A MASSIVE seven games took place across Round 6 of the Coates Talent League Girls, and we took note of some of the players who caught the eye around the grounds. All notes are the opinion of the individual author.

Tasmania Devils 3.7 (25) lost to Dandenong Stingrays 6.7 (43)

By: Peter Williams

TASMANIA DEVILS:

#1 Mischa Barwin
Forward/Midfielder | 164cm | 04/12/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

The tenacious midfielder was once again among the best for the Devils, working hard between the forwardline and midfield. She can tend to get pushed off it a bit easy at this stage given her size, but she is as fierce as they come and cracks in with some enormous tackles. Her cleanliness and willingness to take the game on are highlights and she set up a goal via her lighting quick hands inside 50.

#10 Meg Harrison
Wing | 166cm | 03/11/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 3 marks, 9 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

Harrison finds space around the ground easily, and in this match, it was her defensive pressure that really came to the fore. She has quick and effective hands, and while she can panic under pressure by foot, has strong contest-to-contest and follow-up work that allows her to try to win the ball back. Won the ball in all thirds of the ground.

#13 Lucy Thompson
Forward/Midfielder | 170cm | 14/06/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 12 tackles, 2 inside 50s

The Tasmanian skipper was fierce at ground level, locking the ball inside 50 through her defensive pressure on a number of occasions, and is the type of player who, when she cannot mark, brings the ball to ground. Thompson spent time in the midfield later in the match and is just an ultra-competitive player.

#15 Priya Bowering
Midfielder | 167cm | 02/01/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 inside 50s

Her numbers suggest another prominent game and from an inside perspective she was able to extract the ball on a number of occasions. It seemed like she was not quite as clean as usual in the match with the dewy conditions posing a problem, but she is always going to bring 100 per cent effort, and is hard to beat one-on-one in most situations.

#26 Harriet Bingley
Utility | 172cm | 23/03/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Bingley is the ultimate utility who can play on all three lines, but is regularly thrown back or forward. she started in defence and provided some run and strength in the contest, then pushed forward to have an early shot on goal that she missed. Bingley would capitalise late in the third term with a clever snap that bounced home, while her strength over the ball at ground level was a feature of her game.

#29 Mackenzie Williams
Defender/Midfielder | 171cm | 26/06/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 marks, 4 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 7 rebound 50s,

The rebounding defender had her work cut out for her early, with a huge first term racking up the ball at will. She thwarted a stack of Dandenong forward forays with her intercept marking or mopping up in defence, and drove the ball forward time and time again. She backed herself to break through multiple tackles and use her booming kick to full advantage. It was an all-round impressive performance from the AFLW Academy member.

DANDENONG STINGRAYS:

#3 Jemma Reynolds
Midfielder/Forward | 163cm | 29/04/2006

Stats: 25 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

In dewy conditions, Reynolds provided that touch of class, and was able to find the ball with ease around the ground. She started on-ball and won the first clearance of the match, before going forward in stints. In the third term she had a snap after collecting it off the half volley that was intercepted. Reynolds’ clean hands in traffic and ability to remain balance shone.

#6 Zoe Besanko
Forward/Ruck | 178cm | 25/05/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 6 tackles, 14 hitouts, 3 inside 50s

Besanko returned to the side, competing around the ground in the ruck and rotating forward. She had a number of ‘almost moment’s such as cruising towards goal early in the third term but was run down, and charging forward but not quite connecting cleanly when going to Molly Reimers in the first quarter. Still, Besanko showed off her athleticism in the ruck, while her second and third efforts at ground level were other prominent features of her game.

#11 Kayla Dalgleish
Midfielder/Forward | 161cm | 15/07/2006

Stats: 20 disposals, 1 mark, 4 tackles

Starting deep forward as she has the last couple of weeks, Dalgleish did not see a heap of it early, but still applied great pressure through multiple efforts inside 50. She rotated into the midfield often swapping with Reynolds, and showed a similar attack on the footy, while even going behind the ball to help the defence out and showing great closing speed to force a rushed kick late in the third term. She had the nous to slow the game down in the final minute for her side too.

