DESPITE conditions that would be adverse to key forwards having an impact, it was the work of both Dekota Baron and Olivia Wolmarans that caught the eye during a blustery Under 17 Futures clash at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

In a momentum-swinging match with a strong breeze blowing down the south end of the ground, Team Morrison – named after current Geelong AFLW player Nina – came home with a wet sail to defeat Team Prespakis – after Essendon AFLW midfielder Madison – in an entertaining contest, 10.8 (68) to 9.4 (58).

If you left at quarter time, the final result might have left you scratching your head given Prespakis piled on 6.2 (38) while keeping Morrison scoreless across the first 20 minutes. In that time, West Australian talls Wolmarans and Alicia Blizard each kicked two majors, while North Adelaide small forward Sarcha Taylor and Dandenong forward Nalu Brothwell also converted goals in the quarter.

Team Morrison hardly had an inside 50 with the defensive pressure of Prespakis – lead by the likes of Ella Stoddart and Alex McBride-Loane in the back 50 – repelling most of the attacks. The side’s intensity was on from the first bounce with Central District talent Mikaylah Antony producing a memorable run-down tackle in the opening minutes of the game to win a holding the ball free in the defensive 50.

It helped that Prespakis’ midfield group of skipper Priya Bowering, Giants Academy utility Isla Wiencke and Queensland onballer Annabelle Foat were all on-song early and helped the team take a 38-point lead into the first break.

The conditions meant the highly touted forward combination up the other end of Dekota Baron and Eloise Mackereth hardly saw the action in the first quarter, but the former was on the board five minutes into the next term after a good mark on the lead at close range. She would kick her second just a few minutes later from a quick snap under pressure, with Geelong Falcons’ Stella Huxtable kicking a similar goal in between, and Team Morrison was back in action.

Steadying the ship against the breeze, Blizard slotted her third goal after providing too quick at ground level for Zara Neuwirth whose height and athleticism made her a tricky opponent in the air. However that goal would be Prespakis’ only major for the quarter as Wolmarans missed a running chance and following a near end-to-end play, another West Australian in Alira Fotu added her name to the goalkicking lists.

The run-down tackle from Territorian Marika Carlton as Taylor ran inside 50 was the defensive highlight of the term, and things went from bad to worse for Prespakis as Wolmarans limped from the field at the 14-minute mark. On the field, Huxtable kicked her second goal for the quarter and Morrison’s fifth, with the white jumper side cutting the deficit to just 14 points at the main break.

Luckily for Prespakis, the injury to Wolmarans was not serious as she returned for the second half and kicked the first goal of the third term with an easy-as-you-like snap from 20m. When Taylor’s forward craft came to the fore midway through the term to get over the back and waltz into goal, the game looked as good as over with the lead now back out beyond four goals.

However determined not to let the game get away from them the likes of Sophie Eaton – who was moved into defence – and Sienna Gerardi put speed on the ball to burst down the ground. It worked when South Fremantle’s Renee Morgan used her fantastic foot skills to hit up Bendigo tall Ava Bibby for the set shots.

One of the better set shots going around, Bibby made no mistake converting the goal and giving her side a sniff at the final break. Morrison still trailed by three goals at the last change but had the wind, and would look to repeat their five goals to one second term in the final stanza.

As expected, the play was almost exclusively down Team Morrison’s forward end, with Wiencke moved into defence and providing a big bump to save an early chance. However Baron quickly got her side on the board with a ridiculous snap around her body for a big, and when West Adelaide tall Chloe Tonkin took a huge intercept mark off the kickout and received a 50m penalty for encroachment, the South Australian cut the deficit to under a kick.

The midfield core of Queensland duo Georja Davies in the ruck and Bronte Parker on-ball was working around the stoppages, while Huxtable had been lively all game between midfield at attack, helping get her side on top.

Mackereth was starting to get her hands on the ball which is always a dangerous proposition for the opposition, hitting up Tonkin for another chance – that unfortunately went into the behind post – before having a chance herself. Looking good for the most part, the Glenelg young gun began to celebrate putting her side in front midway through the term, but it was touched on the line where the bottom-ager could see the funny side in the premature celebration.

The weight of forward 50 numbers would soon win out with Baron clunking another good mark and instead of going for goal opted to pass to the loose Bibby 35m out. The Bendigo Pioneers bottom-ager went back and made no mistake to put her side in front, and then a minute later, the identical set play happened again with Fotu hitting up Bibby by herself and the tall forward converting truly.

While Prespakis was able to stem the bleeding after that, they still could not get it up the other end to score, as Mizuki Brothwell and Eastern Ranges Tayla McMillan provided some nice drive from the back half of the ground. By the final siren, Morrison had kicked 4.4 to 0.0 in the final term to run over the top of Prespakis and enjoy a 10-point victory in an entertaining showcase.

Baron won the MVP for the winning side, having 10 disposals, three marks – one contested, and two score involvements on top of her three majors. Huxtable (15 disposals, three clearances, three inside 50s, four tackles and two goals) was also outstanding, while through the middle, Parker racked up a match-high nine clearances to go with 23 disposals – 18 contested – four inside 50s and seven tackles.

West Australian Mia Russo got better as the game went on to record 17 disposals, three inside 50s, three tackles and two score involvements, while Davies finished with 14 hitouts and four clearances from 16 disposals. Mizuki Brothwell (eight disposals, four rebound 50s and five tackles) was very good defensively, and Bibby (three goals from four kicks) economical inside 50.

For Prespakis, Wolmarans had 12 disposals, four marks – three contested – three goals and two behinds from her day up forward to win the MVP, while Wiencke (21 disposals, four marks – two contested – three clearances, three inside 50s, four tackles and two score involvements) as also outstanding.

Playing between defence and midfield, Monique Bessen ran at an elite 83.3 per cent efficiency, while Bowering was massive on-ball with a team-high seven clearances from 16 disposals. McBride-Loane (17 disposals, five marks – one contested – and five rebound 50s and Stoddart (14 disposals, four tackles and four rebound 50s) were both good out of defence, while Annabelle Foat and Blizard were lively in midfield and attack respectively.

MORRISON  0.0 | 5.1 | 6.4 | 10.8 (68)
PRESPAKIS 6.2 | 7.3 | 9.4 | 9.4 (58)

GOALS:
Morrison: D. Baron 3, A. Bibby 3, S. Huxtable 2, A. Fotu, C. Tonkin
Prespakis: A. Blizard 3, O. Wolmarans 3, S. Taylor 2, N. Brothwell

RMC BEST:
Morrison: D. Baron, B. Parker, S. Huxtable, G. Davies, M. Russo, T. McMillan
Prespakis: O. Wolmarans, I. Wiencke, P. Bowering, M. Bessen, A. Foat, A. McBride-Loane