CENTRAL District top-ager Demi Holloway was one of the Dogs’ most impressive players in their Round 1 thrashing of Glenelg in the newly named AAMI Talent League, The smart and tenacious forward had a day out, amassing 25 disposals, laying eight tackles and booting two goals to be our Player Focus for the round.

With the likes of National Academy member Miyu Endersby and classy bottom-ager Charlotte Maurits amongst a stacked side, Holloway was able to rove some great work from another top-age State Academy member in Tara Lord, as well as provide a spark close to the big sticks. We took a deep dive into her performance.

PLAYER FOCUS

2026 AAMI Talent League: Round 1
Central District 9.13 (67) def. Glenelg 0.0 (0)

#11 Demi Holloway (Central District)
Stats: 25 disposals (15 kicks, 10 handballs), 8 tackles, 3 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 2 goals, 113 AFL Fantasy Points

FIRST QUARTER:

Holloway started forward where she would be for the entirety of the game. Her first touch came early as the Dogs quickly asserted their authority on the game, attempting a checkside kick close to goal. While it was a clever attempt, she did avoid using the left and instead the ball just fell short and went high instead. However despite the miss, she showed off her traits with an ability to cover the ground exceptionally well, particularly with her speed on display.

On more than a few occasions, Holloway lead her opponent to the ball and was proactive, and if she could not win it clearly, would apply great defensive pressure and either force a stoppage or a turnover. Her clean gather in the ninth minute and involvement with Jyearah Newchurch looked great with the exception of the final execution, but her follow-up work off the next Bays defender’s kick forced a turnover at half-forward.

From there, Holloway again collected the ball cleanly and produced a setup kick to Annelise Lovell in space, but unfortunately the subsequent kick hit the post. A couple of minutes later, Holloway herself was on the end of a handball receive – from Maurits – and ran from 40m to 25m out but at top pace her shot on goal stayed to the left and registered just one behind heading into quarter time.

SECOND QUARTER:

It did not take Holloway long to find the ball again starting in the second quarter, producing a clean pickup in close proximity to her opponent, before putting the arm up for a fend-off. That largely worked, and while the Glenelg player did manage to get hold of her again, Holloway disposed of the ball before being pinged. She set up another shot on goal – and another behind – with clean hands, having already played a part in four scores.

While not able to capitalise on a goal in the first half, that would come, and she showed off her pace with a nice burst on the wing to half-forward, and could have even run further. Her brilliant tackle inside 50 to lock the ball up in the seventh minute which was followed by a clearance out of congestion from the next ball-up sailed high to a contest inside 50. She would win it once more on the wing where despite being worked under the marking contest, showed determination with a second effort, took it cleanly and handballed away.

Back inside 50, Holloway applied fantastic pressure at groundlevel close to goal which forced the Bays’ defender to rush the ball out leading to another shot on goal – another behind. Holloway saved her best play of the first half until last, when she received a handball at the top of 50 and off a couple of steps nailed a pinpoint pass to Lord 20m out between two opponents. The kick needed to be centimetre perfect and it was. But, as was the luck for Holloway, Lord’s shot sailed through for a behind.

When the half-time siren sounded, Holloway had directly been involved in four behinds and her pressure forced another, with a goal assist seemingly not far off.

THIRD QUARTER:

That goal assist came in the opening two minutes, where after a clean gather, Holloway kicked to space in front of Lovell for her teammate to run in and slot the opening major of the second half. That triggered relentless forward half pressure from the Dogs, as Holloway herself got in on the act. After running past for a handball receive, she nailed a brilliant finish from 40m out to get on the scoreboard, and with her confidence up from that major, took a really strong mark on the lead up the ground before hitting a target with precision at half-forward in the eighth minute.

Holloway would continue to apply pressure throughout the quarter, and dished off another score assist to the classy Maurits, who uncharacteristically missed running into goal with a shot she would nail nine times out of 10. That still meant Holloway had been directly involved in two goals and five behinds, seven of her side’s 13 scoring shots to that point.

The top-ager’s next involvement was a burst into the middle off half-forward to add an extra number to a contest, and that decision paid dividends. She received the ball off hands and cleanly released a teammate into space to go forward. Despite having a few unrewarded runs that did not involve winning the ball, Holloway’s spread still forced Glenelg’s defence to stretch out and create opportunities for her teammates.

She finished off the quarter going back with the flight courageously trying to intercept at half-forward, and though the 160cm forward could not hold the mark, she followed up with a sensational bone-crunching tackle to lock the ball up. She capped off the premiership quarter with a touch at the very next stoppage, and despite being tackled, still got the handball clear to a teammate to kick inside 50.

FOURTH QUARTER:

With the game firmly in Central District’s control, Holloway again started forward, and though she took a little while to win the ball in the fourth quarter, she still remained active around the forward 50. She competed in a marking contest at half-forward – but was again beaten for size – however it was her ability to maximise her running that really impressed.

For a forward who is still building her endurance, Holloway covers a lot of ground around the forward 50 and the way she was able to not only work over her opponent, but lose her in many instances to create space on the turnover, was very notable. While she did not win as much of the ball in the fourth term as the others, she did find the pill in the ninth minute when she gathered off a bounce after her teammate missed her, and Holloway kicked to a contest inside 50.

Following up to the next stoppage, Holloway won first hands off the ruck tap inside 50 but was immediately tackled. In the 12th minute, Holloway gathered under pressure and cleanly dished off by hand to a teammate at the top of 50 with which the next kick lead to a goal. Not content to end the game with one goal, Holloway’s hard running and pressure close to goal paid off. She was outnumbered by applied pressure to two different defenders in the goalsquare before getting boot to ball and soccer a major home.

She ended the game as the match’s top disposal winner despite being a full-time forward, and was also the only multiple goalkicker in the game thanks to that last goal. Following the major, she ran off for a rest, remaining on the bench for the last few minutes.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Holloway is somewhat of a unique prospect. She knows her own capabilities and times her runs well when inside 50 by reading the play well. Once on a lead, she is hard to catch, and while she is still working on her tank, is able to still run out a full game up forward.

With ball in hand, her best work is done through her decision making, with most of her choices being the right ones, and leading to a stack of shots on goal. To have double-digit score assists – including being involved in a number of goals – is invaluable to any side. She is not just winning the ball, but impacting both indirectly and directly on the scoreboard.

Going forward she is still building her overall game, but it is clear she is a smart forward who has great defensive attributes. She reads the game exceptionally well, and while her kicking at full speed was not as effective as when she had a moment to digest the options, more often than not she had an impact when disposing of it.

Holloway is one of a number of South Australian prospects who has the opportunity to put her name up in lights this year with a consistent season, and is part of a strong group of young talents coming out of The Ponderosa.