ELEVEN teams featured across the extended weekend for Coates Talent League, with 10 of those highlighted in our Round 8 Team of the Week. The side also includes the standalone match between the Sandringham Dragons and Northern Territory to make it a six-game schedule.

No side has more than three representatives in n even spread, with the Dragons, Eastern Ranges, Oakleigh Chargers and Murray Bushrangers all gaining that representation, as both Dandenong Stingrays and Tasmania Devils had a trio of talents each in their nail-biting clash. Of the other sides, the remaining winner Gippsland Power had two, as did Sydney Swans Academy, while Northern Territory and Bendigo Pioneers had the sole representative.

Our captain for Round 8 is none other than Player of the Week, Brylee Anderson, with the Eastern Ranges bottom-ager slotting three goals from 30 touches and having an impact all over the field. She was joined in the side by fellow bottom-ager Emily Rankin who was squeezed to the bench due to the depth of the midfield this week, as well as first time Team of the Week representative, Emma Di Petta.

On Thursday night, Sandringham had a number of key players stand up, headlined by midfielder Macy Watkins, taking control of the midfield when she was in there, but working to the outside as well and was plonked on a wing for the Round 8 Team of the Week. Dragons forwards Sienna Sharp and Maya Duane were both named inside 50, with the latter alongside Bailee Martin (Oakleigh Chargers) and Majella Day (Murray Bushrangers) who fill out those two spots for the third consecutive round.

Oakleigh Under 16s talent Cleo Barbakas was outstanding around the ground for the Chargers, with the tall making it onto the bench, while star midfielder Chloe Bown took up her spot on-ball once more. She is alongside another Under 16s prospect in Matilda Lange who was enormous in the Devils’ upset win over Dandenong Stingrays. Her fellow midfielders Mischa Barwin and Priya Bowering were too good not to make the team and earned places on the bench.

Alongside Day, fellow Giants Academy member and now Murray Bushrangers utility Ellie Hall slotted into centre half-back, while top-ager Rain Dodd had a day out with 32 touches in blustery conditions against Northern Territory. The sole Top End talent in the side is Danika McDonald who was among her side’s best across both losses to the Bushrangers and Dragons.

Despite playing in a loss, Dandenong Stingrays still had plenty of eye-catching players, with Matilda Argus having the ball on a string out of the back half for the home side in defeat to the Devils. Forward Evelyn Connolly booted three goals, while ruck Sophie White had a mammoth 46 hitouts and had to earn her spot in the starting role.

Completing the midfield is Swans Academy ball-winner Kiera Yerbury who notched up 34 touches against the Chargers and was unbelievable in the first term as the Swans jumped the reigning premiers. She and bottom-age prospect Charlotte Tidemann made the side, while Bendigo Pioneers’ Issy Boulton also stuffed the stats sheet and slotted into half-back.

Gippsland Power kicked away from Bendigo in the last game of the round to make it tough to pick standouts, with both representatives of Lily Milner and Baia Pugh named on the bench, deserving of their spots. As for the three emergencies, debutants Alira Barnard-Rossely (Eastern Ranges) and Claudia Kogler (Sandringham Dragons) impressed, while Dandenong Stingrays’ Lillian Snow narrowly missed out on the mid/forward bench spot just behind Pugh.

2025 COATES TALENT LEAGUE GIRLS TEAM OF THE WEEK: ROUND 8

B: Charlotte Tidemann (Swans Academy) – Danika McDonald (Northern Territory) – Matilda Argus (Dandenong Stingrays)
HB: Issy Boulton (Bendigo Pioneers) – Ellie Hall (Murray Bushrangers) – Emma Di Petta (Eastern Ranges)
C: Macy Watkins (Sandringham Dragons) – Kiera Yerbury (Swans Academy) – Rain Dodd (Murray Bushrangers)
HF: Evelyn Connolly (Dandenong Stingrays) – Sienna Sharp (Sandringham Dragons) – Brylee Anderson (Eastern Ranges) (c)
F: Majella Day (Murray Bushrangers) – Bailee Martin (Oakleigh Chargers) – Maya Duane (Sandringham Dragons)
R: Sophie White (Dandenong Stingrays) – Chloe Bown (Oakleigh Chargers) – Matilda Lange (Tasmania Devils)
INT: Cleo Barbakas (Oakleigh Chargers) – Mischa Barwin (Tasmania Devils) – Priya Bowering (Tasmania Devils) – Lily Milner (Gippsland Power) – Baia Pugh (Gippsland Power) – Emily Rankin (Eastern Ranges)

EMG: Alira Barnard-Rossely (Eastern Ranges) – Claudia Kogler (Sandringham Dragons) – Lillian Snow (Dandenong Stingrays)