Twins Bree and Shae Merrifield and rising star Monique Purchase are gearing up for a big year with the Lions when football resumes on July 19.
Posing a double-trouble dilemma for opponents - with only their friends often able to tell them apart - Bree and Shae provide the Lions with their key position pillars in the forward and defensive lines.
Injury has previously cruelled Shae’s game, but with the forced COVID-19 break she has had more time to recover and return to the training track. Her strong one-on-one marking is key to her game.
As for Bree, the Year 12 student has a full schedule this year, but a return to sport has given her a welcome break with friends on the football field.
With a knack for reading play before her opponents and with a full pre-season under her belt, Bree will be a major asset for the Lions as they look to build upon their promising 2019 season.
Rounding out the triad, Purchase continues to develop in leaps and bounds, her uncanny knack for finding herself among play gifting her plenty of the ball.
Once the game opens up, she has the ability to cover the ground and find open space, especially on a surface such as King’s Park.
A member of the Murray Bushrangers squad, Purchase has also starred in a number of V/Line representative matches, with the timing of the coronavirus pandemic unfortunate in stalling her momentum.
● With the competition only weeks away, supporters will get their chance to see some of the region's best female junior players in action.
If any local girls would like to be a part of the Lions team culture and tackle and bump, come down to Kings Park.
For more information, phone 0418 552 016.
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