Everything is on the line for the Tasmania Devils in round ten of the NAB League Girls, as they will look to keep their season alive in a clash with the Dandenong Stingrays. The Devils will travel to The Hangar in Tullamarine needing a win to stay in finals contention, with the action kicking off at midday and being streamed live via the NAB League app.
For the Devils, the equation is simple – a win against Dandenong and a Geelong Falcons loss would see them sneak into the NAB League finals. It won’t be an easy task against a Stingrays team that is yet to lose a game this season, but Tasmania enters the matchup with some hot form of their own. Last round’s 106-point win over Bendigo was a dominant performance from start to finish, and they will need a similar effort if they want to challenge the Stingrays.
As has been the case through the entire season, the physicality of the Devils could be a huge factor. They rank third in the NAB League for tackles per game (84.6) and second for hard ball gets (46.2), and that represents a clear advantage over a Stingrays side that sits 12th in each of those categories. Even without star midfielders Priya Bowering and Claire Ransom last round the Devils were able to maintain that intensity, with the likes of Brooke Barwick, Jenna Griffiths and Candice Belbin all stepping up.
What the Stingrays do possess is an unmatched arsenal of attacking firepower. They average 68.3 points per game, comfortably the highest mark in the league, and they have done so thanks to their skill and efficiency further afield. Up against a side that produces the most inside-50s in the league and kicks a goal every 24.2 disposals, Tasmania’s defenders will need to be on their toes from the first bounce.
Last time they met
These two sides met in round six of the 2021 season, where the Devils led from start to finish and claimed a 17-point win. Tasmania held the Stingrays to just one goal through the first three quarters and withstood a late surge to take the points. Meghan Gaffney led the way with a game-high 20 disposals, three inside 50s and three rebound 50s, while Dandenong’s Amber Clarke had 19 disposals and a goal.
Team news
There are two changes to Tasmania’s side from last week’s win, with Kelsie Hill and Liana Freestone both forced out of the lineup. They will be replaced by Halle Whitehead and Meg Thompson, both of whom will add to the defensive rotations of the Devils.
Key players
Tasmania Devils
Georgia Clark & Bellah Parker
Clark and Parker have been two of the most impressive forwards in the NAB League this season, and both could still take the mantle as the competition’s top goalscorer. Parker’s 14 majors sit her just one behind the competition leader, with Clark one goal further adrift with 13. They combined for 17 scoring shots in the win over Bendigo last round, and they will need to both be at their best again if the Devils want to knock off the Stingrays.
Georgia Alomes
Alomes has been a cool head in the Devils defence throughout the season, and she was named in the side’s best players once again last week. She has the ability to swing forward as needed, but with Tasmania’s forward line settling as the season has progressed, she has instead cemented her place as one of the team’s best lockdown defenders. Up against the best attacking team in the NAB League, she will be crucial to the success of the Devils.
Dandenong Stingrays
Amber Clarke
Another player that is still in the running for the NAB League’s goalkicking title, Clarke has booted 14 goals from seven games this season. The bulk of them came early in the season, with bags of four and five in Dandenong’s first two games. While she hasn’t quite reached those heights again since, Clarke is a dangerous player able to use her speed and power in the midfield or up forward.
Mackenzie Eardley
Tasmania’s two-headed monster of Clark and Parker might be the biggest threat to Dandenong in this game, and Eardley will be key in keeping one of them quiet. A key defender able to lock down defensively, she can also punish the opposition on the rebound and has two games of 20-plus disposals this season. After putting forward a solid showing for Vic Country in last week’s NAB AFLW National Championship game, she looms as an important player here.