AN ALL-COUNTRY battle saw Murray Bushrangers run over the top of Bendigo Pioneers in Round 4, recording a 68-point victory, 14.8 (92) to 3.6 (24). We took note of some of the players from each side that caught the eye.

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS:

#4 Ebony Chapman
Defender/Forward | 163cm | 06/05/2009

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 2 goals

After starting the game in defence, the bottom-ager had two of the game’s most eye-catching goals – a composed set shot inside 50 after marking and turning with minimal steps in the third term, and a long bouncing run in the final term that finished with a dribbler into an open goalsquare. Lively off half-back throughout and willing to protect the ball at ground level.

#5 Eliza Roche
Forward/Midfielder | 165cm | 03/03/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 4 marks, 5 tackles, 3 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 4 goals, 1 behind

Roche was outstanding, producing a four-goal performance that showed the full range of her forward capabilities – a contested clunk just before the first-term siren, a tight-angle finish from a scramble, a simple tap-in after getting goalside in the third, and a running goal off a team chain. Her defensive forward pressure was just as important as her scoring output, with a fantastic tackle inside 50 in the second term and a ball-hunting sequence where she laid a tackle after a turnover and won it back reflecting her two-way intensity.

#6 Skylah McPherson
Midfielder/Forward | 169cm | 22/01/2008

Stats: 33 disposals, 7 marks, 7 tackles, 7 clearances, 7 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 3 goals, 1 behind

As complete of a midfield game as you will see at this level, McPherson won it inside, outside, applied defensive pressure and impacted on the scoreboard in her team’s win. She covered the ground at pace all day, converted from 30 metres straight in front for the opening goal, and finished with another composed set shot in the final term after a couple of tight-angle near-misses. Still found time for seven tackles alongside the accumulation. A brilliant individual display.

#9 Carmela Perri
Midfielder/Forward | 168cm | 15/10/2008

Stats: 41 disposals, 2 marks, 6 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 behind

Bringing her own ball to the game, Perri’s numbers only further illustrated her claim as one of the genuine accumulators in the draft crop. She was at the centre bounce all day, consistently releasing under immediate pressure with quick handballs, flick passes and looping release plays that created opportunities for teammates. Her best work came in the final term – a behind-the-head handball to set up Nixon for a goal, then a brilliant flick handball to Nixon who found McPherson for another. No one accumulated more in Round 3.

#10 Charlie Gibson
Midfielder/Forward | 171cm | 14/05/2009

Stats: 17 disposals, 5 marks, 5 tackles, 1 clearance, 2 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 behind

The bottom-ager was busy and competitive in a game where the Bushrangers had talent everywhere, showing a nice spin out of trouble by hand in the second term and five marks across the game to reflect her aerial reliability. A poor set shot from 20 metres in the final term was a rare blemish in an otherwise strong performance. Continuing to develop as a versatile option across the ground and is good in the air and spreads well.

#20 Nikkita Nixon
Forward/Midfielder | 172cm | 10/08/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 3 hitouts, 2 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 2 goals, 1 behind

Nixon was the ideal complement to the Bushrangers’ midfield engine, rotating between the forward ruck and leading at the top of 50. Two goals in quick succession in the final term – a composed finish from 25 metres under pressure then a sharp opportunistic snap moments later – put the result beyond doubt. A nice pass going inside 50 to hit up McPherson early set the tone for a tidy performance. Nixon showed her versatility to also go into the middle and win a nice centre clearance midway through the last quarter after her two majors.

#24 Rose Bell
Defender | 171cm | 18/03/2008

Stats: 16 disposals, 5 marks, 1 tackle, 6 rebound 50s

Bell was the anchor of the Bushrangers’ defensive structure, consistently clearing danger with well-placed kicking and strong positioning. Her vision and execution from the back half was a feature – a mark on the goalline followed by an effective kick to half-back was a highlight – and she snuck up to centre half-forward late to deliver a low bullet inside 50 to Chapman for a goal. Six rebound 50s reflects how often she kept repelling Pioneers attacks.

BENDIGO PIONEERS:

#8 Georgia Garlick
Defender | 170cm | 01/07/2008

Stats: 24 disposals, 4 marks, 5 tackles, 1 hitout, 2 clearances, 1 inside 50, 5 rebound 50s

Garlick was Bendigo’s most reliable player in a tough afternoon, doing her best work off the left foot from half-back and consistently making the right decision under pressure. A lovely left-foot kick up the ground in the first term was her cleanest disposal in a half where the Pioneers struggled to move it cleanly, and a smart grab in the goalsquare in the second – just getting hands free to handball and avoid holding the ball – summed up her composure under pressure. A real competitor.

#9 Beth Morris
Midfielder | 167cm | 04/09/2008

Stats: 27 disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 8 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 behind

Morris played her typical inside role and was competitive at every centre bounce. She showed good hands under immediate pressure consistently, and refused to stop competing regardless of the scoreline. A strong intercept mark in the third term and a first-possession win off a ground ball in the second were her best individual moments. The Vic Country hub member looms as a key contested ball-winner for the national championships.

#12 Issy Boulton
Midfielder | 150cm | 21/11/2007

Stats: 25 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 4 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

The over-ager was one of Bendigo’s most persistent contributors, winning the first centre clearance of the third term off her left and driving forward, and showing six marks from her compact frame that reflected a good ability to read the ball in flight. Her willingness to drive inside 50 on four occasions showed she kept looking for ways to create even when the game was slipping away. Found the ball all over the ground and played a high-retention gamestyle to ensure her team could drive the ball forward effectively.

#14 Lacey Nihill
Midfielder | 172cm | 01/05/2008

Stats: 32 disposals, 3 marks, 7 tackles, 5 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Nihill was brilliant in a losing side. Her point of difference remained her handball — a looping intercepted handball and a perfectly timed flick pass to space were early highlights — while her run and carry through the corridor was consistently damaging. She set up a goal to Dempsey McDonnell with a well-placed kick from the forward flank, and kicked her own goal after holding her spacing brilliantly outside the inside 50 stoppage. A missed opportunity in the third term was miskicking out on the full after an impressive run inside 50 rather than squaring to a free teammate in the goalsquare, but it was a rare blemish in what was another best on ground performance.