{"id":218030,"date":"2026-06-25T18:59:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=218030"},"modified":"2026-06-25T18:59:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:59:58","slug":"rmc-medal-challengers-start-to-emerge-during-national-carnival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2026\/06\/25\/rmc-medal-challengers-start-to-emerge-during-national-carnival\/","title":{"rendered":"RMC MEDAL | Challengers start to emerge during national carnival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WHILE the Talent League Girls competition rolls on, it gives the chasing pack the opportunity to bridge the gap with the run-away Rookie Me Central Medal leader in Matilda Lange<\/a>. The bottom-age Tasmanian star had raced out to a five-vote lead against any player who could poll further votes at the end of the Northern Academy stints after Round 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that stage she lead with 14 votes and her nearest competitor was Bendigo Pioneers’ Lacey Nihill<\/a> (nine votes), as Queenslanders Ameleia Murray<\/a> (13) and Lily Moana<\/a> (nine) will not play another Talent League Girls game. However the likes of Isabella Mazzei<\/a> (Oakleigh Chargers) and Ava Bilyk<\/a> (Geelong Falcons) have polled a best on ground each in the past month, while the real bolter up the order is Gippsland Power bottom-ager Olivia Holmes<\/a> who has polled eight votes from a possible nine in the past four weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Round 12 of action, Lange still lead with the 14 votes, while Mazzei (11), Bilyk and Holmes (10 apiece) remain at large. The Gippsland Power talent perhaps the biggest threat depending on representative selection. Nihill remains on nine, while GWV Rebels’ Peggy Rock<\/a> and Oakleigh Chargers’ Cleo Barbakas<\/a> (eight) is in front of a host of players including Dandenong’s Scarlett Marsh<\/a>, Eastern’s Emily Rankin<\/a> and Giants Academy now Murray Bushrangers’ Majella Day<\/a> who have all polled seven votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A total of 105 players have polled votes so far this season, with Oakleigh Chargers and Western Jets leading the way with 29 votes apiece. They lead all-comers with the unbeaten Dandenong Stingrays (28), Eastern Ranges (23) and Tasmania Devils (22) the clear standouts, though Lange has 14 of the Devils’ votes. Bendigo Pioneers and Gippsland Power each have 20, with Calder Cannons and Northern Knights (18), GWV Rebels (15), Sandringham Dragons (14), Murray Bushrangers (13) and Geelong Falcons (12) rounding out the league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rookie Me Central Medal has changed its voting to a 3-2-1 format in 2026 to align with the way the boys’ voting is compiled, and therefore a five-vote lead is more significant than under the previous 5-4-3-2-1 method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Past winners of the award are Zarlie Goldsworthy<\/a> (Murray Bushrangers), Sara Howley<\/a> (Geelong Falcons), Jemma Reynolds<\/a> (Dandenong Stingrays) and Chloe Bown<\/a> (Oakleigh Chargers), with Lange gunning to become the first player from outside Victoria to win the medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROOKIE ME CENTRAL MEDAL LEADERBOARD: AFTER ROUND 12<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1st. Matilda Lange (Tasmania Devils) – 14 votes
2nd. Ameleia Murray (Lions Academy) – 13 votes
3rd. Isabella Mazzei (Oakleigh Chargers) – 11 votes
Eq. 4th. Ava Bilyk (Geelong Falcons) – 10 votes
Eq. 4th. Olivia Holmes (Gippsland Power) – 10 votes
Eq. 6th. Lily Moana (Suns Academy) – 9 votes
Eq. 6th. Lacey Nihill (Bendigo Pioneers) – 9 votes
Eq. 8th. Cleo Barbakas (Oakleigh Chargers) – 8 votes
Eq. 8th. Peggy Rock (GWV Rebels\/Northern Territory) – 8 votes
Eq. 10th. Majella Day (Giants Academy\/Murray Bushrangers) – 7 votes
Eq. 10th. Molly Ferguson (Lions Academy) – 7 votes
Eq. 10th. Scarlett Marsh (Dandenong Stingrays) – 7 votes
Eq. 10th. Zoe Petrides (Lions Academy) – 7 votes
Eq. 10th. Emily Rankin (Eastern Ranges) – 7 votes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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