OVER the next three weeks, Rookie Me Central will be counting down our 23 Players Under 23 years of age to watch in the upcoming 2023 season. The criteria is the player must be born in 2001 or later, and must have played at least one AFL Women’s match in Season 7. As the list is completely subjective, the opinion is that of the individual author.
#21 Tahlia Gillard (Melbourne)
DOB: 12/12/2003
Height: 190cm
Position: Key Defender
Games: 16
Tahlia Gillard is one player who enjoyed a breakout second season with Melbourne after getting a taste for AFLW earlier in the year. In Season 6, Gillard – who was taken with pick 42 out of the Calder Cannons in the 2021 AFLW Draft – played three games. A devastating injury to teammate Gabby Colvin gave Gillard an opportunity to hold down a spot in the Demons’ defence, and she took it with both hands.
Playing all 13 games in Season 7, Gillard played some huge roles on quality key forwards, but none more so than in the AFLW Grand Final, where she kept the competition leading goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw to just three disposals, one mark and scoreless. That was one of the unheralded performances of the day, and though attacking players often get the credit, Gillard was a huge reason why Melbourne got the job done.
SEASON 7 KEY STATS:
Games: 13
Disposals: 7.0
Disposal Efficiency: 62.6
Marks: 1.2
Tackles: 1.7
Rebound 50s: 1.9
Intercepts: 4.7
1%ers: 5.0
Time of Ground %: 86.2
Clearly as a key defender, statistics are not the best indication of their value to the team. Over the course of the season, it was evident Gillard became more confident and stronger in each matchup, culminating in her grand final matchup. Few players are more difficult to contain than Wardlaw, who on her day can win a match off her own boot. But on grand final day, Gillard was terrific one-on-one and clearly one of the best Demons.
Having been drafted via the Calder Cannons as a key forward/ruck, Gillard found a home in Melbourne’s defence given the Demons’ wealth of riches in attack. The athletic tall showed her ability to do the team things right, averaging the 4.7 intercepts per game, which when averaging 7.0 disposals shows how much of an anchor she was in the back 50. Couple that with her 5.0 one percenters per match from an average game time of 86.2 per cent and it was pretty evident she is a valuable player.
LOOKING AHEAD
Midfielders and forwards will likely always get more plaudits than defenders as a lot of the work they do is what ends up on highlights videos. But the work Gillard did in Season 7 did not go unnoticed, and she has areas to improve in Season 8. With greater confidence, her efficiency and composure can rise further, and with this, her overall impact on the game will benefit significantly too.
Already a locked in best 21 Dees player in a side that is difficult to crack into, Gillard will earn first chance at holding down her spot despite the return of Colvin. Chances are, coach Mick Stinear will find a way to play them both, with one going up the other end. Regardless, Gillard’s transition from forward/ruck to defender has been impressive and that is what earned her a place on this list.
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