#13 Nikita Harris
Midfielder | 162cm | 01/01/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 13 tackles, 4 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

Harris’ defensive pressure was once again on show through the match, laying a whopping 13 tackles to go with her 17 disposals. She played predominantly on-ball, but also pushed back to help out in defence when needed, and was quick by hand to dish off to teammates and open up others to run down the field. She at times might have rushed but was clean at ground level and defensively outstanding.

#28 Nalu Brothwell
Forward | 170cm | 22/10/2007

Stats: 20 disposals, 2 marks, 6 tackles, 5 inside 50s, 1 goal

Producing her best game of the year, Brothwell provided a target in attack but used her run to pump the ball inside 50 and set up teammates for scoring opportunities. Her sole goal was a ripping one from tight on the boundary on the run, while if she was not winning it, she was laying tackles, producing six for the match to be among the best Stingrays on the night.

#49 Kate Terri
Midfielder | 165cm | 25/11/2006

Stats: 30 disposals, 8 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

Terri has a knack for finding disposals at will and she did it again on Saturday. Racking up 30 touches, Terri was often found close to the coalface shovelling the ball out and kicking clear to put it to space. With time on her side, Terri generally used the ball well, though was rarely afford too much space in the match. Her eight tackles signalled her defensive intent.

Gold Coast Suns Academy 12.13 (85) defeated Geelong Falcons 2.4 (16)

By: Peter Williams

SUNS ACADEMY:

#4 Heidi Talbot
Defender/Midfielder | 161cm | 18/12/2006

Stats: 25 disposals, 3 marks, 5 tackles, 3 inside 50s

Back-to-back big games from Talbot who started in defence then pushed into the midfield where she was even able to sneak forward and kick a classy goal out of nothing. With time and space, Talbot makes good decisions and is clean by hand particularly, and while her execution under pressure and ground balls could improve, her aggression and ability to get into the right spots was great.

#17 Alannah Welsh
Forward | 170cm | 23/11/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 3 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 3 goals, 4 behinds

An aggressive forward, Welsh leaves nothing out there, and attacks everything at full throttle. Though it can lead to free kicks against, she competes and never backs down. On the day, she had a smorgasbord of shots, finishing with three goals and four behinds. Welsh creates goals out of nothing and gets into dangerous spots to bounce, often dribbling a goal or snapping under pressure. Capable of playing anywhere on the ground, Welsh has been developing nicely as a forward this season.

#23 Mia Salisbury
Midfielder | 168cm | 27/06/2006

Stats: 25 disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 3 inside 50s

Stepping up in the absence of Tara Harrington, Salisbury spent just about full-time in midfield and was able to impact around the stoppages. Strong, but also clean, Salisbury is a sound decision maker and gets herself out of trouble by ducking out the back of stoppages. She set up a goal to Baron in the fourth term with a lovely low bullet, and though at times she can lean back on the kick forcing it to go high, Salisbury was among the best Suns on the day.

#29 Georja Davies
Utility | 183cm | 17/01/2007

Stats: 11 disposals, 2 marks, 6 tackles, 6 hitouts, 1 goal

Davies sprung a surprise at the opening centre bounce, starting as a midfielder before then rotating in literally every area on the field. From taking ruck stoppages to playing behind the ball, to then going forward and converting a late goal on the run, she just about did it all. Others had bigger numbers, but Davies’ impact was huge.

#30 Havana Harris
Utility | 181cm | 01/07/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles, 12 hitouts, 9 inside 50s, 3 behinds

The star tall produced another huge effort rotating between ruck, forward and midfield. She had a couple of gimme goals that missed she would like to take back, hitting the post twice from close range. Her clean hands at ground level – even when at top speed – sets her aside from the rest, and she consistently won the ball throughout the four quarters. She might have only taken the three marks, but she constantly put pressure on the opposition defence with nine inside 50s.

