IN a remarkable return from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Murray Bushrangers’ Ellie Hall racked up more than 30 touches in her side’s 20-point loss to Tasmania Devils. Having represented the Giants Academy earlier in the season, the NSW/ACT prospect fronted up in Murray colours for the first time since 2022.

With her bottom-age season curtailed due to that knee injury, she is back fighting fit and looking to make an impact. A naturally gifted player who can play both defence and midfield, Hall spent about a 25/75 split in those roles for the Bushrangers and justified her top 25 place in our June AFLW Draft Power Rankings.

GIANTS Academy, Murray BushrangersMidfielder

Ellie Hall

Height: 174cm

Weight: -

DOB: 07-07-2006

PLAYER FOCUS

2024 Coates Talent League Girls: Round 10
Murray Bushrangers 3.8 (26) lost to Tasmania Devils 7.4 (46)

#33 Ellie Hall (Murray Bushrangers)
Stats: 31 disposals (19 kicks, 12 handballs) 7 marks, 9 tackles, 5 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s, 2 goals, 1 behind

FIRST QUARTER

Hall was thrown straight into the starting midfield for her first game back in Bushrangers, up against premier Tasmania Devils’ ball-winner Priya Bowering. Throughout the course of the match, Hall would rotate onto a number of onballers, then also went into defence to nullify some taller options there.

The first term was a very fast start for the top-ager who had her first touch via a mark in defence where she was able to deliver a lovely long kick down the wing to a one-on-one. She was called upon for a defensive action soon after, completing a spoil at half-back and forcing it to ground. Up against Mia Anderson at the next few stoppages, the pair broke even.

In the first instance Anderson got clear, but in the second, she won the ball and Hall tackled her and managed to wrestle it clear and spin out of trouble in a smooth action. Her handball was effective and then she pushed forward but waited a kick behind play when there was a boundary throw-in inside 50.

Her natural defensive nous came to the fore there, and she won the spilled ball but her attempted kick was smothered in congestion, from which she quickly followed up with a tackle to lock it up. She was pinged for holding onto Lucy Thompson at the stoppage a couple of minutes later, but won her own free kick at half-forward in the 12th minute where she kicked to the hotspot.

Winning a few more touches over the course of the last 10 minutes, she won it both at half-forward and half-back, covering the ground with ease and showing off her elite tank, having produced one of the best yo-yo test results at the Giants Academy Preseason Testing Day.

SECOND QUARTER

Hall’s second term was arguably her only quiet one, though she still found the ball in the opening couple of minutes. She laid an immediate tackle on Anderson at the first stoppage, them after the second one, cleared the area while under pressure. She followed up to win another touch in the same passage, sidestepping an opponent cleanly in the process.

Her next major involvement happened later in the term where she was able to gather it off the deck and quickly kick forward. Though that was turned over, she pushed forward once the ball was regained by the Bushrangers again to take a strong contested mark. Her set shot from 35m did fall short to the top of the goalsquare however.

THIRD QUARTER

The third quarter was the one where Hall stepped it up again, winning the opening centre clearance via a handball then followed up for a second touch via a handball receive. Her kick was a tumbler forward but worked out okay, and over the first five minutes would amass five touches. She showed great control under pressure, and while not perfectly clean, was able to keep the ball in front of her at times and then grab it when required.

Another contested mark in the fourth minute against Ruby Hall led to a precise short kick to Rose Bell for a shot on goal. After that, Hall moved back into defence where she took a couple of intercept marks against Harriet Bingley, but also turned it over once trying to get it long.

Hall would move back into the midfield where she had an influence around the stoppage, and though often tightly guarded when around the ball, she still found her fair share of the pill. In the last couple of minutes, Hall uncharacteristically dropped a mark she would take, but earned a free kick from a subsequent tackle on her.

From that play, Hall hit a teammate with a short pass, ran on to receive it and deliver another lovely weighted short pass to a different teammate at half-forward. Her final kick of the quarter came via a free kick at half-forward, which she used to drill a low pass into Bell inside 50 for another shot.

FOURTH QUARTER

Hall was back on-ball to start the fourth term, and earned her first touch two minutes in. She scooped it up and just got rid of it as she was tackled without getting pinged for holding the ball. In a lull period over the next seven minutes, Hall would win another disposal on the forward side of the wing where she would kick to her teammate’s advantage in a one-on-one inside 50 and follow up if needed.

Midway through the term, Hall had it on the wing kicking down field to a contest, and then pushed up to mark herself, look inboard and hit-up a teammate loose in the centre corridor. No more than 30 seconds later, Hall made a couple of efforts to win it on the forward side of the wing, quickly dish off then won another kick, quickly disposing of it forward.

That ball was turned over, though she had another chance in the final minute of the match. She gathered well on half-back, and controlling it in front of here, was able to get ball to boot downfield to space where a teammate could get to it.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

For a first game back at the Bushrangers, Hall looked to have settled in without any worries. A genuine star talent on her day, many might have expected a solid without being outstanding game just purely because of the lack of match experience over the last 12 months. However Hall wasted no time asserting herself and being a standout on the field.

Though the Bushrangers ultimately lost that match, she was able to show off all of her tricks with an eye-catching display. She is a good size at 174cm, and has the versatility to play as both a tall midfielder and rebounding defender. Her kicking technique is great and the longer the distance the better, though she can further improve her kicking under pressure.

Aerially, Hall is as good as anyone and it showed in her seven marks, but as her nine tackles indicate, she is not afraid to get her hands dirty at ground level. Having made the Allies’ squad for the upcoming 2024 AFLW Under 18 Championships, expect her to really make a name for herself there and hope she can have a clean run for the whole year.