See some of the best stats from NAB League Girls Round 7, including key reasons why the unbeaten Geelong Falcons and Northern Knights won battles against top-four opponents.
THREE KEYS TO VICTORY
- In a clash between first and third on the ladder, the defence of the undefeated Geelong Falcons stood tall to keep the Calder Cannons to just one score for the match in a 14-point triumph. The Falcons restricted Calder to a solitary goal (kicked in the last quarter) from 24 inside-50s, with Geelong’s Abbey Chapman (game-high five rebound-50s - pictured) instrumental in repelling attacks from the Cannons.
- In a battle between the other top-four teams, the unbeaten Northern Knights proved too strong for the Bendigo Pioneers in a couple of key areas during their 53-point victory. The Knights effectively controlled the ball (32-13 marks) and subsequently denied Bendigo chances to score (29-14 inside-50s), with no Pioneers player able to record more than two marks or two inside-50s.
- Efficiency inside 50 helped the Murray Bushrangers claim a 19-point win against the inaccurate Sandringham Dragons. The Bushrangers generated three fewer inside-50s but posted 5.6 to Sandringham’s 1.11 – the second time this season the Dragons have recorded that score. Murray’s Olivia Barber (three goals from 15 disposals) returned from a three-round absence to have an instant impact up forward.
TOP FIVE STATS OF THE WEEK
- Gippsland Power young gun Grace McRae scored a mention in last week’s top five and she’s back again after playing an instrumental role in Gippsland’s six-point victory over the GWV Rebels. The 16-year-old led the Power with 24 disposals, seven tackles, four inside-50s and five rebound-50s – and to cap an all-round game, she even recorded a hitout.
- The Tasmania Devils were welcomed into the competition for two matches in Round 7, and while they lost to the Western Jets and Eastern Ranges, defender Amy Prokopiec didn’t waste the chance to show her wares. Still only 15 years of age, Prokopiec recorded a round-high eight inside-50s against Western and followed that up with a game-high five against Eastern.
- The Oakleigh Chargers’ 33-point defeat of the Dandenong Stingrays continued a theme of Oakleigh sharing the love inside 50. The Chargers boasted seven single goalkickers against Dandenong and now have 11 players to have booted multiple majors this season – equal to the second-placed Northern Knights and four more than the ladder-leading Geelong Falcons.
- Dynamic Calder Cannons duo Georgie Prespakis and Georgia Patrikios combined for a remarkable 32 per cent of their team’s 200 disposals in a loss to the Geelong Falcons. Prespakis racked up 32 touches – more than anyone else in a single game this season – and Patrikios 31. However, Calder just didn’t have the depth of ball-winners the Falcons had.
- 174cm Western Jets top-ager Taylah Kolevski may not be the tallest NAB League Girls player, but she’s making an impact in the ruck. Kolevski recorded 35 hitouts in Western’s 37-point win against the Tasmania Devils – the most of any player in a match this season – and is now ranked first in the competition for total hitouts, averaging 15 per game.
ROUND 7 STATS LEADERS
DISPOSALS (32): Georgie Prespakis (Calder Cannons)
KICKS (23): Georgia Patrikios (Calder Cannons)
HANDBALLS (18): Georgie Prespakis (Calder Cannons)
MARKS (6): Nekaela Butler (GWV Rebels) and Celia Cody (Sandringham Dragons)
TACKLES (12): Lucy McEvoy (Geelong Falcons)
INSIDE-50s (6): Celia Cody (Sandringham Dragons), Jessica Fitzgerald (Northern Knights), Georgia Patrikios (Calder Cannons) and Ella Wood (GWV Rebels)
REBOUND-50s (8): Amy Prokopiec (Tasmania Devils)
HITOUTS (35): Taylah Kolevski (Western Jets)
GOALS (3): Alyssa Bannan (Northern Knights) and Olivia Barber (Murray Bushrangers)
