{"id":223216,"date":"2026-09-24T10:47:38","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T00:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=223216"},"modified":"2026-09-24T10:47:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T00:47:40","slug":"2026-ctlg-team-review-oakleigh-chargers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2026\/09\/24\/2026-ctlg-team-review-oakleigh-chargers\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 CTLG Team Review: Oakleigh Chargers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>ONE WIN away from a fourth flag in six years, Oakleigh Chargers still had a memorable season. The top-ranked metropolitan side went a game further than 2025, and though they ultimately bowed out in the same way &#8211; to Dandenong &#8211; can be pleased with the depth developed for the coming years, and plenty of AFLW Draft prospects in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-season-2026\">SEASON 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SNAPSHOT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Played: <\/strong>14<br><strong>Won: <\/strong>8<br><strong>Lost: <\/strong>5<br><strong>Drawn:<\/strong> 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BEST PERFORMANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Quarter Final:<\/strong> def. Western Jets by 60 points<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Oakleigh was favourite against the Western Jets in the quarter finals matchup, the Chargers really put their opposition to the sword, particularly with the breeze. The Chargers booted 11 of their 13 goals up one end, with six in the last quarter including four to <strong>Bailee Martin<\/strong> who ended the day with half a dozen majors in a dominant display. <strong>Cleo Barbakas<\/strong> (21 disposals, two goals) worked well between ruck and forward, while <strong>Isabella Mazzei <\/strong>(23 disposals, four tackles), Molly Phillips (25 disposals, one goal) and <strong>Isabelle Godfrey<\/strong> (22 disposals, three marks and five tackles) were all amongst the best in an even team performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DRAFT PROSPECTS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NATIONAL DRAFT COMBINE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"152086\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/zoe-curry\/\" target=\"_blank\">Zoe Curry<\/a> <strong>(Turvey Park)<br>Midfielder | 172cm | 09\/10\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stats [10 games]:<\/strong> 20.9 disposals, 1.7 marks, 3.3 tackles, 5.7 clearances, 4.9 inside 50s, 2.2 rebound 50s, 1 goal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The powerful midfielder lead from the front when available, juggling her time with the Allies and National Academy in what has been a big year for the New South Wales native. Curry captained the side to another grand final and was a strong body around the stoppages, and difficult to bring down in tackles at the best of times. Her penetrating right boot helped breakdown defensive zones and she was a crucial player in extracting the ball out of stoppages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"151884\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/sophia-green\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sophia Green<\/a> <strong>(Caulfield Grammar)<\/strong><br><strong>Defender\/Midfielder | 170cm | 22\/11\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stats [12 games]:<\/strong> 18.9 disposals, 2.4 marks, 5.6 tackles, 2.3 clearances, 1.1 inside 50s, 3.2 rebound 50s<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Carlton father-daughter eligible prospect found her home in defence, and while being capable of slotting in anywhere on the field, did well behind the ball. Her knack for positioning effectively and picking off forward forays from the opposition was notable, while Green provided a balance of offensive and defensive impact. A fierce competitor who never takes a backwards step and takes the game on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"151924\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/bailee-martin\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bailee Martin<\/a><strong> (East Malvern Knights)<\/strong><br><strong>Tall Forward | 176cm | 03\/09\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stats [8 games]:<\/strong> 14.4 disposals, 3.9 marks, 1.0 tackles, 1.9 inside 50s, 21 goals<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The potential pick one was phenomenal when out on the field, booting 21 goals in eight games and no doubt with a full season at Talent League Girls level would have cruised to the league leading goalkicker award. She was incredible against both Western Jets and Murray Bushrangers in the finals series, and is so difficult to beat because of her ability to recover from the aerial contest to win it at ground level and hit sizzling passes going forward. Can kick goals from anywhere and improved her accuracy out of sight in 2026 as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"169248\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/isabella-mazzei\/\" target=\"_blank\">Isabella Mazzei<\/a><strong> (Kew Comets)<\/strong><br><strong>Midfielder | 169cm | 06\/06\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stats [12 games]:<\/strong> 22.0 disposals, 1.2 marks, 6.1 tackles, 5.1 clearances, 3.4 inside 50s, 1.6 rebound 50s, 1 goal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Going to another