DESPITE a weekend plagued with miserable weather, the Victorian Football League (VFL) Women’s teams still gave it their all on the field. We saw two games on the weekend where two powerhouses dominated the match.

Carlton vs. Northern Territory

By: Taylah Melki

Carlton :

#11 Jess Hosking
She worked tirelessly all game and put her body on the line taking some big hits. Hosking showed great footy awareness and smarts to hit targets while under pressure in difficult windy conditions. She was a real ball magnet winning plenty of touches and tackling hard. 

#16 Breann Moody
Was a standout for the Blues in a disappointing outing competing hard. She was good in the ruck and showcased her jumping ability with clever taps to advantage and helping to set up plays around the stoppages.

#17 Tilly Lucas-Rood
Lucas-Rodd provided good strength around the contest for the Blue Baggers laying a strong tackle in the second quarter resulting in a dropping the ball free. She played on quickly and showcased her ability to hit targets.

#35 Sophie Li
Li looked dangerous and lively all game with her explosive speed and impact on the contest. She took a really good strong contested mark in the second quarter getting up high. One of the highlights of the game for Carlton was Li’s work at the centre bounce reading the tap out of the ruck and bursting through the centre bounce and nailing a kick into the forward 50. Her ability to hit targets and create forward momentum for the Blues was important as well as her work down back.

#42 Caroline Hardeman
She attacked the ball hard and did not take a backwards step all game. Hardeman displayed her ability to cleanly pick up the footy at full pace and use the ball effectively and efficiently. She provided a much needed goal for Carlton kicking their first major in the dying seconds of the first half credit to her ability to get forward and provide a good lead and strong hands. She was among their best demonstrating her footy smarts and racking up plenty of touches.

#56 Caitlin Williams
Williams was a definite stand out for the Blues covering the ground well and imposing herself on the contest. She is a smooth mover and that showed around the coalface extracting the footy and using it cleanly around the stoppages. She worked tirelessly all game and went in hard at the contest consistently.

Northern Territory:

#4 Sue Nalder
Demonstrated some very clever passages of play and her follow-up work around the ground was impressive. She was a real ball magnet and created plenty of scoring opportunities for her teammates. Nalder also slotted a goal herself to open the Northern Territory’s account.

#5 Machaelia Roberts
Roberts was smooth in traffic and showcased her ability to burst away from the pack. She was lively and demonstrated her footy IQ with her clever work around the boundary line to keep the ball in play.

#14 Courtney Cramey
Cramey was strong onto the footy and used her beautiful long penetrating kick to hit targets while under pressure. She consistently created a good contest working hard to win the footy and release it to her teammates. She bagged a goal in the third term to top off an already solid performance for the Northern Territory. She was a tackling machine laying a whopping nine tackles for the game thanks to her hunger and desire to win the footy at all costs.

#22 Jessica McCormick
McCormick was one of the many standouts for the NT with her ability to cover the ground and impose herself on the contest. Her ability to punch and smother the ball but continue to stay in play and follow up with a tackle was impressive. McCormick’s consistent pressure and willingness to get herself to the contest was second to none. She was not afraid to get involved and put her body on the line laying strong tackles and working her opponent over to win to one-on-one battles.

 #26 Chelsea Randall
Randall was her consistent self, imposing herself on the contest and tackling hard. She competed hard to win the footy and made a strong contest each time the ball was near her. Randall covered the ground efficiently and was strong both in defence and attack. She could have quite easily almost taken Mark of the Year climbing up one of her opponents back and flying at full stretch, but dropped it when coming down.

#31 Jessica Sedunary
Was damaging up forward for the Northern Territory from the beginning of the game. She slotted a good goal in the opening term right in front of the big sticks from about 30m out. But it did not stop there, slotting another major in the second term running into an open goal credit to her work to run hard and push forward. She displayed a good kicking action and was clean with ball in hand. Her work around the stoppages was good getting in hard to win the footy and picked the footy up cleanly.

#37 Sarah Allen
Was very consistent throughout the game and was good in congestion. She worked hard to open up space for her teammates and created good forward momentum setting up a scoring opportunity. Allen competed well in the ruck with plenty of taps to advantage allowing her midfielders to run onto the ball.

Geelong Cats vs. Darebin

By: Julia Montesano

Geelong Cats:

#30 Richelle Cranston
Had the best hands of the day, intercepting everything that came her way. Displayed good run and carry, accelerating brilliantly with the ball in hand. Cranston was able to mix her power well with her skill, demonstrated by a nice deft kick off her opposite foot, avoiding blazing away and tricking her opponent. Her tackling was immensely strong and used her body to take some ripper marks. A highlight of her game was when she fended off a player.

#2 Danielle Orr
Kicked the ball nice and long towards inside 50, creating plenty of scoring opportunities. She was involved in some nice passages of play, proving why she was selected for Geelong’s AFLW side. Was also able to kick the ball nicely down the line and take some strong marks inside 50. Her body work was sound throughout the day.

#46 Erin Hoare
Did a fantastic job in the ruck, using her height and impressive leap to give her midfielders prime opportunity to chase the footy well. Took a lovely inside 50 mark and was able to rove off her own tap work. Her body work was also fantastic as it helped her get into good marking positions. Hoare’s endurance was second to none as she worked hard across the ground to get on the end of some passages of play.

#40 Anna Teague
Had the task of playing on Hannah Mouncey and held her down to just one behind for the day. She was not afraid to go in hard for the ball and tackle aggressively, playing a great defensive role. Also displayed good run and carry which enables Geelong to slingshot the ball back into its forward 50.

#7 Mia-Rae Clifford
Clifford was the star of the day, racking up the possessions and giving her all for the Cats. Delivered some good kicks around the body and led to the footy well. Her kicking was nice and precise, which was demonstrated with a good kick to the top of the square. Clifford took a lovely mark on the goal line, reading the flight of the ball perfectly and booting through a goal. Did it up the other end as well as she took a great diving mark in defensive 50, which got the Cats out of trouble.

#28 Michelle Fedele
Delivered a good kick to the top of the square, creating a scoring opportunity for the Cats. Was generally lovely inside 50. She had a highlight when she turned her opponent inside out and snapped at goal. The ball was marked by Mia-Rae Clifford on the goal line but it was undoubtedly a highlight for Fedele.

Darebin:

#45 Hannah Mouncey
Mouncey displayed strong work to stand up in contests. She is also quite mobile with her run and carry, and follows this up by using her long kick to advantage. Did not have a great day up forward but worked up the ground well to try and create opportunities for her side.

#7 Lily Mithen
Mithen was lively around the contest and pestered the opposition with her hunger for the footy and hard tackling. Laid a good smother and got a handball out while being tackled, showing her all-round smarts in the contest.

#32 Gabrielle Colvin
Stood up well in defence despite plenty of Geelong pressure. Tackled well and had strong hands.

#41 Aasta O’Connor
O’Connor’s ball use was great and she filled the role of Lauren Pearce pretty well. Delivered a nice long kick inside 50 and used good body work in the ruck. A highlight of her game was where she lowered eyes to find Hannah Mouncey on the lead inside 50.

#8 Nat Exon
Exon was everywhere on the day and did extremely well to get something going for Darebin. She displayed relentless pressure as well as good run and carry. Also delivered a nice kick inside 50. A highlight of her game was when she accelerated brilliantly into inside 50 space, leading to the drop of the ball magnificently.

#17 Stephanie Simpson
Was pivotal for the Falcons as she kicked their only two goals of the day. Used her agility to bop up in the contests and be a lovely presence inside 50. Her first goal was a good one as it was a nice snap around the body for the Falcons’ first goal of the day.