SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 3.8 (26)
WESTERN JETS 8.3 (51)
CHARLOTTE Baskaran’s star continues to rise by the week after she led the Western Jets to another impressive NAB League Girls victory on Sunday, upsetting the Sandringham Dragons by 25 points at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval.
Missing Lucy Mitchell and losing Taylah Jones at quarter-time hurt the Dragons as they controlled much of the play in the first half only to be plagued by inaccuracy, managing just 1.6 to the Jets’ 1.2.
Baskaran and fellow gun Montana Ham made them pay in the second half with seven goals to two as the Jets took over with their talk and system being features of them running away with the game.
Western took the lead inside four minutes of the third quarter with a goal to Caitlin Sargent and despite the strong-marking Mia Zielinski snapping a quick reply, Sierra Grieves (two goals) got it straight back and it seemed to break the Dragons’ resolve.
The Jets kicked five unanswered goals to put the game to bed as Baskaran (26 disposals, nine tackles, three inside-50s, three rebound-50s and a goal), Ham (23, five marks, five marks, four inside-50s, three rebounds) and Trinity Skenderis (20, six tackles, five inside-50s, three rebounds) stamped their authority on the contest.
Laura Elliott (seven marks) was also strong, Stephanie Asciak (nine tackles), Paige Ryan (eight) and Kiera Leare (seven) didn’t give their opponents a moment’s respite, and underager Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, 16, cashed in with two of the last three goals from her only two kicks.
Sofia Hurley produced another outstanding game for Sandringham with 24 touches, nine tackles and four inside-50s, Keely Coyne (19, four marks) continued her good season and Bridie Hipwell displayed clean hands to finish with 17 touches, five inside-50s and a goal.
MURRAY BUSHRANGERS 6.4 (40)
CALDER CANNONS 7.4 (46)
CALDER Cannons kept the pressure on the Metro Division’s top two by holding off a fast-finishing Murray Bushrangers by six points at Corowa’s John Foord Oval on Saturday.
The Cannons controlled the game for three quarters, building a 25-point lead early in the final term while only conceding two goals, but it opened up in the last quarter as the Bushrangers slammed on three goals in four minutes and 4.1 in a row to level the scores with two minutes to play.
But the visitors had one more surge forward and 15-year-old Kyla Forbes snagged the matchwinner with just 47 seconds on the clock to lift Calder to 3-1 and keep it within percentage of the second-placed Western Jets.
Another underage player, Amy Gaylor, 16, enjoyed a breakout game for the Cannons with 23 disposals and nine tackles in defence, Tahlia Read (19, five marks) and Ellie Sbeghen (25 hitouts, two goals) were also brilliant and Reese Sutton (seven tackles, eight inside-50s) and Neve Crowley (five marks) played strong roles.
Murray was again led by gun performers Keeley Skepper (32 disposals, six marks, five inside-50s) and Zarlie Goldsworthy (23, 13 tackles, eight inside-50s, one goal), while Cassidy Mailer (24, five marks, five tackles, one goal) had her best game for the season and Mindy Quade took five marks and kicked three goals.
Zara Hamilton laid seven tackles for the Bushrangers but was held to 12 disposals after having 29 and 26 in her first two games, Olivia Cicolini laid 10 tackles and Grace Hay had 16 hitouts.
EASTERN RANGES 12.4 (76)
OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 2.2 (14)
EASTERN Ranges sent a powerful warning to the rest of the competition by thrashing reigning premier Oakleigh Chargers by 62 points at Kilsyth on Friday night.
The undefeated Ranges kicked two goals in 90 seconds early in the game and were never seriously challenged, booting four to none in the second and five to none in the last to charge to a dominant victory and consolidate top spot in the Metro Division.
Bridget Deed was sensational again, knocking up another 28 disposals, seven tackles and six inside-50s to take her season averages to a sensational 31.5 disposals, 7.5 tackles and 5.3 inside-50s – form that saw her named as Hawthorn’s first official AFLW signing on Monday.
Having averaged 19.6 touches in 10 games last year and 16 in two games in 2020, it’s a huge increase in output for one of the brightest prospects in the country.
Deed found plenty of support on Friday from fellow Hawthorn VFLW player Izzy Khoury (24 disposals, five tackles, six inside-50s and three rebounds), Mia Busch (20, eight tackles) and 16-year-old ruck Jacinta Hose (32 hitouts, one goal), while Alyssia Pisano (four goals) and Mia Austin (three goals, seven tackles, 16 hitouts) were unstoppable up forward as the Ranges racked up a stunning 63 hitouts to four.
