GEELONG’S star top-agers return to the Coates Talent League Girls this weekend to take on Oakleigh Chargers tomorrow at St Albans Reserve. The Vic Country representatives sat out the Round 13 victory over Northern and now take on an Oakleigh side coming off its first loss of the year and still missing a host of top prospects.

NEED TO KNOW

Venue: St Albans Reserve, Thomson
Date: Saturday, July 12
Time: 11:00am

FORM

Oakleigh Chargers suffered their first defeat of the season last round, going down heavily to Tasmania Devils at Warrawee Park. The Chargers were missing a host of Vic Metro representatives against a full-strength Devils outfit, and the depth will again be tested with Metro up in Queensland to take on the Maroons on Sunday. Geelong rested its Vic Country representatives for its 57-point thrashing of Northern Knights – who were also understrength – but have recalled them for the big game tomorrow.

TEAMS

Geelong Falcons:

B: #12 Meg Lappin – #16 Charlotte Van Loon – #5 Addison Baars
HB: #29 Meyah Fursland – #8 Chloe Bryant – #18 Luella Aldridge
C: #24 Alana Mulvahil – #38 Stella Huxtable – #7 Lua Payne
HF: #6 Charlee Morrow – #3 Kate O’Brien – #4 Cavalle Boxer
F: #14 Lokki Gillett – #17 Greea McKeegan – #33 Neave Dickson
R: #23 Ella Condon – #9 Georgia Tyrrell – #21 Ally Lappin
INT: #2 Danielle Rhodes – #11 Juliet Muscroft – #25 Tara Trethowan – #27 Olivia Bradshaw – #35 Catherine Gandolfo

Oakleigh Chargers:

B: #16 Charlee Johnson – #35 Annabelle Mackintosh – #12 Isabella Teoh
HB: #14 Chloe Potts – #34 Tatyana Perry – #59 Lily Parker
C: #5 Isabelle Godfrey – #11 Isabella Mazzei – #6 Leni Lockyer
HF: #19 Skye Emery – #10 Eliza Klein – #30 Grace Sharkie
F: #58 Khimaya Georgiou – #32 Scarlett Bown – #36 Jade Gundry
R: #50 Cleo Barbakas – #7 Emily Rundle – #23 Ava Philpin
INT: #1 Grace To – #15 Lara Brown – #29 Annabelle Roberts – #39 Zara Lanigan – #43 Lara Mercorillo

KEY PLAYERS

Geelong Falcons

The midfield pairing of Stella Huxtable and Georgia Tyrrell is such a huge inclusion for the Falcons and really they should control the clearances against a young Oakleigh on-ball division. The flow-on effect of having them allows over-age talent Chloe Bryant to spend more time behind the ball, and Alana Mulvahil can roll back out to a wing.

Interestingly, Ally Lappin has been named on-ball with sister Meg back in the side and unsurprisingly in defence. Greea McKeegan gives the Falcons another target up forward and will now doubt be the main figurehead in attack, while ruck/forwards Kate O’Brien and Ella Condon – born three years apart – rotate at the stoppages.

Oakleigh Chargers

Oakleigh struggled a little bit to get forward half ascendancy and make it count without a number of key midfielders. It does give the likes of Isabella Mazzei and Emily Rundle a chance to take the reins. On the outside, Isabelle Godfrey provides stacks of run and the smart Leni Lockyer is on the other wing. Talented double bottom-ager Cleo Barbakas with take on Condon in the ruck to start which is a duel for the future.

In defence, Tatyana Perry was an important cog with her composure and reading of the play last week, picking up a team-high 21 disposals and getting into the right spots. Meanwhile in attack, Scarlett Bown can do a lot of damage inside 50, while Grace To is a crafty small forward as well.

PREDICTION

Geelong has the experience and should really control the midfield and from there, give its forwards the best opportunity of kicking a winning score. Oakleigh will be better for the opportunity of last week, but come up against a strong Geelong outfit with a nice mix across each third of the ground so it is hard to look past the Falcons in this one.

ROUND 14 FIXTURE

Saturday, July 12:

Geelong Falcons vs. Oakleigh Chargers | St Albans Reserve @ 11:00am
Northern Knights vs. Eastern Ranges | Preston City Oval @ 11:00am
Bendigo Pioneers vs. Murray Bushrangers | Queen Elizabeth Oval @ 11:30am
Dandenong Stingrays vs. Sandringham Dragons | Belvedere Reserve @ 11:30am

Sunday, July 13:

Gippsland Power vs. GWV Rebels | Shepley Oval @ 11:00am
Tasmania Devils vs. Western Jets | North Hobart Oval @ 12:00pm