SOUTH Australia’s top draft prospects returned for Round 10 of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s season on the weekend. As always, we took a look at each of the state academy athletes running around in the League competition, and made notes on their individual performances.

Woodville-West Torrens:

#2 Jemma Charity

After playing in defence for South Australia, Charity returned to her familiar role inside 50 for the Eagles. She kicked a goal late in the second term after some good work, and would miss another chance early in the third. Her work in the front half of the ground allowed her to look dangerous inside 50 and further afield to set up for her teammates, including on a set shot which drifted but was marked and capitalised upon by Brianna Walling. Charity finished with 1.1 from nine disposals, two marks, two tackles and three inside 50s.

#7 Grace Martin

A quieter game on the offensive front from Martin with just six disposals, but the forward worked hard up and down the ground, even winning it at half-back in the fourth quarter. She laid six tackles which showed her defensive intensity was still high.

#30 Marlie Fiegert

Enjoying a strong second half of the season, Fiegert had another reliably consistent game, racking up 19 disposals, five clearances and laying four tackles en route to a Breakthrough Player of the Week nomination for Round 10. While Fiegert is not one to find a lot of outside ball, she cracks in close to the contest and puts her body on the line, stepping up over the last month as a key midfielder for the Eagles and winning plenty of clearances while applying defensive pressure.

#34 Shineah Goody

The classy talent was good without being outstanding, and continually put her body on the line both in the air and at ground level, including a terrific contested mark at one stage. She looked to take the game on and sidestepped opponents with ease, almost running into an open goal before being smothered and pickpocketed as the ball left her hands. Fending off opponents and showing strong hands through the middle of the ground, Goody’s class was still evident, with a highlight being a brilliant intercept mark in the middle reading the play to perfection. The top-age draft talent recorded 15 disposals, four marks – one contested – six tackles and six inside 50s in the loss.

#38 Zahlia Niemann

Making her debut for the League side, the 2007-born Niemann worked hard for not a lot of statistical reward but still presented well. She took a nice mark on the lead in the third term but her kick was smothered by the player on the mark, though she kept working hard and had a couple of disposals on debut with her mark and a tackle.

Norwood:

#18 Molly Brooksby

Still building into the season coming off an injury-interrupted preseason and start to the year, Brooksby had the nine disposals but did a number of nice things. She took a strong intercept mark in the opening term and set up Norwood’s first goal to Ali Ferrall, then snapped a goal herself after a great mark close to the behind post. She would accidentally kick a behind after her kick went longer than expected in the third term to bounce home, and would win a few touches around the stoppages when rotating into the midfield, and though often immediately tackled, was able to record nine disposals, four marks, four tackles and boot 1.1.

#39 Charlie Hazelhurst

Took a few strong marks in her second game for the Redlegs, with a nice pickup off half-back for a tall and delivery into the middle. She was not a high production player, but had a greater impact than her seven disposals and three marks might suggest, able to play a variety of key position roles. Two of her three marks were contested, too.

#51 Coby Morgan

Arguably her best game of the SANFL Women’s season, the hard working forward got reward for effort in Round 10 with a career-high 12 disposals against the Eagles. Morgan worked up and down the ground to win the ball across the field, with her highlight play showing off her trademark speed by kicking inside 50, bursting away, receiving the handball and ran all the way to the goalsquare leaving opponents in her dust to kick a goal. Her pressure was just as impressive as her scoreboard impact, laying five tackles in the win.

Sturt:

#16 Monique Bessen

The double bottom-ager produced her best performance of the SANFL Women’s season, racking up a massive 26 disposals, seven marks – three contested – 11 tackles, five inside 50s and three rebounds 50s. Her efforts were outlined in detail in this week’s Player Focus.

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#24 Lily Whitcombe

It was another typical Whitcombe performance from the top-age defender who played her role yet again. She had a couple of mopping up kicks in the third term, winning half of her disposals in the first 10 minutes of that quarter. She followed up well with second efforts and applying pressure one-on-one as she always does. The six disposals, one mark, two tackles and one rebound 50.

#57 Zara Walsh

Walsh returned from her first state representation to lay a fierce tackle inside 50 to set the tone early, and would move up and down the ground well to finish with seven disposals, three marks and four tackles. Showing clean hands and her nice set of wheels, Walsh is capable of breaking games open and has those flashes of brilliance that could build towards something.

