A MASSIVE performance from a top AFLW Draft prospect highlighted Round 4 of the SANFL Women’s, where there were plenty of other impressive contributors across the weekend. As always, we took a look at those State Academy members and how they performed, with all notes the opinion of the individual author.

Note: The replay of the South Adelaide-WWT Eagles match was not available and therefore notes are off highlights and second hand accounts

West Adelaide:

#2 Lucy Boyd (Defender)
Stats: 21 disposals, 5 marks (2 contested), 7 tackles, 1 clearance, 7 rebound 50s

One of the most prominent West Adelaide players and after a solid start to the season, got back to her best form in the loss. Boyd was a key reason why Glenelg was constantly under pressure when trying to score, and her defensive work in particular – both spoiling and tackling – was terrific. She provided the drive off half-back that she can so often do, but also got her hands dirty in a strong all-round game.

#14 Chloe Tonkin (Ruck/Defender)
Stats: 9 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 9 hitouts, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50, 1 rebound 50

After playing full-forward in the first few weeks, Tonkin found herself rolling more through the ruck and even in the back half of the ground. She had her fair share of touches around the ground and rushed a behind early in the match. Even when spoiled going for a mark, Tonkin was quick to apply pressure.

#15 Asha Dufour (Forward/Midfielder)
Stats: 12 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles, 1 clearance, 2 goals, 1 behind

Starting at full-forward, Dufour would have caused a surprise for the Glenelg planning, but she certainly had an impact, booting two goals. Both were thanks to hard running back to goal with Lauren Young involved in getting it to her. Later in the game, Dufour moved back into the midfield where she applied some solid defensive pressure and won a few more touches after being exclusively forward.

#22 Ruby Ballard (Forward)
Stats: 5 disposals, 5 tackles, 1 inside 50

The tenacious small had a quieter game due to limited opportunities, but when she did get near it, she was clean with each touch. Always under pressure, she gave as good as she got, laying as many tackles as she won disposals.

#27 Emma Kilpatrick (Wing)
Stats: 12 disposals, 2 marks, 9 tackles, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50

Kilpatrick really got her hands dirty in the match, laying nine tackles which is ultra-impressive considering she has been a focal point up forward and driving the ball inside 50 so far this season. Like many her numbers were perhaps a touch down, but she got involved and some of her tackles – such as one on the strong Piper Window to win a free in the third term – was fantastic.

#44 Emily Mableson (Defender)
Stats: 10 disposals, 1 mark (1 contested), 1 tackle, 2 rebound 50s

Found the going a little tougher this week with a few turnovers, but her technique is still very impressive. She took a terrific contested intercept mark on the defensive side of the wing midway through the first term, and always looked to pick off the dangerous passes that were high-risk, but high-reward. With great composure, Mableson has provided some great signs for the future.

Glenelg:

#6 Violet Patterson (Wing/Midfielder)
Stats: 25 disposals, 4 marks (1 contested), 10 tackles, 4 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

Back-to-back 25-disposal games from the potential Collingwood father-daughter prospect who worked hard up and down the wing once again. She did spend time at centre stoppages to add some explosive pace with Window, and won four clearances in the process. From a 14-disposal first half – the most of any Glenelg player – Patterson kept on winning it throughout the game, taking a huge contested mark at the start of the fourth term under pressure.

#11 Jordan Horne (Forward)
Stats: 1 disposal, 3 tackles

Coming into the side, the bottom-ager could not get her hands on it cleanly enough against bigger bodies, but never stopped trying. Her three tackles are testament to her forward pressure, with a few ‘almost’ moments.

#19 Matilda Wilmore (Forward)
Stats: 6 disposals, 1 mark, 6 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 1 behind

Similar to Horne, Wilmore did not have a lot of time and space given the pressure, but brought plenty of her own hardness to the contest. She matched her disposals with tackles and did drive it inside 50 on a couple of occasions, with a free kick set shot from 40m making the distance but missing to the left in the final term.

#20 Poppy Scholz (Defender)
Stats: 16 disposals, 6 marks (2 contested), 10 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

Returning from netball commitments, Scholz did not waste any time asserting herself, clunking anything that came her way and providing drive off half-back. Perhaps her 10 tackles showed she was bringing the heat at ground level as much as in her aerial prowess. Her hands were incredible as was her defensive pressure. One of the Bays’ best as their anchor off half-back once again and continuing her fantastic form this season.

