See some of the best stats from NAB League Girls Round 4, including one quarter of brutal efficiency from the Northern Knights and how the Oakleigh Chargers are spreading their ball-winning load.
THREE KEYS TO VICTORY
- Despite difficult conditions, the Dandenong Stingrays were committed to moving the ball quickly via hand in their 22-point win against the Gippsland Power. The Stingrays recorded 96 kicks and 96 handballs (Gippsland had 116 and 56 respectively), with Shaneece Stratton (10) and Isabella Shannon (nine) their most prolific handballers.
- A two-goal last quarter in a match that only produced four total majors was the defining period of the Bendigo Pioneers’ 14-point victory over the Murray Bushrangers, but Bendigo’s strength was in an even spread of contributors throughout the contest. Eight Pioneers recorded 12 or more disposals – led by Annabel Strahan’s 20 touches – compared to five from Murray.
- The Northern Knights’ 21-point triumph over the Sandringham Dragons was set up in the third term, when the Knights kicked three of their five total goals from nine inside-50s while Sandringham could only manage one behind from eight entries. Northern skipper Gabrielle Newton’s eight disposals for the quarter was three more than anyone else on the field.
TOP FIVE STATS OF THE WEEK
- The Murray Bushrangers received excellent service from their captain Millie Brown in a loss to the Bendigo Pioneers. The 18-year-old led from the front in racking up game-highs of 27 disposals, 11 handball-receives and six rebound-50s, with her run from defence a highlight of a low-scoring match.
- Megan Fitzsimon enjoyed a stellar game in defeat for the Gippsland Power against the Dandenong Stingrays. The 16-year-old recorded a game-high 26 disposals – nine more than any other player on the ground – as well as five marks, five clearances, six inside-50s, five rebound-50s and a goal to indicate she’s a player to watch.
- It seems no team can stop Luka Lesosky-Hay winning the ball for the Geelong Falcons. The 18-year-old is ranked first in the competition for total disposals in 2019 and had another 31 in Geelong’s 36-point defeat of the GWV Rebels, following tallies of 22, 17 and 25 across the first three rounds.
- The Oakleigh Chargers are receiving contributions across the board this season – evidenced by the fact that despite losing only once, their top disposal-winner Gemma Lagioia (pictured) is still ranked just 18th in the competition in that category. The top-ager was a standout in Oakleigh’s 10-point victory over the Calder Cannons with a game-high 21 touches.
- Tess Flintoff clearly knows her foot is one of her biggest weapons, with the Eastern Ranges playmaker having 21 kicks among her game-high 23 disposals in Eastern’s 43-point win against the Western Jets. From 74 touches of the ball so far this season, the 16-year-old has put boot to ball 59 times.
ROUND 4 STATS LEADERS
DISPOSALS (31): Luka Lesosky-Hay (Geelong Falcons)
KICKS (24): Luka Lesosky-Hay (Geelong Falcons)
HANDBALLS (16): Gemma Lagioia (Oakleigh Chargers)
MARKS (8): Luka Lesosky-Hay (Geelong Falcons)
TACKLES (11): Brooke Hards (Bendigo Pioneers) and Nell Morris-Dalton (Northern Knights)
INSIDE-50s (7): Tyanna Smith (Dandenong Stingrays)
REBOUND-50s (7): Lauren Sykes (GWV Rebels)
HITOUTS (20): Jess Grace (Eastern Ranges)
GOALS (2): Serena Gibbs (Eastern Ranges), Tahlia Gillard (Calder Cannons), Emily Harley (Oakleigh Chargers), Georgia Howes (Dandenong Stingrays), Laura McClelland (Eastern Ranges), Nell Morris-Dalton (Northern Knights), Sophia Rothfield (Sandringham Dragons) and Mia Skinner (Geelong Falcons)
