THE PENULTIMATE match of the WAFL Women’s season saw East Fremantle win a thriller against Claremont. The game went to a golden point scenario where Sharks skipper Tiani Teakle sent her team into the grand final with a goal. There were five State Academy members in the preliminary final and we took note of how they performed.

All notes are the opinion of the individual author.

CLAREMONT:

#11 Lucy Gilbey (Wing)

Stats: 9 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 1 inside 50

The bottom-ager had a busy start to the game with five of her nine disposals coming in the opening quarter. She came off the bench and took a nice mark almost immediately on the wing, and created some run and carry on the outside. While not having a stack of it, her aerial ability was on show, and she even intercepted a kick just inside her forward 50 before her subsequent attempt was clunked by the original kicker, Mackenzie Webb, in the goalsquare.

#15 Hannah Seaborn (Forward/Ruck)

Stats: 8 disposals, 1 mark, 4 tackles, 5 hitouts, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal

Started forward and did not have a lot of opportunities until soccering home a goal from a metre out midway through the second term to give Claremont a spark. That handed the Tigers their first goal of the game, and while she did not have many touches to the final break, lit up in the fourth term when moved into the ruck. Her athleticism and follow-up defensive pressure was important, and she added a point of difference in there against the athletic Zoe Keley to get the game on Claremont’s terms through the last stanza.

#25 India Bonadeo (Defender)

Stats: 19 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 3 inside 50s

The pick of the Claremont State Academy members in the match, Bonadeo found plenty of the ball in the back half, positioning herself well usually in front of her opponent. The top-ager was strong in the air, and while she only took the one mark consistently brought the ball to ground and competed at ground level, while showing a nice level of composure at half-back. With any time or space, Bonadeo can inflict plenty of damage of her penetrating left boot. A couple of key moments included a huge one-on-one win in the dying seconds of the fourth term to take the game to extra time, as well a strong one-on-one mark on the wing late in the third term.

EAST FREMANTLE:

#18 Cienna Leslie (Defender)

Stats: 13 disposals, 2 marks, 9 tackles

Ultra competitive and ensuring Tigers’ skipper Rachel Ortlepp did not have an easy day out, the versatile top-ager stayed in defence for the match and was desperat with her attack on the ball, While most of her touches were often under pressure, she cleared the danger on a number of occasions, and her ground level pressure was elite. Played her role and kept Ortlepp goalless, albeit with the Claremont forward having a few chances and missing.

#37 Olivia McCay (Wing)

Stats: 16 disposals, 1 mark, 5 tackles, 1 inside 50

After a relatively quiet first half, McCay played one of the most crucial second halves of the season. The hard-running wing had a third term to remember, setting up goals to Sarah Wielstra and Milla Spalding up one-end, while laying a goal-saving tackle on Taylah Orzel up the other. Her enormous endurance base helped the bottom-ager work her opponents into the ground, and while all the above were big moments, none were bigger than her last kick of the game. Three minutes into the golden point territory, the ball spilt out of a tackle inside 50 and McCay struck it sweetly with a soccer that speared 30 metres and hit Teakle on the chest for the winning goal. Her impact-per-possession was off the charts. Three direct goal assists and one direct goal saved, it was a preliminary final to remember.