GOING toe-for-toe right until the final fortnight, Oakleigh Chargers’ Chloe Bown and Murray Bushrangers’ Ellie Hall have set the pace for the rest of the field with the run home to the Rookie Me Central Medal. In what will be the last update prior to announcing the winner, both Bown and Hall are locked on 38 votes apiece with two games remaining.

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Unfortunately for Hall, her Murray Bushrangers have a bye in Round 17, which means she will have one less game to poll, and faces the Geelong Falcons in the last round. Providing Bown is named for both matches, she will take on Geelong Falcons on August 17, and Eastern Ranges on August 24.

Hall earned best afield honours against the Knights after another massive performance, while Bown earned four votes, second only to her younger sister Scarlett who booted seven goals in the come-from-behind win over Sandringham.

Calder Cannons and Eastern Ranges also have a bye, which means top 10 vote-getters Chloe Baker-West and Brylee Anderson are just out of reach of winning though have polled prominently this year. Injury really derailed Baker-West’s season, and thus chances in the count.

Earning four votes behind Hall in Round 16 was Northern’s Scarlett Johnson who looms as realistically the only credible threat to the top two. She is on 32 votes, six off the leading pair, but can catch up if Bown is rested or fails to vote in Round 17, if she can have another big outing in the Knights’ clash with Calder.

Mathematically, Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels’ Maggie Johnstone and teammate Isabella Davies are mathematically in with a shot, having polled 30 and 29 votes respectively, the latter of whom earned the five from the Rebels’ tight victory over Western Jets. Similarly, Geelong Falcons skipper Georgia Tyrrell earned five votes and moved up to 29 to also be in with a slim chance if she can earn two best afields in the final rounds without Bown or Hall polling more than a vote.

Looking across the Round 16 votes, Eastern Ranges pair Zoe Vozzo and Briannan Lambe polled their first votes of the season following respective five-goal hauls. Tasmanian midfielder Mia Anderson earned the five votes in her game, while Priya Bowering‘s four ensured she will be the Devils’ highest poller for the year with 22, given their final game of the regular season takes place in Round 17.

ROUND 16 VOTES

Western Jets 3.2 (20) def. by GWV Rebels 3.7 (25)

5 – Isabella Davies (GWV Rebels)
4 – Tayla Olivieri (Western Jets)
3 – Milly Shortal (GWV Rebels)
2 – Kiara Boyd (Western Jets)
1 – Jovie Skewes-Clinton (GWV Rebels)

Calder Cannons 2.2 (14) def. by Eastern Ranges 15.14 (104)

5 – Zoe Vozzo (Eastern Ranges)
4 – Briannan Lambe (Eastern Ranges)
3 – Jordyn Allen (Eastern Ranges)
2 – Josie Bamford (Eastern Ranges)
1 – Emily Rankin (Eastern Ranges)

Murray Bushrangers 5.8 (38) def. Northern Knights 4.7 (31)

5 – Ellie Hall (Murray Bushrangers)
4 – Scarlett Johnson (Northern Knights)
3 – Majella Day (Murray Bushrangers)
2 – Olivia Gorman (Northern Knights)
1 – Rose Bell (Murray Bushrangers)

Geelong Falcons 9.6 (60) def. Bendigo Pioneers 3.5 (23)

5 – Georgia Tyrrell (Geelong Falcons)
4 – Issy Boulton (Bendigo Pioneers)
3 – Lacey Nihill (Bendigo Pioneers)
2 – Georgia Garlick (Bendigo Pioneers)
1 – Stella Huxtable (Geelong Falcons)

Tasmania Devils 11.18 (84) def. Gippsland Power 0.5 (5)

5 – Mia Anderson (Tasmania Devils)
4 – Priya Bowering (Tasmania Devils)
3 – Ella Stoddart (Gippsland Power)
2 – Grace Dillow (Gippsland Power)
1 – Mischa Barwin (Tasmania Devils)

Oakleigh Chargers 12.5 (77) def. Sandringham Dragons 7.3 (45)

5 – Scarlett Bown (Oakleigh Chargers)
4 – Chloe Bown (Oakleigh Chargers)
3 – Maya Duane (Sandringham Dragons)
2 – Zoe Curry (Oakleigh Chargers)
1 – Chloe Thorn (Oakleigh Chargers)