DESPITE going down in a tough Coates Talent League Grand Final, Eastern Ranges midfielder Grace Belloni had a huge performance on the weekend. Belloni starred for her side in such a industrious performance, cracking in from the first bounce through to the final siren.

Belloni had a match-high 31 disposals and eight clearances, ran at 58 per cent contested rate wit ha 52 per cent disposal efficiency. She also clunked a couple of contested marks and was able to find space to have a few foray forays as well as assist in defence.

She was the second subject of our Coates Talent League Girls Grand Final Player Focus.

>> CTLG Grand Final Player Focus: Sienna Tallariti (Oakleigh Chargers)

Box Hill VFLW, Eastern RangesTall Forward

Grace Belloni

Height: 174cm

Weight: -

DOB: 09-09-2006

PLAYER FOCUS

2024 Coates Talent League Girls Grand Final:
Oakleigh Chargers 5.7 (37) defeated Eastern Ranges 2.7 (19)

#11 Grace Belloni (Eastern Ranges)
Stats: 31 disposals (14 kicks, 17 handballs) @ 52% efficiency, 6 marks (2 contested), 3 tackles, 8 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

FIRST QUARTER

Grace Belloni started at the first centre bounce opposed to Chloe Bown and earned the first clear disposal which was a handball to Molly Paterson allowing her to kick inside 50. While not getting her hands on it in the first few minutes following that, Belloni had a purple patch through the middle 10 minutes of the quarter.

In the seventh minute, she won a clearance from the defensive 50 though that quick dump kick was intercepted just outside the 50. She had another quick handball from congestion towards Grace Baba that just slipped off hands for Zoe Curry to take a flying shot which hit the post.

Though the Oakleigh pressure was forcing turnovers, Belloni was able to find some space running off half-back and hit up a nice kick into the corridor moments later. She would then show her defensive attitude with a sublime run-down tackle on Charlotte Brewer on the wing that forced a turnover.

She would have another kick midway through the term to go inside 50 as she was dragged down but then copped a knock at half-back and looked winded so came off for the rest of the term in the 13th minute of the quarter.

Despite missing the last seven minutes of the quarter, Belloni was up to six disposals and two clearances.

SECOND QUARTER

In the second term, fellow Vic Metro midfielder Sarah Poustie went head-to-head with Belloni to try and quell her influence around the stoppages. While still both went their separate ways outside the contest, it was a fascinating battle that by the end of the match would go to Belloni for her clearance work and impact all over the ground.

In the fourth minute of the term, Belloni marked at half-back and was able to put it in front of her teammate to run onto and it almost created a goal-scoring opportunity. Unfortunately a missed handball inside 50 allowed Oakleigh to lock the ball up.

Holding a good line at half-forward, Belloni marked a dump kick out of defence and then put it to the pocket to a teammate to have a shot then had her own attempt in the seventh minute. Receiving the ball by hand just inside 50 she ran forward and launched on goal but had more time than she thought and put it out on the full.

In the 14th minute, Belloni gathered well at half-back, shrugged a would-be tackler and put the pill into the middle of the ground. By the end of the half, Belloni would be up to 12 touches, two marks, two tackles and three clearances, but her best was yet to come.

THIRD QUARTER

Belloni would go on to have 19 disposals in the second half, highlighted by 11 in the third term and eight in the fourth to blast past 30 disposals by game’s end. In both quarters she started on-ball against Poustie and in the third term, was first to the ball handballing clear as she was tackled.

Despite having a slight fumble at the 30-second mark, Belloni showed a great second effort to win it at ground level and shovel the ball out to a teammate, before maintaining a high line at half-forward and taking a strong intercept mark in the third minute and kicking to a contest inside 50.

Her contest work was sublime through the premiership quarter, running into a forward stoppage and despite being half-tackled got the ball free. She did it again under pressure to dish off to her skipper Georgie Brisbane, and then had a play of individual brilliance in the eighth minute of the quarter.

She ran onto the loose ball at half-forward and after seeing she had space on her opponent weighted a lovely kick to Georgia Knight one-on-one close to goal. Unfortunately the set shot missed, but it showed Belloni’s decision making to pass to her teammate rather than blaze away on goal.

Midway through the quarter Belloni was back in defence and took it cleanly off the deck kicking it into the middle. Though Poustie and the Chargers were well set up to intercept, Belloni continued to battle hard to get the ball forward at all costs.

In the last few minutes she had another eye-catching play by running hard off half-back and dancing around opponents via a 360-degree spin that caught them off guard. She would have two more disposals after that with a kick down the ground from the wing to a half-forward contest, and then a good second effort handball away after an initial fumble in the dying moments.

In her third quarter alone, Belloni recorded 11 disposals and four clearances, stepping up to the plate in a big way.

FOURTH QUARTER

Resuming her regular position in the starting midfield against Poustie, Belloni looked to run through traffic to win it but could not quite take it cleanly. She followed up well and put pressure on the opposition.

In the fourth minute, Belloni had a brilliant gather under pressure in the defensive 50 and was able to handball off her non-dominant left side then after it came towards her again, clunked a brilliant contested mark up against Amelie Gladman despite having the back position in the marking contest. The kick from that went to the wing and was advantageous to her side.

A couple of minutes later, Belloni gathered cleverly off the bounce and had a quick handball just in front of Jordyn Allen to burst forward and set her sights on goal. She would have a couple more instances throughout the last quarter where she won quick touches that worked well.

Her final disposal with a nice intercept at half-forward and the elite release from hand to Baba was brilliant and summed up just a couple of the strengths in her game, namely extraction, clean hands and execution by hand.

Belloni’s final quarter consisted of eight disposals and three marks, and while she only added the one more clearance to her name, found more of the ball across the ground with a second rebound 50 in the quarter.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Grace Belloni has had a brilliant top-age season that is deserving of plaudits. Consistently strong through midfield after being a forward-turned-midfielder in her bottom-age season, the tough inside ball-winner is so strong on the inside and clean by hand.

She might not be explosively quick, but has fantastic power that allows her to motor past opponents and break would-be tackles. She covers the ground very well, and Belloni’s contest-to-contest work along with her balance of offensive and defensive traits are fantastic.

While under pressure her polish can further develop, if given time and space, she can weight her kicks and hit targets in dangerous spots with good decision making ability. Going forward, Belloni is a player who could start as a forward at the top level and pinch-hit through the middle, and then essentially switch as he career goes on.

To cap off her year with such a prominent performance in the grand final will only rise her stocks, and she could not have done much more than she did on the biggest stage in what was a tough loss for the Ranges.