EASTERN Ranges were red-hot in their victory over Northern Knights last week and are a win away from reaching a third consecutive Coates Talent League Girls Grand Final. They just have a plucky Murray Bushrangers between them and the 2025 decider, with the Bushies posting a hard-fought quarter finals win last weekend. We preview the huge preliminary final.

NEED TO KNOW

Venue: La Trobe University, Bundoora
Date: Saturday, September 6
Time: 12:00pm

LAST WEEK

Eastern Ranges snatched top spot in the metropolitan pool and dominated Northern Knights to post a 14-goal victory at Preston City Oval on Saturday. They now face a determined Murray Bushrangers outfit that refused to die against Gippsland Power, turning around a one goal to five third quarter to boot six goals to one themselves in the final stanza and come away with a 19-point win.

TEAMS

Eastern Ranges:

2    Zoe Vozzo
3    Scout Semple
4    Asher Fearn-Wannan
6    Tayla McMillan
7    Bridie Neale
8    Adelaide Caldicott
10    Jordyn Allen
12    Emily Rankin
13    Amber McDermott
16    Ashleigh Thatcher
17    Lara Williams
22    Emma Di Petta
24    Maeve Gill
25    Briannan Lambe
27    Zoe-Grace Willis
29    Ellie Busch
31    Isabelle Creaton
34    Mathilde Wilkinson
35    Brylee Anderson
36    Bree Horne
37    Josephine Bamford
54    Zoe Wilkinson
55    Perri Goulding
28 Isabella Lord (emg)
32    Zarah Markby (emg)

Murray Bushrangers:

2    Constance Dodd
3    Rain Dodd
6    Lana Carroll
7    Carmela Perri
8    Leila Creevey
9    Eliza Roche
10    Sophia Green
11    Majella Day
12    Isabella Klein
14    Ellie Hall
15    Nikhita Spiteri
20    Hayley Whitsed
21    Jazmine Holdsworth
24    Rose Bell
26    Lauren Jewitt
28    Dayna Kelly
31    Latoya Holdsworth
39    Skylah McPherson
41    Abbey Ibrahim
46    Ebony Chapman
47    Crystal Holdsworth
48    Charlie Gibson
49    Evie Henley
29 Chloe Lewis (emg)
38    Rose Milthorpe (emg)

CHANGES

Eastern Ranges have gone in unchanged from their quarter finals win, while Murray Bushrangers have made two changes ahead of the preliminary final. The Bushies recall last week’s emergency Dayna Kelly as well as hard-running defender Constance Dodd who come in, while Jerrah Caruso and Nakiyah Fraser go out.

KEY PLAYERS

Eastern Ranges

The Ranges have a strong midfield that gets first hands to it through National Academy members Jordyn Allen and Tayla McMillan, and bottom-age duo Brylee Anderson and Emily Rankin. Last week both Briannan Lambe and Zoe Vozzo booted four goals and loom as a big threat, while up the other end, the run and carry from Lara Williams and Isabelle Creaton will be important. Eastern should have a massive advantage in the ruck with Vic Metro tall Josephine Bamford, while the experience of Asher Fearn-Wannan and Bridie Neale on the outside creates forward forays.

Murray Bushrangers

Murray has a huge ask to try and topple a side with the amount of quality of Eastern, but the Bushrangers have players who can do damage themselves. Up forward, Majella Day has the potential to get off the chain, while tackling machine Nikhita Spiteri will ensure the ball is locked in the front half. Skylah McPherson, Eliza Roche and Evie Henley can all hit the scoreboard as well. Watch for Ellie Hall to rack up the ball and look to transition it, with Sophia Green and Rain Dodd bringing the pressure, while Rose Bell has a huge job in the back 50.

PREDICTION

Eastern Ranges are the team to beat given their season and amount of draft prospects across the board. Stranger things have happened in finals, but Murray will need to first off win the contest battle, then hope the likes of Day can get off the chain and kick a bag. Eastern has a plethora of scoring options, and should simply be too strong. Ranges by 35 points.