WITH the looming AFL Academy practice match against North Melbourne’s VFL side, there are changes galore at TAC Cup level as the next tier of players get their chance to impress for their club in a bumper round three. The weekend features a triple header at Queen Elizabeth Oval on Saturday, while the Metro sides clash at Williamstown, Sandringham and Preston in their games.

BENDIGO PIONEERS v. GIPPSLAND POWER 

Round 3 – Saturday, April 7, 10am
Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo

After an impressive one-point win over the GWV Rebels in Round 1, the Bendigo Pioneers succumed to a strong Murray Bushrangers outfit. The Pioneers stuck with them for most of the game, but a second half frenzy saw the Bushrangers boot eight goals to one to win by 56 points in the end. Meanwhile Gippsland Power went down to Dandenong Stingrays, after being in front by a point at the final break. the eventual four-goal margin could have been much worse considering the Stingrays had a whopping 28 more inside 50s than the Power. A week earlier, the Power upset the Bushrangers, so both the teams head into round three win an even keel of wins and losses.

Bendigo cops the loss of Academy stars harder than Gippsland with Joe Atley and Jye Caldwell both outs, as the Pioneers named an extended bench. For the first time we might see twins Daine and Josh Grace take the field together for the first time in a TAC Cup match, while the Pioneers strong inside brigade will be looking to match the Power at the stoppages. Gippsland has included three players into the side, including returning ruck Rylan Henkel, after Gippsland lost the hitout count to Dandenong by 33. Given the omissions for the Pioneers, Gippsland will head into the game confident, especially considering how well its defence has held up this season thanks to Matthew McGannon, Brock Smith, Bailey Beck and Ryan Sparkes. But Bendigo will be every chance to get the points on its home turf at Queen Elizabeth Oval.

Bendigo Pioneers

B: 43. H. Lawrence, 11. J. Grace, 57. A. Smith-Ralph
HB: 18. B. Henderson, 24. N. McHugh, 8. B. Kemp
C: 7. L.  Chisholm, 5. N.  Wheeler, 51. B.  Waasdorp
HF: 3. L. Marciano, 20. J. Schischka, 2. J. Williams
F: 50. K. Lloyd, 45. W. Holt, 52. K. Walker
R: 23. D. Keating, 9. Z. Keighran, 17. R. Ironside
Int: 15. L. Caccaviello, 35. Z. Denahy, 14. T. Dow, 1. M. Goodwin, 10. D. Grace, 37. C. McCarty, 33. J. McHale, 26. C. O’Shea, 29. E. Roberts, 28. C. Vick

In: L. Caccaviello, C. McCarty, E. Roberts, C. Vick, C. O’Shea, J. Grace, J. McHale
Out: J. Atley,  J. Caldwell,  J. Sala,  F. Perez

Gippsland Power

B: 12. B. Smith, 25. K. Reid, 15. R. Sparkes
HB: 8. B. Beck, 23. N. Gown, 18. M. McGannon
C: 14. T.  Hourigan, 11. A.  Hodge, 29. B.  Motton
HF: 9. I. Mosquito, 38. J. Wykes, 20. H. Neocleous
F: 4. S. Flanders, 16. J. Smith, 19. F. Phillips
R: 22. R. Henkel, 5. X. Duursma, 2. C. Serong
Int: 6. R. Baldi, 26. W. Broadbent, 10. L. Connolly, 13. N. Lowden, 3. M. McGannon, 27. L. Munns, 7. B. Patterson, 33. B. Thorson, 35. J. van der Pligt

In: R. Henkel, B. Patterson, W. Broadbent

DANDENONG STINGRAYS v. GREATER WESTERN VICTORIA REBELS 

Round 3 – Saturday, April 7, 12.30pm
Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo

In the second game at Queen Elizabeth Oval, the undefeated Dandenong Stingrays take on the blistering pace of the GWV Rebels. The Stingrays passed both their early round tests with flying colours, dispatching reigning premiers Geelong Falcons and holding off a determined Gippsland outfit. GWV Rebels could also be 2-0 had it not been for a disappointing last quarter against Bendigo in round one which saw the Rebels lose a 20-point advantage at the final break to go down by a point to the Pioneers. Last round was a different story as the Rebels put the game to bed by half-time against the Falcons and looked a completely different side with their run and carry.

Dandenong will lose two of its twin towers in Riley Bowman and Bailey Williams, as well as the injured Aaron Darling which will cost them some serious firepower up front, so all eyes will be on Jai Nanscawen to see if he can match his six-goal effort from the weekend. Both sides have named an extended bench, but the Rebels are aware of the height the Stingrays possess, bringing in tall bottom-ager Mathew Clarke for his debut should he be named in the final squad. They have a mosquito fleet up forward with ruck/forward Tylar Watts named as a surprise centre-half back. The midfield of Scott Carlin, Lochie Dawson and Matt Schnerring will need to continue its strong form to match it with Campbell Hustwaite, Will Hamill and Mitch Riordan.