#31 Dekota Baron
Forward | 178cm | 03/01/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 2 marks, 11 hitouts, 4 goals, 2 behinds

You can pencil Baron in for four goals each week as the bottom-age tall made it three from three achieving the feat. Though she is strong and provides a physical presence, she is athletic and can beat opponents in the air, or at ground level. Rotating into the ruck, Baron showed off her vertical leap there, while missing a couple of shots that would have made it an even bigger day. A huge, consistent performer in front of goal.

GEELONG FALCONS:

#7 Sara Howley
Midfielder/Forward | 173cm | 29/01/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles

The high production midfielder started on-ball but found herself inside 50 quite a bit in the game. With Gold Coast Suns Academy well on top and winning the first possession around stoppages, Howley rarely had chances to get her one-two game going. She still provided bursts of speed at different points around the ground, but the Suns Academy set up so well they intercepted more often than not. It was a down game, but one she can take plenty from against quality opposition.

#8 Mekah Morrissy
Wing | 159cm | 16/01/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 1 goal

The skipper is as competitive as they come and always puts pressure on the opposition even if it is not rewarded in tackle numbers. Morrissy kept pushing to the final siren and was rewarded with a classy goal on the run in the final few minutes of the match. It was a tough day out for the Falcons, but Morrissy was strong in tackles and did all she could to win the hardball.

#24 Georgia Tyrrell
Midfielder | 168cm | 04/08/2007

Stats: 22 disposals, 3 marks, 5 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

Arguably Geelong’s best on the day, the bottom-ager tried hard to win the battle against a strong opposition midfield. She did well to be clean in the wet, got back behind the ball and intercepted on a number of occasions and drove the ball forward to try and spark the side. Her contested work, combined with her run and carry made it an all-round game for Tyrrell.

#38 Stella Huxtable
Midfield/Forward | 170cm | 22/12/2007

Stats: 22 disposals, 5 marks, 3 inside 50s

Using her strong frame to advantage, Huxtable was crucial at one-on-ones all around the ground. A left-footer, she used it to advantage, and both clunked marks and fought hard at ground level to extract it from the stoppages. One who will only get better with time, Huxtable provided a bigger body at the coalface against the taller Suns midfielders.

Bendigo Pioneers 5.14 (44) lost to Northern Knights 7.6 (48)

By: Peter Williams

BENDIGO PIONEERS:

#5 Lucia Painter
Midfielder/Forward | 174cm | 23/02/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 4 marks, 7 tackles, 8 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

Painter starred for the Pioneers yet again, having an impact in all thirds of the ground. Her penetrating and accurate kick was deadly going forward, hitting up targets on leads with ease. She won the hard ball, collected the loose ball and read it off hands well, often exploding through stoppages and thumping it forward. She delivered it lace out time and time again inside 50 and though she missed. a couple of opportunities on goal, had an all-round game.

#13 Jemmika Douglas
Midfielder/Defender | 166cm | 20/02/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

The smooth mover was once again a splash of class amongst her strength and competitiveness both in the air and around the ground. She put her body on the line regularly, and when she had it generally used it well. Her physical power allowed her to apply some big bumps or crunch opponents in tackles. She streamed down the middle of the ground early in the fourth term for an eye-catching one-two to get it forward.

#45 Lexi Gregor
Key Forward | 180cm | 07/04/2006

Stats: 13 disposals, 3 marks, 5 tackles, 5 behinds

It was a mixed bag of a day for Gregor who for her role played exceptionally well in getting to the right spots and having shots on goal. Unfortunately it was just not her day when it came to accuracy, missing set shots and then having some horror bounces from quick snaps, leading to five behinds. Still, the co-captain was a presence inside 50 and showed great promise for the future.

NORTHERN KNIGHTS:

#4 Holly Ridewood
Wing/Forward | 174cm | 27/12/2006

Stats: 25 disposals, 5 marks, 6 tackles, 7 inside 50s

The Knights skipper produced another industrious performance in the attacking half of the ground. Ridewood is a highly competitive wing who is strong overhead, can roll inside or push forward and have an impact by setting others up for goals. She did just that late in the third term where she impressively bounced off Painter, ran forward and delivered to Lemire in the goalsquare. She can blaze away at times and spray the kicks, but she can gain distance on her disposals and follow up with great contest-to-contest work.

