VIC COUNTRY opened the 2025 AFLW Under 18 National Championships with a 46-point win over the Allies on Sunday. After a slow start at Trevor Barker Beach Oval, the Vics piled on seven first half goals and restricted the visitors to just one major either side of the main break. We took note of some of the top performers and prospects from either side.

>> Match Report: Country weathers early storm to bolt home

VIC COUNTRY:

#7 Maggie Johnstone (GWV Rebels)
Midfielder | 171cm | 06/06/2007

Stats: 20 disposals, 7 tackles, 3 clearances, 1 goal

The standout player afield, particularly in the first half where Johnston racked up 13 of her game-high 20 disposals. Her size and power were factors at the contest, able to scrap for possession or bustle her way to the outside, while also laying strong tackles to create two-way impact. Johnston complimented that grunt work with moments of class, including her running goal in the first term.

#18 Stella Huxtable (Geelong Falcons)
Midfielder | 172cm | 22/12/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 4 tackles, 8 clearances

Huxtable was Vic Country’s premier inside ball winner, leading the game with 15 contested possessions and eight clearances. She was supremely clean around the contest alongside Geelong Falcons teammate Georgia Tyrrell, often dishing the ball out by hand. When she cleared by foot, Huxtable set up a pair of scoring opportunities for her teammates in the second quarter.

#19 Ella Stoddart (Gippsland Power)
Defender | 174cm | 30/01/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 4 marks, 7 rebound 50s

One of the main distributors out of defence for Vic Country, Stoddart used the length in her kicking to gain valuable meterage off the last line. She carried the ball with purpose and built a wall when her side was attacking, so as to help lock the ball in. While her booming kicks were not always effective, Stoddart held her own in important contested situations and was hard at the footy.

#21 Jovie Skewes-Clinton (GWV Rebels)
Forward | 176cm | 15/12/2007

Stats: 8 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 goals

Skewes-Clinton was central to Vic Country establishing its first half ascendancy, booting two of her three classy goals before the main break. She proved a tough matchup at 176cm, boasting a mix of size and athleticism to match her skill inside 50. The top-ager showcased terrific goal sense with finishes on the inside and outside of her boot, competing overhead and beating opponents with her physicality at ground level. She was also a lively avenue forward for others to score, and plenty of attacks went through her hands in what was a performance full of upside.

#24 Nalu Brothwell (Dandenong Stingrays)
Forward | 174cm | 22/10/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 marks, 1 goal

A mobile, dynamic tall forward, Brothwell provided great connection for Vic Country with her ventures up the field. She would often clear out the forward 50, hit up at the ball and then use her athleticism to make things happen in attacking phases. While sometimes caught in two minds and slow to release the footy, Brothwell was able to buy time by stepping around opponents and generally put the ball into dangerous areas. She capped off her game with a late goal out the back.

#25 Mizuki Brothwell (Dandenong Stingrays)
Defender | 175cm | 22/10/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 3 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Playing almost the perfectly inverse role to her twin sister, Brothwell was a reliable interceptor and rebounder across half-back. She would often meet the ball at speed and use her momentum to carry it forward, providing spurts of run to turn defence into attack. For all her dare, Brothwell also proved clean in possession and was particularly composed when dishing off by hand.

#27 Elsie Conroy (GWV Rebels)
Defender | 172cm | 19/08/2007

Stats: 13 disposals, 6 marks, 2 rebound 50s

A solid defender with all the fundamentals of a natural footballer, Conroy was resolute for Vic Country. Often stationed as the deepest defender, she impacted with sound reading of the play and a clean set of hands to reel in several intercept marks. She was also quite composed when delivering the ball off the last line, showing good technique with 12 of her 13 disposals being kicks.

