AN EXPERIENCED player at Coates Talent League level amongst a host of young developing ones across both sides, Gippsland Power’s Ella Stoddart had a big game for her side in the hard-fought win over Eastern Ranges. The Ranges were missing a stack of top-end talent due to Vic Metro duties, but the Power still came out and got the job done by 20 points at La Trobe University in Bundoora.

We took a deep dive into the National Academy member’s performance for the Power.

PLAYER FOCUS:

2025 Coates Talent League Girls – Round 13:
Gippsland Power 6.10 (46) def. Eastern Ranges 3.8 (26)

#19 Ella Stoddart (Gippsland Power)
Stats: 31 disposals (23 kicks, 8 handballs) @ 83.9% DE & 44.8% CP, 5 marks (1 contested), 1 tackle, 1 clearance, 9 rebound 50s, 104 AFL Fantasy

FIRST HALF

Stoddart started in her trusty half-back role where her first touch came off a handball receive where she kicked well to a one-on-one. Her first half was enormous and racked up 17 disposals to lead all-comers on the ground. In fact, only five other players bettered that total for the entire four quarters.

What Stoddart showed over the first 40 minutes was back to her scintillating best of her Under 16s year and throughout big moments as a bottom-ager. Her form had been building as the Coates Talent League season has rolled on, but the performance against Eastern was her best of the season.

Though the first half, Stoddart was able to compete in the air and immediately impact at ground level with fantastic follow-up work where she put pressure on the opposition forwards. She was generally clean – aside from one or two rare fumbles – and she showed the willingness to run which has made her such a valuable player.

While Stoddart’s gamestyle is often rinse and repeat – in a good way – which involves her intercepting the ball in defence and driving it long, she had a couple of big moments outside of that, including a desperate goal-saving intercept in the goalsquare and with composure hit-up a target at half back.

In the same second quarter, she burst out of defence with a couple of bounces and kicked effectively to the wing and finished off with two disposals right before the half-time siren transition from defence to the wing in what was to be an unforgettable first half.

SECOND HALF

Stoddart still added another 14 disposals to her name through the second half, though admittedly had less to do in the last 40 minutes for the most part. The first half of quarter three saw Gippsland Power really get on top, so the bulk of the Power defender’s touches came in the last eight minutes of the quarter, including a few at the top of the attacking 50.

She often won it off the handball receive and pumped it inside 50 to the hotspot, though also took a great intercept mark on the wing. Her low dagger was impressive even with it just slipping through her teammate’s hands. In addition to her evident running and intercepting traits, when in congestion and being tackled, Stoddart stood up to get her hands free and still dish off which was an impressive element of her game as well.

While known for often taking the kickouts, she only took the one and it was a nice well-weighted kick to the defensive 50 almost midway through the fourth quarter. She got back to assist in deep defence with Eastern attacking more, and would finish off strongly with an eight-disposal and two-mark last term. One of those marks was a great intercept clunk which was followed up by an effective kick.

At times over the journey Stoddart can blaze away and thump the ball long just to clear the immediate danger, but against the Ranges, she looked composed with ball in hand and even when she did go for distance, generally put it into advantageous positions for her teammates. It was this, along with her willingness to run and carry, and then strength on the inside that really caught the eye.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Stoddart still has a couple of Vic Country matches left for the National Championships and will finish off the year strongly with Gippsland Power in what looms as the Power’s chance to give finals a real shake. They are currently the top-ranked Country side, though only marginally ahead of Dandenong due to one less loss.

Stoddart’s strengths are her penetrating left boot, strength one-on-one and ability to read the play in the back 50 and intercept. She uses these weapons to find the ball consistently, and has done so throughout the last few seasons which earned her Vic Country’s MVP at Under 16s level. She has trialled through the midfield and up forward, but her most impactful position is in defence.

In terms of her draft stocks, Stoddart is among that second round onwards logjam and is showing the form that she did coming through the pathways. With a big finish to the year there will no doubt be plenty of interest in the talented top-ager heading into this year’s AFLW Draft.