A WIND-swept Shepley Oval provided the backdrop for one of the round’s most dramatic finishes, with GWV Rebels overturning a 27-point first-quarter deficit to defeat Gippsland Power 9.7 (61) to 8.7 (55) in Round 4 of the Talent League Girls. We took note of some of the players from each side that caught the eye.

GIPPSLAND POWER:

#8 Mia Smith-Clark
Forward | 157cm | 21/05/2008

Stats: 9 disposals, 3 marks, 10 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 2 goals

While her numbers might not jump off the page, Smith-Clark had a high impact-per-possession game with her ability to impact both offensively and defensively. Her first goal was absurd – a 60-metre launch from a couple of steps into an open goalsquare in the 13th minute – while her second came from one of the best crumbing moments of the round, reading the ball perfectly off hands in the final term, bursting 15 metres and slotting it to cut the deficit to six points. She had another chance in the dying moments before being run down by Rock and penalised for holding the ball – a desperate effort to conjure a leveller that very nearly worked. An electric forward who makes things happen and her pressure all day was fantastic.

#9 Lily Milner
Utility | 172cm | 25/01/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles, 7 clearances, 7 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Milner was the architect of Gippsland’s dominant first quarter, producing two goal assists within a minute of each other in the opening six minutes before a third inside 50 chain led directly to a third Power goal. Her clearance work was elite – seven from 22 disposals – and her goal in the 16th minute of the first term, a brilliant snap after breaking through traffic, was the highlight of a stunning opening quarter. She was quieter in the second half as the Rebels worked their way back into the contest, but her bodywork and delivery in the third term that set up Summer Harbour for a goal showed she remained dangerous throughout. One of the best individual first-quarter performances of the season.

#10 Grace Dillow
Midfielder/Forward | 164cm | 03/06/2008

Stats: 14 disposals, 1 mark, 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal, 1 behind

Dillow was competitive across four quarters despite the scoreboard not always reflecting her influence. Her goal in the third term – a 15-metre set shot after winning a holding-the-ball free from a great tackle on Shortal – was a crucial moment that put the Power back in front. Her ability to shrug would-be tacklers and drive the ball forward was a consistent feature, and a long-range shot in the same term that missed narrowly and a brave last-quarter effort running to 50 metres before being run down showed her willingness to try and break the game open.

#21 Olivia Holmes
Midfielder/Forward | 170cm | 08/08/2009

Stats: 26 disposals, 2 marks, 5 tackles, 2 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50, 1 goal, 2 behinds

The bottom-ager was Gippsland’s highest disposal winner and their most consistent ball mover across the game, racking up eight inside 50s from the midfield in a performance that consistently created opportunity even as the Rebels fought back. Her goal – running into an open goalmouth after rotating forward – was taken with ease, and a strong intercept mark in the middle in the third term that she drove deep inside 50 was another highlight. A run-down tackle on Shortal in the second term reflected her two-way commitment, and her final act — an intercept mark at half-forward with the last kick of the game that nearly found a teammate in the pack — was desperately unlucky.

GWV REBELS:

#6 Peggy Rock
Forward/Midfielder | 166cm | 20/07/2009

Stats: 22 disposals, 2 marks, 5 tackles, 2 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 goal, 1 behind

The two-time AFLW Under 16s Northern Territory carnival MVP was again at the heart of GWV’s comeback, producing a performance full of the contested pressure acts and smart ball use that define her game. Her goal in the fourth term was the moment – a snap from 30 metres after a chain of good handball work put the Rebels 12 points clear – and her game-saving tackle in the dying moments, buying crucial time before sidestepping both ways to keep the clock moving, summed up a player who refuses to be beaten. Her 22 disposals and consistent two-way running were exactly what the Rebels needed to turn around a 27-point deficit. All-round star.

#7 Macy Irvin
Forward/Midfielder | 170cm | 03/06/2009

Stats: 18 disposals, 3 marks, 10 tackles, 2 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Irvin is a bottom-ager who hunted the ball with relentless energy all day. Her goal in the third term – a clever soccer off the deck – was taken with the instinct of a seasoned forward, and her defensive work through the final term, starting on-ball and feeding the ball over her head cleanly under pressure, showed the composure she possesses. Irvin was one of the key drivers of the Rebels’ second-half comeback and her pressure acts in particular set the tone.

#9 Lila Evans
Midfielder | 166cm | 30/08/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 1 mark, 11 tackles, 4 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 1 behind

Another player with double-digit tackles, Evans was not afraid to get her hands dirty in the middle as the Rebels ground their way back into the contest. Her clearance work and drive inside 50 were consistently dangerous and her tackling pressure in the final term, locking the ball inside 50 and forcing the Power to scramble, was critical in protecting the Rebels’ lead.

#11 Tilly Stringer
Forward/Defender | 177cm | 02/03/2007

Stats: 22 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 goal, 1 behind

The over-ager was one of GWV’s most important contributors, doing her best work defensively before being shifted forward as the game evolved – a positional shift that reflected her booming left-foot kicking as a weapon going into the wind. Her goal was a composed set shot from 15 metres in the goalsquare after showing smart positioning at the stoppage. She dropped a mark on the attacking side of the wing early but immediately attacked the contest with a fierce tackle in response – that kind of character summed up the Rebels’ whole day. Twenty-two disposals and six tackles from a versatile role was very impressive.

#17 Milly Shortal
Midfielder | 175cm | 24/06/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 6 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s, 1 behind

With the wind at her back, Shortal was devastating – using the conditions perfectly to clear the Rebels from defensive pressure and generate repeat inside 50 entries that the Power couldn’t manage in return. Her first-term set-up of the opening Rebels goal from a clearing kick to Jayda Wright was the start of a day where her booming left foot was the Rebels’ primary weapon going forward. She can tend to bomb the ball – for distance over accuracy – and did get caught a few times with five free kicks against, but her rocket of a left leg is incredibly valuable in the conditions.