#32 Abby Hobson (Gippsland Power)
Forward | 174cm | 11/09/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 3 marks, 2 goals

Vic Country’s spearhead tall forward, Hobson snared both her goals in the first half to follow through on her side’s momentum swing. She took a nice grab extending overhead for her second major and generally presented well up the ground, while also being able to bring others into the game by absorbing pressure and dishing the ball off by hand inside forward 50.

ALLIES:

#1 Mischa Barwin (Lauderdale/Tasmania)
Forward/Midfielder | 164cm | 04/12/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 5 tackles, 3 clearances

Barwin ran riot in the opening stages, peppering the goals with three behinds in the first six minutes. She seemed to have a hand in all the Allies’ early attacks, stepping onto her right side and snapping the ball towards goal at every opportunity. Such play became somewhat predictable after Barwin’s first couple of attempts and she couldn’t convert such liveliness to scoreboard impact, but was one of her side’s absolute best on the day. Her wicked side-step and gritty tackles caused headaches for Vic Country, and she was a vital attacking cog – also spending time on-ball in the second half.

#12 Charlotte Tidemann (Swans Academy/NSW)
Defender/Wing | 169cm | 08/08/2008

Stats: 11 disposals, 7 tackles, 3 inside 50s

Like Barwin, Tidemann provided fierce tackling pressure and defied her stature in doing so. The bottom-ager showcased punishing closing speed to catch Vic Country ball carriers unawares, including with a couple of holding-the-ball chases. Her repeat efforts and ability to hit the ball at pace caught the eye, especially when collecting off the deck before taking on an opponent.

#15 Mia Anderson (Clarence/Tasmania)
Wing | 171cm | 14/02/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 3 marks, 5 clearances

While mostly stationed out on a wing, Anderson wasn’t afraid to fold in on the contest and won five clearances in doing so. She would often take the defensive side of stoppages and showed great core strength to power out of tackles before getting a kick away. Such play, and Anderson’s dynamic ground level ability at 171cm, earned her time running on-ball in the second half.

#16 Priya Bowering (Lauderdale/Tasmania)
Midfielder | 167cm | 02/01/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 5 tackles, 3 clearances

As reliable as they come in midfield, Bowering competed hard at the coalface. She looked focussed when fighting for the loose ball and while there were few clean possessions to be won, the Tasmanian remained engaged in the contest both ways. Bowering has the power to drive her legs out of congestion more often but instead showed her athletic traits with a nice overhead mark at half-forward. She also tended to thump the ball forward off one or two steps under pressure.

#19 Alex Neyland (Swans Academy/NSW)
Tall Forward/Defender | 178cm | 04/09/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 inside 50s

An absolute standout as far as prospects go for the Allies, Neyland is the ideal new-age footballer. Along with Barwin, every Allies attack seemed to go through her in the first half as she showcased great athleticism to compete both aerially and at ground level. Neyland’s movement up the field made her hard to contain and she remained competitive once swung to defence after half time. There, she read the ball well and was quick enough to impact several marking contests, although the Swans Academy member can continue to work on refining her skills under pressure.

#28 Isla Wiencke (Giants Academy/ACT)
Midfielder | 175cm | 30/03/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 9 tackles, 3 clearances

Along with Bowering and Zoe Curry, Wiencke helped form a formidable contested ball winning trio to compete against fairly seasoned opposition. She won 12 contested possessions and laid a team-high nine tackles, providing a no-frills approach but getting the job done. The 2024 Allies MVP was strong over the ball and either rolled off or broke through tackles to surge the ball forward.

#39 Madeleine Quinn (Swans Academy/NSW)
Ruck/Key Forward | 185cm | 10/02/2007

Stats: 10 disposals, 4 marks, 20 hitouts

Quinn showed plenty of promise as an athletic tall, losing the hitout count but providing more around the ground. She spent time up forward and took a strong grab inside 50, although couldn’t quite convert her chance with a wayward set shot. The Swans Academy ruck also extended at the aerial ball nicely for a couple of clean intercept marks in the second half, sitting a kick behind the play to lock it into the Allies’ attacking area.