By Jonty Ralphsmith
Another game, another Ash Centra clinic.
The Gippsland Power prospect brought her A-game to the under-17 showcase match at Kinetic Stadium, Frankston, on Saturday.
The game saw two teams comprising of the best under-17 talent around the state battle it out and showcase their weapons.
Centra had 13 disposals up until halftime and was by far the best player on the ground, moving through traffic well, hitting all her kicks, taking marks, laying tackles and kicking 1.1.
She finished with 21 disposals, six marks, six tackles and three clearances, absorbing pressure well and proving she has the best evasiveness in junior girls footy.
Dandenong Stingrays, meanwhile, had three girls represent the region.
Stingrays Jemma Reynolds, Zoe Besanko and Elli Symonds all got the opportunity to show what they could do, with Reynolds and Symonds having also played for Vic Country at the national championships.
Besanko and Reynolds played for Team Schleicher, which lost to Symonds’ Team Harris by eight points on a perfect morning for footy.
Symonds finished with 13 hitouts and six disposals, with her ascent to play in this game rapid, hardly putting a foot wrong as a mainstay feeding and helping the Stingrays engine room.
Besanko, who had a much stronger game on Saturday, has complemented Symonds well this season and also shown she can hit the scoreboard as a key forward.
She had 14 disposals, 10 hitouts and three clearances and had the first scoring shot of the game.
Reynolds, meanwhile, whose strong understanding of the game and polish below her knees has stood out at Talent League this year, had 14 disposals and two clearances.
That trio will lead a strong Stingrays outfit in 2024.
