COMPLETING a massive first round of AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships action, reigning champions Vic Metro hosts Queensland down in Geelong in what promises to be a ripping contest at one of the country’s best venues.

NEED TO KNOW

Date: Sunday, June 14
Time: 11:00am (local) | 10:30am (ACST) | 9:00am (AWST)
Venue: GMHBA Stadium

TEAMS:

Vic Metro:

B: Ellie Busch – Maeve Gill – Leni Lockyer
HB: Sophia Green – Kiara Boyd – Alli Allen
C: Maddison Meagher – Brylee Anderson – Grace McIntyre
HF: Scout Semple – Maya Duane – Addison West
F: Adelaide Caldicott – Bailee Martin – Tayla Olivieri
R: Cleo Barbakas – Isabella Mazzei – Emily Rankin
INT: April Dye – Jacinta Eteuati – Isabelle Godfrey – Ruby Jones – Grace Perrett

Note: Rough starting lineup based on team named

>> FULL SQUAD

Queensland:

B: Jade Brazier – Ayla Airdrie – Raffi Baviello
HB: Tigerlily Nixon – Steph Aguinaldo – Asia Single
C: Aiyana Pritchard – Lily Moana – Freya Ross
HF: Amelia Ella – Indiana Scheffler – Zoe Petrides
F: Tobi Skalij – Harlee McIlwain – Mistee Sagigi
R: Sienna Clinch – Molly Ferguson – Stella Scott
INT: Tara Nieass – Grace Cooper – Ella Gibson – Freya McIntosh – Allie Cameron

>> FULL SQUAD

MISSING IN ACTION

Vic Metro has essentially a fully fit squad to pick from, which meant there were several unlucky players left out of the team. Queensland had looked likely to head into the national championships at full-strength not too long ago, but are minus top five pick next year Ameleia Murray and on of the Maroons’ best players this season in Mia Geere who went down with an ankle injury in the AFLW Academy match last week. Geere joined the unlucky Summer Browning who is again recovering from injury and is just waiting for a clean opportunity in her top-age season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Vic Metro:

Eastern Ranges has a large say in the Vic Metro lineup, with the reigning champions’ midfield of Brylee Anderson, Emily Rankin and Scout Semple to be key players rolling through there. Potential top pick Bailee Martin could be the difference up forward, likely sharing the 50 with Maya Duane and the ever-improving Adelaide Caldicott in an otherwise midfield-rotating-forward setup.

The defence is likely to have a couple of father-daughters involved with Leni Lockyer (Collingwood) and Sophia Green (Carlton) also capable of rolling into positions further afield. The speed of Maddison Meagher off a wing will be hard to miss, while Alli Allen was superb for the All Stars against the AFLW Academy last weekend.

Bottom-age ruck/forward Cleo Barbakas has enormous potential and will take the stoppage duties alongside April Dye, while ball-winning midfielders Isabella Mazzei and Addison West will get their chances on-ball while rotating into other spots.

Queensland:

Even minus Geere, Murray and Browning, the Queensland outfit is still incredibly strong with both Molly Ferguson and Stella Scott in red hot form and likely to do all the groundlevel work when in the middle, while the class and explosiveness of double bottom-ager Lily Moana will show fans why she is a phenom of the future. Having towering top-age Suns Academy ruck Sienna Clinch helps their case as well.

Tall forward pair Harlee McIlwain and Indiana Scheffler are terrific contested marks, and being those tall targets allow the hard-running and athletic Aiyana Pritchard to push up to a wing. Around the feet of the forwards are Zoe Petrides and co-captain Amelia Ella with the latter making the squad and leading the way after missing out 12 months ago as a top-ager.

An interesting change is Suns Academy forward Asia Single named on a half-back flank, though the Maroons are not short on forward options with the bench also having talls Grace Cooper and Ella Gibson – who could play ruck or back – and Tara Nieass. Defender Jade Brazier is coming off a huge QAFLW game, while Stephanie Aguinaldo is a talented rebounder and leading draft chance.

KEY MATCHUP

Grace McIntyre (Vic Metro) vs. Aiyana Pritchard (Queensland)

Two ever-improving players with some elite athletic traits and strong in the air, the pair should spend time opposed to each other off a wing, while also drifting towards Queensland’s forwardline. The pair teamed up with the AFLW Academy last week but now find themselves opponents which should be an intriguing battle.

WHERE THE GAME IS WON

Unsurprisingly, the game is won and lost in the midfield. The Maroons have Ferguson, Scott and Moana up against a heavy rotation of options from Metro. As both sides have great targets inside 50, the side that can control the clearances will likely control the scoreboard given their ability to provide a target and also apply pressure in the front half.

Queensland would love to have that bit more run that is lost with the outs, but have more players who are familiar with their positions, particularly in the front half, with pure forwards able to play in their spots, while Metro has leant more towards overflow midfielders – who deserve to be in the team – but will likely spent a lot of time in their secondary position.

PREDICTION:

Queensland was the tip heading into the national championships, but the outs definitely leave a little bit of a hole in the side. On paper the Maroons should still be the marginally better team, but Metro has the home state advantage and has an abundance of midfielders. They need to win the clearances if they are to be a shot, so Queensland in a tight one.