VIC COUNTRY downed Western Australia in a Friday night thriller in Perth, marking the travelling side’s first win of this year’s AFL Under 18 National Championships. Top prospects Harley Reid and Daniel Curtin shone, along with a bunch of others who feature in the latest edition of Scouting Notes.

>> Match Report: Country survives late scare to hold off WA

WESTERN AUSTRALIA:

#6 Daniel Curtin (Claremont)
Utility | 195cm | 93kg | 08/03/2005

Coming into the National Championships as Western Australia’s most highly touted prospect, Curtin delivered on such promise in a superb display that showcased his versatility to play in all areas of the ground. After starting the game in midfield, Curtin shifted back when his side began on the back foot, gathering several intercept possessions and spoils to sure up the WA defence. With ball in hand, the 195cm talent showed swift lateral movement, often side-stepping an opponent with ease before swinging on to his left foot and spotting up a target. With WA chasing the game late, Curtin was swung forward and had immediate impact, setting up a shot on goal before kicking a remarkable 40m snap from deep in the pocket to bring the team to within a kick.

#7 Luke Kelly (Swan Districts)
Midfielder | 177cm | 75kg | 22/04/2005

The Swan Districts skipper was one of several Sandgroper onballers to get their hands dirty at the coalface, providing some grunt in the engine room to help the hosts compete against a very talented Country midfield group. A week after his younger brother led Western Australia to a victory in the Under 16 Development Championships with some hard-nosed contested play, Kelly threatened to do the same as he produced a couple of inspirational tackles to win holding the ball free kicks. He finished with 21 disposals and six clearances.

#9 Lance Collard (Subiaco)
Small Forward | 185cm | 70kg | 26/03/2005

The type of player who only needs a few disposals to have a big impact on the match, Collard came to life in the final term with two goals and threatened to be the match-winner after being largely well contained by Vic Country’s small defenders. The Subiaco forward produced an excellent cameo late in the game, kicking a sensational individual running goal after swooping on a loose ball on the wing before taking an opportunistic sliding mark minutes later and slotting the set shot for his second major. While he would have liked to have found a way to impact more consistently throughout the match, Collard showed glimpses of how deadly he can be when given time and space to use his speed.

#15 Reece Torrent (Peel Thunder)
Midfielder/Wing | 183cm | 83kg | 03/08/2005

The talented junior cricketer enjoyed his outing at the WACA, making the most of his possessions from a wing to be a solid contributor for the Black Ducks. While not the side’s most prolific player, Torrent looked a class above his teammates when he had the ball in space, as he laced out a couple of teammates with beautiful forward entries, showing the ability to execute both the bullet and the weighted pass that draws in the leading forward. He had an opportunity to hit the scoreboard late but hit the post from a set shot from 40m.

#35 Clay Hall (Peel Thunder)
Midfielder | 188cm | 84kg | 12/05/2005

The Peel prospect was one of Western Australia’s prime movers, winning plenty of the ball at the source and in space. Hall’s ball use was at times scrappy, but he looked the most damaging of the WA midfielders, with his ability to go from inside to out and find space out of traffic making him an effective player around the ball. He was very nearly part of a match winning play in the final minute, showing excellent composure to not blaze away in the chaos but instead lower his eyes and lace out a forward, which could have led in a shot after the siren but for an excellent defensive effort from Vic Country.

VIC COUNTRY:

#2 Lachlan Charleson (GWV Rebels)
Small Forward | 176cm | 72kg | 29/01/2005

The small forward was a lively presence up front for the Country side, getting busy at ground level and showing good composure and efficiency with ball in hand to be an effective player for the visitors. Charleston often found himself front and centre of a contest, where he was able to gather the ball and use his class to create and bring others into the game. His ball use was also a feature, with the Rebels product showcasing some lovely inside 50 kicking, hitting up a leading Harley Reid on both left and right foot across the match.

#5 Harley Reid (Bendigo Pioneers)
Midfielder/Forward | 185cm | 85kg | 17/04/2005

All eyes were on Reid as he ventured into Western Australia for the first time, and the top pick fancy did not disappoint, producing an imposing 26-disposal and two-goal game which helped Vic Country secure the result. Rotating between midfield and deep forward, Reid showcased his brute strength and power around the stoppages, collecting the ball at pace and bursting through tacklers at will, allowing him to often dish off to a vacant player by hand after drawing multiple opponents to him. Up forward, he placed himself as the deepest man and drew the ball on multiple occasions, often reading the ball quicker than his direct opponent and marking on the lead. He could have finished his work better, missing a couple of chances from difficult angles but that won’t take much away from what was another powerful display from the Bendigo Pioneers product.

#6 Luamon Lual (GWV Rebels)
Defender | 181cm | 71kg | 28/03/2005

The rebounding half-back played a strong game where he was able to get involved offensively with his trademark run and carry, but also perform his role in a defensive capacity, winning or halving several important one on one contests. He spent periods of the game opposed to the dangerous Lance Collard, and while he was punished for letting him out the back on one occasion, he generally did a very good job. With ball in hand, Lual was cool under pressure, using his athleticism and poise to make good decisions and often get himself out of trouble. He was also able to get involved offensively, alongside fellow running backs Billy Wilson and Angus Hastie, providing some good rebound and ball use, looking to bite off the inside kick where possible.

#16 Harry De Mattia (Dandenong Stingrays)
Midfielder | 184cm | 77kg | 11/09/2005

The Vic Country co-captain played a strong game for the visitors, adding some impetus to his side’s on-ball division with his strong attack on the ball and direct style of game. While there were players who found more of the ball, De Mattia found a lot his possession in aggressive positions and was able to impact forward of centre, using his run and punching left foot kick to have seven inside 50s and gain plenty of meterage.

#25 Michael Rudd (Geelong Falcons)
Tall Forward | 192cm | 91kg | 14/05/2005

The best goal kicker on the ground with three majors, Rudd played an important role for the Country side, giving them a strong target up front. The Geelong Falcons product started the game in imperious fashion, taking a pack mark to kick his first major before using his 192cm frame to hold his opponent and pluck another contested grab to convert his second major early in the second term. As WA lifted around the ball, Rudd got less one-on-one looks, but he continued to work hard as a link man and found the scoreboard again in the final term with a left-foot snap to cap off a what was a reliable performance from the key forward.