West Adelaide:

#30 Lauren Young

Returning from a strong first-up AFLW Under 18 Championships appearance, Young went back into the midfield and had the ball on a string before going forward while having an impact on the scoreboard too. A standout across the course of the match, she proved hard to stop as she booted two goals from 27 touches and clunked five contested marks from a total of seven. Both of her goals came in the third term as she tried to rally her side. She had a chance to win the game after the siren, but had to kick from 55 metres out and unfortunately in trying to get distance, ran off the mark. Overall a starring game.

#43 Emma Kilpatrick

Kilpatrick was one of a number of reliable West Adelaide defenders throughout the match, and finished with 16 disposals, four marks, three tackles, two clearances and four rebound 50s. She sometimes had to chuck the ball onto her boot under pressure but mopped up time and time again to save the day and relieve the pressure from the last line. Kilpatrick also puts her body on the line and shows great courage be it in the air or at ground level.

#46 Asha Dufour

Working hard once again rotating between inside and outside, Dufour found her fair share of the footy and was able to be a marking option when in space. What really stood out about Dufour’s game in Round 10 was her tackling pressure, laying a career-high 14 tackles to go with her 17 touches, while also having three clearances spending more time closer to the coalface.

#51 Ruby Ballard

The tenacious pocket rocket was down on her ball-winning numbers but still brought her pressure around the contest to lay six tackles to go with her nine disposals. She also spent time all over the ground, winning an early touch in the defensive 50 before getting forward. She had a chance to gather the ball and kick a goal late in the game but copped an unlucky bounce then an equally unlucky high free kick against.

#64 Chloe Tonkin

On debut, the versatile tall showed off her traits off an impressive AFLW Under 16s campaign where she earned All-Australian honours, slotting into a key forward and ruck role with the Bloods. She clunked four marks – two contested, and did well rolling into the ruck and winning 11 hitouts, then worked back into defence to take a couple of strong grabs there. All up, Tonkin filled an important void for the Bloods as a key marking target and took some of the pressure off Young while presenting as a tall to keep an eye on for the future.

Glenelg:

#6 Violet Patterson

Patterson worked hard all game and though not always rewarded for her running, brought an enormous amount of heat. The bottom-age winer surpassed even her usual impressive defensive ambitions with a whopping 15 tackles to go with 11 disposals. She put her body on the line and brought some run and carry with her in transition, standing up against the Central District attack.

#8 Piper Window

It was a mixed bag for Window who was still very good, but was more impressive as a midfielder this week without really having her usual impact when forward. Still picking up 19 disposals, nine clearances and laying 12 tackles, Window put her body on the line around the stoppages against a Central District midfield missing some key inside midfielders. She had a brain fade after being pinged holding the ball in the second term by giving away a 25m penalty for pushing over Caitlin Wendland, but overall was still able to impact the game enough even if it was not as broad as usual.

#19 Matilda Wilmore

Playing as a pressure forward, Wilmore worked up the ground to even win a touch in the defensive 50, while bringing her usual defensive intensity. She took a good mark on the lead early in the match, and bounced up from a front-on bump against Elaine Grigg six minutes into the contest. Though she only had six disposals, she buzzed around the ground, particularly in the forward half.

#20 Poppy Scholz

One of the more reliable players despite lower production numbers, Scholz took a couple of crucial marks in the final term, including a goal-saving one on the line. She was quieter in the first half, but became a lot more dangerous after the main break, finishing with eight disposals, three marks – two contested – and three tackles.

#48 Eloise Mackereth

Another debutant coming off a strong AFLW Under 16s Championships campaign, Mackereth mostly played forward and pushed up the ground at times, kicking her first goal in the third term. She clunk ed a great contested mark in the goalsquare and then converted to provide a great moment for the Bays. Overall she just had the five touches and two marks, but looked dangerous when the ball in the area.

#51 Jordan Horne

Working hard in the forward half of the ground, Horne went about her business unassumingly as she collected 10 disposals and laid six tackles. She provided a some work in transition and though not a massive game, still played her role and adds a similar pressure element as Wilmore to the Bays’ side.

Central District:

#8 Elaine Grigg

Grigg spent more time on-ball and was able to win a lot of touches at the coalface in the absence of Shelby Smith and Maria Moloney. She still brought her tackling pressure, and spread hard with clean hands at ground level, even under pressure. She got forward and missed a couple of opportunities and her execution by foot is still an area that can improve but her cleanliness is outstanding, as is her evasion. In the final term she set up a goal to Shelby Raven after just missing one herself and kept putting her body on the line. Grigg finished with 23 disposals, one contested mark, eight tackles, six clearances, four inside 50s, two rebound 50s and two behinds.

