JUST four games take place across Round 15 of the Talent League Girls competition with the Allies, Vic Country and Vic Metro all in action for the final day of the national championships tomorrow. Five metropolitan teams and three country aligned regions will clash with two contests per day, and not only will the teams be depleted of their top-age representatives, but the Vic Country and Vic Metro Under 17s also faced off today meaning further depth tests to the teams.

ROUND 15 FIXTURES:

Saturday, July 11

Northern Knights vs. Oakleigh Chargers @ Preston City Oval, 11:15am
Murray Bushrangers vs. Dandenong Stingrays @ Deakin Reserve, 12:00pm

Sunday, July 12

Tasmania Devils vs. Eastern Ranges @ North Hobart Oval, 12:00pm
Western Jets vs. Sandringham Dragons @ Kennedy Community Centre, 1:30pm

PREVIEW:

Kicking off the round at Preston City Oval, the Northern Knights are coming off a huge win over the Western Jets a fortnight back, while Oakleigh Chargers ousted their rivals Eastern Ranges by a goal, albeit with skipper Zoe Curry back (Allies had a bye), while otherwise the teams were depleted of their Victorian representatives.

Double bottom-ager Grace Robinson had a day out against the Western Jets, amassing 30 disposals and laying 11 tackles to be a fierce force around the stoppages and in transition. She and fellow 2010-born prospect Deena Gerges (24 touches, two goals) are promising top-end talents for the future and will always give the Knights a shot with they, and the other double bottom-agers running around. Oakleigh has enjoyed the contributions of hard-running forward/midfielder Molly Phillips who is on a tear, and young forward Abi D’Intini who has been able to find the big sticks.

With both Vic Country and the Allies playing, it makes life incredibly difficult for Murray Bushrangers who have drawn the unlucky stick against arguably the deepest side going around in the Dandenong Stingrays. Incredibly the Stingrays still remain unbeaten with eight wins and a draw, and are 14 points clear of the next highest ranked full-time team in Calder Cannons.

The Stingrays should be too strong for the Bushrangers given said depth, which will see them regain lead once again by skipper Marlee Black, while over-ager Molly Reimers has enjoyed a consistent season. For the Bushrangers, Lana Carroll and Nakiyah Fraser are a couple of top-ager who could step up in others’ absences.

Down on the Apple Isle, Tasmania Devils have the chance to try and keep ahead of the win-loss ledger with a victory over Eastern Ranges. The Ranges will be heavily depleted by Metro representatives being out, and while the Devils’ top stars are also absent, they have shown a great fight to match it with the best at times.

Bottom-agers Olivia Lyons and Luca Murgatroyd are a couple of such players to take note of, with Lyons having kicked that winning goal against Gippsland the last time the Devils played, while Murgatroyd has also shown a similar versatility to play across all three lines and boasts great athleticism for a tall. Hard-running winger Bridie Neale should have the experience edge on a number of her opponents, while Vic Metro Under 16s MVP Kiera Moroney will look to continue to build throughout her double bottom-age season.

Wrapping up the round is Western Jets hosting Sandringham Dragons, with the former sitting at 4-4 for the year, while the Dragons have struggled since winning in Round 2, losing seven on the bounce. They will look to recover from that given both sides have plenty of players out, and the Dragons’ 16s squad is considered quite strong.

Top-agers Chloe Shipton and Isla Tucker have been consistent throughout the year, with Shipton an explosive inside ball-winner who has added greater impact to her touches of late. Tucker spent most of her bottom-age year as a rebounding defender, but has shown she can go inside and win clearances as well. They’ll tackle a young Jets side with the likes of Aggie Mathieson and Hawthorn/Western Bulldogs father-daughter prospect Mylee Lake among those likely to be handed greater responsibility.