SUFFERING a serious case of leather poisoning, Tasmanian bottom-ager Priya Bowering had a day to remember against Calder Cannons on the Apple Isle, racking up 47 disposals in a best on ground performance.

The powerful midfielder was everywhere throughout the quarters, picking up double-digit disposals in three of the four quarters and running at a high efficiency considering her contested numbers were also quite strong. A natural clearance midfielder, Bowering had nine of them, along with 10 inside 50s, setting up numerous scoring chains while kicking a major herself.

She was the subject of our Round 15 Coates Talent League Girls Player Focus.

Tasmania DevilsMidfielder

Priya Bowering

Height: 167cm

Weight: -

DOB: 02-01-2007

PLAYER FOCUS

2024 Coates Talent League Girls:
Tasmania Devils 7.12 (54) defeated Calder Cannons 2.3 (15)

#15 Priya Bowering (Tasmania Devils)
Stats: 47 disposals (24 kicks, 23 handballs) @ 61.7% disposal efficiency, 45.8% contested, 5 marks, 6 tackles, 9 clearances 10 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50

FIRST QUARTER

Priya Bowering started the game at the centre bounce as you would expect, opposed to second-gamer Taya Konias. She quickly gathered her first touch which was on the defensive side of the centre square with a handball as she was put under pressure almost immediately. That pressure would continue across the game, but by the second minute she had already racked up four touches.

That tally included a great intercept and follow-up kick after winning a high free when attempting to shrug off an opponent. She showed off her outstanding footskills when having any time and space, nailing a pass inside 50 to fellow bottom-ager Harriet Bingley who went on to kick the first goal of the game.

The next centre bounce stoppage she was against Konias again, reading the ball off the tap perfectly and quickly dishing off a handball. Less than a minute later she won a groundball, getting to it first and shovelling out the handball.

By the first six minutes of the quarter, she had racked up eight disposals, with the eighth being clever work at the stoppage to nudge the less experienced Konias under the ball, take it from the tap and burst away to kick inside 50. Unfortunately that kick was intercepted inside 50, but showed what her stoppage class was like.

Capable of executing off the non-preferred, Bowering did just that going to the pocket int eh eighth minute as she brought up 10 touches in that time. On record pace to rack up a big number of disposals, Bowering did not stop there. She won another groundball to handball away as she was thrown down, and then bounced up to win a handball receive and kick off a step towards the goalsquare.

Though her teammate lost the one-on-one, Bowering would continue to work, winning another handball before coming off for a few minutes rest. She returned at the next centre bounce when the clock ticked over to the 17th minute where she lined up on Maddison Albrecht.

There she got on the move from a handball receive and thumped it deep inside 50, before having her last possession of the quarter with a minute to play. She quickly rushed off a handball to a nearby teammate as the time ticked down, finishing the quarter with an incredible 16 disposals. Her per game average in the Coates Talent League Girls is 22.1.

SECOND QUARTER

The second term was the only quarter where Bowering did not not up double-digit disposals, but when seven touches in a quarter is the ‘quiet’ quarter, you know you’ve had a massive day. She started the term against double bottom-ager Charli Calleia who would go head-to-head with Bowering for the majority of the day.

At the first centre bounce Bowering got into the right spot to win the ball but was immediately set upon by Albrecht and locked up. After the repeat stoppage, Bowering won her first disposal of the second term which was a quick handball away, but then as she won it again was tackled and immediately dispossessed, before laying her own tackle to force a spilled ball.

There were a couple of times where Bowering almost got clean hands to the ball but spilt out, with her next touch coming in the eighth minute when at the top of 50 she won it off hands cleanly and kicked to the hotspot to set up a goal to Josie Rose.

Opposed to Calleia at the next centre bounce, her opponent got to it first with speed, but Bowering’s teammate Ruby Hall stopped her in her tracks. Bowering provided an important bump on Albrecht a minute later as she went to kick inside 50 forcing the kick to tumble forward and turnover, before winning another handball just as she was able to be tackled.

In the 12th minute of the quarter at half-back, Bowering again had a slight fumble at first, but always grabs it cleanly with the second attempt, getting the ball away via hands. She gathered at the 14-minute mark of the term off the half-volley and got a handball away before it was turned over shortly after and Bowering went back and won it again as she was spun in a tackle.

Her strength to stand up in tackles is a feature of her game as is her ability to take the ball off the bounce at speed. There is a distinct difference in her clean hands in certain situations that can be taken from the match which will be discussed in the closing thoughts.

Bowering closed out the first half with a rest after playing throughout the quarter, with the match mostly taking place on the far wing. Still, boasting around 22 touches at half-time – again, her season average for a match – is an incredible feat.

THIRD QUARTER

Not looking like slowing down any time soon, Bowering was right back in the action at the start of the second half, lining up against Calleia at the centre bounce. She took about a minute and a half to win her first touch, gathering off a second attempt at ground level and firing out the handball. She had another couple of touches in the next 30 seconds with a quick handpass followed by a kick after receiving the ball back.

