Freemantle leads all-comers in PPR preseason stakes
SOUTH Australian bottom-ager Maia Freemantle is the clubhouse leader when it comes to physical performance rating (PPR) over the preseason, registering a 95.3 at the South Australian Preseason Testing event. The physical performance rating scales athletes on their results across each of their physical tests – standing and running vertical jumps, 20m sprint, agility test and yo-yo test – and rates them between ‘Elite’ and ‘Below Average’ to develop a score out of 100.
>> Preseason Testing TOP 5s: Western Australia | NSW/ACT | Queensland | Tasmania | South Australia
Freemantle scored ‘Elite’ in the 20m sprint, yo-yo and one of the running vertical jumps, while scoring ‘Excellent’ in the agility test and other jumping events to record the incredible score. She was clearly the best across South Australia, with West Adelaide’s Chelsea Newitt (84.4) the next best, and South Adelaide wing-forward Hope Taylor‘s 83.9 making it inside the top 20.
As a whole, Western Australia and Queensland dominated the top 10 leaderboard with eight players amongst the top nine. West Australian quartet Lucy Gilbey, Bella Godecke, Niah Catto and Caitlin Boss all feature with scores of 87.5 or more, as does Suns Academy’s Grace Cooper, and Lions Academy trio Lily Quigley, Summer Carriage and Libby Robinson.
The Allied states of NSW/ACT and Tasmania follow with National Academy member Charlotte Tidemann alongside over-age ruck and star athlete Amaia Wain, and versatile Giants Academy member Darcie Prosser-Shaw all scoring 85.9 with Tasmanian bottom-ager Luca Murgatroyd. Fellow Tasmanian Lucy Stoneman was the highest ranked player despite missing a test, with her and Taylor the two in the list to do so.
Of the top 25, Queensland ended with a nationwide nine players, while Western Australia had six. Of the remaining 10, four were from Tasmania, and both NSW/ACT and South Australia had three each. Incredibly, just missing the top 25 despite incredible results were the likes of National Academy members Morgan Stevens and Mia Geere, who were among further eight players recording 80 or more.
The top 25 PPR scores from the preseason testing thus far are below, with the Victorian Talent League players the last event to take place.
PLAYER PERFORMANCE RATING (PPR) TOP 25 – PRESEASON TESTING:
| Rank | Player | Club | State | PPR |
| 1st | Maia Freemantle | WWT Eagles | South Australia | 95.3 |
| 2nd | Lucy Gilbey | Claremont | Western Australia | 93.8 |
| 3rd | Bella Godecke | East Fremantle | Western Australia | 92.2 |
| Eq. 4th | Grace Cooper | Suns Academy | Queensland | 90.6 |
| Eq. 4th | Niah Catto | Perth | Western Australia | 90.6 |
| Eq. 6th | Summer Carriage | Lions Academy | Queensland | 89.1 |
| Eq. 6th | Lily Quigley | Lions Academy | Queensland | 89.1 |
| Eq. 8th | Libby Robinson | Lions Academy | Queensland | 87.5 |
| Eq. 8th | Caitlin Boss | Subiaco | Western Australia | 87.5 |
| Eq. 10th | Luca Murgatroyd | Clarence | Tasmania | 85.9 |
| Eq. 10th | Amaia Wain | Swans Academy | NSW/ACT | 85.9 |
| Eq. 10th | Charlotte Tidemann | Swans Academy | NSW/ACT | 85.9 |
| Eq. 10th | Darcie Prosser-Shaw | Giants Academy | NSW/ACT | 85.9 |
| 14th | Lucy Stoneman | Sandy Bay Lions | Tasmania | 85.7* |
| Eq. 15th | Abbey Crowe | Lions Academy | Queensland | 84.4 |
| Eq. 15th | Chelsea Newitt | West Adelaide | South Australia | 84.4 |
| Eq. 15th | Dakota Hatchard | Peel Thunder | Western Australia | 84.4 |
| Eq. 15th | Leisha Charlie | Claremont | Western Australia | 84.4 |
| 19th | Hope Taylor | South Adelaide | South Australia | 83.9* |
| Eq. 20th | Molly Ferguson | Lions Academy | Queensland | 82.8 |
| Eq. 20th | Harriet Howe | Suns Academy | Queensland | 82.8 |
| Eq. 20th | Amelia Ella | Suns Academy | Queensland | 82.8 |
| Eq. 20th | Tara Nieass | Suns Academy | Queensland | 82.8 |
| Eq. 20th | Saskia Grodski | East Launceston | Tasmania | 82.8 |
| Eq. 20th | Evie Ward | Lauderdale | Tasmania | 82.8 |