Strathmore's Talia Motta has been voted the Fernwood Fitness Women's Player of the Month for June, taking 40 per cent of the vote in another hotly contested fan poll.
Motta edged out her rivals to continue what has been a remarkable season in the EDFL Airport Toyota Premier Division - and if the noise in the Strathmore group chat when the nominations dropped was anything to go by, the club knew exactly what was coming.
The 21-year-old forward has been one of the competition's most dangerous players all season. Across 11 games she has slotted 14 goals, collected seven best-on-ground votes, and has been a constant headache for opposition defences every time the ball enters her forward 50. In June alone she knocked over two against Hillside and followed it up with five against Caroline Springs.
Playing as a forward pocket and half forward, Motta is deceptively difficult to stop. Small in stature but fierce in the contest, she has a rare ability to hold her ground and stay composed when it matters most.
"I try to be crafty wherever I can," she says. "Sneaking out the back, getting in a few goals. That's probably my style of play."
Senior coach Shaun Bannister is not short of praise when discussing his star forward.
"Her kicking technique is probably the best I've ever seen. Male or female," Bannister said.
"She's hard to shift off the ball once she's got it in front of her. You can't bump her off, and she just doesn't panic around goals. There could be girls trying to tackle her from everywhere and she just doesn't flinch."
Bannister knows Motta's quality firsthand having spent time coaching against her before luring her across to Strathmore. She repaid that faith immediately, booting three crucial goals in last season's grand final to help secure the premiership and taking out best on ground in the process.
The form has continued this year. Strathmore sit top of the ladder, and Motta says the group's unity has been a driving force behind their season.
"Playing with such a close-knit group of girls has made it even better," she says. "The girls have worked so hard since pre-season. We know we've got a lot of work to do, but we're focused on taking it one game at a time."
As for the kicking technique that Bannister raves about, Motta traces it back to something far simpler than elite coaching programs or structured development pathways.
"I used to play with my uncle, my cousins, and my dad a lot," she says. "I think it just happened naturally over time."
