FRESH off a competition-wide bye, plenty of gun players fired in Round 15 of the Coates Talent League. With a full allotment of six games, we cast our eyes over the top performed players with a heavy focus on representative squad members and emerging bottom-age talent.

>> 2024 CTL Round 15: Snapshot | Player of the Week

Murray Bushrangers 7.10 (52) drew with Northern Knights 7.10 (52)

By: Michael Alvaro

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS:

#9 Joe Berry
Small Forward | 180cm | 18/04/2006

Stats: 20 disposals, 7 inside 50s, 2 goals

Berry’s clean handling and genuine pace came to the fore on muddy ground, with the small forward still proving capable of generating polished plays. He booted Murray’s first goal by protecting the space well for a one-on-one mark before converting coolly, then added another with a snap in the second quarter. Berry’s surge mentality and running ability meant he impacted more up the ground as the game wore on, bringing the play to life and helping connect the lines with each possession.

#20 Jack Whitlock
Key Forward/Ruck | 200cm | 16/05/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 2 goals

It was Jack Whitlock’s turn to play as the higher key forward with his twin brother Matt camped close to goal. He often led his opponent to the ball but was comfortable standing under it to clunk a couple of strong marks in tough conditions. His mobility was evident when wheeling around on the snap, which yielded his first goal in the second quarter, while he drew a free kick deep inside 50 to bag another. Like Berry, he was a useful connection piece going forward.

#24 Matt Whitlock
Key Forward | 199cm | 16/05/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 2 goals, 5 behinds

There were opportunities aplenty for Whitlock as he posted seven scoring shots and could well have ended up with a bag of goals – instead settling for two. He showcased a great ability to compete in marking contests and recover the ground ball, proving nimble atop the torn-up turf to get shots away on both feet. He lacked composure at times in open play and had a couple of poor set shots, but was dynamic enough to produce several chances and impact the scoreboard more than any other Bushranger.

NORTHERN KNIGHTS:

#7 Zak Johnson
Midfielder | 185cm | 24/12/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 6 tackles, 4 inside 50s

Having spent a good portion of the season down back, including in Vic Metro colours, Johnson returned to his usual midfield duties with Northern. He was tested by pressure in the dour conditions, but looked capable of breaking the game open when able to use his run on the outside and connect with teammates. Johnson launched several attacks through the corridor and it seemed Northern wanted the ball in his hands going inside 50, as he helped dissipate the slog with touches of class.

#11 Lucas McInerney
Wing | 180cm | 28/02/2006

Stats: 28 disposals, 7 inside 50s, 6 rebound 50s

McInerney has made the wing his own this year and was again able to penetrate both 50m arcs as any good outside runner should. He swept back to help spark transitions from defence, while also working into dangerous launch zones on the edge of attacking 50. The top-ager backed his speed to burn off opponents and while it was tough to be pinpoint, often placed the final kick into useful spots. McInerney’s shot-saving tackle in the third term was a handy defensive minded highlight, too.

#23 Gabriel Stumpf
Key Forward/Ruck | 196cm | 23/11/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 4 marks, 3 goals

On a day where athletic tall forwards were prominent, Stumpf booted a game-high three goals as Northern’s spearhead. He was far from stuck in the mud, moving like a mid-sized player to weave through or wheel around opponents and manufacture shots on goal. He twice put Northern in front during the final quarter with set shot conversions, but unfortunately put a third chance out on the full in the dying stages. Otherwise, he was certainly amongst the best players afield.

#49 Tate Hodgson
Tall Defender | 193cm | 24/07/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 5 marks, 5 rebound 50s

Fresh off being awarded Under 16 All Australian honours, Hodgson fitted seamlessly back into Northern’s Under 18 side. The double bottom-ager had a tough matchup on Josh Murphy but held his own, reading the play beautifully to peel off and intercept mark. He was in all the right spots and proved clean with a greasy ball, while also distributing it tidily and with great composure.

