minute mark but the shot just missed.