Dandenong Stingrays

B: 32. D. Frampton, 56. M. Cumming, 2. H. Young
HB: 16. J. Frawley, 5. A. Paterson, 12. M. Gahan
C: 27. L.  McDonnell, 23. C.  Hustwaite, 7. J.  Taylor
HF: 17. F. Bayne, 52. C. Ellison, 49. M. Cottrell
F: 15. T. Bedford, 28. B. Schmidt, 42. J. Nanscawen
R: 36. S. Cumming, 58. W. Hamill, 18. M. Riordan
Int: 37. B. Angwin, 31. H. Briggs, 33. J. Carosella, 20. S. De Koning, 9. Z. Foot, 47. J. Hickey, 57. R. Nanscawen, 3. J. Plumridge

In: R. Nanscawen, M. Gahan, B. Angwin, C. Ellison, S. De Koning
Out: A. Darling,  R. Bowman,  B. Williams

Greater Western Victoria Rebels

B: 8. H. Butler, 43. J. Wright, 34. J. O’Connell
HB: 5. H. Jennings, 20. T. Watts, 31. C. Perks
C: 19. J.  Henderson, 3. S.  Carlin, 25. T.  Shannon
HF: 14. J. Hill, 11. J. Chatfield, 6. C. Wilson
F: 47. T. Mahony, 18. B. Helyar, 7. M. Martin
R: 29. P. Glanford, 9. L. Dawson, 2. M. Schnerring
Int: 4. B. Annett, 36. M. Bidmade, 23. M. Clarke, 15. K. Councillor, 1. C. Craig-Peters, 12. A. Gove, 21. I. Grant, 10. J. Lohmann

In: C. Craig-Peters, M. Clarke, B. Annett
Out: J. Mawson

WESTERN JETS v. EASTERN RANGES 

Round 3 – Saturday, April 7, 2.00pm
Williamstown Football Ground

Western Jets fans could probably avoid any more nail-biters for a while, having escaped with the four points in round one against Calder Cannons by that exact margin, before going down to Northern Knights by just eight points. For Eastern, they have struggled a little, going down to contender Oakleigh Chargers, before losing to Calder Cannons under lights at Rams Arena last week. With a nine-day break though, Eastern will be refreshed to tackle the Jets down at blustery Williamstown.

Both sides are relatively strong given the sole omission for the AFL Academy game is Jets defender Buku Khamis. The Jets midfield is where the game could be won or lost for them, given Xavier O’Halloran, Stefan Radovanovic and Connor Thar are lining up in the midfield. Radovanovic could drop back to defence, particularly with the loss of Khamis, while up front, the small centre-half forward Zac Butters and talented bottom-age prospect Emerson Jeka will cause headaches as could last week’s four-goal forward Steven Kyriazis. For Eastern, Ben Cardamone is in sensational form, as are most of the Eastern defenders with Xavier Fry, James Blanck and Kye Quirk forming a strong half-back line. Adrian Kalcovski will look to wrestle some of the momentum through midfield, while Mitch Mellis provides a dash of class up forward.

Western Jets

B: 28. J. Papachatzakis, 37. H. Murphy, 6. L. Rocci
HB: 22. O. Manton, 41. L. Rzanovski, 36. J. Rice
C: 17. D.  Andrews , 33. X.  O’Halloran, 25. S.  Johnson
HF: 2. T. Rudic, 11. Z. Butters, 7. J. Watkins
F: 45. A. Clarke, 31. E. Jeka, 10. S. Kyriazis
R: 47. D. Walters, 39. S. Radovanovic, 12. C. Thar
Int: 20. D. Cassar, 32. N. Ellis, 24. J. Honey, 30. L. Pettigrove, 26. W. Smyth, 35. T. Warner

In: N. Ellis, J. Jenkins, W. Smyth
Out: B. Colley,  B. Khamis

Eastern Ranges

B: 20. B. Cardamone, 21. J. Ross, 26. C. Norris
HB: 23. X. Fry, 31. J. Blanck, 24. K. Quirk
C: 3. H.  Chinn, 2. A.  Kalcovski, 17. C.  Hirst
HF: 9. J. Duffy, 42. T. Lockman, 45. M. Zalac
F: 4. R. Clausen, 18. B. McCormack, 11. M. Mellis
R: 41. J. Corless, 7. L. Stapleton, 8. J. Burleigh
Int: 39. C. Daraio, 53. J. Drake, 16. T. Garner, 12. J. Gilbee, 19. J. Kritopoulos, 58. R. Smith, 25. L. Vassis

In: L. Vassis, T. Garner, J. Drake, J. Kritopoulos, R. Smith
Out: L. Gawel, F. Smith, J. Jaworski, R. Einsporn

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS v. GEELONG FALCONS 

Round 3 – Saturday, April 7, 3.00pm
Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo

In the final game of the Bendigo Triple Header, Murray Bushrangers and Geelong Falcons clash in what will see a number of top prospects miss due to the AFL Academy game. For the Bushrangers, they got the points against Bendigo Pioneers last week following a surprising loss to the young Gippsland Power side in round one. The reigning premiers on the other hand, are still searching for their first win, not having too much to smile about in the opening seven quarters of the season, but did find form with a six-goal last quarter against the GWV Rebels in round two.