Tasmania Devils 10.12 (72) def. Western Jets 7.16 (58)

By: Michael Alvaro

TASMANIA DEVILS:

#13 Oliver Depaoli-Kubank
Forward | 178cm | 24/07/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 5 marks, 3 inside 50s

Playing in his usual high forward role, Depaoli-Kubank was sighted all the way up at half-back at times as he looked to help Tasmania transition the ball end-to-end. His best moment came late in the opening quarter as he sharked the ball at a half-forward stoppage before bursting out the front and hitting a laser-like pass inside 50. He stayed on the move in such situations and was quite clean in possession, while also showing a willingness to move the ball on quickly.

#20 Max Roney
Defender | 186cm | 16/03/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 4 marks, 8 rebound 50s

Roney was the designated kicker in Tasmania’s defence and racked up strong numbers as a result. On top of the kick-in duties, he won his own ball with a series of intercept marks both deep and high in the back half, positioning well with sound reading of the play. Roney also sparked quick transitions with his smooth movement and aggressive kicking, providing quality on the counter-attack.

#21 Lenny Douglas
Forward | 179cm | 03/07/2006

Stats: 11 disposals, 3 marks, 2 goals

Capable of deadeye conversion in front of goal, Douglas’ radar was wayward on Saturday but he still proved lively inside 50. He immediately caused headaches by working his opponent under the ball and escaping over the back at speed, which led to the game’s opening goal. Douglas had many more chances in the first half and even forced a matchup change, but his various snaps, checksides and dribble attempts failed to split the big sticks. Still, he was dangerous when let goalside and showed good instincts to produce so many scoring chances.

#38 Dominic Pitt
Midfielder | 183cm | 21/09/2006

Stats: 23 disposals, 8 inside 50s, 3 goals

Perhaps an unheralded member of Tasmania’s midfield, Pitt has been relatively prolific all season and continued that trend in Round 15. The midfielder offered his usual grunt work around the clearances, hacking the ball forward with no frills in a territory-first style of play. The most impressive part of Pitt’s game was his ability to hit the scoreboard; whether shooting over the mark, on the snap, or on the run. He booted the sealer from outside 50 to cap off what was another productive day out of the Devils’ engine room.

WESTERN JETS:

#3 Lucca Grego
Midfielder | 184cm | 15/09/2006

Stats: 28 disposals, 8 marks, 5 tackles

Grego was solid as ever through Western’s midfield with short stints up forward. He absorbed contact well to stay upright and dish out clean handballs on the inside, while also proving efficient with short-range passes off both feet. Grego’s decision making and composure were on point in such situations, which he has improved over the course of the season. He also got involved with marks around the ground, including a pair of intercepts to help Western mount forward half pressure.

#7 Thomas McGuane
Midfielder | 177cm | 27/08/2007

Stats: 34 disposals, 5 inside 50s, 2 goals

McGuane continued his sparkling form at Coates Talent League level in arguably a best afield display. The bottom-age midfielder looked a class above with his ball use, reliably darting onto his favoured left side and displaying both high level decision making and execution. Western wanted the ball in McGuane’s hands and he was often positioned as an outlet on the edge of congestion, including for his first of two second half goals. The Collingwood father-son prospect was neat and efficient by hand, but will always be most damaging by foot.

#43 Oscar Greenshields
Defender | 177cm | 04/03/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 5 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Greenshields popped up in Western’s backline to have a productive game both in offensive and defensive settings. He was switched onto the dangerous Douglas and won some strong one-on-one battles, proving combative in such situations. On the attack, he provided great overlap run and while slightly awkward with his kicking on the move, hardly made a mistake with ball in hand.

#48 Lucas Impey
Ruck | 200cm | 12/12/2005

Stats: 10 disposals, 6 tackles, 24 hitouts

Impey was up against it given Tasmania’s depth of highly touted talls, but imposed himself with great physicality and defensive application. The over-ager was difficult to move off the line of the ball in ruck jostles and got his big frame in the way when following up. He played to his limits to feed Western’s running players without fuss, while also tackling hard as strong ground level support.

