HOT OFF back-to-back wins, Western Jets take on a Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels outfit that did not concede a score last week as Round 16 of the Coates Talent League Girls gets underway with an early Saturday morning start down in Werribee. The match is part of a triple-header that features an AFLW practice match between Essendon and North Melbourne, before Geelong Falcons and Bendigo Pioneers go head-to-head.

NEED TO KNOW

Venue: Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee
Date: Saturday, August 1
Time: 9:20am

FORM

Western Jets are in the form of their season, notching up back-to-back wins the past two weeks and ready to make it three on the trot. The Jets are gradually making their way up the ladder having only had the one win previously, then benefited from taking on Tasmania Devils and Murray Bushrangers minus their top-end Allies representatives. The task is much tougher against a GWV Rebels outfit that kept the Devils scoreless last week – again without any Allies reps – the first time a side has achieved the feat this season. It was a great bounce-back from a 53-point loss to Dandenong the week before.

TEAMS

Western Jets:

B: #12 Ellie Pawlowski – #44 Jenna Hurring – #14 Ella Davis
HB: #20 Makaylah Byrne – #30 Alex McBride-Loane – #7 Jacinta Eteuati
C: #4 Ruby Jones – #22 Xanthe Chard – #21 Charlie O’Connor Moreira
HF: #26 Piper Dixon – #6 Polly Conway – #8 Emily Smith
F: #9 Kiara Boyd – #35 Paige McHutchinson – #10 Ruby Colebatch
R: #40 Caelan Lowry – #5 Tayla Olivieri – #13 Amy Kerton
INT: #16 Jennifer Hedjes – #17 Alana D’Ambrosio – #28 Chloe Kropman – #42 Leilani Petaia – #64 Grace Hemsley-Woolley

GWV Rebels:

B: #22 Kizzi Moore – #8 Scarlett O’Donnell – #12 Greta Arnel
HB: #19 Lila Evans – #16 Brook Ward – #23 Maddison Cotten
C: #10 Emma Stewart – #2 Ruby Thomas – #6 Zoe Burke
HF: #27 Macy Irvin – #11 Tilly Stringer – #9 Jovie Skewes-Clinton
F: #14 Kate Aikman – #40 Kate Knight – #5 Elsie Day
R: #13 Nikki Clover – #7 Maggie Johnstone – #1 Isabella Davies
INT: #3 Lucy Fraser – #17 Milly Shortal – #28 Airlie Aldridge – #30 Lara Purchase – #38 Remy Callender

KEY PLAYERS

Western Jets

Vic Metro representatives Alex McBride-Loane and Kiara Boyd provide aerial impact up respective ends and will be the biggest threats for GWV Rebels coming away with the four points. But as the Jets showed last week, some of their bottom-agers are stepping up, as Jacinta Eteuati from half-back added plenty of run and carry, and Paige McHutchison up forward kicked a couple of goals and should have had a third.

Enjoying a really consistent bottom-age season is midfielder Tayla Olivieri who will poll well in the club best and fairest, while Piper Dixon had a breakout game a couple of rounds ago where she racked up 35 touches and was an enigma across the match. Double bottom-ager Alana D’Ambrosio – sister of Hawthorn wing Massimo – is a crafty small forward with upside and is coming off a three-goal game against the Bushrangers.

GWV Rebels

The one-two punch of Maggie Johnstone and Isabella Davies on-ball makes it so tricky for opposition midfielders because both players are smart around the stoppage, have incredible strength and provide defensive pressure as well. Quite often they will just rip the ball away, and importantly can go forward and hit the scoreboard as well. Much like another draft-eligible prospect in utility Jovie Skewes-Clinton who seems to have settled forward and kicked three majors from 24 touches – should have been four goals – in the dominant win over Tasmania.

Alongside Davies, Brook Ward brings VFLW experience with the Western Bulldogs, while Scarlett O’Donnell is another over-ager with upside given her explosiveness and versatility. She has been named at full-back but spends a lot of time through the middle. Bottom-ager Milly Shortal is a player who will have plenty of interest next year, with a booming left-foot kick and a powerful burst. Lila Evans stood out last week too and will look to impress once more.

PREDICTION

GWV Rebels looked incredible last week, albeit against a depleted Devils outfit. While their season indicates they will struggle against the very good sides, their top-end talent – and developing youngsters – are good enough to knock of three quarters of the sides, with their tight victory over Gippsland Power an example of what they are capable of. Western Jets are much improved from the start of the season and should throwdown a challenge, but the class of Skewes-Clinton inside 50 could be the difference.

ROUND 16 FIXTURE:

Saturday, August 2:

Western Jets vs. GWV Rebels @ Avalon Airport Oval, 9:20am
Calder Cannons vs. Eastern Ranges @ Highgate Recreation Reserve, 1:40pm
Murray Bushrangers vs. Northern Knights @ Norm Minns Oval, 2:30pm
Geelong Falcons vs. Bendigo Pioneers @ Avalon Airport Oval, 2:30pm

Sunday, August 3:

Tasmania Devils vs. Gippsland Power @ Windsor Park, 10:00am
Oakleigh Chargers vs. Sandringham Dragons @ Warrawee Park, 11:00am