A DOMINANT triple-digit win in favour of the Sydney Swans Academy saw the red and white side flex their muscles in the NSW-ACT Under 22 Women’s Summer Series over the weekend. While the Giants Academy came away with a 26-point win over AFL Sydney’s Under 22s, the Swans Academy stormed to a remarkable 19.12 (126) to 1.1 (7) win.

Swans Academy 2.2 | 7.8 | 15.9 | 19.12 (126)
AFL Canberra U22s 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.1 (7)

After a tight first term, the younger cohort began to open up, and the free-flowing football was on true display from midway through the second term. Once it had begun, there was no stopping the Swans, as some set plays both end-to-end and out of the middle looked like a training drill. To AFL Canberra’s credit, despite being outclassed, the league continued to pressure and was rewarded with a fourth quarter goal to Charlotte Canavan who was clearly best on ground for her side, while defender Hannah Kearney was gallant in defeat and saved it being an even worse loss.

There was no shortage of impressive Swans though, with 10 individual goalkickers in the win, including a five-goal haul to an over-ager and an impressive combination of athletic key forwards that will hold the Swans in good stead for the future. We took note of a few of the players who caught the eye in the big win.

Swans Academy:

#1 Charlotte Tidemann
Defender | 08/08/2008

The explosive defender is one to watch for next year and showed her athletic talents bursting from half-back on a number of occasions. Her ability to give-and-go and use that speed to break the lines is what separated herself from many others, and she set up numerous scoring chains in the second half. One such instance came in the third term where she won it at half-back and burnt off a couple of opponents to then drill a ball inside 50 to Neyland. If given any time or space, her hurt factor is incredible.

#7 Molly Thomas
Forward/Midfielder | 22/04/2007

Looking dangerous in the forward half with her left foot, Thomas showed she could be an eye-catching player both out of the stoppage and going forward. After kicking a goal from a handball receive on the run in the second term, she went on-ball and used her skill by foot to set up Parker on one occasion and won the first centre clearance of the second half. While not as massive of an accumulator as the other midfielders, her class rose to the forefront.

#8 Grace Parsons
Key Forward | 10/12/2007

One that jumped off the page in terms of what she could produce if given the chance, Parsons is a 182cm-plus key forward who can clunk big grabs and has nice forward craft. Her hands off the bounce are clean as well, with her movement for her height a huge strength. She finished with three goals – two from set shots inside 50 and another from soccering off the deck, but her best kick was perhaps one into the corridor, hitting a long 45-kick to Juneja in the middle after a contested mark on the wing.

#9 Lucinda Watson
Midfielder | 25/11/2007

A clean midfielder who can also slide back to either end, Watson showed great awareness throughout the match, generally using the ball well in transition. She found her fair share of the ball in each third of the ground, and when she did make the odd mistake, followed up with defensive pressure to force a turnover and win the ball back. She can step around opponents and feed the ball out to teammates by picking the wrong option, with the top-ager one of the most consistent four-quarter performers.

#12 Lucy Yates
Midfielder | 23/07/2006

An ever-consistent midfielder, Yates is capable of some big numbers having impressed at senior level already in AFL Sydney. A slick ball user who was able to hit the scoreboard on multiple occasions, Yates might be small (159cm) but is strong in her core, able to shrug off a would-be tackler during the fourth term to snap a goal. Is right-dominant but has great power and generally uses it well by hand or foot turning defence into offence.

#16 Kiera Yerbury
Midfielder | 24/07/2007

The point of difference in the Sydney midfield with a lot of smaller teammates rotating through, the 172cm Yerbury cracks in to find the ball and is able to stand up in tackles while dishing off. Her ability to lower the eyes – even off her non-preferred left foot – is impressive and she used the ball well by hand or foot. Her third quarter was the best of the four, racking the ball up through the middle, being clean at ground level then took it 30m out, straightened up and kicked a great goal on the run.

#19 Emma Juneja
Wing | 08/05/2006

Juneja overcame a couple of early mistakes to be one of the best on ground for her elite run and carry. She would win it in defence and in the blink of an eye was back in attack, kicking two goals between the second and third term – one soccering off the deck and one bursting forward after coming off the wing – as well as setting up numerous goalkicking opportunities for her teammates. While pinpoint precision by foot is still an area that can further improve, once she has the ball in space, Juneja can hit up teammates well and runs in waves to support.

#24 Alex Neyland
Tall Forward | 04/09/2007

Neyland overcame a dropped mark and getting caught holding the ball early to be one of the biggest performers of the second half. She kicked a couple of goals and set up three more to three different players, with her awareness and work inside 50 fantastic. Her hands are so strong, she is able to use the ball well after a mark, and was clean off the deck too. A developing tall forward with enormous upside and one who could be in for a big year with confidence.

#25 Ella Parker
Forward | 04/10/2006

The overlooked utility did her draft chances no harm with an impressive five-goal haul in the big one. Playing purely forward, Parker kicked two goals in the second term and three in the fourth term, with her ability to get into the right spots key for the 18-year-old. Even with a chance to kick her sixth, Parker dished off to Yates instead, and had a couple more chances that just went astray. Overall was the best forward on numbers and found the space required around the forward arc.

#32 Madeleine Quinn
Ruck | 20/02/2007

An outstanding and dominant performance through the ruck, Quinn won just about every ruck contest she went to, towering over her direct opponents and getting a clear fist forward. She looked to put the ball into space for her teammates to run onto, and if it did land at her feet, she was clean and able to recover with quick hands off. In space, she moved well and even burst away from opponents on a couple of occasions, lowering the eyes to hit up Swans in the forward half. The standout pure ruck in NSW/ACT.