We reveal the teams for Saturday’s NAB League Girls Grand Final and preview the clash for premiership glory between the Northern Knights and Calder Cannons.

 

NORTHERN KNIGHTS vs CALDER CANNONS

Saturday May 25 @ Ikon Park from 2pm

* The 2019 NAB League Girls Grand Final will be streamed live on the NAB League app.

 

STORYLINES

The Knights:

  • claimed the 2019 minor premiership by going through the home-and-away season unbeaten with a record of 8-0-1 – the draw coming in Round 2 against the Oakleigh Chargers;
  • held off a late surge by the Eastern Ranges to win their preliminary final by six points last week;
  • will be seeking Grand Final redemption after falling to the Geelong Falcons by 11 points in last year’s decider;
  • will be captained by versatile midfielder Gabrielle Newton (pictured, second from right), who leads the club for total disposals and marks this season;
  • have NAB AFL Women’s Academy members in Newton, Britney Gutknecht, Sarah Sansonetti, Alyssa Bannan and Ellie McKenzie in their selected team;
  • have one over-age player, eight top-age players, nine under-17 players and seven under-16 players in their extended line-up; and
  • have the sister of 2018 North Melbourne AFL rookie draftee Tom McKenzie (Ellie McKenzie) in their selected team.

 

The Cannons:

  • finished third at the end of the 2019 home-and-away season with a record of 6-3 – the losses coming against the Oakleigh Chargers (in Round 4), Eastern Ranges (Round 6) and Geelong Falcons (Round 7);
  • shocked reigning premier Geelong to triumph in their preliminary final by 35 points last week;
  • won the competition’s inaugural premiership in 2017 after finishing on top of the ladder after a five-round season;
  • will be skippered by prolific on-baller and NAB AFL Women’s Academy member Georgia Patrikios (pictured, second from left), who leads the club for total marks and inside-50s this season;
  • have 10 top-age players, five under-17 players and 10 under-16 players in their extended line-up; and
  • have the sister of Carlton’s 2019 AFLW Rising Star winner Madison Prespakis (Georgie Prespakis) and the cousin of Carlton AFL player Sam Petrevski-Seton (Krstel Petrevski) in their selected team.

 

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER

Round 2, 2018 @ Rams Arena: Northern Knights 7.8 (50) d Calder Cannons 0.2 (2)

These teams haven’t met during the 2019 season, with Northern a comprehensive winner the last time they clashed in 2018. Key Knights from the current campaign in Sarah Sansonetti, Alyssa Bannan and Jessica Fitzgerald were all among their side’s best players that day, while Georgia Patrikios was one of the most prominent Calder players in defeat.

 

KEY PRELIMINARY-FINAL STATS

Northern was matched in most statistical areas by the Eastern Ranges in its six-point victory, with the counts for disposals, marks and tackles effectively even. However, the Knights crucially managed to generate five more inside-50s than Eastern, which helped them post six extra scoring shots.

Nell Morris-Dalton was the match-winner for Northern, setting up attacking thrusts with a team-high four inside-50s and taking her chances in front of goal with four majors from 15 disposals. Gabrielle Newton’s work in the clinches was also important, recording game-highs of 19 touches and 10 tackles.

 

Calder’s intensity allowed it to blow the Geelong Falcons away early, with the Cannons maintaining the rage for four quarters en route to a 35-point win. In addition to winning the disposal count by 21, Calder laid 83 tackles to 70 in a well-rounded effort both with and without the ball in hand.

Geelong was simply unable to stop several Cannons prime movers from finding the ball, with Georgia Patrikios (game-highs of 29 disposals, five marks and six inside-50s), Emelia Yassir (20, six inside-50s and one goal) and Georgie Prespakis (19, 10 tackles and one goal) consistently helping their team create an impact on the scoreboard.

 

COACH COMMENTS

Northern Knights head coach Marcus Abney-Hastings (pictured, far right):

“The difference between our game from last year to this year (is that) this year we’ve been able to add some layers to our game. Last year we were really good with our contested-side stuff and really matched the good teams around that, but this year we’ve been able to add some layers to our game on the outside – that run-and-carry and expansive football we’ve been trying to implement.”

“I think Calder is an even team. (Georgia Patrikios and Georgie Prespakis) are fairly handy players and then after that they’ve got a range of even players. I think the game will be won through the middle, so if we can get some clean ball into our forward 50 – and likewise for Calder – I think that’s going to be the key ingredient. The start of the game and the starts of quarters will be really, really important (too). We’re going to put a lot of emphasis on that.”

 

Calder Cannons assistant coach Troy Newton (pictured, far left):

“Our defensive effort (was the most impressive thing about defeating the Falcons). We knew defensively we could restrict their scoring, but I just thought every time we got challenged our defenders just repelled the attack, and some of our ball movement and some of our younger players standing up was really good. We had everybody contributing on the day – that’s why we got the result we did.”

“(Northern has) some dangerous forwards and half-forwards that work up high and have a lot of leg speed, so I think if we can be accountable and pressure the ball-carrier through the midfield and in our forward half, and keep the ball in and hit the scoreboard early, it will really help. We’re probably going to be a bit shorter (than the Knights), so we probably want to be running the ball and moving it as quick as we can.”

 

SELECTED TEAMS

NORTHERN KNIGHTS

B: 2. S. Fell, 10. P. Chisholm, 30. M. Plunkett

HB: 9. M. Chaplin, 18. S. Sansonetti, 17. C. Fitzgerald

C: 11. M.  Appleby, 23. G.  Newton, 14. J.  Fitzgerald

HF: 20. C. Linssen, 3. N. Morris-Dalton, 29. T. Pulcino

F: 6. A. Bannan, 36. T. Smart, 21. E. McKenzie

R: 1. J. Nelson, 22. B. Gutknecht, 16. Z. Flanigan

Int: 7. A. Bennett, 8. G. Ceravolo, 26. M. Papachristos, 38. L. Picioane, 31. M. Ramsay, 35. J. Simpson, 34. M. Uwland

 

In: M. Uwland, M. Ramsay, L. Picioane

 

CALDER CANNONS

B: 4. K. Lennox, 19. P. Poultney, 2. F. Theodore

HB: 24. K. Delia, 18. T. Gillard, 31. K. Petrevski

C: 38. L.  Cocomello, 21. G.  Patrikios, 8. Z.  Friswell

HF: 22. M. Muller, 5. N. Crowley, 3. E. Yassir

F: 34. Z. Hardiman, 42. T. Crook, 25. A. Magri

R: 17. G. Sampson, 41. G. Prespakis, 11. A. Barba

Int: 40. C. Brown, 1. H. Cooke, 32. T. Fry, 15. M. McLeod, 44. I. McNeill-Wren, 9. M. Styles, 35. I. Young

 

In: M. Styles, M. McLeod, I. McNeill-Wren