VIC Metro triumphed over Vic Country in their third round clash of the National Under 18 Championships. We had six people taking notes on the game, with Craig Byrnes, Scott Dougan and Peter Williams covering Vic Country, and Cameron Ross, Ed Pascoe and Michael Alvaro taking a look at Vic Metro. Here are their opinion-based scouting notes.

Vic Country:

#1 Will Hamill (Dandenong Stingrays)

Hamill started the game in defence and was unfortunate to give away a one-on-one free kick to Smith in the goal square early. He provided a couple of efficient releases from traffic, but was relatively quiet in the first half. Took a nice intercept mark in the third quarter and got it out to Duursma with a stylish left foot. He played further up the ground as the game went on and won an outstanding ground ball on the half forward flank, diving to the contest and gaining possession.

#2 Sam Walsh (Geelong Falcons)

The number one pick contender continued his outstanding championships to arguably be best on field in a losing side. He started the game on fire, winning 10 first quarter possessions which were highlighted by a classy goal from 45 metres. He really is a true all-round midfielder, winning the ball inside before spreading and creating an option in space. In traffic he finds gaps that others don’t, often wrong footing opponents and creating room for his teammates. He is good overhead too, taking a strong intercept mark in the third term before hitting Flanders lace out inside 50. He fought to the end and lead by example all day, finishing with 29 disposals and five clearances. He is a star.

#3 Toby Bedford (Dandenong Stingrays)

Starting the game inside 50 as a small forward, Bedford showed some fancy footwork on occasions but struggled to get into the game in the first half. Although late in the third quarter he was moved up the ground to the stoppages and created a real spark. He won a couple of hard balls in traffic and released each to advantage, before his defensive efforts were rewarded with a holding the ball free kick. He broke from a centre bounce in the final term and almost set up a goal with a long kick inside 50.

#5 Xavier Duursma (Gippsland Power)

The Gippsland Power skipper played an excellent game behind the ball against South Australia last week, but was given an opportunity in the midfield against Vic Metro and flourished. He started in the centre, won the first clearance and did not look back for the rest of the day. He creates offensive space from the stoppage and often kicks long inside 50 to the hot spot with speed. While he missed two corridor kicks in the second term, Duursma takes the game on with educated risks. He could have kicked one of the goals of the day after winning the ball in the centre, kicking it on his non-preferred left boot inside 50 to Williams and followed it up to get the ball back, but couldn’t finish off his good work. Duursma finished with 19 disposals in an eye catching display.

#6 Laitham Vandermeer (Murray Bushrangers)

Started the game on the wing and was involved in stoppage rotations throughout the game. Had an uncharacteristic turnover early on, but was lively throughout the day and ran hard in both directions. He showed great acceleration by burning off Sholl on the wing and broke away from a centre clearance too. While his offensive traits standout, he is desperate defensively and will throw his small frame into any situation. Unlucky not to end up on a list last year.

#8 Ned McHenry (Geelong Falcons)

Starting the game as a high half-forward, it took McHenry 15-20 minutes to get into the contest, but by quarter time was one of the most influential players on the ground. An opportunistic snap goal got him going, before running down Radovanovic inside 50 to set up his second goal of the quarter. His defensive pressure was elite and tackling genuinely vicious at times, it was a role you could see him mastering at the next level. He created opportunities for his teammates too, being the provider for Brownless’ freak banana goal. Unfortunately he did miss a crucial set shot in the fourth quarter, which could have kept the Vic Country pulse beating.

#10 Zac Foot (Dandenong Stingrays)

Foot did not quite begin the match as he would have liked, missing a target inside 50 and grasping a difficult mark that ended up being a running goal to Smith. He got better as the game went on, getting in ball winning positions, but struggled to find the space to utilise his outside strengths. A disappointing set shot in the third term and a missed dribbled goal late finished a day for the talented Stingray that could have been more fruitful if not for missed opportunities.

#11 Zane Keighran (Bendigo Pioneers)

The talented cricketer was part of the midfield rotations and had to do some heavy work when at the stoppages. He pushed forward in the second quarter to take a strong overhead mark, but could not convert the gettable chance. He made up for that miss to nail a critical set shot when the game was heating up in the third term. He was in and out of the contest, but made his defensive presence known when required.

