AFTER playing as a defender in game one, Zoe Hargreaves got her chance to shine under the Marvel Stadium roof for Vic Metro’s midfield. Playing alongside a couple of AFLW Academy members in Sierra Grieves and Sophie McKay, Hargreaves held her own, racking up a team-high seven clearances and five marks.

A capable first-possession winner but boasting the powerful first few steps to also be a second possession winner, Hargreaves has played on all three lines in the past for Northern Knights. Predominantly a midfielder though, Hargreaves showed she can go to another level, even up against the best players in the crop such as Ash Centra, Sara Howley and Lou Painter who she opposed at different times.

Hargreaves’ performance was the subject of our Player Focus in Vic Metro’s 33-point win over Vic Country.

Northern Knights, Vic Metro GirlsMidfielder, Forward

Zoe Hargreaves

Height: 172cm

Weight: -

DOB: 03-06-2006

PLAYER FOCUS

2024 AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships:
Vic Metro 15.6 (96) defeated Vic Country 9.9 (63)

#10 Zoe Hargreaves (Vic Metro)
Stats: 25 disposals (11 kicks, 14 handballs @ 72.0% efficiency, 45.8% contested), 5 marks, 7 tackles, 6 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50

FIRST QUARTER

Hargreaves started the match on-ball against Centra and quickly got involved with a strong tackle on the Gippsland Power midfielder. At the third minute, the Northern Knights talent won the ball at a stoppage and just cleared by foot as she got tackled.

She would have a rest through the middle of the quarter for Maggie Mahony to make her way into the midfield, but appeared again by winning a handball at half-back out of the stoppage. Her contest-to-contest work came to the fore shortly after, winning another touch from that next kick to mark. She then kicked effectively to half-forward.

Midway through the term she was pinged for holding Howley at a contest, but moments later won the ball back after a downfield free kick went her way. She delivered a nice short pass to Scout Howden on the wing.

SECOND QUARTER

Hargreaves started on-ball once again, this time against Howley, and after the initial stoppage made its way towards half-back, she took a good mark and was able to hit up a short pass. Just a minute in she was up the other end, dishing off a handball cleanly, then found the ball again at half-back at the four-minute mark of the term.

Back against Centra at the centre stoppage again in the sixth minute, she did well to get in front of her opponent, win it and dish off a handball to Grieves. She would be the one applying defensive pressure after that, laying a strong tackle on Jemma Reynolds on the wing to force a turnover.

In the last couple of minutes of the half, Hargreaves would matchup on Jasmine Sowden at the centre bounce, where she would work her way out to the wing and gather cleanly getting a handball away. By half-time, Hargreaves had accumulated 12 disposals, with four kicks, while also taking a couple of marks.

THIRD QUARTER

To open the second half, Hargreaves went against Centra once again, and almost got a handball receive in the middle, but it bounced away from her. Hargreaves followed up to attempt to tackle Centra who had won it, but could not quite grab hold of her and her opponent got away.

In the third minute of the term, Hargreaves took a solid intercept mark at half-forward and did well to spot the scoring potential by playing on and kicking inside 50, then worked forward to win another touch off Georgia Knight then put it high to a pack in the danger zone.

Her tackling technique was on full display in the fourth minute when laying a brilliant tackle on Painter, pinning one arm and stopping the Pioneers top-ager from getting away. She won a holding the ball free kick then delivered a clean and precise pass to Grace Belloni.

Midway through the term, Hargreaves ran onto the ball up against Reynolds in the centre, with the Vic Metro player’s initial kick smothered before following up with a handball. That took was snatched up, but her second efforts to try and win the ball back was admirable.

In the second half of the third term, Hargreaves went against a number of opponents in the middle including Sowden and Howley, laying a great tackle ion the latter in the 13th minute to lock the ball up. She would pick up another couple of touches just before the final break with a clean pickup at half-back and quick handball, as well as a handball receive at half-forward and kick inside 50.

FOURTH QUARTER

As she had throughout the match, Hargreaves started on the ball, and did spend more time on Howley who was similarly racking up the ball for Vic Country. Most of her work in the term was done in the last five minutes though, with a couple of touches in between, but also sharing the midfield load.

In the 16th minute, she marked at half-back coming off the bench and looked up into the corridor to deliver a nice kick. She would get creative just over a minute later, intercepting in front of Centra with her foot to clear it into the path of a teammate, then followed up with a handball after a slight fumble.

With two minutes to go, Hargreaves laid another fantastic technical tackle by pinning the arms on Painter and then holding her own against one of the strongest players at the next stoppage. She would finish her day out with a clean handball off the deck under pressure, making it 25 disposals for the match, and 13 in the second half.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Zoe Hargreaves produced one of her best performances considering the quality of the game and opposition she was on. Holding her own against a lot of top-end talents, Hargreaves showed she belonged through the middle, and while she has the size to play up either end as well running off flanks, could be that natural midfielder with a nice explosive burst.

Hargreaves will wrap up her national carnival against South Australia on August 11, which will ultimately determine if Vic Metro will take out the 2024 AFLW Under-18 Championships title. The Northern Knights prospect is a shining light at Coates Talent League level and will equally be important for her side in what looks to be an upcoming finals series at that level.