Murray will miss Hudson Garoni and Matthew Walker due to the AFL Academy game, on top of Zane Barzen who injured himself in round one. Barzen would be missing from the game as well anyway given he is also AFL Academy. Their losses will be offset by Geelong’s dangerous duo of Ed McHenry and Sam Walsh missing on the weekend which means the Falcons will look to Oscar Brownless. The exciting bottom-age Cooper Stephens will join Brownless and Baxter Mensch in the midfield, while the consistent Ely Smith and Kyle Clarke will look to control the clearances. Over-ager tall Jordon Butts returns for his first game of the season in a side which is very tall given Ben Kelly and Mark Marriott remain in the side, with the duo looking to take advantage in the ruck against 188cm Falcon Tom Richardson.

Murray Bushrangers

B: 14. J. Chalcraft, 16. N. Murray, 15. R. Quinn
HB: 33. F. Ellis, 34. T. Boyd, 4. L. Vandermeer
C: 12. L.  Ash, 5. E.  Smith, 29. C.  Hill
HF: 13. B. Frauenfelder, 8. J. Koschitzke, 54. F. O’Dwyer
F: 26. R. Bice, 25. B. St John, 10. P. Warner
R: 23. M. Marriott, 17. N. Amery, 28. K. Clarke
Int: 20. J. Bradshaw, 2. J. Butts, 6. W. Chandler, 38. D. Clarke, 22. A. Dang, 3. B. Kelly

In: E. Dayman, J. Boyer, C. Hill, J. Butts, M. Oates
Out: H. Garoni,  M. Walker

Geelong Falcons

B: 40. J. Clark, 31. C. Cartledge, 7. C. Harris
HB: 39. C. Idun, 49. D. Hollenkamp, 3. K. Rayner
C: 13. E.  Floyd, 10. B.  Mensch, 6. D.  Madigan
HF: 20. B. Ham, 36. C. Sprague, 16. B. Scott
F: 51. N. Conway, 48. B. Schlensog, 12. J. Muhor
R: 45. T. Richardson, 41. C. Stephens, 30. O. Brownless
Int: 38. S. Bourke, 9. B. Morton, 28. C. O’Connor, 25. L. Taylor, 2. S. Torpy, 27. N. Young

In: C. O’Connor, L. Handley, F. Wilson, C. Stephens, B. Morton, N. Conway, F. Parish, J. Muhor
Out: E. McHenry, L. Smith, J. Dahlhaus, C. Mulgrew, S. Walsh

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS v. CALDER CANNONS 

Round 3 – Sunday, April 8, 10.45am
Trevor Barker Beach Oval, Sandringham

The in-form Sandringham Dragons take on the Calder Cannons in an early game on Sunday. The Dragons have notched up two early wins on the back of some fantastic form, thrashing the Northern Knights and then running over the top of Oakleigh Chargers last weekend. For Calder, it has been a mixed bag, narrowly going down to Western Jets in the season opener, before a big win over Eastern Ranges in a clash which is 10 days prior to Sunday’s match.

The Cannons defenders will be breathing a sigh of relief with Max King missing due to the AFL Academy match. The man mountain took nine marks (six contested) and booted eight goals against Oakleigh, but he will miss Sunday’s match, as will his brother Ben who has been in strong form. Bailey Smith will also miss the game due to AFL Academy commitments, but he was injured in round two and did not play following his 37-disposal game in round one. While the Dragons talls have been weakened a little, Calder’s top midfielders have been plucked out with dangerous trio Curtis Taylor, Rhylee West and Jack Bytel all heading to Etihad Stadium for the AFL Academy match. It means the likes of over-agers Dylan Landt – who returns for his first match – and Mitch Podhajski will need to lead the way, against an in-form midfield which includes Alastair Richards and Dawit McNeish.