#12 Caleb Serong (Gippsland Power)

Serong spent the majority of the game playing on the half-forward flank and occasionally drifted through the midfield. He imposed himself on the contest and was not afraid to put his head over the ball. He always found a way to get involved, even though he was not having the biggest influence. Serong was kept quiet in the second and third quarters and spent some time on Ayton-Delaney, who limited Serong’s impact. He found more of the ball in the last quarter, putting his kicking skills to good use by hitting multiple targets with both feet. Serong is not eligible for the draft until next year. 

#13 Thomas Berry (GWV Rebels)

Berry started in the defensive 50, where he matched up on the creative Curtis Taylor. Taylor ended up with three goals for Metro, but two of them came when Berry was not his direct opponent. Berry’s repeated efforts and competitiveness were one of the highlights for Country. He never gave up on the contest and worked tirelessly to lay several solid tackles. His defensive work was superb, constantly spoiling the ball away in one-on-one contests, where he was rarely beaten. But Taylor’s footy smarts and continuous leads in the forward half proved difficult for Berry to stop.

#14 Sam Flanders (Gippsland Power)

The 16 year-old from Gippsland Power provided some real X-Factor for Country inside the forward 50, booting two goals. Flanders was Country’s most dangerous forward and proved to be a difficult matchup for Metro defenders. His leading patterns were unstoppable, beating his opponent on multiple occasions. When the ball hit the deck, he showcased his clean skills, agility and speed. Flanders also spent some time throughout the midfield, winning the ball on the inside and outside. He is an extremely powerful player who works just as hard defensively as he does offensively. Something good always seems to happen when Flanders gets the ball.

#16 Jake Frawley (Dandenong Stingrays)

Frawley played predominately as an inside midfielder and was not able to have much impact on the game. He spent time on Smith and Bytel at stoppages and displayed the potential to win his own ball in tight situations. Just like most inside midfielders, Frawley will need to work on his foot skills. He had the chance to kick a running goal late in the last quarter, but was unable to capitalise, shanking the kick out of bounds.

#17 Hayden Young (Dandenong Stingrays)

The bottom-ager from the Dandenong Stingrays impressed me with his composure, sticky hands and outside run. He got off to a ripping start, accumulating plenty of disposals and taking some noticeable intercept marks. His accurate left foot was one of his best assets, and he rarely turned the ball over. The most eye-catching passage of play came when Young competed in a one-on-one contest on the wing during the second quarter. He lost the battle, but quickly won the ball back with a huge diving smother. Young was much quieter in the second half after plenty of positive signs early on. 

#18 Mitch Riordan (Dandenong Stingrays)

Riordan began the match on the half-back flank, where he gathered some early disposals and rebounded effectively. He took a quality intercept mark in the second quarter but turned it over with a poor kick moments later. He was involved in a marking contest with Curtis Taylor inside 50 where his lack of defensive positioning was exposed. Unfortunately, Riordan suffered a hamstring injury during the third quarter and did not return to the ground.

#19 Sam Fletcher (Dandenong Stingrays)

The inside midfielder went head to head with Collier-Dawkins at times and battled hard all day. He continually threw himself at the contest, winning the ball in tight situations, and releasing it by hand to his teammates. His impact on the game was limited however.

#20 Cooper Stephens (Geelong Falcons)

Stephens started in the defensive 50 where he made a couple of nice spoils. He was unable to amass many possessions, which resulted in Stephens being moved up forward and through the midfield in the second half. His third and fourth quarters were his best of the day and he became more involved and influential as the game progressed. Stephens is another player who is not eligible until next year’s draft.

#25 Kyle Reid (Gippsland Power)

Opposed to Rendell early and a multitude of smaller options throughout the game, Reid was strong throughout the four quarters. He showed a good penetrating kick out of the back 50 and applied shepherds both in the defensive half and on the wing. He laid a strong tackle on Collier-Dawkins in the second term tight against the boundary to force a throw-in, and then had a great run down the wing in the third quarter, taking a couple of bounces, drawing an opponent and releasing the handball well. He won plenty of the ball off half-back while keeping a close eye on his opposition. The smaller but quicker opponents such as Collier-Dawkins and O’Halloran got him on the lead, but he was solid otherwise, and provided equal offensive and defensive pressure.

#29 Bailey Williams (Dandenong Stingrays)

A very quiet game by his lofty standards. Williams rotated between the ruck and up forward and continually contested in the air. He did not manage to bring down a mark, which is rare for Williams, but he brought the ball to ground for crumbers. He had a number of clean hitouts on the wing, but his marking and the delivery inside 50 to him was not working as well as it could.

