IT is incredibly rare to have a breakout game in a triple-digit loss, but that was exactly the case for Peel Thunder’s Holly Britton. Having spent most of her season on the wing this year, Britton got the inside time she played at Rogers Cup level in the past, and thrived, racking up career-high 29 disposals at WAFL Women’s level.

The sister of West Coast’s Jaide is a very different player to her sibling, with Holly being a more contested player who has being utilised not just inside and outside midfield, but also up forward as a bottom-ager last season. Now into her top-age year, the State Academy member is looking to have a big national carnival, and has been best on for the Thunder the past two weeks.

For the first time ever, we have focused in on a player whose side did not score and lost by 105 points, because there were a number of key turning points for Britton, having showed promising building blocks the week before. While undoubtedly a tough result, her performance was one that caught the eye in the heavy defeat.

Peel Thunder, Western Australia GirlsInside Midfielder

Holly Britton

Height: 163cm

Weight: -

DOB: 17-02-2006

PLAYER FOCUS

2024 WAFL Women’s: Round 12
Peel Thunder 0.0 (0) lost to East Fremantle 16.9 (105)

#4 Holly Britton (Peel Thunder)
Stats: 29 disposals (13 kicks, 5 handballs), 6 marks, 3 clearances, 1 tackle, 2 inside 50, 3 rebound 50s

FIRST QUARTER

Holly Britton’s day started on a wing against Nadya Browne, and it did not take long for the Peel Thunder top-ager to win the ball. Just 40 seconds into the contest, Britton received a handball on the wing and nailed a pinpoint pass to half-forward. A minute later, she judged a bouncing footy best, using clean hands to dispose of it in traffic.

At the fourth minute mark of the game, Britton took her first of six marks and was able to nail another pinpoint pass, then followed up to win a fourth effective disposal getting it through to a teammate. Britton would only make her first errant handball a minute later after coming under immense pressure, but showing good body work one-on-one against debutant Reini Tutuki to sidestep cleanly.

Midway through the term, Britton worked hard into defence but a would-be mark slipped through her fingers in the pocket. She produced a second effort to cleanly handball off, win it back and keep running, but the next handball looking for the overlap was intercepted by Zippy Fish‘s hand going the other way, and Fish ended up running on and kicking a great goal.

Still, it was a busy start to the game as Britton notching seven disposals by quarter time.

SECOND QUARTER

Her second term had a slower start to it, but Britton featured early via a strong tackle at half-forward. Though it would be the only one she was rewarded for in the game, she still applied pressure across the four quarter. Midway through the term, Britton moved to the inside where she was able to thrive in her natural position.

There, Britton won a number of touches in congestion including a clean handball out and then a quick kick forward to advantage. She rotated between Ash Gomes and Beth Beckett for opponents, and showed great bodywork against the latter, to bring it to ground then won it via handball receive. Her kick was half-smothered, but her second effort after not being able to take it in the marking contest was strong.

THIRD QUARTER

Starting on-ball, Britton had a huge third term that saw her rotate between Fish, Gomes and former Thunder midfielder Chloe Wrigley, at the stoppages. Her first kick off a handball receive going inside 50 was a turnover, but she was showing her ability to get first hands to the ball, something the Thunder had struggled with in the first half.

Though playing on the inside, Britton’s spacing was more like a winger, often staying behind the ball at times when it did go forward, waiting for an opposition dump kick from a forward stoppage. She ran hard along the wig, ad weighted a ice handball midway through the term. She won a clearance at the 11-minute mark off the back via a handball receive ad kicked to half-forward, something she did a couple of times over the ex few minutes, with one well-executed pass only foiled by her forward slipping over.

From winning it in the front half, to working back into defence, Britton got away a quick handball that was half stopped by a opposition had, but won the next clearance in defence. Once again the Sharks were too well set up at their half-forward line to intercept, but an eye-catching multiple-effort play in the final minute of the quarter showed Britton’s intent.

Marking the ball in defence, Britton ran 10 metres and handballed off to a teammate but got the one-two back. She continued to run outside the defensive 50 with another handball, received it back then dished off to Evie Cowcher before Cowcher opted to kick to space inboard while under pressure. Her three efforts saw her run well over 50 metres and get her side out of trouble.

FOURTH QUARTER

After her huge third term, Britton started on-ball at the first stoppage, and won her first touch a few minutes later at half-back. She produced a clean pickup and under pressure manage to slightly sidestep before using great vision to pinpoint a precision pass into the middle to a teammate.

Playing as a sweeper at stoppages once again, Britton’s positioning around the ground showed great discipline not to get sucked into an unnecessary contest. She took a strong mark at half-back and made the switch to the other side via a lateral kick.

A few minutes later, Britton won a couple of handballs – the first of which was smothered – but she did well to get it to the outside once again. Even when a handball to her close to the boundary line on the wing missed her, Britton was able to calmly pick it up, step inside and then went off the non-preferred left which worked out going to a teammate.

In her final play of the day while on-ball after a goal, Britton marked a ball in space by holding her line well, then sidestepped an opponent and kicked to a one-on-one at centre half-forward. It was symbolic of the work she had done all day in what was a tough result for the Thunder.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Holly Britton had a quintessential breakout game, and while it is hard to celebrate that in such a heavy loss, her performance – which built on her best on ground during the Thunder’s win over East Perth last week – was deservedly recognised for a number of reasons.

Not a massive accumulator, Britton found the perfect balance between inside and outside work, starting on. awing and moving on-ball, but still holding a strong line to win it in space and use it well on the turnover in transition.

While not an explosive player like her sister, Britton does have the natural footballing ability that includes her vision, decision making and execution. At times under pressure she can tend to rush, but in the loss to East Fremantle, that was noticeably better, and she was able to have a far higher impact with ball-in-hand more often than not.

This year is Britton’s draft year, and the Peel Thunder midfielder is hitting form at the right time of year. She will represent the Sandgropers in the AFLW Under 18 Championships in a couple of months, and will likely get her chance to be a first possession winner with so many second possession West Australian midfielders.