#9 Charlotte Riggs

The talented bottom-ager became a vital utility late in the game when she was thrown forward and then into the ruck as the Bulldogs attempted to claw their way back into the game. She produced her usual reliable defensive work earlier in the match, taking a strong mark against Mackereth one-on-one in the goalsquare late in the third term, then won a free kick up the other end in the fourth with a regulation set shot. Unfortunately it skewed and cannoned into the post, but would keep the pressure up in the forward half.

#12 Sophie Eaton

A strong defensive performance on the weekend, Eaton did her best work from that element of the game. She had a few nice kicks going forward, but also turned a few over under pressure, while also copping strong contact when attempting to go for her marks. Though her aerial and scoreboard impact was not quite as influential, her 10 tackles show how she can impact matches at ground level and in other ways. Eaton also had the 12 touches, two clearances and three inside 50s.

#27 Jasmine Evans

It was a quiet game from Evans who largely played forward and could not quite get her hands on the ball. She had the two touches and laid two tackles, but had a few good pressure acts and ‘almost moments’ in the match.

North Adelaide:

#9 Laela Ebert

Ebert had her moments throughout the match, often winning the ball in transition and quickly firing it off to teammates. She provided good running capacity and was able to still find 10 disposals and take two marks, offering herself as an option for her teammates across the ground.

#30 Jayde Visser

Just the five touches for Visser who had a quieter day out for the Roosters. Unfortunately had a chance to mark at half-back and it slipped through her fingers and then was pinged for holding the ball early in the match, but had another chance in the second term and took a strong intercept mark and delivered a lovely kick to Taylor. Visser also had two tackles, one clearance and one inside 50.

#52 Sarcha Taylor

It was Taylor’s most promising performance of the season, kicking a goal off a limited opportunity in the first term. Running hard to get goalside midway through the term, Taylor won the ball cleanly and burst away with assistance from her teammate Sky Jensen to slot a goal on the run. She buzzed around in the forward half showcasing slick hands and terrific evasion. By the end of the match, Taylor had accumulated 10 disposals, three marks, four tackles and two inside 50s to go with her goal, adding a defensive and offensive element to the game.

South Adelaide:

#1 Bella Rigby

The double bottom-ager presented well at centre half-forward and though she could not often get clean possession, still impressed upon return from injury. She had a few almost marks, taking two for the game and pushing up to the wing, applying defensive pressure when required. Just the four touches and three tackles but still worked hard.

#2 Holly Ifould

Playing off her usual wing, Ifould was quieter across the ground but managed to finish with the nine disposals, one mark, three tackles and one inside 50. Her aerial presence is not as strong as it is was at the start of the season, particularly under pressure, but she is still finding space to run into even if not rewarded. Overall looked a bit scratchy with a few short kicks just falling short, but took a good intercept mark at half-back and kicked long to the wing in the second term as her highlight for the game.

#23 Esther Schirmer

The defender played her role for the team and worked hard in defence with a number of great spoils on opponents showing impressive closing speed once again. Aside from one turnover going inside 50, Schirmer was generally effective with ball-in-hand and finished with nine touches, one mark, one tackle, one inside 50 and one rebound 50 in the match.

#37 Brooke Boileau

Stepping up again in the midfield, Boileau was able to have a real impact in the first half, winning the ball across the ground and raking up the possessions early. Though not as prolific in the second half, she had a quick shot on goal that just missed for a behind. Only having the two clearances, Boileau was often a second possession winner on this occasion and still cleared the area with a thumping kick down the ground, able to also kick off her left foot if needed. She holds her body position well one-on-one and even drifted back into defence to take a towering mark. Boileau recorded the 18 disposals, two marks, seven tackles, two clearances and three inside 50s.

#52 Melissa Anderson

It was not Anderson’s day from a scoreboard perspective, with her two set shots going far wide including one out of bounds, and the last kick of the day spraying off the outside of her boot out on the full. Though that did not go to plan, she could be proud of her defensive efforts, which include a brilliant run-down tackle on the wing early in the match. She might have only had the four disposals and one mark, but laid six tackles.

#56 Lily Baxter

Though Baxter prefers the space to run into and provide a marking option, she found a lot of her 12 disposals under pressure and did not take a mark on this occasion. Still, Baxter moved well and was able to get the ball forward, with clean hands in close and clever ball use by hand or foot. In the second term, Baxter almost kicked a ripping goal, going inside 50, running hard to receive it back but her shot hit the post.