ROUND 4 saw a thriller between Geelong Falcons and Oakleigh Chargers in the NAB League Girls, whilst there were a number of big wins to other sides. We recap how each of the Round 4 matches went down.

By: Michael Alvaro

The Western Jets raided Mars Stadium on Saturday and roared home with four points in tow, defeating the Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels by 59 points. After a steady start, the Jets took full toll with five goals in each half while shutting out their adversaries at one end of the ground – in terms two and four. Their fast, attacking style proved too much for the Rebels to handle, resulting in a 10.14 (74) to 2.3 (15) scoreline.

For the third week running, Western skipper Charlotte Baskaran cracked the 30-disposal mark and was again best afield in a win, also converting two goals. Fellow AFLW Academy jet Montana Ham joined in the party with 30 touches of her own, while Stephanie Asciak, Paige Ryan, and Kiera Whiley got busy on either side of midfield. In the ruck, Krystal Russell beat out the 190cm Kalani Scoullar to win 20 hitouts.

The Rebels were again served well by captain Lilli Condon, who lead by example in a tough midfield battle to win. She was supported by Tahlia Meier, while Jamie-Lee Speakman and Olivia Leonard stood up down back amid the Jets’ stream of 48 inside 50s. At the other end of the ground, Paige Scott converted one of her side’s two goals.

With the Jets now streaking at 2-1, their next assignment awaits at Trevor Barker Oval against Sandringham Dragons on Sunday, while the 1-3 Rebels will ready up to face Geelong Falcons in a second home outing at Mars Stadium on Saturday.

GWV REBELS 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 (15)
WESTERN JETS 2.3 | 5.10 | 7.12 | 10.14 (74)

GOALS:

GWV: P. Scott, L. Lappin
Western: C. Baskaran 2, C. Sargent 2, S. Grieves 2, K. Weston-Turner, H. Juricskay, T. Henry, P. Ryan

RMC BEST:

GWV: L. Condon, J. Speakman, T. Meier, P. Scott, O. Leonard
Western: C. Baskaran, M. Ham, S. Asciak, P. Ryan, K. Russell

RMC MEDAL VOTES:

5 – Charlotte Baskaran (Western Jets)
4 – Montana Ham (Western Jets)
3 – Lilli Condon (GWV Rebels)
2 – Stephanie Asciak (Western Jets)
1 – Jamie-Lee Speakman (GWV Rebels)

By: Toby Mew

The Geelong Falcons have produced a thrilling one-point win in their Grand Final rematch against the Oakleigh Chargers. The match was fought hard by both sides, highlighted by the high tackle count. Ultimately, it was Falcons’ quick clearances, contested marking and also perhaps the support of their raucous home crown, that proved the decisive factors.

It was the usual suspects who stood up for Geelong again, as Charlotte Simpson dominated the contest before a knock in the third quarter ruled her out of the game. Grace Purcell provided her usual dash from the contest and tackling pressure, whilst Analea McKee hauled in some crucial contested marks throughout the game. Surprise packet Sara Howley finished with a game-high 25 disposals, helped by Mia Fuller with an enormous 16 tackles. Chloe Adams and her trademark helmet seemed to always be the first in at every contest.

The visitors shared the load throughout the game, but there were a few players who shone in particular. Charlotte Taylor stepped up in the absence of star midfielder Jasmine Fleming, impressing with her composure under pressure. Charlotte van der Vlies was also strong, winning plenty of the ball. Maggie Mahony backed up a strong debut with an even stronger performance this week. Erin Woodford, while not necessarily getting much of the ball herself, was instrumental in bringing the ball to ground in defence, as Lily Hart and Kristen Smith also showed signs of their potential with the ball in hand.

Round 5 will see the Falcons hosting the Northern Knights, who will be hoping to get a win on the board for season 2022. Meanwhile, the Chargers will visit the Eastern Ranges under the lights on Friday night.

GEELONG FALCONS 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 3.6 (24)
OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 1.0 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 (23)

GOALS:

Geelong: L. Maresuk, K. Stacey, L. Owens
Oakleigh: K. Smith, A. Cariss-Brett, M. Lee

RMC BEST:

Geelong: G. Purcell, S. Howley, C. Simpson, A. McKee, C. Adams
Oakleigh: C. Taylor, C. van der Vlies, M. Mahoney, E. Woodford, L. Hart

RMC MEDAL VOTES:

5 – Grace Purcell (Geelong Falcons)
4 – Sara Howley (Geelong Falcons)
3 – Charlotte Taylor (Oakleigh Chargers)
2 – Charlotte Simpson (Geelong Falcons)
1 – Charlotte van der Vlies (Oakleigh Chargers)

By: Peter Williams

Calder Cannons have produced back-to-back wins in the NAB League Girls after running away with the contest against a spirited Gippsland Power outfit at Churchill on Saturday afternoon. After Gippsland had the run of play early, the Cannons made the most of their opportunities to run out 7.8 (50) to 2.6 (18) victors. It was both the Cannons’ biggest score of the season, and the Power’s tightest game of the year, meaning both sides could take positives out of the contest.