level off the back of a consistent 2025 campaign, Mazzei featured heavily around the ball and utilised her blend of speed and strength to extract it from the inside to outside. She rotated behind the ball at times and spent a game forward for Vic Metro, but ultimately is a naturally gifted inside midfielder. She racks up clearances and lays bone-crunching tackles, not making it easy for any opponent, while finding plenty of the ball herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>STATE DRAFT COMBINE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"168925\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/isabelle-godfrey\/\" target=\"_blank\">Isabelle Godfrey<\/a> <strong>(Kew Comets)<br>Wing | 162cm | 11\/08\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stats [14 games]:<\/strong> 17.6 disposals, 2.9 marks, 4.3 tackles, 1.3 clearances, 2.2 inside 50s, 2.1 rebound 50s, 3 goals<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Godfrey followed up her bottom-age year to further establish her position in that wing role where she utilises her mix of athleticism and endurance. She has a sidestep like few others, able to work out of a phonebox and zigs and zags all over the ground. Her metres gained are incredibly valuable, her kicking improved throughout the 2026 season and she was just as strong defensively as she was offensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"151953\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/leni-lockyer\/\" target=\"_blank\">Leni Lockyer<\/a><strong> (Kew Comets)<br>Defender | 164cm | 26\/03\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stats [14 games]:<\/strong> 13.4 disposals, 1.5 marks, 3.1 tackles, 1.1 clearances, 2.1 rebound 50s, 1 goal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having been trialled as a wing in the past and then on-ball to start the year, Lockyer was thrown down back after a few games and stayed there where the Chargers could use her slick kicking skills and footy IQ to full advantage. She competes well and has nice vision exiting the defensive 50, and while not overly quick, gets to the right spots to intercept or spoil thanks to her smarts. A valuable link in transition from deep in defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230826-OC-Leni-Lockyer-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-222033\" srcset=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230826-OC-Leni-Lockyer-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230826-OC-Leni-Lockyer-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230826-OC-Leni-Lockyer-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230826-OC-Leni-Lockyer-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230826-OC-Leni-Lockyer-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230826-OC-Leni-Lockyer-128x85.jpg 128w, https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/230826-OC-Leni-Lockyer-32x21.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leni Lockyer was productive for Oakleigh Chargers in defence. Image credit: Rookie Me Central<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FUTURE PROSPECTS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Oakleigh has a stack of future talents to watch out for, headlined by a pair of talls in <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"185413\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/cleo-barbakas\/\" target=\"_blank\">Cleo Barbakas<\/a> and <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"185404\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/scarlett-bown\/\" target=\"_blank\">Scarlett Bown<\/a>. Barbakas will do well rotating between ruck and forward, while Bown is a natural marking target inside 50, but has the potential to roll through the middle as well just like she did in the final term of the grand final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Midfielder <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"185415\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/ruby-douglas\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ruby Douglas<\/a> had a big season for the Cahrgers, while defender <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"185420\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/lily-parker\/\" target=\"_blank\">Lily Parker<\/a> provided calm and composure behind the ball. With a high running capacity, <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"185403\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/grace-sharkie\/\" target=\"_blank\">Grace Sharkie<\/a> got better as the season went on, while <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"185399\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/isabella-teoh\/\" target=\"_blank\">Isabella Teoh<\/a> found herself entrenched in the team and playing some good football too. While not a high-volume ball winner, defender <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"185414\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/hayley-columbine\/\" target=\"_blank\">Hayley Columbine<\/a> played 16 games during the season. Late season inclusion <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"222102\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/ruby-kaye\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ruby Kaye<\/a> was another who really impressed to set herself up for 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oakleigh also blooded a stack of 2010-born prospects with <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"214292\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/cate-deayton\/\" target=\"_blank\">Cate Deayton<\/a> and <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"215611\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/abi-dintini\/\" target=\"_blank\">Abi D&#8217;Intini<\/a> booting 11 goals apiece for the season and shaping up nicely for the future. Defender <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"215515\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/sofia-barnaby\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sofia Barnaby<\/a> was busy late in the year, while <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"214270\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/zara-rowson\/\" target=\"_blank\">Zara Rowson<\/a>, <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"215617\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/emily-mckinley\/\" target=\"_blank\">Emily McKinley<\/a> and <a data-type=\"player\" data-id=\"215454\" class=\"_dc_spo\" href=\"\/afl\/player\/ava-bortignon\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ava Bortignon<\/a> were other double bottom-agers making their presence felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-dc-block-dc-mention _dc_mention\"><div class=\"section-heading_wrap\"><span class=\"section-heading is-small\">Mentions<\/span><span class=\"hor-border\"><\/span><\/div><ul class=\"js-overflow-list overflow-list\"><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/zoe-curry\/\">Zoe Curry<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/sophia-green\/\">Sophia Green<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/bailee-martin\/\">Bailee Martin<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/isabella-mazzei\/\">Isabella Mazzei<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/isabelle-godfrey\/\">Isabelle Godfrey<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/leni-lockyer\/\">Leni Lockyer<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/cleo-barbakas\/\">Cleo Barbakas<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/scarlett-bown\/\">Scarlett Bown<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/ruby-douglas\/\">Ruby Douglas<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/lily-parker\/\">Lily Parker<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/grace-sharkie\/\">Grace Sharkie<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/isabella-teoh\/\">Isabella Teoh<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/hayley-columbine\/\">Hayley Columbine<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/ruby-kaye\/\">Ruby Kaye<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/cate-deayton\/\">Cate Deayton<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/abi-dintini\/\">Abi D&#8217;Intini<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/sofia-barnaby\/\">Sofia Barnaby<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/zara-rowson\/\">Zara Rowson<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/emily-mckinley\/\">Emily McKinley<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"object-mention_single\"><div class=\"tag tag--is-clickable\"><a class=\"tag-text _dc_mention_p\" href=\"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/player\/ava-bortignon\/\">Ava Bortignon<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"js-dropdown dropdown overflowed\"><button class=\"btn btn-icon-only\"><span class=\"icon btn-icon\">\n                    <!-- icon - plus circle - 20px-->\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\">\n                        <path d=\"M15,9.28h-4.3V5h0A.72.72,0,1,0,9.28,5h0V9.28H5a.72.72,0,0,0,0,1.43H9.28V15a.72.72,0,0,0,1.43,0h0V10.71H15a.72.72,0,0,0,0-1.43Z\"\/>\n                        <path d=\"M10,0A10,10,0,1,0,20,10,10,10,0,0,0,10,0Zm0,18.57A8.57,8.57,0,0,1,10,1.43h0a8.57,8.57,0,0,1,0,17.14Z\"\/>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/span><\/button><div class=\"popover\"><div class=\"popover-content\"><ul class=\"popover-menu\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ONE WIN away from a fourth flag in six years, Oakleigh Chargers still had a memorable season. The top-ranked metropolitan side went a game further than 2025, and though they ultimately bowed out in the same way &#8211; to Dandenong &#8211; can be pleased with the depth developed for the coming years, and plenty of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":223217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14920,8,18222,20258,18236,3134,137],"tags":[23597,23756,21041,23564,22691,23601,22559,23058,22506,21905,21942,21467,21904,23076,21907,22628,22988,21462,23755,21497],"class_list":["post-223216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aflw-draft","category-news","category-oakleigh-chargers-girls","category-talent-league-girls","category-team-review","category-victoria","category-womens","tag-abi-dintini","tag-ava-bortignon","tag-bailee-martin","tag-cate-deayton","tag-cleo-barbakas","tag-emily-mckinley","tag-grace-sharkie","tag-hayley-columbine","tag-isabella-mazzei","tag-isabella-teoh","tag-isabelle-godfrey","tag-leni-lockyer","tag-lily-parker","tag-ruby-douglas","tag-ruby-kaye","tag-scarlett-bown","tag-sofia-barnaby","tag-sophia-green","tag-zara-rowson","tag-zoe-curry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223216"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":223220,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223216\/revisions\/223220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}