A TIGHT contest in Round 4 of the Talent League Girls, saw the Northern Knights edge out the Sandringham Dragons by the narrowest of margins, 6.10 (46) to 6.9 (45) in a clash that went right down to the wire.

The Dragons had every chance to win it late, with Maya Duane at the heart of a furious final-quarter fightback that fell just short. Grace Farah was the difference-maker for the Knights, booting three goals and applying relentless pressure across four quarters.

We took notes on some of the players who caught the eye.

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS:

#11 Georgia Berryman
Defender/Wing | 177cm | 17/11/2009

Stats: 23 disposals, 4 marks, 1 tackle, 5 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 1 behind

A smooth mover across half-back and the wing, Berryman’s best moments came through her instinctive reading of the play – none better than a midgame intercept that found Duane with a well-weighted kick just inside 50, a sequence that typified her ability to link defence and attack. Her 177cm frame gives her genuine aerial presence for a wing-defender, and she showed she can generate play off her own boot when given space. Concentration lapses cost her at times – most notably a turnover on the attacking side of the wing – but the talent is evident. A player to track as the season develops.

#20 Maya Duane
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 16/03/2009

Stats: 28 disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 7 clearances, 9 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s, 2 goals, 3 behinds

The standout of the match, and arguably the most damaging player on the ground. Duane’s physical presence was felt from the opening bounce – strong in the air, hard to stop at ground level, and genuinely threatening every time she got the ball in space. Her 12th-minute goal, launched from 50m to bounce through an open goalsquare, was the passage of the day. A fierce contested performer, she won clearances at crucial moments and her late snap with six minutes left – cutting the deficit to eight points – gave the Dragons a genuine sniff. The one blemish was a rushed set shot late in the final term when a steadier effort could have brought the margin to two. At 179cm with a midfielder’s engine and a forward’s nose for goal, Duane is a significant name in next year’s draft crop.

#29 Isla Tucker
Defender/Midfielder | 168cm | 11/07/2008

Stats: 27 disposals, 3 marks, 7 tackles, 5 clearances, 1 inside 50, 8 rebound 50s

Tucker was the quiet engine of the Dragons’ backline, taking the kickouts and then moving into the middle later in teh game. Composed under pressure with clean hands and reliable disposal, she handled the first kickout from full-back repeatedly and rarely looked flustered. A goal-saving spoil on the goal line in the second half was the kind of instinctive defensive act that doesn’t show up in the final score but changes the game. Pushed into the midfield late in the final quarter as the Dragons went hunting, she adapted seamlessly. The top-ager is a reliable, high-disposal defender who does the unglamorous work at a high standard.

NORTHERN KNIGHTS:

#1 Somer McCormack
Midfielder | 162cm | 22/01/2008

Stats: 24 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 5 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 2 behinds

McCormack’s impact was built on energy and persistence more than any single moment of brilliance. She pushed forward regularly and was rewarded with a mark inside 50 in the second quarter, but her set shot right drifted wide. Her best football came through her ability to win the ball at ground level and get it moving quickly. A run-down ball-winning effort at half-back before getting the handball away cleanly was representative of her work rate. Kicking efficiency at pace is an area to sharpen, with a couple of hurried disposals at full speed not finding a target. A willing competitor who kept herself in the game.

#2 Maddison Meagher
Wing | 164cm | 02/08/2008

Stats: 24 disposals, 2 marks, 7 tackles, 3 clearances, 7 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

Meagher was the Knights’ hardest worker on the outside and had a really big third term that put the Knights in the box seat. She backed up every surge forward with the defensive accountability to chase and tackle when possession turned over. Her run-down tackle on Grace McIntyre to win a free kick in the second quarter was the highlight of a relentless display. Some of her kicking into 50 could be more precise – a couple of attempts sailed through on the full or were turned over – but as an impact winger who connects attack and defence, Meagher gave the Knights reliable drive all day.

#3 Grace Farah
Midfielder/Forward | 155cm | 13/04/2008

Stats: 29 disposals, 1 mark, 8 tackles, 5 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s, 3 goals, 1 behind

Farah’s 29 disposals led all players, but it was the nature of her involvement that stood out, clean hands, elite pressure at ground level with eight tackles, and three goals that showed genuine creativity in her finishing. Her fourth-minute goal was the moment of the match: gathering at ground level in the goalsquare and bouncing home at an incredible right angle, the kind of instinctive finish that smaller forwards need in their arsenal. While she was beaten in the air in one-on-one contests – understandable at 155cm – she compensated with relentless ground-level work and smart positioning to find the ball in the pocket.

#12 Deena Gerges
Utility | 175cm | 21/06/2010

Stats: 21 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 3 clearances, 2 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 2 behinds

The double bottom-ager showed enough composure to suggest there’s plenty ahead of her. Gerges operated across multiple roles – forward, on-ball, and half-back – and her cleanest football came in transition, where her composure and quick hands through traffic were a feature of an active third quarter. Her decision-making into 50 from half-forward in the second quarter – a mark followed by a kick to a contest that could have gone deeper – hinted at an area to sharpen as she develops. The positional versatility is a genuine asset, and at just 15, Gerges has the tools to be a brilliant long-term player.

#17 Alli Allen
Defender/Wing | 172cm | 15/10/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 2 marks, 14 tackles, 1 clearance, 1 inside 50, 1 rebound 50

Allen was ferocious in her pressure and won her side multiple possessions through sheer tenacity. Operating primarily across half-back or the wing, she cracked in on every contest and applied relentless heat to opposition ball-carriers throughout, including a crucial late tackle on Duane to win a holding-the-ball free in the final quarter when the Dragons were surging. Her ball use wasn’t always clean and there were a few fumbles under pressure, but Allen’s defensive intent and pressure acts were arguably the unsung reason the Knights held on. A defensive specialist who makes her team better.