#30 Oscar Brownless (Geelong Falcons)

Had the highlight of the day with a fantastic banana in the pocket late in the third term. Brownless gathered the ball, and instinctively snapped it off a step and it sailed home, keeping Vic Country in the contest. Otherwise most of his work was done in close up the forward end, providing good body work around the stoppages and was able to use his strength to stand up in a tackle and handball clear in the middle of the ground.

#34 Scott Carlin (GWV Rebels)

Just the eight touches for Carlin who had a quiet outing, but is another player who can hurt you with very few touches. Two possessions in particular were superb, pin-point passes in between opponents to hit-up a teammate over a short distance in the middle. Had a couple of inside 50s as well, roaming through the middle.

#36 Riley Bowman (Dandenong Stingrays)

One of the most impressive Country players, and probably the standout tall on the ground. He started at full-forward and rotated with Williams in the ruck. He dropped back into defence in the second term and put good body pressure on King and Rendell to cause a spill, and not long after ran hard to mark inside 50 and slot the goal from long range. He got better as the game went on, offering up good second efforts and laying a great tackle. His disposal over short distances was good too, with a great pass to Foot inside 50, as well as quick hands through congestion in the middle.

#38 Blake Schlensog (Geelong Falcons)

Had some good glimpses, but overall had a quiet game. Just the five touches for the big man who played forward and showed good hands. He went for a number of marks, but did get pushed off a bit by the stronger bodies. Schlensog also drifted into defence and took a strong mark deep in the square.

#39 Connor Idun (Geelong Falcons)

Played a really strong role on King in defence, often not giving him an inch. He was good one-on-one and matched him in athleticism, keeping him to just the two goals – both of which were marks on the lead. He had no trouble thumping a high ball clear in a pack situation in the second term, and wore King like a glove. He spread well in the final term to mark at full-back and switch play, pushing up the ground and creating drive where possible, working well with Reid in defence.

Vic Metro:

#2 Joe Ayton-Delaney (Oakleigh Chargers)

Had a good second half where he clearly lifted. His aggression and willingness to take the game on stood out. Ayton-Delaney won more of the football and spread well taking good marks and covering the ground from defence to attack.

#3 Zak Butters (Western Jets)

Outstanding game from Butters who had a huge impact from the start to finish. Had a great first quarter. One standout piece of play was when he “crumbed” the pack and had an opportunity to score himself, yet he didn’t blaze away, instead hand-balling it to a teammate for an easy goal. Other pieces of play that stood out was a terrific decision to look inside and hit Collier-Dawkins with a perfect kick, a desperate attempt to win the footy where he crashed the contest head first; and an outstanding decision to turn on a dime and look inside, then switched the ball across the wing, and “opened up” the Country side that ended up in a shot on goal for Taylor. Butters brought fantastic energy to his side, especially when Country were making their run.

#4 Rhylee West (Calder Cannons)

One of the best players on the ground. The game didn’t start well for West, giving away a 50 metre penalty in the first 5 minutes, but from that moment on, he was fantastic. West had a brilliant piece of play at a centre bounce, where he read and roved the tap, and broke free from the contest, taking a bounce before kicking it long into the forward line. He shrugged off a couple of tackles, which assisted him in winning two clearances, before he got caught holding the ball attempting it a third time. Made an interesting decision not to attempt a set shot from 45 metres out. Attempted the fake set shot give off (made famous by Jack Riewoldt) to Bytel, that didn’t pay off and ended up out of bounds. He made up for this by using his peripheral vision to hit Gardner with a handball and shot on goal while being slung to the ground. West’s ability to absorb the tackle and still distribute with his hands was terrific. West would have Western Bulldogs fans extremely excited and for good reason. He looks as though he will fit in well into the AFL.

#6 Curtis Taylor (Calder Cannons)

A really mixed bag for Curtis Taylor today. After pulling a kick poorly in the first quarter, he kicked his first in the second quarter. This kick was quite lucky to go through after a poor ball drop, but luckily for Taylor, the ball swung favourably through the goals. A moment in the second quarter he would have liked to have taken back was when he took his eyes off the ball when he should have marked it easily. However, on his very next opportunity, Taylor made up for it, taking a strong mark going backing back into a pack knowing that he was going to be hit. Taylor was one of the most dangerous forwards all day, and his three goals were important on a day when King was relatively quiet.