Charlotte Van der Vlies led the charge for Oakleigh with 22 touches and seven tackles, with Lily Hart (20, five inside-50s), Maggie Mahony (18, 12 tackles), Jorja Jackson (13 tackles) and Jacinta Baxter (11 tackles) providing assistance.
GWV REBELS 4.6 (30)
GEELONG FALCONS 11.4 (70)
GEELONG Falcons consolidated second spot on the Country Division ladder with an convincing 40-point win over GWV Rebels at Mars Stadium on Saturday.
The Falcons won every quarter, but it was the second term where they put the game to bed with three goals to none setting up a 32-point gap at half-time.
Tall forward Analea McKee produced her second best-on-ground performance for the Falcons with 18 disposals, eight marks and three goals, with Grace Purcell (19 possessions, two goals), 16-year-old Chloe Adams (22, five inside-50s), Mia Fuller (12 tackles) and 15-year-old Lucy Maresuk (seven tackles) riding shotgun.
Paige Glover (three goals, eight tackles), Paige Scott (19 disposals, five marks), Lilli Condon (19) and Kalani Scoullar (nine tackles, 25 hitouts) battled hard for the Rebels.
NORTHERN KNIGHTS 2.5 (17)
TASMANIA DEVILS 6.7 (43)
TASMANIA stayed in touch with the Country Division top two with a convincing 26-point victory over the Northern Knights at Highgate Reserve on Saturday.
The Devils only led by five points at the main break but kicked clear with 4.4 to 1.1 in the second half on the back of a brilliant best-on-ground display from Georgia Clark, who had 21 disposals, eight marks, six tackles, four inside-50s and six rebounds while also booting four goals.
Priya Bowering was also terrific with 22 disposals and nine tackles, Bellah Parker kicked two goals and Charlie Vandenberg dominated the ruck with 19 hitouts.
Pint-sized Ava Jordan was clearly Northern’s best player, racking up a match-high 31 possessions and seven tackles, while 15-year-old talent Suwindi Buckley starred in her second NAB League game with 18 touches and a whopping 15 tackles, Georgia Tait laid seven tackles and Tannah Hurst had six rebound-50s.
GIPPSLAND POWER 4.2 (26)
BENDIGO PIONEERS 15.9 (99)
BENDIGO banked its second win of the season with an easy 73-point dismissal of Gippsland at Churchill’s Gaskin Park.
The Power kicked the first goal of the game through Elaina Domagala but the Pioneers quickly took control with four goals before the break – including three in three minutes either side of the siren – and never looked back, adding three, three and five in the following terms to bank an important boost in percentage.
In a real team effort, youngster Lila Keck again starred for Bendigo with 22 disposals, eight tackles and three goals, Lucia Painter had 23 touches, 13 tackles, five inside-50s and a goal, Octavia Di Donato lifted her season average above 20 disposals with 26 and a goal, Scarlett Orritt had 22, five inside-50s and a goal, Teagan Williams, Emily Everist and Shaleah Cooper kicked two majors apiece and Jayda Richardson, Keely Fullarton and Catlin Evans each laid seven tackles.
Gippsland never gave up and kicked a goal in each quarter, with Yasmin Duursma leading the way with 23 possessions and Indiana Makai (14, 11 tackles, one goal), Ahlee Penry (26 hitouts), Sunday Brisbane (18 disposals), Ella Stoddart (seven tackles, five rebounds) and Amber Schutte (eight tackles) providing support.
DANDENONG STINGRAYS bye
LADDERS
COUNTRY: Dandenong 16 (354.3%), Geelong 16 (131.9%), Tasmania 12 (149.3%), Bendigo 8 (109.7%), Murray 8 (93.4%), GWV 4 (57.4%), Gippsland 0 (19.8%)
METRO: Eastern 16 (275.3%), Western 12 (152.7%), Calder 12 (120.2%), Sandringham 8 (89.9%), Oakleigh 8 (76.8%), Northern 0 (45.3%)
(The top two teams from each of the Country and Metro Divisions will play each other in the semis, with the winners to face off in the Grand Final)
THIS WEEK
Saturday: Western Jets v Geelong Falcons (Westbourne Grammar, Truganina, 10am); Murray Bushrangers v Northern Knights (JC Lowe Oval, Yarrawonga, 12pm); GWV Rebels v Oakleigh Chargers (Ballarat City Oval, 12pm); Calder Cannons v Bendigo Pioneers (Highgate Reserve, Craigieburn, 1pm). Sunday: Dandenong Stingrays v Eastern Ranges (Bluescope Reserve, Hastings, 11.30am); Gippsland Power v Sandringham Dragons (Gaskin Park, Churchill, 11.30am); Tasmania Devils bye.
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL