SANDRINGHAM Dragons notched up their second consecutive wint with a comprehensive 83-point belting of Northern Territory last Thursday night in the standalone Round 7 Coates Talent League Girls match. Played on a cold May night at RSEA Park, the Dragons proved far too good for the Top End talent, running out 13.8 (86) to 0.3 (3) winners.

ROOKIE ME CENTRAL MEDAL VOTES:

5 – Macy Watkins (Sandringham Dragons)
4 – Sienna Sharp (Sandringham Dragons)
3 – Maya Duane (Sandringham Dragons)
2 – Claudia Kogler (Sandringham Dragons)
1 – Danika McDonald (Northern Territory)

Sandringham Dragons:

#10 Macy Watkins
Midfielder | 172cm | 24/05/2007

Stats: 32 disposals, 5 marks, 6 tackles, 3 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal

Produced another consistent performance for the Dragons, working hard both on the inside and outside of midfield, but able to just keep getting the ball forward. Often under a lot of pressure, she was a touch fumbly in the conditions, but her second efforts made up for it and she was able to follow-up consistently well. A 50m penalty for encroachment after a mark sent her to close range where she made no mistake. Defensively a star as has been the case for her over the last couple of seasons.

#24 Claudia Kogler
Midfielder | 172cm | 03/04/2009

Stats: 29 disposals, 1 mark, 6 tackles, 3 clearances, 4 inside 50s

Made her debut and produced an outstanding performance to be among the top few on the ground with her midfield craft on show. Kogler played between midfield and defence for Vic Metro at the Under 16s Championships, but had no problems slotting straight on-ball against the Territory, racking up the second most touches and laying six tackles. Her release by hand and vision stood out at the coalface, with 21 contested possessions and 10 hardball gets summing up the way she thrived in the dewy conditions.

#28 Amy Smith
Wing/Defender | 172cm | 07/11/2007

Stats: 13 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles, 1 clearance, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

The midfielder spent time at half-back to begin then pushed up to a wing where she showed some promising signs. Was not as efficient as her usual elite skills would show, but still got into ball-winning positions. Though it was a tough night to possess the football cleanly, Smith tried and run and carry where possible and looked for the give-and-go’s.

#29 Isla Tucker
Defender | 168cm | 11/07/2008

Stats: 10 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles, 2 rebound 50s

Did not have a lot to do in all honesty but the bottom-ager provided a calming influence behind the ball. Had an unlucky free for a throw against her when it looked like her handball was good while tackled, but went at a 90 per cent disposal efficiency which did not come as a surprise. A player who places a premium on ball retention, Tucker did mop up on a few occasions and also hold a high line.

#44 Sienna Sharp
Forward/Midfielder | 177cm | 30/09/2007

Stats: 28 disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 2 hitouts, 5 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 1 goal, 1 behind

It was another big game from Sharp who posed all sorts of problems for the opposition with her size and strength both up forward or around the ball. She kicked a goal from a set shot, with another touched on the line and set up Peggy Martin as well. A key architect in getting the ball forward, Sharp was everywhere in the front half and not only competed strongly in the air, but at ground level too. The skipper lead from the front and worked hard to get into ball-winning positions for her teammates and presented around the ground.

#59 Maya Duane
Midfielder/Forward | 180cm | 16/03/2009

Stats: 16 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 6 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 4 goals, 1 behind

Graduated to spend time in the middle like she did at the National Development Championships, then finished booting four goals in that midfield-forward rotation anyway. Just a nightmare for any opposition defender, Duane was too athletic and dangerous close to the big sticks with three of her goals coming from crafty snaps and another from a close-range set shot. She missed her other close-range set shot in a bit of a surprise, though as a whole she was the most damaging forward on the ground.

Northern Territory:

#1 Marika Carlton
Midfielder | 159cm | 03/08/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 9 tackles, 4 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50

Naturally Carlton’s explosive speed was on display and she worked hard on the inside to try and breakaway and create something from the stoppage. The wet conditions made it tricky for her to be clean and that is an area she can continue to improve, but once she had it, she was bursting clear looking to get it forward. Defensively she was terrific, and though her efficiency was down, she looked lively across the course of the four quarters and tried hard.

#2 Layla May
Wing/Midfielder | 155cm | 14/05/2009

Stats: 17 disposals, 1 mark, 9 tackles, 4 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

Teamed up well with Carlton through the middle and the small prospect really showed her wares. May is tenacious defensively and despite her 155cm frame, threw herself at everything. She shared the team-high four clearance count with Carlton and won the bulk of her touches in contested situations. Like Carlton, her efficiency was down due to the pressure around the ball, but she was easily one of the Territory’s best throughout the course of the night.

#6 Tatyana Perry
Defender/Midfielder | 170cm | 28/02/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 2 marks, 3 tackles, 2 clearances, 1 inside 50

After playing with Oakleigh Chargers thus far this season, Perry came back to lend support and leadership in defence for the Top End. Even she made some uncharacteristic mistakes with a number of clangers a player of her skill would rarely do, though it was clear the experience of the Territory side was not on the same level as the Chargers which made it difficult to be on the same page. She had some midfield minutes to get around the ball and add a little more height to the side there, getting in and winning some contested touches.

#8 Peggy Rock
Forward/Midfielder | 166cm | 20/07/2009

Stats: 13 disposals, 4 marks, 1 tackle, 2 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

The Under 16s talent might have only been rewarded with one tackle, but her defensive pressure is superb, and she has some unique traits. Able to kick on both sides of her body, Rock has great vision and can hit some nice passes going forward, and while still developing some fundamentals, she plays on instinct which will take her a long way.

#25 Danika McDonald
Tall Defender | 174cm | 06/06/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles, 1 hitout, 5 rebound 50s

Was rock solid and reliable for the Territory on the last line when often under siege. Shaking off a couple of mistakes early, McDonald composed herself to quell several Dragons forward forays and became a consistent distributor from defence. She looks for a short option and will often run past for a handball receive before going longer in an attempt to break down the defensive structures, but does her best work in the air once she get into the right positions.