#5 Zoe Hargreaves
Midfielder | 172cm | 03/06/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 10 marks, 4 tackles, 4 inside 50s, 5 rebound 50s

Hargreaves had a massive first half where she seemed to be everywhere racking the ball up at will and finding space all across the ground. Her ability to find space and clunk marks allowed her to size up her options down the field, while bringing her natural aggression when tackling around the coalface. Hargreaves was quieter in the second half but still had her moments, going behind the ball at times to help out and relieve the defence.

#9 Kira Lemire
Forward | 167cm | 14/09/2006

Stats: 7 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 2 goals

The forward did not need to do a lot to have an impact, kicking the match-winning goal from a free kick in the goalsquare. Though not a difficult kick for a player of her calibre, Lemire still went back and nailed the set shot, making it two for the game after another close range mark and goal from Ridewood’s kick inside 50 in the third term. She applied some great pressure inside 50 as well.

Brisbane Lions Academy 10.15 (75) defeated Calder Cannons 1.1 (7)

By: Peter Williams

LIONS ACADEMY:

#3 Zimra Hussain
Forward | 01/01/2006 | 160cm

Stats: 18 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 1 goal, 3 behinds

The dangerous utility further honed her craft inside 50 this game, kicking a goal from four scoring shots and a number of other possible opportunities. Hussain’s major came from textbook small forward craft, getting front and centre from a marking contest and snapping truly from 35m. She could have had a couple more with quick snaps but they went wide, including a gettable chance running into goal. Still. she buzzed around the forward 50 and applied pressure.

#11 Mia Geere
Midfielder/Forward | 171cm | 08/04/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 5 marks, 2 tackles, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

The double bottom-age midfielder/forward was once again prominent racking up 22 disposals, five marks and kicking 1.2. She should have converted a couple more of her chances with one set shot touched on the line and another snap just missing, though made no mistake from point blank range. She is strong overhead, has footy IQ and was able to set up a goal to Ebony Milne in the second term with a great low pass inside 50.

#12 Isabella McDonough
Midfielder/Wing | 164cm | 13/02/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 4 marks, 11 tackles, 5 inside 50s, 3 goals

The standout player from the Lions the balanced midfielder who can rotate inside or outside was able to hit the scoreboard with three majors. She is a smooth-moving talent who finishes well in front of goal, only missing the one chance on the edge of half-time. A left-footer who cruises around the ground, McDonough has enjoyed a strong Coates Talent League Girls carnival to-date and looms as one to watch this year.

#30 Laura Roy
Defender | 172cm | 16/08/2005

Stats: 23 disposals, 7 marks, 2 tackles, 7 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s, 1 goal

A powerful and aggressive runner, the over-age defender loves to push forward and get chances on goal, kicking a nice one when finding space inside 50 and duly delivering. She can routinely bomb long with her damaging left foot, but also hit the low bullets inside 50. One who has developed from her top-age season, and is hard to quell overhead.

#34 Farrandai Hopkins
Defender | 168cm | 10/04/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 7 marks, 2 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 5 rebound 50s

Stationed in defence, Hopkins was once again a fierce player who consistently provided rebound from the back half of the ground and stood tall when needing to mark. She is often the Lions’ chosen player to exit the defensive 50, and though strong, can sidestep an opponent and back herself to run down the field.

CALDER CANNONS:

#3 Chloe Baker-West
Midfielder/Defender | 163cm | 02/02/2007

Stats: 42 disposals, 3 marks, 5 tackles, 4 inside 50s, 9 rebound 50s

It was a ridiculous stat-stuffing performance from the reigning back-to-back Vic Metro Under 16s MVP who was a clear star on the ground. She won it all over the field, also helping out in defence to create some run and carry, while dominating the clearances. Her high volume production was incredible, and she even took some kickouts, truly doing it all. While it was a disappointing loss for the Cannons, Baker-West showed the talent there for next year.

