Pepa Randall: the league’s most underrated defender?

It is understandable that the wiry defender doesn’t feature in too many headlines.

In her three seasons at GWS, she has averaged just six possessions a game and uses her disposal to either extract the ball from congestion by hand or switch by foot to relieve pressure.

However, that doesn’t reduce her tremendous value to the Giants’ backline. Randall is a ruthlessly dour player: across four quarters, her opponents endure torrid attention and are given no breathing room.

Disposals are hard to earn against her and goals even harder.

In a backline ranked twelfth in the competition for points scored against (142, beaten by the Roos by just six points and Melbourne by 18), Randall’s tenacious discipline is a barometer.

She rotated off Danielle Ponter, Marijana Rajcic and Courtney Gum at Hisense Stadium and nullified all three.

Her final quarter was outstanding as she cut off the Crows’ attack in three pivotal moments as her side grimly clung to a narrow win.