AFTER an extended break since their last match, the Allies play host to Vic Metro in a non-Allied state for the girls out at Ipswich in Queensland. As part of the same match in the boys’ national carnival, the Allies will be gunning for its first win of the carnival, while Vic Metro sits at an even 1-1 hoping to bounce back from a tight loss to Western Australia in Perth last weekend.

NEED TO KNOW

Date: Sunday, July 13
Venue: Brighton Homes Arena, Ipswich
Time: 1:15pm AEST
Live stream: AFL.com.au or the AFL app

PREDICTED LINEUPS

Allies:

B: Matilda Elbourne – Danika McDonald – Rose Bell
HB: Ella Randall – Morgan Stevens – Charlotte Tidemann
C: Frances Walsh – Priya Bowering – Mischa Barwin
HF: Kiera Yerbury – Alex Neyland – Harriet Bingley
F: Shakaila Gardiner-Dunn – Grace Parsons – Majella Day
R: Madeleine Quinn – Mia Anderson – Isla Wiencke
INT: Zoe Curry – Jessica Owen – Taelah Smith – Molly Thomas – Lucinda Watson

Vic Metro:

B: Chloe Thorn – Zara Neuwirth – Issy Creaton
HB: Jordyn Allen – Alex McBride-Loane – Amy Smith
C: Asher Fearn-Wannan – Tayla McMillan – Scarlett Johnson
HF: Marlo Graham – Josie Bamford – Zoe Vozzo
F: Olivia Jesser – Sienna Sharp – Phoebe Hargreaves
R: Isobella Hishongwa-Gibb – Chloe Bown – Olivia Gorman
INT: Bree Horne – Storm Johnson – Teagan Murtic – Macy Watkins – Zoe Wilkinson

CHANGES

Allies:

IN: Jessica Owen, Frances Walsh, Kiera Yerbury
OUT: Yasmeen Janschek, Lakhyah Hill, Peggy Martin

Vic Metro:
IN: Phoebe Hargreaves, Storm Johnson, Asher-Fearn-Wannan
OUT: Chloe Baker-West, Brylee Anderson, Bailee Martin

ANALYSIS

Vic Metro has recalled running machine Asher Fearn-Wannan – who was a late out last match – and Northern Knights skipper Phoebe Hargreaves – coming off her best Coates Talent League Girls performance of the season, while handing tenacious tackling small forward Storm Johnson a Vic Metro debut. Losing top 10 talent Chloe Baker-West in the opening few seconds against Western Australia was shattering for the two-time Under 16s MVP considering she missed last year’s national championships.

The Allies have also made three changes with Swans Academy top-ager Kiera Yerbury coming into the term after missing game one, alongside hard-running bottom-age wing Frances Walsh. The latter has been impressing in the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division since returning from the Swans and will look to make her mark in the match, while 191cm Oakleigh Chargers listed ruck Jessica Owen comes in off a big game last week at Talent League level, replacing Giants Academy tall Yasmeen Janschek.

Like in any national championships match, the midfield battle is where the game will be won, and both sides have a number of AFLW Academy members. Tasmanian duo Priya Bowering and Mischa Barwin, and Giants Academy’s Isla Wiencke will rove to Madeleine Quinn at times, with Quinn booting three goals in her return to the UTS Bats last weekend. Another Devils midfielder in Mia Anderson is coming off a blistering 37-disposal display at Talent League level, while Shakaila Gardiner-Dunn got another opportunity at SANFLW level with the Panthers.

Vic Metro’s midfield features the powerful Chloe Bown and damaging Tayla McMillan, while the likes of inside duo Olivia Gorman and Teagan Murtic will provide plenty of feeding balls to teammates, and also capable of getting forward. Marlo Graham made a successful return from injury last week, and the forwardline will be a mosquito fleet in many ways, with Johnson and Hargreaves joining Zoe Vozzo and Olivia Jesser whom are all under 170cm. Rotating out Bailee Martin means Sienna Sharp will be the sole pure tall forward alongside the resting ruck, most likely to be Josephine Bamford.

The Allies defence can provide plenty of run, with bottom-agers Charlotte Tidemann and Rose Bell among the best for next year, while Ella Randall impressed against Vic Country in game one. Up forward, the Swans Academy duo of Alex Neyland and Grace Parsons will worry the Vic Metro defence in the air, while Majella Day can get it done on the lead or one-on-one as well. The aerial strength of the Allies will be a point of difference for the home side.

Vic Metro’s Chloe Thorn and Jordyn Allen have been standouts this carnival with their transition from the back 50, while Zara Neuwirth and Alex McBride-Loane will be big intercepting forces in the air and take a couple of the Allies’ key talls. Meanwhile the ruck battle with Isobella Hishongwa-Gibb and Bamford up against Quinn and Owen will be another fascinating element in the match.

PREDICTION

Vic Metro looms as the stronger team on paper and should come away with the win. The big question mark will be whether or not the aerial presence of the Allies can worry Vic Metro enough to kick a winning score. They have predominant marking targets compared to Metro’s smaller setup, and Day – for example – is far too good to take a third defender. However, it starts in the middle and the only way the Allies can get it down is by winning the midfield, so that is step one. If Metro win the midfield, they only need to put it inside 50 and if the ball hits the deck, they have numerous options to swoop in and win it.