Much like the game itself, the contributors across the board were really even, with Calder jet Abbey McDonald coming off sore in the opening term after having a couple of touches, leaving the Cannons one down. In her place, the likes of Reese Sutton, Mali McLeod and Amy Gaylor all stepped up, whilst Kayley Kavanagh had a team-high 20 touches in the win. Up forward, Olivia Manfre and Maddison Ford both slotted two goals.

For the Power, Ash Centra had another outstanding performance that could have been even better by capitalising her couple of set shots in the opening term, finishing with 21 touches, four marks, seven inside 50s and two behinds. Sunday Brisbane (26 disposals) found more of the ball than anyone else, whilst Indiana Makai and Yasmin Duursma worked hard around the ground. In defence, Ella Stoddart and Leesa Guastella did well roaming high out of defence and further afield.

Next week Calder Cannons make another long trek up a different highway, taking on Murray Bushrangers at Cathedral College in Wangaratta on Saturday, whilst Gippsland Power host Bendigo Pioneers at Churchill next Sunday.

GIPPSLAND POWER 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 2.6 (18)
CALDER CANNONS 2.0 | 4.4 | 5.6 | 7.8 (50)

GOALS:

Gippsland: M. Fixter, S. Jones
Calder: M. Ford 2, O. Manfre 2, A. Trindade, C. Haritopoulos, M. McLeod

RMC BEST:

Gippsland: A. Centra, E. Stoddart, Y. Duursma, I. Makai, S. Brisbane
Calder: R. Sutton, M. McLeod, A. Gaylor, O. Manfre, M. Ford

RMC MEDAL VOTES:

5 – Ash Centra (Gippsland Power)
4 – Reese Sutton (Calder Cannons)
3 – Mali McLeod (Calder Cannons)
2 – Amy Gaylor (Calder Cannons)
1 – Ella Stoddart (Gippsland Power)

By: Liam Badkin

The Tasmania Devils claimed their second win of the season over the weekend, taking down the Bendigo Pioneers in a physical contest on Saturday afternoon. In a tense first half, the Pioneers jumped out to an early lead, booting the first two goals of the match. It proved to be short-lived, with the Devils getting themselves back into the contest thanks to some impressive work from their midfield brigade.

Tasmania ended up turning this into a two-goal advantage themselves, with midfielder Meghan Gaffney producing one of the best individual goals in recent weeks with multiple efforts in the one play. Despite the Pios locking the ball in their half for much of the third term, they could not convert this into any damage on the scoreboard, with the Devils maintaining the lead during this time. A dominant final term gave Tasmania a 28-point triumph.

There were contributors across the board for the victors, but the biggest praise must go to their mids, who not only kept them in the contest early, but allowed them to break away in the second half. Claire Ransom was at her usual best throughout the match, and despite receiving some defensive attention around the stoppages, fought her way to 20 touches, four marks and six tackles. She also could have hit the scoreboard, but her numerous shots on goal proved wayward.

Brooke Barwick showed her strong mix of class and grunt throughout the contest, using her low centre of gravity to zip past opponents, and even added a last-quarter sealer to her 17 touches. Gaffney was terrific in the first half, working hard up and down the ground to give her side first use where possible, while Priya Bowering proved impactful with 15 touches and a game-high nine tackles, and Bellah Parker booted 3.2 in a towering performance up forward.

For the Pioneers, Lucia Painter was terrific despite the result, particularly in the final half where she provided some serious run and carry when her side was on the back foot. She seemed to get even better as the contest went on, and finished with a game-high 22 touches, five tackles and a goal in an eye-catching performance. Teammates Octavia Di Donato (19 disposals), Lila Keck (18) and Drew Ryan (17) also delivered a spark, with the trio setting up the early lead for their side.

The Devils will look to make it consecutive wins when they take on the Northern Knights next Saturday, while the Pioneers will be eager to bounce back against the Gippsland Power the following day.

