AT the halfway mark of the Coates Talent League Girls season, potential pick one contender Ash Centra and top-age star Stingray Jemma Reynolds have taken and shared the lead in the Rookie Me Central Medal. The pair lead a congested top five with just six votes separating the players, while a 12-vote gap between first and 20th gives an idea of how even the talent is this year.

Both leaders were in the mix after the first update at the conclusion of Round 6, ranked equal third (Centra) and seventh (Reynolds) with 16 and 14 votes respectively. In the past three rounds, Centra played two games and earned best afield honours, while Reynolds gathered 14 votes from three matches to be equal first on 26 votes.

They sit one vote ahead of Western Jets’ Sierra Grieves who was second after six rounds, polling a further eight votes across two rounds that she played. Following Grieves is the Round 6 leader in Eastern Ranges’ Tayla McMillan. The bottom-ager added three more votes to her tally, but showed the evenness of the Ranges outfit having to split votes with a number of other players.

Tasmania Devils’ Mischa Barwin rounds out the top five with 20 votes, two clear of both Northern Knights’ Zoe Hargreaves and Gippsland Power’s Jasmine Sowden. Sowden is the highest vote-getter who does not top her team’s tally. GWV Rebels’ Isabella Davies took top position at the rebels, and is now equal eighth overall with last year’s Rookie Me Central Medallist Sara Howley and Bendigo Pioneers’ jet Lucia Painter.

Gold Coast Suns Academy’s Havana Harris also finishes her Coates Talent League Girls season on 17 votes – out of a possible 20 – with the pick one contender fittingly the highest vote-getter of the Northern Academy teams. Sandringham Dragons’ winger Scout Howden has been a shining light for her side and stands alone on 16 votes, followed by eight players between 14 and 15 votes.

Murray Bushrangers’ Sophia Green is one of those, polling nine votes in the past fornithg, second to only Centra, and the same amount of votes Geelong Falcons’ skipper Mekah Morrissy polled. Tasmania Devils’ Priya Bowering and Oakleigh Chargers defender Chloe Thorn (seven apiece) have also polled well of late.

In terms of club-by-club, the Eastern Ranges have taken a handy lead with an impressive 79 votes awarded to players this season, seven clear of Gippsland Power. The Power are well supported by both Centra and Sowden who have amassed 44 votes by themselves, while ladder leaders Oakleigh Chargers are on 71. Tasmania Devils and Dandenong Stingrays round out the top five with 69 and 66 votes respectively.

TOP 20 LEADERBOARD

Eq. 1st. Ash Centra (Gippsland Power) – 26 votes
Eq. 1st. Jemma Reynolds (Dandenong Stingrays) – 26 votes
3rd. Sierra Grieves (Western Jets) – 25 votes
4th. Tayla McMillan (Eastern Ranges) – 23 votes
5th. Mischa Barwin (Tasmania Devils) – 20 votes
Eq. 6th. Zoe Hargreaves (Northern Knights) – 18 votes
Eq. 6th. Jasmine Sowden (Gippsland Power) – 18 votes
Eq. 8th. Isabella Davies (GWV Rebels) – 17 votes
Eq. 8th. Havana Harris (Suns Academy) – 17 votes
Eq. 8th. Sara Howley (Geelong Falcons) – 17 votes
Eq. 8th. Lou Painter (Bendigo Pioneers) – 17 votes
12th. Scout Howden (Sandringham Dragons) – 16 votes
Eq. 13th. Priya Bowering (Tasmania Devils) – 15 votes
Eq. 13th. Kayla Dalgleish (Dandenong Stingrays) – 15 votes
Eq. 13th. Emma McDonald (Oakleigh Chargers) – 15 votes
Eq. 13th. Sarah Poustie (Oakleigh Chargers) – 15 votes
Eq. 17th. Sophia Green (Murray Bushrangers) – 14 votes
Eq. 17th. Millie Lang (GWV Rebels) – 14 votes
Eq. 17th. Claire Mahony (GWV Rebels) – 14 votes
Eq. 17th. Holly Ridewood (Northern Knights) – 14 votes

LEADERS BY CLUB

Bendigo Pioneers – Lou Painter (17)
Calder Cannons – Jade McLay (7)
Dandenong Stingrays – Jemma Reynolds (26)
Eastern Ranges – Tayla McMillan (23)
Geelong Falcons – Sara Howley (17)
Giants Academy – Isla Wiencke (11)
Gippsland Power – Ash Centra (26)
GWV Rebels – Isabella Davies (17)
Lions Academy – Isabella McDonough & Laura Roy (10)
Murray Bushrangers – Sophia Green (14)
Northern Knights – Zoe Hargreaves (18)
Northern Territory – Kierra Zerafa (6)
Oakleigh Chargers – Emma McDonald & Sarah Poustie (15)
Sandringham Dragons – Scout Howden (16)
Suns Academy – Havana Harris (17)
Swans Academy – Imogen Brown (8)
Tasmania Devils – Mischa Barwin (20)
Western Jets – Sierra Grieves (25)

CLUB LEADERBOARD

Eastern Ranges – 79
Gippsland Power – 72
Oakleigh Chargers – 71
Tasmania Devils – 69
Dandenong Stingrays – 66
Northern Knights – 61
Suns Academy – 54
Geelong Falcons – 52
GWV Rebels – 50
Sandringham Dragons – 46
Bendigo Pioneers – 40
Western Jets – 37
Murray Bushrangers – 29
Lions Academy – 28
Giants Academy – 21
Calder Cannons – 21
Swans Academy – 21
Northern Territory – 8