Sandringham Dragons

B: 19. S. Forbes, 69. C. Watts, 23. A. Hanrahan
HB: 6. H. Houlahan, 10. S. Sofronidis, 12. C. Jones
C: 8. K.  Owens, 7. L.  Stocker, 53. H.  Ralphsmith
HF: 17. J. Denborough, 33. W. Kennedy, 18. A. Seaton
F: 27. J. Mahony, 28. J. Rendell, 48. J. Worrell
R: 30. E. Casey, 2. A. Richards, 21. D. McNeish
Int: 20. H. Bede, 70. J. Bell, 36. M. Bergman, 72. D. Chirgwin, 59. A. Courtney, 41. J. Goddard, 15. R. Ladds, 26. F. Maginness, 11. N. Stamatis

In: J. Bell, J. Goddard, R. Ladds, M. Bergman, H. Bede, E. Casey
Out: B. King,  M. King,  R. Macdermid

Calder Cannons

B: 4. K. Baker, 26. M. Fletcher, 33. J. Evans
HB: 35. S. Graham, 43. L. Cavallaro, 8. L. Sholl
C: 10. H.  Minton-Connell, 42. N.  Croft, 3. I.  Moussa
HF: 27. T. Browning, 29. J. Riccardi, 40. L. Johnson
F: 11. J. Firebrace, 12. J. O’Sullivan, 1. D. Mott
R: 54. C. Lamb, 2. D. Landt, 30. M. Podhajski
Int: 17. N. Doyle, 36. P. Mahoney, 48. S. Ramsay, 7. S. Skidmore, 39. L. Sultana, 49. J. Westphal

In: S. Skidmore, L. Johnson, N. Gentile, L. Sultana, C. Lamb, B. Rigoni, N. Doyle, J. Riccardi, D. Landt
Out: D. Hanna, D. Pretty, J. Bytel, C. Taylor, R. West, B. Newman

NORTHERN KNIGHTS v. OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 

Round 3 – Sunday, April 8, 2.00pm
Preston City Oval, Preston

In the final game of the round, two sides sitting on one win apiece will clash at Preston City Oval. The Northern Knights bounced back from a heavy defeat in the rain to Sandringham Dragons, with a win against Western Jets in round two. Oakleigh Chargers looked set to make it two wins from two games with a 10-point lead at half-time against Sandringham, but a Max King-inspired effort saw the Dragons storm past the Chargers in the second half.

Isaac Quaynor is the sole AFL Academy member missing from the match, which speaks volumes of Oakleigh’s depth. Former Dandenong Stingrays tall Tom Hogan has joined the Chargers this season as an over-ager, with the Bonbeach junior growing six centimetres and about 14kg since pre-season measurements 12 months ago. He will look to get first hands to Xavier O’Neill, Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell among others, while Ben Silvagni will be a key target up forward. The classy Dylan Williams and Trent Bianco will lead the way in defence with Joseph Ayton-Delaney and Noah Answerth providing good strength back there. For the Knights, Braedyn Gillard has swapped spots with bottom-age forward Josh D’Intinosante on the team sheet, with the latter joining the consistent Tom McKenzie in the midfield. Joel Naylor is lining up at centre-half forward with the versatile Mark Baker at full-forward, while Ryan Gardner and Lachlan Potter will look to provide plenty of rebound out of defence for Northern.

Northern Knights

B: 25. J. Davies, 28. S. Uzelac, 5. L. Potter
HB: 1. R. Gardner, 33. J. Randall, 11. R. Sturgess
C: 30. J.  McInerney, 10. B.  Bell, 15. O.  White
HF: 24. R. Bowkett, 12. J. Naylor, 3. B. Gillard
F: 40. N. Mayne, 21. M. Baker, 6. X. Naish
R: 16. T. Hallebone, 4. T. McKenzie, 17. J. D’Intinosante
Int: 18. S. Brazier, 8. A. Carafa, 20. P. Della Rocca, 7. H. Grace, 23. J. Hart, 13. S. Philp, 9. C. Simonsen, 22. M. Wild, 44. C. Wild

In: R. Sturgess, M. Wild, C. Wild, J. Hart, S. Brazier
Out: J. Lucente,  J. Murphy

Oakleigh Chargers

B: 3. J. Ayton-Delaney, 33. M. Warren, 22. D. Williams
HB: 12. N. Answerth , 30. B. Wraith, 17. T. Bianco
C: 4. W.  Kelly, 8. N.  Anderson, 11. M.  Rowell
HF: 38. Z. Hart, 7. J. Robertson, 10. C. Whitehead
F: 14. K. Dunkley, 18. B. Silvagni, 25. D. Scala
R: 71. T. Hogan, 5. X. O’Neill, 9. J. Rowbottom
Int: 36. C. Beasley, 13. A. Bosenavulagi, 1. R. Collier-Dawkins, 6. M. Day, 35. X. Fry, 65. L. Harry, 34. C. Leon, 37. C. Oglethorpe, 32. J. Ross

In: T. Hogan, C. Leon, L. Harry, C. Oglethorpe, C. Beasley, X. Fry, M. Day
Out: O. Simpson, B. Griffiths, I. Quaynor, L. Westwood