THE BRISBANE Lions Academy has capped off its Under 16 National Development Championship in style, defeating the Giants Academy by 100 points on Sunday afternoon. The match at Manuka Oval in Canberra brought an end to the overall carnival, after the fixture was initially cancelled in July.

With relentless accuracy inside attacking 50, the Lions poured 20 goals past the hosts in what was their second win of the tournament. A resounding 12 goals to one in the first half set up the lopsided result, though not without some fight from GWS after the main break.

The Giants came out with three of their four total goals in a brave third term front, but were ultimately beaten again across the 23 minutes, before Brisbane fired home another handful of majors in the final quarter. All up, it was a resounding 20.7 (127) to 4.3 (27) victory for the visitors.

GIANTS ACADEMY 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 4.3 (27)
LIONS ACADEMY 5.2 | 12.3 | 15.5 | 20.7 (127)

GOALS:

Giants: C. McCormack 2, B. Beveridge, D. Blacker
Lions: J. Fazldeen 4, M. Garaicoa 3, P. Snell 3, R. Geesu 2, F. Lay 2, T. Gillett 2, A. Pope 2, J. Macaulay, J. Jessen

RMC BEST:

Giants: C. McCormack, H. Odgers, C. Bell, H. Saunders, A. Langley  
Lions: J. Fazldeen, A. Pope, W. Greenaway, P. Snell, T. Gillett, M. Garaicoa

Giants Academy:

#8 Harvey Odgers (Riverina)
26/06/2006 | 180cm | Midfielder

A vital part of the Giants’ midfield rotation, Odgers was hard to miss in his bright green helmet, but also let his footy do the talking. Against the grain of Brisbane’s dominance, he had a good crack in midfield with clean receivership off the taps and bustling work to get his side moving forward. One of his best plays came in term three, as he marked from the kick-in and drilled a pass to Lukas McNeil in the corridor, which sparked the Giants’ best passage of play for the day.

#26 Cooper Bell (ACT)
30/11/2006 | 195cm | Ruck/Forward

Though he was helped off the ground late in term three, Bell was one of the Giants’ stronger performers in his ruck-forward rotation. The 195cm bigman started at the centre bounces and combined well there with Nicholas Fischer in the early stages. Albeit with limited opportunities in the forward half, Bell’s final big act was a solid clunk at half-forward as a Brisbane opponent closed for contact.

#37 Charlie McCormack (Riverina)
2/04/2005 | 197cm | Ruck/Forward

Competing in the face of a few dominant Lions talls at the other end, McCormack booted two of his side’s four goals and was arguably the best Giant afield. He snared both majors during GWS’ term three charge; benefitting from a Brisbane defensive howler, and then reading the play well over the back to collect a couple of straightforward scores. He showcased his leap and mobility in the ruck, but impressed most with his anticipation, and ability to peel off into dangerous spots inside 50.

Lions Academy:

#1 Raphael Geesu (Victoria Point)
23/07/2007 | 172cm | Small Forward

A rare bottom-ager in the fold, Geesu had his moments as a crafty small forward for the prolific Lions. He ended up with two goals; booting a clever soccer attempt in term one, and finishing expertly while running towards the boundary in term two. Like all small forwards should be, he proved lively in the front half and did his best to be creative once the ball hit the deck.

#2 Alex Pope (Victoria Point)
14/12/2006 | 178cm | Midfielder

A constant in Brisbane’s midfield, Pope got better as the game wore on and was particularly prominent after half time. He drove his legs to generate good bursts of run for the Lions, playing them into dangerous attacking areas. His end product could have done with a touch of polish, but Pope showcased that with a nice steady and finish for his fourth term goal out of the centre bounce.

#8 Jake Fazldeen (Morningside)
11/06/2006 | 172cm | Small Forward

Fazldeen was an absolute headache for the Giants defenders all day, running riot in the forward half and finishing with a game-high four goals. Not only was the small forward a handful around goal, but he also worked up the ground as a leading outlet to quickly link the Lions inside 50. His quick ball movement created scoring opportunities for others, and Fazldeen was clinical with his own – proving clean and quick as he snapped his shots. His three majors in term four were great reward for effort, across the whole carnival.

#21 Wyatt Greenaway (Mt Gravatt)
14/02/2006 | 186cm | Defender

Brisbane set up a high defensive line and Greenaway was part of it, proving aggressive with his intercepts all day long. The backman reeled in a series of clean overhead clunks, rising above opponents from the back having read the flow of GWS’ attacks. He also moved the ball fluently having won it back, not afraid to switch the play or run it himself with 1-2 links into attack. Overall, a great game and carnival from the defender.

#23 Tom Gillett (Sherwood)
9/01/2006 | 199cm | Tall Forward

For his 199cm standing, Gillett moved surprisingly well and showcased touches of class from his forward post. He converted his early glimpses into a couple of goals in the third quarter, benefitting from a downfield free kick and later improvising nicely on the volley. He could have made it three in the term with a late set shot from 40 metres, but ended his scoring there. There is a bit to work with.

#26 Billy Richardson (Wilston Grange)
10/12/2005 | 194cm | Ruck

Richardson has been solid throughout the championships and, as his status as a 2005-born player would suggest, he continues to be one of the Lions’ more accomplished players. The starting ruck competed well there, but again impressed most when he dropped behind the ball. There, his clean intercept marking prowess came to the fore, and Richardson consistently floated into the right spots.

#28 Patrick Snell (Wilston Grange)
18/07/2005 | 195cm | Tall Forward

One of seven multiple goalkickers for the Lions, Snell snared three majors as a key target inside forward 50. At 195cm, he presented strongly but had many of his score involvements come in open play. Snell kicked the first and last goals of term one, then added another from a free kick conversion in term three, making for a strong output from the spearhead.