AFTER an injury-interrupted year curtailed her bottom-age season, ball magnet Chloe Baker-West wasted no time asserting herself on the Coates Talent League competition. The two-time Vic Metro Under 16s MVP was sensational for Calder Cannons in their tight four-point win over Western Jets at Highgate Recreation Reserve on Sunday.

Baker-West racked up 38 disposals, five marks, seven tackles, six clearances, four inside 50s and four rebounds in a performance that has become rather standard for her, even if limited last year. The talented high-volume prospect who can play across all three lines only got the chance to run out for three games given her school commitments and then injury, but is back to full fitness and impressing from the get-go.

CHLOE BAKER-WEST PROFILE

DOB: 02/02/2007
Height: 165cm
Position: Utility
Strengths: Production, work rate game sense, footy IQ
Improvements: Composure, decision making

PLAYER FOCUS:

2025 Coates Talent League Girls: Round 1
Calder Cannons 4.9 (33) defeated Western Jets 4.6 (30)

#3 Chloe Baker-West (Calder Cannons)
Stats: 38 disposals, 5 marks, 7 tackles, 6 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s, 2 behinds, 149 AFL Fantasy points

FIRST QUARTER

Baker-West started in the match on-ball as a sweeper which came as no surprise given her ability to read the ball in the air and stoppage craft that allows her to move through traffic and get first hands to it most of the time. She won the opening centre clearance with a quick kick to half-forward and within the first few minutes was already racking the ball up with ease.

Defensively, Baker-West was holding her own, throwing her weight around and laying some fierce tackles. She won a free kick for dispossessing her opponent in a tackle, only to then give away one for too high four minutes later. Baker-West was feeling confident early on though, fending off an opponent at half-back to deliver down the wing.

One to always assess her options when having time and space, she would either go long down the line or look to cut off into the corridor. When under pressure, Baker-West still tended to put the ball on the boot quickly, but with space ahead of her, was able to lower the eyes and pick out shorter targets. By quarter time, Baker-West had amassed 12 disposals to be the biggest ball-winner on the ground.

SECOND QUARTER

The second quarter started with Baker-West rotating forward to allow fellow National Academy member Jade McLay into the middle. It was a switch that occurred a few times throughout the match as the Cannons wanted one of their star utilities in the middle, and the other forward of centre to be a marking target. Baker-West’s first involvement was pressure through a tackle, and her first disposal came after a courageous mark on the defensive side of the wing.

She began to accumulate the ball once more, with a slick handball off the deck before earning an in the back free kick, then with that, dished off to the running McLay. Baker-West would show her strength overhead for a 165cm talent, clunking a contest mark just inside 50. While the distance was right on her range, she looked good with the set shot for the most part before it was touched on the line.

The Calder Cannons top-ager set up a goal two kicks out from the major with an important disposal going inside 50. She finished off with a couple more touches to end the first half, including a handball that was a direct goal assist on the edge of half-time. When the siren sounded, Baker-West was up to 23 disposals and well on her way to another enormous tally.

THIRD QUARTER

Starting back on-ball for the premiership quarter with Calder 28-9 in front entering the term, Baker-West again won the first clearance and threw it on the boot to space at half-forward. She worked over to apply pressure at ground level, then had a couple of attempts to clear the ball from congestion on the wing, but both kicks were smothered.

An end-on-end bomb from half-back achieved the goal of distance in the seventh minute, and then Baker-West almost clunked a mark in the defensive 50, but it slipped out of her hands. While opponent Polly Conway scooped it up to try and stream into goal, Baker-West leapt into action, laying a crucial tackle and forcing a rushed shot and behind.

Baker-West would be pinged for holding the ball in the middle at a centre stoppage as the Jets started to work their way back into the contest, and everything seemed to be going right for the visitors. Baker-West finished with a couple more disposals to move to 34 for the day, following an 11-disposal term, 10 of which were kicks.

FOURTH QUARTER

Starting forward yet again, the fourth term was Baker-West’s quietest with just four disposals to take her total to 38. However coming back from a long-term injury over the off-season, the National Academy member finished the game on the bench with a long season ahead and a busy schedule for the talented prospect.

She won most of her disposals in the first five minutes, two of which were quick shots on. goal though one missed and another bounced out of bounds via the behind post. She ended the match with 38 disposals at 52.6 per cent efficiency, winning more than half of her possessions in a contest. She has a knack for finding both contested and uncontested possessions and was particularly influential across the first three quarters.

FINAL THOUGHTS…

Baker-West finished the day with a stat-stuffing performance, and while she has had bigger games in terms of disposals, she showed that she is ready for a massive year after an injury-interrupted one last season. Her production is almost unmatched compared to her peers, helped out by a high work rate and ability to cover the ground and get into the right spots.

With time and space, the Cannons utility can inflict plenty of damage, with her main areas of improvement coming with her composure and decision making when under pressure and not being as reliant on bombing the ball from the stoppage forward. He clean hands and vision are great, and when behind the ball reads the play so well.

The fact she can play across all three lines is a huge tick, and for a player of her size, she is just as strong overhead as she is at ground level. A big year awaits, with not only Calder, but Vic Metro and the National Academy matches, the latter of which is coming up in just over a week’s time. Keep an eye on what Baker-West can do in 2025.