THERE was a serious case of déjà vu at Ikon Park yesterday as Oakleigh Chargers – off the back of some incredible intercept and rebounding work from skipper Sienna Tallariti – proved too good for Eastern Ranges in the Coates Talent League Girls Grand Final. For the second consecutive year Tallariti won best afield medals as she helped guide her team to back-to-back flags in a 5.7 (37) to 2.7 (19) victory.

In just about perfect conditions for the big day, both sides entered the game as the clear top two teams as they had 12 months prior. Eastern Ranges looked on from the get-go winning the crucial first centre clearance, holding forward half possession throughout the first couple of minutes, before wing Evie Parker hit up her captain Georgie Brisbane on a nice lead in the pocket.

Brisbane’s shot drifted from the tight angle, and the first couple of minutes summed up Eastern’s day. The Ranges had more than their fair share of opportunities, but the combination of Oakleigh’s immense pressure and some set shot misses really hurt their chances.

For most of the quarter it was a battle of who could find the big sticks and until the 16th minute, Eastern lead two behinds to one, with a Zoe Curry poster getting her side on the board. It took a little bit of magic from Abbey Vicino and some great shepherding on the line from Emma McDonald for Oakleigh to get the first goal on the board and take a five-point lead into quarter time.

By quarter time, Curry – a double bottom-ager – had already racked up 11 touches, three marks and two clearances and was posing a problem for the Eastern midfield, as was Tallariti who was rebounding everything with eight disposals, two marks and four rebound 50s. On the other side of the equation, Parker (six disposals, four marks and two inside 50s) was holding her width well on the outside.

The second term stung for the Ranges as once again they had early ascendancy and looked dangerous with Stasia Stevenson and Scout Semple unable to connect with the implied pressure inside 50 and once Chloe Thorn arrived on the scene, the ball was locked up.

A couple more chances went begging albeit from tough angles with Georgia Knight and Kelsie Ternes looking dangerous, while Grace Belloni and Parker both put kicks deep out on the full with both the enormous Oakleigh defensive pressure and the weight of putting one through the big sticks bearing down on them.

As can often be the case when a team has had forward half dominance but been unable to score, the opposition – spearheaded through Tallariti – went end to end in the play of the day. From the skipper to McDonald and then Amelie Gladman who nudged her opponent in the one-on-one, and without a whistle played on to get the ball forward in front of Grace To. As if the ball was microchipped to favour Oakleigh, it bounced up to perfection for the forward who strolled in and kicked her side’s second goal.

When Bailee Martin clunked a contested mark on the edge of half-time in the goalsquare after great bodywork, the lead had gone out to 15 points and the Ranges were still yet to put a goal on the board with only one more rushed behind after the first couple of misses.

Tallariti was already up to 16 disposals, four marks and eight rebound 50s, while Chloe Bown (14 disposals, three clearances and three inside 50s) had started to get going, with Belloni leading all-comers at the Ranges with 12 disposals and three clearances, while Parker had nine touches and four marks.

Just nothing seemed to be going the Ranges way and that continued after half-time with a shot on goal looking on target before a terrible bounce went into the post. When Knight clunked a great one-on-one mark 15m out she looked set to spark her side, but that too missed as the pressure continued to mount.

While not allowing Oakleigh to pile on the goals, when the Chargers did get it forward, the ball slipped over the back of the pack in the goalsquare and dangerous small Amelie Gladman pounced. With a quarter to play, the Chargers led by 22 points.

Funnily enough that was the same margin that Eastern lead Oakleigh by in Wildcard Round at three quarter time before the Chargers stormed home to win. Except that would not be the déjà vu on offer. Instead, the Chargers would maintain front half ascendancy for the first half of the quarter – after Eastern had done so through the first three – and eventually some loose defensive checking resulted in McDonald swooping and snapping over her shoulder to ice the game putting it out to a five-goal margin.

To Eastern’s credit, it never stopped having a crack, and did get reward for effort through a couple of late goals to Knight who had worked hard but not been able to capitalise prior to that point. While the five-goal deficit midway through the final term would be too much to catch up, the Ranges efforts made the margin a tighter 18-point ball game.

Tallariti would win best on ground in a shock to precisely no one as the skipper was clearly best afield, racking up 24 disposals, six marks and 14 rebound 50s, while being well supported by midfielders Bown (24 disposals, 10 tackles, five clearances and five inside 50s) and Curry (23 disposals, four marks, three tackles, six clearances, three inside 50s and three rebound 50s).

Mahony (17 disposals, 14 tackles and four clearances) was enormous, while Sarah Poustie found a way to impact with 15 disposals, six marks and six clearances despite it being her lowest disposal tally of the year. Her work one-on-one against the likes of Belloni was important, though the latter did take home the chocolates as Eastern’s clear best afield with 31 disposals, six marks, three tackles, eight clearances, three inside 50s and two rebound 50s.

Bottom-ager Tayla McMillan (21 disposals, 15 tackles, seven clearances and six inside 50s) was phenomenal too, while Parker (16 disposals, four marks, three inside 50s and two rebound 50s) and defender Brylee Anderson (15 disposals, seven rebound 50s) tried hard all day with Paterson (19 disposals, six tackles and four inside 50s).

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 1.1 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 5.7 (37)
EASTERN RANGES 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.7 (19)

GOALS:
Oakleigh: A. Vicino, G. To, B. Martin, A. Gladman, E. McDonald
Eastern: G. Knight 2

RMC BEST:
Oakleigh: S. Tallariti, Z. Curry, C. Bown, M. Mahony, E. McDonald, S. Poustie
Eastern: G. Belloni, T. McMillan, B. Anderson, E. Parker, M. Paterson