NAB League Girls: Stingray Amber Clarke slots five goals against Geelong Falcons

Amber Clarke is being spoken about as a high draft hope this year. She showed why in a slashing performance at Geelong on Sunday.

Amber Clarke lays a tackle for the Stingrays against Geelong Falcons. Pic: Jazz Bennett Media

Mark it down as one of the best performances of the NAB League Girls season.

Yes, only one round of football has been played, but Dandenong Stingrays speedster Amber Clarke’s outing against Geelong Falcons on Sunday is sure to rank highly in highlights-reel packages.

She kicked five goals, had 23 disposals, seven inside 50s and four tackles.

Little wonder she’s being spoken about as a high draft prospect this year.

As Stingrays coach Nick Cox said, Clarke has “set the bar incredibly high’’ for 2022.

The Stingrays won the match 10.9 (69) to 3.3 (21) at Deakin University

“It was quite a dynamic performance from Amber,’’ Cox said.

“She played predominantly forward and had a run in the mid. She actually spent 10 minutes of the second quarter on the bench as well.

“Any player having that many shots at goals – she kicked 5.2 – in girls football is obviously a big weapon and no doubt she’ll get some tight checking over the next few weeks.’’

Amber Clarke takes a kick for the Dandy Stingrays. Pic: Jazz Bennett Media

Clarke’s 2021 season was cut short by a knee injury at the nationals but Cox said she had worked diligently to overcome it.

The Stingrays had debutants in Jemma Ramsdale, Eleanor Butler, Meg Robertson, Charli Dobson, Abbey Tregellis, and Courtney Siwes, and Cox said they all “had their moments in the game’’.

In the lead-up to the Round 1 match the club had named Mackenzie Eardley and Felicity Crank as co-captains, and Grace Chapman, Clarke, Emily Shepherd, Charley Ryan, Sarah Hosking and Jaide Anthony as leadership-group players.

Biana Lyne starred in the ruck, Academy member Eardley was prominent in defence, Shepherd was busy up forward and on the ball, and Taylor Gatt showed out on her wing, her pace ace.

Anthony kicked off her season impressively too.

“A great start for her and a great start for the girls to have a solid win against last year’s grand finalists,’’ Cox said.

“We think we can be a pretty good team, without getting ahead of ourselves.’’

The Stingrays meet Gippsland this weekend.