AFTER a fascinating Coates Talent League Girls season, the two best sides of 2025 face off with Eastern Ranges and Dandenong Stingrays both chasing their first premiership in the competition. We preview the massive clash.

NEED TO KNOW

Who: Eastern Ranges vs. Dandenong Stingrays
When: Saturday September 20, 10:30am
Where: IKON Park, Carlton North
Watch: Live stream via AFL website & Coates Talent League app

IN A NUTSHELL

Eastern Ranges headed into the finals series as favourites for the Coates Talent League Girls flag having toppled the side that beat them in the last two grand finals, Oakleigh Chargers and therefore avoided the tougher ‘third seed’ in Dandenong Stingrays until the big dance. With the Stingrays defeating the Chargers a fortnight ago, it meant a new, and first-time premier will be announced.

FUN FACTS

– It is Eastern Ranges’ third consecutive grand final, and Dandenong Stingrays’ second in girls’ history, with at least one of the two teams featuring on the last day of the season in now four consecutive grand finals.
– While they have played a combined three grand finals, the two sides are cumulative 0-3 in the games, with Dandenong losing with the last kick of the game to Western Jets in 2022, while Eastern has gone down to Oakleigh in the two most recent additions.
– Incredibly, these two sides have not faced off in the 2025 season, with the last time being Round 14, 2024 where the Ranges got up by 21 points.
– These sides have only conceded a total of six goals combined across teh first two finals, with Eastern (two) and Dandenong (four) both holding up defensively well. The Ranges have also booted 22 goals from 51 scoring shots, while Dandenong has 17 goals from 43 scoring shots.

H&A RECORDS

Eastern Ranges – 1st Overall | 1st Metro | 11-3 | 255%
Sandringham Dragons – 3rd Overall | 1st Country | 8-7 | 219.4%

QUARTER FINALS

Eastern Ranges 12.18 (90) def. Northern Knights 1.0 (6)
Dandenong Stingrays 9.18 (72) def. Geelong Falcons 2.2 (14)

PRELIMINARY FINALS

Eastern Ranges 10.11 (71) def. Murray Bushrangers 1.1 (7)
Dandenong Stingrays 8.8 (56) def. Oakleigh Chargers 2.3 (15)

LAST TIME THEY MET

Round 14, 2024:
Dandenong Stingrays 1.0 (6) def. by Eastern Ranges 3.9 (27)

In possibly the worst conditions under foot you could hope for, Eastern Ranges ground out a tought 21-point win over the Stingrays at Frankston. All of Eastern’s three goals came in the first nine minutes, with the next 71 minutes featuring a combined 1.9 with Dandenong’s sole major coming on the edge of half-time. Bottom-ager Tayla McMillan starred with 32 disposals and 11 tackles alongside current Bomber Grace Belloni, while Lily Snow kicked her side’s sole goal, as Rookie Me Central Medallist Jemma Reynolds had a team-high 21 touches.

SQUADS

Eastern Ranges:

B: 27. Z. Willis – 36. B. Horne – 22. E. Di Petta
HB: 31. I. Creaton – 24. M. Gill – 17. L. Williams
C: 7. B. Neale – 10. J. Allen – 4. A. Fearn-Wannan
HF: 12. E. Rankin – 13. A. McDermott – 3. S. Semple
F: 2. Z. Vozzo – 25. B. Lambe – 54. Z. Wilkinson
FOL: 37. J. Bamford – 6. T. McMillan – 35. B. Anderson

INT: 8. A. Caldicott – 16. A. Thatcher – 29. E. Busch – 34. M. Wilkinson – 55. P. Goulding

EMG: 32. Z. Markby – 42. K. Simmons

>> FEATURE: Ranges coach expects “awesome game” for third “rodeo”

Dandenong Stingrays:

B: 11. S. Marsh – 28. G Mehrmann – 29. G. Litchfield
HB: 25. C. Hewitson (c) – 5. M. Brothwell – 18. B. Koczek
C: 2. M. Reimers – 3. N. Harris – 15. C. Gilmore
HF: 1. E. Connolly – 6. M. Bluhm – 9. N. Brothwell
F: 30. K. Triep – 8. R. Geurts – 12. A. Cunnington
FOL: 17. S. White – 10. M. Argus – 7. L. Snow

INT: 13. I. Sherritt – 14. E. Irving – 27. M. Black – 31. J. Stephenson – 33. F. Shepard

EMG: 23. G. Goss – 32. J. Pudney – 36. J. Whitten

>> FEATURE: Stingrays “excited” for grand final opportunity

VICTORIAN SQUAD MEMBERS

Eastern Ranges (11): Jordyn Allen, Brylee Anderson, Josephine Bamford, Isabelle Creaton, Asher-Fearn-Wannan, Bree Horne, Tayla McMillan, Emily Rankin*, Scout Semple*, Zoe Vozzo, Zoe Wilkinson
Dandenong Stingrays (9): Matilda Argus, Mizuki Brothwell, Nalu Brothwell, Evelyn Connolly, Ruby Geurts, Alice Cunnington, Charlotte Gilmore, Lily Snow, Sophie White

* – denotes train-on member

DRAFT COMBINE INVITEES

Eastern Ranges (9): Jordyn Allen, Josephine Bamford, Asher-Fearn-Wannan, Tayla McMillan (National), Isabelle Creaton, Bree Horne, Ashleigh Thatcher, Zoe Vozzo, Zoe Wilkinson (State)
Dandenong Stingrays (5): Mizuki Brothwell, Nalu Brothwell (National), Matilda Argus, Evelyn Connolly, Charlotte Gilmore (State)

WHO’S MISSING?

Both these sides are essentially at full-strength, with that term being the exact one Eastern coach Jarrad Donders used when describing his squad’s availability. Dandenong is only minus Zoe Zach from its best side in the second half of the year, though no doubt the Stingrays would love to have over-ager and VFLW Rising Star Tahlia Sanger back in the team. The 19-year-old not only performed, but excelled for Collingwood and never returned to the Talent League, which is unfortunate for the Stingrays, but a huge positive for both Sanger and the development at Dandenong.

AGE BREAKDOWN

Eastern Ranges: Over-age (0) | Top-age (13) | Bottom-age (10)
Dandenong Stingrays: Over-age (1) | Top-age (15) | Bottom-age (7)

WHERE IT’S WON

As always, the midfield will really determine the game, though it is tipped Eastern’s full Vic Metro setup will have the advantage. Fortunately the Stingrays are very strong at intercepting and rebounding – arguably the better side – though the Ranges’ forward pressure to lock the ball in is where they will make life incredibly difficult.

Dandenong can use the ball under pressure out of defence which the Stingrays will need to do, and then have a well-balanced forward set-up of smalls and talls. However Eastern has that, and more with plenty of stars across multiple lines. There could be as many as 15 players drafted from the Ranges squad, while the Stingrays could have up to a dozen as well across the next couple of years.

PREDICTIONS

RESULT: Eastern Ranges by 15 points
BOG: Tayla McMillan (Eastern Ranges)
MOST GOALS: Zoe Vozzo (Eastern Ranges)