#7 Angus Hanrahan (Sandringham Dragons)

Had a quiet first three quarters but was arguably the best player on the field in the final term. The Sandy Dragons forward played higher up the ground and was able to show off his superb foot skills.  Hanrahan delivered a beautiful low pass to hit Rowbottom at half-forward, and the decision resulted in a Taylor goal. His amazing last quarter was capped off when his perfect kick resulted in King’s set shot goal from 55 metres out.

#8 James Rowbottom (Oakleigh Chargers)

Had a typical performance expected of the big ball-winning midfielder. Worked really hard on the inside and complemented the work of Smith, Answerth and West, recording four clearances and also pumping the ball inside 50 on four occasions. Importantly he laid countless tackles and ensured the opposition always knew he was there, creating a presence at the coal face.

#10 Xavier Fry (Eastern Ranges)

A quiet game, Fry had the six touches and limited impact. He still has the speed and ability to do damage, and does not need many touches to hurt the opposiion.

#11 Ryan Gardner (Northern Knights)

Gardner’s manic attack on the footy was fantastic. In the second quarter he went in head-first in heavy traffic to win a ball in dispute for his team. Showed guts to stand under the footy before getting crunched and clung onto the mark. Gardner knew it was coming and knew it would hurt but did not back down. Tough player who proved to be clean and calm under pressure.

#12 Tom McKenzie (Northern Knights)

McKenzie was instrumental in Metro’s win where he topped their disposal count (23) playing a sweeping role at half-back. McKenzie was a constant feature over the four quarters taking intercept marks and breaking through the Country defence with some nice long kicking and his quick hands under pressure were also a feature. McKenzie also did well to push up the ground where he hit multiple kicks inside 50, rarely making a mistake with his disposal and he really showed good football smarts on several occasions.

#13 Lachlan Sholl (Calder Cannons)

Sholl spent most of his time on the wing where he provided a good link-up especially forward of centre where he was able to kick inside 50 several times with his best kick inside 50 coming in the second quarter. His disposal was sloppy at times in the last quarter, but he worked hard on the wing to take some nice marks and he tried to move the ball forward and he worked hard for his 13 disposals.

#15 Bailey Smith (Sandringham Dragons)

Smith was instrumental in the first quarter kicking two goals. His first came from attacking the contest and having a run to the 50m arc and kicking a lovely long running goal. The second came from a free kick close to goal where he kicked truly. Smith did not have big numbers in the first half but he certainly lifted after the main break to finish with 20 disposals. His last quarter was exceptional where he attacked the ball hard at stoppages and released well by hand. His third goal came from a ripping tackle where he would earn a free kick and then a handy 50m penalty to put him within scoring range. His second efforts were also impressive, especially in one passage of play in the last quarter which showed his tenacity at the contest.

#16 Noah Answerth (Oakleigh Chargers)

The 19-year-old has mostly played as a defender for Metro over the championships, but he found himself up forward a few times, kicking two goals. His first goal came in the first quarter with a nice lead and set shot goal and his second came from a holding the ball free kick where he would kick a nice long set shot goal from 50m. Answerth would continue to work hard in the second half, finishing the game with 21 disposals which was the second most for Metro. He had a good mix of winning the contested ball while also working hard to link up with handballs.

#18 Xavier O’Halloran (Western Jets)

The Metro captain O’Halloran made the most of his opportunities playing as a forward, kicking two nice goals. The first goal was also the team’s first which was a classy running shot at goal. His second came from a fantastic contested mark in the last quarter which was his best quarter where he was able to work into the midfield and show his tenacity and attack on the ball which he is mostly known for this season.  It was not just his attack at the contest, but also his smarts around the ground that were telling, including a smart tap at half-forward leading to a forward entry for Metro.

#19 Jack Bytel (Calder Cannons)

Bytel worked hard in the midfield laying seven tackles and winning 11 disposals, it may seem like a low number but he injured his elbow very early in the last quarter. Bytel had some nice moments winning some good clearances in the third quarter where he also earned himself a shot at goal with a nice tackle, although he would miss the set shot. His handballs at stoppages were good as usual, but with his kicking often a criticism of his game, he hit a nice left foot pass in the first quarter.