North Adelaide:

#9 Laela Ebert (Defender)
Stats: 20 disposals, 5 marks, 10 tackles, 2 clearances, 1 inside 50

Again starred for the Roosters as arguably their best on ground, the second time in the first four weeks. Really unleashed off half-back, Ebert spend her time further afield holding a high line, but when she was deep, utilised her short, pinpoint passing. So composed with ball-in-hand, Ebert is outstandingly clean, and on traits alone is one who should come into consideration in the top 30.

#31 Nevaeh Ebert (Defender)
Stats: 8 disposals, 1 mark, 4 tackles, 2 clearances, 1 inside 50

The younger Ebert in the match made her debut and had some nice moments. She worked hard in transition and was quite fierce with her tackling. She rode any bumps she copped and took a great mark backing back with the flight early in the second term.

#48 Lucy Reddaway (Forward)
Stats: 6 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 2 clearances, 1 inside 50

Reddaway also made her debut in the match and took a nice intercept mark in the third term, while winning a free for being held opposed to Tesharna Maher. Winning a couple of clearances, Reddaway gained great experience running around with some quality opposition.

#52 Sarcha Taylor (Forward)
Stats: 7 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50

Her elite clean hands were outstanding at ground level and though she could have finished off a major in the first term but was too unselfish – handballing instead of taking the shot from 15m – she still looked dangerous around goals. Taylor does not need a lot of the football to do plenty of damage.

Norwood:

#2 Coby Morgan (Wing)
Stats: 9 disposals, 1 mark, 3 tackles, 3 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

Ran hard all day and showed off her trademark burst between the arcs and working hard to win the ball in all thirds of the ground. Most of her touches were extracting it from somewhere, with her quick hands on show. She is still developing her consistency and execution, but Morgan’s repeat efforts and hard running to get into ball-winning positions was admirable.

#37 Georgina Birchall (Midfielder)
Stats: 11 disposals, 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 1 inside 50

Coming into the side, Birchall is the sole over-age member of the State Academy. She showed fierce pressure around the coalface and held her own at the stoppages. She even won a hitout when inside 50, and though she is not the flashiest player, just gets the job done and is important in her role with the way she cleanly wins it under pressure and feeds it out.

#39 Charli Hazelhurst (Defender)
Stats: 7 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles

The tall defender played her role in the back 50 and impressed the coaches, making it into the bests. She has terrific athleticism for a player of her size, and can recover below her knees quickly if delivery to her is not perfect. She always presents when required in marking contests, and she can turn on a dime like she did midway through the second term.

#61 Kate Alexander (Ruck)
Stats: 6 disposals, 5 tackles, 31 hitouts, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50, 1 rebound 50

Feasted on the hitouts against smaller North Adelaide rucks to rack up a career-high 31. Though only four games into her SANFLW career, Alexander gets involved not just at the stoppages, but immediately applies tackle at ground level. One free kick she won late in the first term lead to a shot on goal for her side.

South Adelaide:

#20 Layla Vizgaudis (Forward)
Stats: 6 disposals, 2 marks, 4 tackles, 2 inside 50s

Vizgaudis is an ultra-exciting player who does not need to have the ball in her hands to really hurt the opposition, and she showed in the third term where she took a great intercept mark at the six-minute point and nailed a pinpoint pass to Charlton inside 50. She would intercept again in the fourth quarter to set up a Charlton goal, and when she was not winning it, she was providing great pressure around the contest.

#23 Esther Schirmer (Defender)
Stats: 8 disposals, 1 mark, 1 tackle, 1 rebound 50

Playing her usual defensive role, Schirmer did not need to do much with the ball largely up the other end. It is usually a good thing when Schirmer does not need to win it as she is often mopping up on the last line or defending an opponent fiercely.

#25 Emma Charlton (Forward)
Stats: 16 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 1 clearance, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal, 2 behind

Like Vizgaudis, Charlton is an exciting player for the future, and the pair will be a duo to watch over the next couple of years. She hit up Waterhouse in the third term with a lovely delivery by foot, then got on another one early in the fourth to kick a clever goal on the run. Later in the match, she had a hand in getting it to Brooke Boileau to set up a goal there.

WWT Eagles:

#3 Bianca Portaro (Defender/Midfielder)
Stats: 15 disposals, 1 mark, 9 tackles, 2 clearances, 4 inside 50s

In the absence of Grace Martin, Portaro spent more time further up the ground ad found her way around the stoppages, laying nine tackles and pumping the ball inside 50 four times. As tough as they come, she will continue to transition into that midfield and roll between the stoppages and playing a defensive role in the back 50.