#30 Kyla Forbes
Midfielder/Forward | 168cm | 07/09/2006

Stats: 11 disposals, 5 marks, 8 tackles

It was a tough day out for most Cannons, and Forbes was no exception. Rarely having the time and space she would love to have, she still showed strength around the stoppages, shrugging off would-be tacklers or firing out handballs. She produced enormous levels of defensive pressure at ground level and competed in the air.

GWV Rebels 1.3 (9) lost to Gippsland Power 7.5 (47)

By: Michael Alvaro

GWV REBELS:

#1 Isabella Davies
Defender/Midfielder | 160cm | 29/10/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 8 tackles, 6 inside 50s

Competitive as ever, Davies continued her terrific run of form as GWV’s leading ball winner. The diminutive top-ager started out in defence before quickly switching into midfield, where she spent most of the game. Davies dug in to get her hands on the ball at stoppages and prised clearances against stiff opposition, consistently defying her stature with each feat. She swooped on a loose ball inside 50 to slam home the Rebels’ one and only goal during term three, displaying great urgency.

#15 Millie Lang
Defender | 177cm | 06/11/2006

Stats: 26 disposals, 7 marks, 8 rebound 50s

The inverse rotation to Davies, Lang featured at the opening centre bounce but spent most of the day down back. She looks comfortable there and read the play well to shift into all the right spots for intercept possessions. Her defensive and contested efforts were terrific, locking up many an opponent to force stoppages and compliment her aerial work. With ball in hand, Lang attempted to move it on quickly and surge forward when possible, even having a shot on goal during term three.

GIPPSLAND POWER:

#3 Zali Gallagher
Wing | 162cm | 08/07/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

A player with genuine speed and the ability to run-and-carry, Gallagher looked lively in short spurts. She surged the ball forward with repeat efforts and looked dangerous when taking ground in front of her, which happened more often as the game opened up again after half time. Her pace became even more prevalent in the latter stages when others carried tired legs, ending up with plenty of metres gained.

#15 Jasmine Sowden
Midfielder/Forward | 164cm | 17/12/2006

Stats: 23 disposals, 7 tackles, 5 inside 50s

Sowden injected great bursts of speed to the game on Sunday as she rolled through the midfield-forward rotation. As a forward, she ventured high up the ground before looking to use her speed on the way back with creative disposals. While she may have bitten off too much on a few occasions, the dual-footed talent showed her class with nice feints and baulks to buy more time in possession. Her final quarter snap goal was the cherry on top a strong performance.

#16 Ash Centra
Midfielder/Forward | 174cm | 02/06/2006

Stats: 34 disposals, 6 marks, 2 goals

Arguably the top draft prospect this year, Centra did a bit of everything in another imperious performance. She was a class above across the board; finding and hitting targets few others could, clunking overhead marks in each third of the ground, carving her way through traffic, and hitting the scoreboard with two goals. Centra’s second was a ridiculous finish from the boundary, indicative of the skill which saw her take on the game with inboard kicks and incisive runs. She operates on a different wavelength in every category – the ultimate footballer.

#19 Ella Stoddart
Midfielder | 173cm | 30/01/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 3 marks, 4 inside 50s

Having a go through the middle of the ground, Stoddart used her weapons to advantage with plenty of line-breaking play on Sunday. The bottom-ager was aggressive with ball in hand, backing her speed to gain ground and swing onto her favoured left side. Stoddart’s kicking was typically penetrative and dangerous when launched over the back, though she could perhaps benefit from lowering her eyes at times. Still, forwards can thrive off the quick and deep entries she provides.

#29 Rebecca Fitzpatrick
Midfielder | 170cm | 31/01/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 5 tackles, 4 rebound 50s

Another key feature of Gippsland’s midfield group, Fitzpatrick’s grunt on the inside was key to allowing others to shine elsewhere. Her ball winning ability was evident from the early stages as she sharked the ruck taps and looked to power her way out of congestion. While her ball use could have been better at times, Fitzpatrick’s role made her an asset in the Power’s big win.