#20 Alastair Richards (Sandringham Dragons)

Richards did not get a lot of the ball (7 disposals) but he still showed plenty of exciting signs in defence with his run and carry. In his first game for Metro he was looking to impress early with a nice run and dash at half-back although he would not hit the target he wanted with the kick. Richards showed a willingness to work hard with a nice kick-in from defence where he would quickly run hard to try and receive the ball. His run and carry again stood out in the third quarter with a nice running bounce and long kick from defensive 50.

#23 Buku Khamis (Western Jets)

Khamis backed up last weeks solid game with another good performance showing the same standout traits as last week. His first quarter was sensational with his clean hands and slick disposal catching everyones eye. He did everything you want from a defender with a good mix of defensive efforts and effective rebounding, he made a great chase on the wing in the first quarter and he laid a great tackle in the second quarter. His second half was not as prolific, but he still used the ball well and played his role to finish with 18 disposals.

#25 Stefan Radovanovic (Western Jets)

The Western Jets skipper assumed his usual role down back and looked comfortable alongside TAC Cup teammate Khamis in a well oiled Metro defence. While he was caught holding the ball by McHenry to gift the Country gun his first goal, Radovanovic started well with a couple of good defensive marks deep in the 50. He found himself as the last man in defence on occasions and used his solid frame well in one on one situations, while also looking to take the game on when he could. Radovanovic accumulated at a slower rate than usual on the day, but was a reliable contributor to Metro’s solid back six when called upon.

#26 Riley Collier-Dawkins (Oakleigh Chargers)

Collier-Dawkins started in the centre bounce and played a good amount of the game in the midfield, but by no means dominated the clearance stakes as the Metro coaches would have intended. A prototype modern day midfielder, the Oakleigh Chargers prospect also spent long periods playing deep forward, but it was his drive from the midfield that provided the more effective scoring threat. While he did not trouble the scorers in the first quarter, Collier-Dawkins proved the catalyst for a couple of early goals with some good run and a clever kick inboard to set Metro on the right path. He took an impressive contested grab in the second term and slotted his only goal for the game from the resultant set shot. While he was quiet in the third term, ‘Dawk’ bounced back in the last with some good work below his knees and a centre clearance we’re sure to see more of.

#27 Will Kelly (Oakleigh Chargers)

The Collingwood father-son prospect provided a cool head in defence for Metro, chiming in with some vital intercept marks, spoils, and rebounds. Somewhat unlike his father Craig, Kelly is quite athletic for his size and looked sharp both below his knees and in the air. The Charger also has a good tank, which allowed him to add counter attacking to his game and he looked smooth in transition, using the ball well moving forward. He looks to be more comfortable with each passing week, which will no doubt excite Collingwood fans leading up to the draft.

#29 James Blanck (Eastern Ranges)

Blanck was rock solid on debut at full-back, doing all the right things as Metro’s last line of defence. He had a few shakey moments early on with some clangers by foot but recovered well to finish as arguably Metro’s most effective defender. Blanck did not necessarily have one or two clear highlights, but more so a package of important plays with an array of composed overhead marks and last ditch spoils saving the day for his side. The epitome of his day was a desperate tackle on Zac Foot in the final term to cap off a solid National Championships introduction.

#34 James Rendell (Sandringham Dragons)

It was not the biggest day for Metro’s key forwards, and Rendell had his work cut out for him as he acted as a foil for both Ben King up forward and Joe Griffiths in the ruck. While his Country opponents ultimately had decent games, Rendell played his role for the winning team and showed an impressive work rate to both find the ball and get to contests over many parts of the ground.

#36 Ben King (Sandringham Dragons)

Coming off an excellent outing in Metro’s Championship opener, King was a little more quiet this time around by way of a shutdown role from Country’s Connor Idun. Operating deep forward for most of the game, King looked at his best when leading up the ground and finding space from the Geelong Falcons skipper. His two goals came from beautiful looking long set shots in the first half, and he also managed to create an assist for Noah Answerth along the way. Known for his overhead marking, King took until the third quarter to land his first real clunck of the day in tough, swirly MCG conditions.

#37 Joe Griffiths (Sandringham Dragons)

Griffiths was forced to put his full athletic ability to use against the formidable Country ruck duo of Bailey Williams and Riley Bowman, and he held his own in an honest display. The overager was good at ground level and showed impressive hands when flicking the ball out in-close. While the leap of Williams gives most ruckman trouble, Griffiths used his body well around the ground to effect the ruck contest. His only real blunder for the day was a comical throw in an uncontested ruck contest, which lead to a shot on goal for Country.