EASTERN Ranges skipper Georgie Brisbane has been threatening to blow a game open for some time since returning from a rest midway through the Coates Talent League Girls season. Her form prior to that break had been indifferent, but since then, has been building in confidence and getting back to the incredible talent she showed last year.

On the weekend, the Vic Metro co-skipper produced the best game of not only her season, but arguably her elit junior level career, where she was one of three forwards who tore the Allies defence to shreds. She was clunking contested marks, working hard around the forward 50 and even looking to bring other teammates into it.

Her 16-disposal, seven-mark (four contested) and five-goal performance was the subject of our first AFLW Under 18 Championships Player Focus for the year.

Eastern Ranges, Vic Metro GirlsTall Forward

Georgie Brisbane

Height: 175cm

Weight: -

DOB: 13-12-2006

PLAYER FOCUS

#20 Georgie Brisbane (Vic Metro)
Stats: 16 disposals (8 kicks, 8 handballs @ 81.3% efficiency), 7 marks (4 contested), 3 tackles, 1 hitout, 5 goals, 1 behind

FIRST QUARTER

Georgie Brisbane started the game at full-forward opposed to Taya White and being an athletic tall, is more than capable of getting a fast few steps on her opponent because she reads the game so well. Brisbane did just that, gaining separation on White in the fifth minute to make on the lead and convert Vic Metro’s first of seven opening quarter goals.

In the ninth minute, Brisbane found herself now opposed to Mackenzie Williams, and when a high ball came in, gathered well and dished the handball off. Once the Allies cleared after a Vic Metro shot missed, Brisbane got deep forward to to lead out, and it came off hands from which she once again dished off a handball.

Vic Metro was doing all the attacking, but there was some space to be found and the visiting forwards had spaced out well. When a quick kick into the pocket landed in front of Brisbane, she gathered cleanly and handballed off to Sierra Grieves for a shot that went across the face.

After having a rest during some of the mid-quarter onslaught and then being one of multiple players to provide a leading target, she got her rewards for her hard running by clunking a pack mark against no less than four opponents in the goalsquare. She read the flight of the ball perfectly and held onto it safely.

Naturally, Brisbane turned around and kicked her second goal from close range, but she was not done. In the final 30 seconds, she won the ball inside 50 under pressure and then delivered off her non-preferred left to space, knowing her Ranges teammates Georgia Knight would lead into that space pocket.

At quarter time, Brisbane had six disposals, two marks and two goals and was looking ominous.

SECOND QUARTER

The second quarter would be a near identical one to the first for Brisbane who collected another five disposals, two marks and kicked two goals, to finish the half with 11 disposals, four marks and four goals in a dominant 40 minutes.

Brisbane presented on the lead well from the very start, and though the kick inside could not find her, she still scrapped hard and then took the forward ruck stoppage. While her aerial ability is always going to be incredible to watch, Brisbane showed she can get it done at ground level.

In the fifth minute, Brisbane scooped up the ball off the half volley inside 50 to dish off to Chloe Bown who set up a goal to Grace Belloni deep inside 50. After a well-earned rest once again – and the Allies having a little more forward time and momentum up the field, Brisbane quickly featured in a flurry late in the term.

She had a huge opportunity to mark against Ellie Hall one-on-one in the goalsquare after a nice kick in, and while she was spoiled, kept hunting the football. A minute later, with both her and Emma McDonald flying for the ball – seemingly unimpeded as their opponents looked to judge the flight, Brisbane was in front and safely clutched it.

She went back and converted her third goal without any problems, before another fast inside 50 saw the Vic Metro co-captain in the thick of it again. Against Hall once again, she pulled down a huge contested mark in the goalsquare and then turned around and kicked her fourth to really let everyone take notice of what she was doing at Blacktown.

THIRD QUARTER

As a tall forward, Brisbane will always be limited to the supply she and the rest of the forwardline gets, and to the Allies’ credit, they had more forward half time in the third term, kicking their first goal and limiting Metro to just a couple of late goals.

Those late goals to Belloni brought her to join Brisbane on four goals by the final break, and though Brisbane’s third term was her quietest, she still looked to get involved. In particular her hunt of the football and willingness to apply pressure stood out, and while still flying for her marks.

She had some huge ‘almost moments’ in the last five minutes with a good lead but the ball just came off her hands, and less than 20 seconds later as Metro had repeat deep entries, it happened again. Then in the 17th minute, there was the sole mistake the talented forward made for the game.

Brisbane had worked hard to be all alone in the goalsquare and with a perfect kick into her, she did not even need to bustle opponents out of the way or rise above them to clunk a mark. But, without the degree of difficulty, the ball slipped within her fingers, allowing White to arrive on the scene.

The Metro forward did well to recover and pick it up to snap from the top of the goalsquare thinking it had gone through for her fifth, but a desperate lunge by White resulted in the goal umpire signalling a touched ball.

While that was a moment to forget, it was about the only one, with Brisbane only having that kick as her sole touch in the quarter, but still had the 12 disposals, four marks and four goals with a quarter to play.

FOURTH QUARTER

Any worries about her confidence dropping off after that instance were quickly dispelled with Brisbane reading the flight of the ball deep inside 50 and clunking another great mark. She went back and drilled the goal just one minute into the fourth quarter and had five goals to her name in an amazing effort.

In the third minute, Brisbane pushed up to compete in a contest and won it off hands cleanly and dished off a quick handball. She went into the forward ruck stoppage to win a hitout and after Metro had missed a couple of chances and the Allies repelled, worked up to the middle. She won the ball there and kicked to half-forward efficiently.

Once again Brisbane had a rest midway through the quarter and when she returned she was injected straight into the action which was on the wing she had run onto. Marking on the attacking side of the wing, this time Brisbane released Belloni with a quick handball well who was able to put it deep inside 50.

In the 18th minute, Brisbane could have gone back for her sixth goal, but opted for a short pass to Abbey Vicino, with the kick just above her fingertips though. Fittingly, Brisbane’s last play was an attempted mark right on the full-time siren.

Her final quarter consisted of four disposals and another three marks as well as her one goal, making it 16 disposals, seven marks and five goals in a massive day out.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Georgie Brisbane had a game to remember and put in a performance that just reminded people of what she is capable of at her best. A mobile tall forward who might be a touch undersized compared to some, but she can fly for marks and clunked contested grabs as well as anyone going around.

When her confidence is up, Brisbane has the potential to be one of the best forwards in this draft crop, it is all about consistency, and over the past month, Brisbane has shown just that. Since returning from a break, Brisbane has been a different player altogether and rekindled the form of 2023.

There is no reason she cannot be a first round contender even in a stacked draft like the 2024 crop, with Vic Country and South Australia to come in the national championships. Given Eastern Ranges are also likely to be there when the whips are cracking in the Talent League, she could be one of the keys to causing a few headaches for opposition defenders.