In the third minute, Bowering won a clearance with an extraction handball at a forward stoppage, then showed off her skill 30 seconds later with a lovely short pass to a teammate to open up the ground in the middle. The Tasmanian midfielder stayed out of the forward stoppages, instead holding a line at the top of the 50 which appeared to be a team directive so Bowering could mop up any dump kicks from forward stoppages.

With Bingley able to be the big-bodied midfielder at forward stoppages, it allowed Bowering to play the role, intercept and then hit targets inside 50. That was exactly what happened in the fifth minute, when she took the intercept off the bounce and produced a brilliant pass into Ava Read who was unfortunately spoiled at the last moment.

She would complete that another couple of times, but mostly worked between her forward 50 arc and the defence, continuing to rack up the ball at will. She took a nice mark on the wing midway through the term and hit another pass lace out, but showed her work rate to push forward and receive the handball, but was immediately tackled and though she handballed it out was called for a throw.

Bowering would have a rest after one more touch, then in the 19th minute, returned to the field and the interchange allowed her to be free and take an uncontested mark. She nailed a short pass, then kept running to receive the handball again, this time pulling the kick and hitting Read lace out 40m from goal.

In the final minute, Bowering found herself inside 50 taking a fantastic mark seconds before the siren. Knowing the time left and the fact she was 35m out from goal, Bowering took it upon herself to go back and take the set shot. Never looking like missing, Bowering cleared the goalline with ease giving her team a boost heading into the final term, while having around 35 disposals.

FOURTH QUARTER

Once again Bowering went up against Calleia at the centre bounce, getting the first handball off the deck, and while an opponent intercepted the handball, the Tasmanian followed up with great pressure. In the second minute, the bottom-ager had a rare moment of space, taking an intercept mark at the top of 50. Her vision and execution were on full display, nailing a pass inside 50 to Bingley on the lead with deadly precision.

At the fifth minute of the term, she had a new opponent at the centre bounce with another second-gamer and double bottom-ager, Caitlyn Kennedy taking her turn on the red-hot Bowering. However the Allies representative showed her smarts by bursting away, winning it straight off the ruck tap and then getting a clean handball to a teammate.

A couple of minutes later, Bowering took another mark, this time an intercept grab in the middle, forced into a high kick that surprisingly proved effective and a teammate marked it. Sensing the importance of Bowering being on field in the run home, she came off for her quarterly rest a little early having notched up a ridiculous 40 touches, then returned for the last half of the term.

When back on she had another slight fumble but gathered it well, handballing away before pushing to the wing, winning it and then kicking inside 50 to a contest. With five minutes to play, Bowering managed to get another kick away while standing up in a tackle, then took a great mark 45m out from goal and thumped it to the top of the goalsquare where she provided a goal assist to debutant Stevie-Lee Jones.

Back at the centre bounce, Bowering went head-to-head with Albrecht – who was clearly Calder’s best in the loss – and while she won it, was immediately tackled by her opponent. She would wrestle the ball away from Albrecht a minute later at the half-forward stoppage and kick it inside 50, before following up to win another handball under pressure despite being spun around in a tackle.

Bowering made a rare mistake after winning a clearance from a half-back stoppage, kicking down the wing but missing a target and bouncing out of bounds. However she quickly recovered to have a nice passage of play against the speedy Albrecht, using her strength to take it from her and spin away with the Calder player’s momentum already off balance.

Albrecht latched onto Bowering, but the Tasmanian still fired out the handball as she was dragged down, finishing the game with another 12 touches in the quarter for 47 all up for the match. She also had the nine clearances and 10 inside 50s in a phenomenal effort.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Priya Bowering is an exciting prospect for next year, and is inside our Top 25 for 2025 as it stands. There are plenty of elements within Bowering’s game to analysis, and for the most part, she has a rock solid game that will have no problems transferring to senior football at the top level.

If we’re talking football wise, he smarts are fantastic. She knows her way around a stoppage, gets to the right positions, and if she can win it on the full off hands, she is good to go. When rotating forward, Bowering finds space inside 50 and looks more comfortable in the role than most midfielders resting forward.

She is strong overhead and will match just about anyone in a one-one, and similarly at ground level too. What is an interesting about Bowering when you analyse really closely is the clean hands aforementioned earlier. The only time she fumbles slightly is when the ball is moving at ground level off a slight bounce. It could be from a ruck tap that’s just evaded her hands, or a kick to space that’s trailing away from her.

However if the ball is stopped or slowing, she is a one-touch player, as is the case when she wins a clear possessions straight off the ruck tap. Once she does that, she is off to the races as her speed and agility – which is in the Top 25 nationally from those who tested this year – is fantastic. Her agility in particular is outstanding, particularly for such a strong inside midfielder.

Her strength is literally a strength and she can draw multiple opponents and bring others into the game. That coupled with her neat skills which while at times can look a bit rough on the move because she is often under pressure, seems to work in most situations.

Overall, Bowering has a really great balance between offensive and defensive traits. She has that natural game-winning ability and is that player who you can send into the middle when you need a vital centre clearance and she will get it done. Her contest-to-contest work allows her to cover the ground well, and aside from tidying up a couple of little things, is a readymade prospect for the future.

Without a doubt, Bowering is one of the top prospects coming into 2025, and is among a host of exciting Tasmanian talents about to enter the elite level.