CALDER Cannons opened their 2026 Talent League Girls account in convincing fashion, accounting for Bendigo Pioneers by 41 points at Highgate Recreation Reserve. Both sides came in winless – Calder off a Round 2 loss to Sandringham, Bendigo 0-2 – but there was little doubt which side was in better form, with the Cannons leading by as many as 63 points at three-quarter time before Bendigo booted four goals to one in the final term to make the 14.6 (90) to 7.7 (49) scoreline more respectable.

We took note of some of the players who caught the eye in the clash.

CALDER CANNONS:

#1 Charli Calleia
Defender | 170cm | 28/10/2008

Stats: 14 disposals, 1 mark, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50, 1 rebound 50

Calleia showed good strength when the ball came her way in the back half and quick hands out of congestion at half-back. She had a lively fourth term with kickouts and getting aggressive in her running as she won multiple touches in quick succession. That showed her comfort with the ball in tight spaces. A reliable player who does her job without fuss.

#2 Sienna Colgan
Midfielder/Defender | 171cm | 04/04/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 5 marks, 4 tackles, 2 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s, 2 goals, 1 behind

The highlight reel of the afternoon. Colgan’s two-minute stretch in the third quarter was the moment of the game – she broke into the forward 50 and finished a three-touch chain with a bullet inside 50 to Clough, kept running into the pocket, marked the return kick and slotted the goal, then turned the next centre bounce into another major with a perfectly-timed spin out of traffic and kick inside 50. Two goals across consecutive stoppages is exceptional forward instinct. Her two-way value – three rebound 50s and four tackles – makes the stat line even more impressive.

#4 Chloe Capeci
Defender | 168cm | 16/12/2008

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 5 rebound 50s

Capeci was the fierce in defence all afternoon A brilliant run-down tackle at half-back in the first term set the tone, and a strong contested mark standing tall with contact in the second showed her willingness to go up and over opponents. The niggling competitive edge that characterises her game was present throughout, and five rebound 50s reflects how consistently she was involved in clearing the ball. A player who never stops competing.

#5 Renee Ford
Midfielder | 167cm | 06/07/2009

Stats: 25 disposals, 8 tackles, 6 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

Ford was relentless from first bounce to last. Six clearances from 25 disposals and eight tackles is the kind of return that shows a midfielder doing both the hard competitive work and generating from it. She was always trying to break away from stoppages and drive the ball forward, and her outside running in the third term was particularly eye-catching – kicking across defence to cover the ground, showing clean hands off the wing and burying herself in a contest at the end of it.

#6 Lily Frangoulis
Midfielder/Forward | 152cm | 20/04/2008

Stats: 15 disposals, 5 tackles, 6 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50

Frangoulis might be small, but she is incredibly gifted. She extracted the ball exceptionally well and her positioning at stoppages was consistently excellent – often in the right spot before the play developed. A clever lead to a goal with a switch kick, slick hands in tight and a lovely dish-off on the wing were the highlights of a quietly effective afternoon. The X-factor around goal is there when she gets forward.

#8 Elebertina Schuliga
Midfielder/Wing | 165cm | 17/02/2009

Stats: 17 disposals, 2 marks, 7 tackles, 4 clearances, 9 inside 50s

Continually popped up and provided plenty of forward drive out of the middle. Back-to-back kicks inside 50 in the second term lead directly to two goals for her side, and the explosive speed that distinguishes her game was on show all afternoon. Seven tackles on top of that is a complete all-round effort from a bottom-ager who is going to attract plenty of attention.

#9 Holly Clough
Key Forward | 184cm | 20/01/2009

Stats: 16 disposals, 2 marks, 5 tackles, 1 hitout, 5 inside 50s, 2 goals, 1 behind

Clough was a genuine marking target inside 50 who delivered when it mattered. Her composed set shot from 40 metres in the second term – a 45-degree angle that never looked like missing – was the signature moment, while a clever cross-body snap in the same quarter showed her forward awareness. The way she holds position and competes aerially is going to make her a problem for defences as she develops.

#22 Felicity Mahoney
Wing/Midfielder | 173cm | 20/07/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 1 clearance, 3 inside 50s

Mahoney was busy on the outside across the four quarters, doing a lot of the linking work in transition that doesn’t always attract attention. She broke through a tackle in the middle in the third term and kicked inside 50 with purpose, and her move on-ball in the final quarter where she won a clearance and found space on the wing was clean. Consistently finds the ball and keeps things moving. A father-daughter prospect to all three of Collingwood, Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide.

BENDIGO PIONEERS:

#6 Sage Dennis
Midfielder | 160cm | 22/08/2009

Stats: 18 disposals, 2 marks, 6 tackles, 2 clearances, 1 inside 50, 2 rebound 50s, 1 goal, 1 behind

The hard-edged qualities that define Dennis’s game were on show. Six tackles from 18 disposals reflects a player who competes at every contest regardless of the scoreline, and her goal in the second term gave the Pioneers something to celebrate. An aggressive tackler on the wing in the third and a driving run out of the back half in the final quarter were further reminders of what she brings. Will run through a wall for her side.

#8 Georgia Garlick
Defender/Midfielder | 169cm | 01/07/2008

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 tackles, 1 clearance, 7 rebound 50s

Garlick was the back half’s most reliable worker, consistently first to the ball and getting it moving out of the defensive zone. Her left foot is a genuine weapon in transition and she made smart decisions with it, clearing across defence and finding teammates on the wing on multiple occasions. The output quietened in the second half, but the first half was a strong advertisement of her rebounding craft.

#9 Beth Morris
Midfielder | 167cm | 04/09/2008

Stats: 35 disposals, 4 marks, 5 tackles, 4 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s, 1 behind

A stat-stuffing performance with Morris’s work rate was non-stop across all four quarters. Her best quality is the ability to get the ball out of congestion under pressure – a handball over the head, a shovel out of a defensive goalsquare tackle, a flick handball while being brought down – she rarely gave the ball up without a fight. Can be a little more precise at times, but just an incredible workhorse.

#12 Issy Boulton
Midfielder/Forward | 160cm | 21/05/2007

Stats: 22 disposals, 3 tackles, 5 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 3 goals

Boulton saved her best for last, booting three goals in the final quarter to give Bendigo some momentum when the game was already decided. All three showed different aspects of her forward instinct – a quick snap from close range, a driving kick running forward from the middle and a third from general play with a minute to go. Six inside 50s reflects the threat she poses going forward, and five clearances show she can generate from the coalface too. A player who can flip the game on a dime and play on any line.

#14 Lacey Nihill
Midfielder | 172cm | 01/05/2008

Stats: 28 disposals, 7 marks, 11 tackles, 2 clearances, 7 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 1 behind

Nihill found the ball early and often, showed quick hands in congestion throughout and created scoring opportunities that her side couldn’t convert – including an intercept mark inside 50 in the second term where she unselfishly played on to a teammate in the goalsquare rather than pinging from 10 metres herself, only for the mark to be dropped. That decision shows her football IQ as much as anything else. Having a ripping start to her top-age season and she has the makings of a genuine well-balanced draft prospect.