BENDIGO PIONEERS 2.0 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 5.6 (36)
TASMANIA DEVILS 3.7 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 9.10 (64)

GOALS:

Bendigo: L. Painter, S. Johnston, J. Douglas, T. Williams, K. Fullarton
Tasmania: B. Parker 3, M. Edwards, J. Griffiths, M. Gaffney, G. Clark, A. Bissett, B. Barwick

RMC BEST:

Bendigo: L. Painter, O. Di Donato, L. Keck, D. Ryan, C. Evans
Tasmania: C. Ransom, B. Barwick, M. Gaffney, B. Parker, P. Bowering

RMC MEDAL VOTES:

5 – Claire Ransom (Tasmania Devils)
4 – Lucia Painter (Bendigo Pioneers)
3 – Brooke Barwick (Tasmania Devils)
2 – Meghan Gaffney (Tasmania Devils)
1 – Bellah Parker (Tasmania Devils)

By: Declan Reeve

Despite fielding a somewhat weakened side compared to usual, the Dandenong Stingrays were able to come out on top over the Murray Bushrangers, kicking an impressive five unanswered goals in the final term to see the final margin come to 51 points, 11.10 (76) to 3.7 (25). Although, it could be argued the final scoreline didn’t quite represent the game Murray played.

Charley Ryan (19 disposals, one goal) was consistent throughout the game for the Stingrays, with Meg Robertson (19 disposals, two goals), Jaide Anthony (18 disposals, one goal), Olivia Robinson (17 disposals) and Amber Clarke (16 disposals, two goals) all providing plenty for the victors as well. Wingers Taylah Gatt and Mikayla Williamson were also influential through the contest with their speed and line breaking abilities, whilst Jemma Ramsdale was a rock in defence.

Despite the loss, there were plenty of players from the Bushies that impressed through the game. A return to the midfield saw Keeley Skepper earn herself 26 disposals, whilst Zarlie Goldsworthy continued her thrilling start to the year with 23 disposals and a goal. They were well aided by 2006-born Tamika Rourke (15 disposals), Zara Hamilton (15 disposals) and Cassidy Mailer (14 disposals).

Round 5 action will see Murray return home when it hosts the Calder Cannons at Wangaratta on Saturday, whilst Dandenong will enjoy a week off after their unblemished start to the season.

DANDENONG STINGRAYS 1.0 | 4.5 | 6.9 | 11.10 (76)
MURRAY BUSHRANGERS 1.5 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 (25)

GOALS:

Dandenong: S. Butterworth 2, A. Clarke 2, M. Robertson 2, M. Williamson, A. Tregellis, C. Ryan, B. Enno, J. Anthony
Murray: Z. Goldsworthy, O. Cicolini, I. Lehman

RMC BEST:

Dandenong: C. Ryan, A. Clarke, M. Robertson, J. Anthony, T. Gatt
Murray: K. Skepper, Z. Goldsworthy, T. Rourke, C. Mailer, Z. Hamilton

RMC MEDAL VOTES:

5 – Charley Ryan (Dandenong Stingrays)
4 – Amber Clarke (Dandenong Stingrays)
3 – Keeley Skepper (Murray Bushrangers)
2 – Meg Robertson (Dandenong Stingrays)
1 – Zarlie Goldsworthy (Murray Bushrangers)

By: Michael Alvaro

A stretch of nine unanswered goals has seen the Eastern Ranges kick away to a 51-point win over the Northern Knights at Parade College on Saturday afternoon, seeing the victors stretch their winning streak to three games. The Knights booted the opening goal and were largely competitive until late in the third term, when the Ranges exploded to convert five majors in seven minutes of gametime and see out the 9.7 (61) to 1.4 (10) result.

Ranges captain Bridget Deed again proved a class above, racking up 35 disposals, six marks and six inside 50s in another dominant display. She was supported well by Izzy Khoury, who rotated forward, and Tilly Hardy on the outer. Down back, Mia Busch provided plenty of drive, while Georgia Knight starred with three goals on debut as Alyssia Pisano and Scarlett Potter also proved a handful in attack.

Bottom-age gun Ava Jordan again tried hard all day for the Knights, with Rylie Wilcox‘s pace and pressure between the arcs proving elite. The trio of Tannah Hurst, Molly McErlain and Mia Haas were steadfast in a defence which saw plenty of action, and Megan Barnes was another who managed to get her hands on the ball through the middle.

Northern’s search for a win in 2022 turns to a clash with the Tasmania Devils on Saturday, while the Ranges will take on reigning premier Oakleigh in what looms as a massive danger game for the undefeated Metro outfit.

NORTHERN KNIGHTS 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 (10)
EASTERN RANGES 2.1 | 2.6 | 5.7 | 9.7 (61)

GOALS:

Northern: N. Nicola
Eastern: G. Knight 3, A. Zappia 2, J. Vukic 2, A. Pisano, M. Austin

RMC BEST:

Northern: R. Wilcox, A. Jordan, T. Hurst, M. McErlain, M. Barnes
Eastern: B. Deed, I. Khoury, M. Busch, G. Knight, M. Hardy

RMC MEDAL VOTES:

5 – Bridget Deed (Eastern Ranges)
4 – Izzy Khoury (Eastern Ranges)
3 – Mia Busch (Eastern Ranges)
2 – Rylie Wilcox (Northern Knights)
1 – Georgia Knight (Eastern Ranges)