Murray Bushrangers 1.4 (10) lost to Oakleigh Chargers 19.16 (130)

By: Peter Williams

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS:

#9 Holly Egan
Defender | 176cm | 01/07/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 6 rebound 50s

Working hard in defence all game, the top-age Egan was incredible overhead and fierce on the ground, having more disposals than any other Bushranger. Though her kicking from defensive 50 often led to turnovers due to Oakleigh’s setup behind the ball, Egan was outstanding in the air, clunking a number of great intercept marks, and when she could run and dish off by hand she looked dangerous.

#24 Rose Bell
Defender/Forward | 170cm | 18/03/2008

Stats: 14 disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 5 rebound 50s

Working hard alongside Egan for most of the match, Bell’s pressure inside the defensive 50 was great and she was able to take both intercept marks, and become an option for the player taking the kickout. She often thumped it as far as she could to clear the danger, and late in the match was thrown forward where she had a chance on goal but just missed.

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS:

#1 Jacinta Baxter
Wing/Forward | 163cm | 18/01/2006

Stats: 25 disposals, 4 marks, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

Baxter has some ultra-exciting traits playing off a wing and pushing forward, kicking a goal herself and setting up a number of other chances. Her major came via a set shot in the third term, but it was her run across the ground that caught the eye. Sometimes she could do too much and a bounce went errant or she took one too many steps allowing a tackler to disrupt her disposal, but she still backed herself to zip and zag through traffic.

#2 Sarah Poustie
Midfielder | 170cm | 05/01/2006

Stats: 31 disposals, 3 marks, 9 tackles, 7 inside 50s, 1 goal

As consistent as they come, Poustie put in another huge game leading from the front in the midfield. While Mahony caught attention by hitting the scoreboard with four majors, Poustie also kicked a great goal on the run and had the ball on a string throughout the contest. Her contested work and ability to get into space as well was outstanding, and she was able to constantly put pressure on the opposition defence. She set up multiple shots on goal and was fantastic for four quarters.

#3 Sienna Tallariti
Defender | 168cm | 10/07/2006

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Starting in her usual defensive role, Tallariti was able to play higher up the field and creative some scoring chains, then took kickouts or got deep in defence and cleared the ball to safety. Her elite foot skills are among the best going around, and while her booming right boot is her usual weapon, she also kicked one on the run off the left from 35m when stationed forward. The skipper was able to gain valuable time up forward in the last quarter and a half and pinpointed passes inside 50.

#6 Maggie Mahony
Midfielder | 161cm | 19/10/2006

Stats: 37 disposals, 4 marks, 14 tackles, 10 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 4 goals

A simply five-star performance, Mahony had the ball on a string and had a career-best game of 37 disposals and four goals. As the statline suggests, there was little Mahony did not do, also laying 14 tackles and pumping the ball inside 50 a total of 10 times. Her goals were outstanding as well, including one off hands in the goalsquare, one off a step, one from long-range charging out o the centre square to the top of 50, and another classy finish under pressure. It was one of the performances of the year.

#9 Chloe Bown
Forward | 174cm | 20/12/2007

Stats: 27 disposals, 4 goals, 1 behind

Perhaps overshadowed by Mahony’s ridiculous performance, the bottom-age Bown also had a day out with four goals from 27 disposals. Working up the ground then getting deep in attack, Bown’s majors were on the run bar an early set shot, with a snap from 45m bouncing home the best of the lot. She moves well through traffic and has the power to break free from would-be tacklers, showing her ability to find the ball further afield and then convert on the scoreboard as well.

#18 Bailee Martin
Forward | 174cm | 03/09/2008

Stats: 18 disposals, 8 marks, 2 hitouts, 2 goals, 4 behinds

Martin opened her day with a set shot goal midway through the first term from a contested mark, the latter of which would be a theme of her performance. She clunked eight grabs and looked ever dangerous, kicking a second goal in the final term off a step nicely. Martin realistically should have kicked a few more but was wayward, though the double bottom-ager showed just how good she will be in the future with her aerial ability and forward craft on display.