#18 Klaudia O’Neill (Defender)
Stats: 9 disposals, 5 marks (1 contested), 1 hitout, 3 rebound 50s

Named best-on for the Eagles for a reason, she was incredibly strong on the last line. Providing some timely spoils if she could not mark it, O’Neill saved the day on several occasions. She also looked to switch neatly and continued her form this season as a reborn defender.

#22 Imogen Trengove (Forward)
Stats: 16 disposals, 1 mark, 1 tackle, 1 clearance, 2 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50

On debut, the bottom-ager did not disappoint with 16 disposals to show she can match it with senior players. Trengove has outstanding vision and just needs a split second to do damage, which she did late in the first term when with the outside of the boot nailed a pass to Marlie Fiegert in the corridor. One who will only get better with more experience.

Central District:

#3 Miyu Endersby (Ruck/Defender)
Stats: 3 disposals, 4 tackles, 20 hitouts, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50, 1 rebound 50

The young ruck paired up with Olivia Levicki again and easily took control in the hitouts against Sturt, racking up 20 and getting first hands to it most of the time. Her athleticism was problem for her opponents, and though she did not win a lot of the ball around the ground, Endersby spent some time in defensive 50 and had two of her disposals in the final term kicking long from danger.

#9 Charlotte Riggs (Defender)
Stats: 10 disposals, 6 marks, 2 tackles, 1 hitout, 1 inside 50, 3 rebound 50s

After being a late withdrawal last week, Riggs returned to the fold in Round 4, clunking six marks from 10 touches. Her aerial ability was at its usual peak, and she did repel a number of attacks. in particular when her side were up against it in the final term, she took a few intercept marks and drove it back down the field. In the opening five minutes of the match she intercepted, shrugged off a tackle and delivered cleanly inside 50.

#12 Sophie Eaton (Forward)
Stats: 5 disposals, 1 mark, 3 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 1 goal

Had limited opportunities up forward looking to repeat her incredible third term from the week before, and while she only had the five touches, kicked a clever goal on the run. She is composed with ball-in-hand and looks dangerous even when she does not have it a lot.

#27 Jasmine Evans (Forward)
Stats: 10 disposals, 2 tackles, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50, 1 goal, 1 behind

Played higher up than Eaton and still hit the scoreboard, using her fancy footwork and staying aware after an awkward bounce close to goal. She grabbed it, sidestepped an opponent from a metre out to have the space to pop one home. Though she can get nudged under it in one-on-ones, once it hits the deck she is exceptionally clean, and she set up the goal to Julia Teakle that drew the Bulldogs within three points at the final break. She almost had a second goal in the fourth quarter but her snap hit the post.

Sturt:

#6 India Rasheed (Midfielder/Forward)
Stats: 36 disposals, 11 marks, 8 tackles, 4 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 3 goals

The incredible utility was just phenomenal across the four quarters putting up video game numbers rotating between midfield and forward. Her final term of 13 touches and two goals helped spur Sturt onto victory, with her Player Focus detailing her 36-disposal, 11-mark and three-goal game in detail.

>> SANFLW PLAYER FOCUS: INDIA RASHEED

#16 Monique Bessen (Forward/Midfielder)
Stats: 28 disposals, 8 marks, 3 tackles, 5 clearances, 6 inside 50s

Shared the load with Rasheed perfectly, racking up 28 touches and winning the ball both on the inside and the outside. Like her partner-in-crime, Bessen is such a lovely distributor and each touch does so much damage so her Round 4 effort was clearly a career-best for the teenager. Bessen set up multiple goals throughout the match including to both Rasheed and Walsh in that final term, while also presenting on leads inside 50.

#17 Sophie Thredgold (Defender)
Stats: 9 disposals, 4 marks

Played her role with some rebounding out of defence and cleared to danger on a number of occasions. She reads the ball well in flight and took several key marks, including one on the defensive goalline to save a goal. In the first term, Thredgold showed a slick sidestep and was able to scoop it off the deck and kick to half-forward while under pressure. Thredgold also scored a rugby try in the final term to rush it through.

#25 Edwina Thornquest (Defender)
Stats: 5 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles 1 rebound 50

Had to battle one-on-one with Teakle throughout the contest and gained plenty of experience from that duel. The tall did not need to win a lot of it given she was essentially nullifying her opponent, but still took a few marks and made some crucial spoils.