#25 Emma McDonald
Forward | 179cm | 18/04/2006

Stats: 10 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 2 goals

The key forward started in attack, kicked two goals in the first 22 minutes, then went into defence midway through the third quarter where unsurprisingly given the scoreline, she saw little action. When she was inside 50 she looked dominant, leading out to the right spots to take grabs on the lead. McDonald missed one set shot she would normally nail, but other than that was reliable, and set up a couple of scoring chances to Martin and Bown.

Western Jets 3.4 (22) lost to Sandringham Dragons 8.4 (52)

By: Liam Badkin

WESTERN JETS:

#9 Sierra Grieves
Midfielder | 163cm | 18/05/2006

Stats: 29 disposals, 2 marks, 8 tackles, 6 inside 50s, 5 rebound 50s

The accumulative mid was the leading ball-winner on the ground with 29 touches, and used her grunt at the coalface to get the hands out to her teammates outside the contest, while also driving the ball forward wherever possible. She went head-to-head with McKay at times in an enthralling battle, and laid eight tackles in a tough display. Grieves popped up everywhere, and helped clear the ball from defensive 50 on several occasions to try and spark something for Western. She was the Jets’ standout and showed a tireless effort across all four quarters.

#11 Lou-Lou Field
Defender | 167cm | 18/10/2006

Stats: 21 disposals, 9 marks, 4 tackles, 5 rebound 50s

She spent plenty of time in defence and was rock-solid all day as Field tried to repel as many Sandringham attacks as possible. Providing a valuable leading target, Field racked up nine marks, with multiple intercepting the opposition’s play. She preferred to go by foot, and although not all of her kicks came off, she hit the target more often than not and helped take the pressure off the Jets when they were under the pump. Field finished the day with 21 touches (16 kicks) to be the second-highest disposal-getter for Western.

#30 Alex McBride-Loane
Defender/Ruck | 173cm | 03/04/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 4 tackles, 12 hitouts, 2 rebound 50s

Spending most of her time in defence while chopping out in the ruck, McBride-Loane was desperate to create something for the Jets wherever possible. Whether it was out of the middle or on the last line of defence, she looked to get the ball moving forward for Western. Although not always successful on this front (such as when she boldly tried to chip it to herself in defence), she was certainly important in the passages of play that were positive for the Jets. Her workrate and follow-up around the ground meant she found plenty of the ball with 19 disposals to go with 12 hitouts.

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS

#14 Mia Zielinski
Forward | 174cm | 21/07/2005

Stats: 11 disposals, 3 marks, 3 goals, 2 behinds

The crafty forward hit the scoreboard in a big way in the win for Sandringham, and could have had an even larger haul if she brought her kicking boots. Zielinski popped up time after time for the Dragons, finding space ahead of the ball and bobbing up for three goals, including a set shot on a tough angle to help Sandringham burst out to a two-goal lead. She also missed two shots later in the contest and could have had a bag of five, but her output was still impressive nonetheless.

#15 Sophie McKay
Midfielder/Forward | 168cm | 27/04/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 5 marks, 6 tackles, 5 inside 50s

The smooth-moving midfielder was at her damaging best once again, and locked horns with Grieves in a ripping battle. She racked up the most disposals for the Dragons, and had her fingerprints all over the midfield battle. McKay’s workrate around the ground was also commendable, and she gained valuable territory for the Dragons. She finished the game with 27 disposals (with some impressive kicks among those), five marks, six tackles and five inside 50s in another eye-catching display for Sandringham.

#46 Scout Howden
Wing | 174cm | 17/02/2006

Stats: 24 disposals, 5 marks, 3 tackles, 6 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Howden has been finding plenty of the footy to start the 2024 season, and kept that trend rolling in the win over the Jets. She pushed hard to space and racked up the disposals in a classy effort from the winger. She had 24 disposals and was lethal by foot as she used her pace and drive to push the ball long and gain plenty of metres for the winning side. Howden also hit the scoreboard for a classy major that was demonstrative of how damaging she can be by foot and showing plenty of composure.