Sandringham Dragons 11.7 (73) def. Dandenong Stingrays 9.11 (65)

By: Michael Alvaro

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS:

#5 Ricky Theodoropoulas
Small Forward | 169cm | 05/04/2007

Stats: 26 disposals, 9 marks, 3 goals

Theodoropoulas made an impact with three goals and nine marks up forward, proving a key creative piece for Sandringham. His quick and clean skills were useful close to goal, with the diminutive talent able to dart into space before getting shots away – and he certainly had his chances. For a genuine small, his overhead marking was solid and he was able to convert via set shots, while also working up the ground to deliver the ball inside 50.

#8 Owen Bater
Defender | 187cm | 05/10/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 5 tackles, 6 rebound 50s

Bater played a tough role exceptionally well, taking on Dandenong co-captains Cooper Hynes and Harvey Langford on their forward rotations. While he was inevitably beaten at times in the face of 52 defensive 50 entries, Bater held his own for several robust one-on-one wins against either player. He was made to repel enormous pressure and was among the Dragons’ most important players in a tight win.

#45 Luke Kennedy
Midfielder | 180cm | 11/10/2006

Stats: 30 disposals, 3 marks, 8 tackles

Kennedy broke through for a season-high 30 disposals on Saturday, which was his first tally of over 19 touches for the year. The midfielder was typically tidy by hand but also generated transitional run by chaining up possessions as an outlet between the arcs. He added flair to his play with a couple of blind turns and while not overly explosive from contested situations, was effective when afforded time and space through the corridor.

#47 Lachlan Voss
Key Forward/Ruck | 199cm | 19/04/2005

Stats: 16 disposals, 7 marks, 11 hitouts

Voss has cut his teeth as a key defender over the journey but is increasingly being trialled in a ruck-forward role this year. The over-ager held up typically well aerially with seven marks, taking the ball cleanly overhead and attacking it with vigour. He got to work around the ground and had a couple of scoring opportunities, making good on one with a set shot goal in the second quarter.

DANDENONG STINGRAYS:

#1 Cooper Hynes
Forward/Midfielder | 190cm | 28/02/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 1 goal

Hynes was his industrious self on Saturday, starting up forward before rotating into midfield as he did with Vic Country. His creativity and ability to generate scoring chances was on show, using deft feints and shifts to buy time and find the right option going forward. He kicked a classy goal in the second quarter, backing his pace before snapping home, and was otherwise clean at the contest to feed others.

#2 Harvey Langford
Midfielder/Forward | 190cm | 15/03/2006

Stats: 32 disposals, 10 marks, 1 goal

Fresh off earning Larke Medal honours, Langford continued his ominous run of form with a game-high 32 disposals and 10 marks. The midfielder-forward impressed with his ability to stand up in tackles, but also accumulated possessions away from the stoppages. He had his fair share of chances inside 50 too, dribbling home a goal in the second quarter but going on to miss several opportunities thereafter. Still, his presence as a genuine marking target troubled Sandringham and put him into position to score in the first place.

#8 Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Wing/Forward | 185cm | 16/11/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 6 marks, 2 inside 50s

Hibbins-Hargreaves may not have had the same scoreboard impact as in his previous two outings, but still produced moments of class off the wing. The bottom-ager looked super polished with each possession, hardly fumbling both at ground level and above his head. His smooth movement was a factor early on and he used the ball quite well, but just lacked a finishing touch when swung forward late in the game – unable to capitalise on chances amid the howling wind.

#22 Jordan Doherty
Ruck/Key Forward | 199cm | 21/02/2005

Stats: 28 disposals, 5 marks, 20 hitouts

Doherty’s numbers for a ruckman are astounding, and he broke new ground with a personal-best 28 touches on Saturday. The mobile 199cm talent was able to grab the ball from the ruck or follow up like a fourth midfielder, handling cleanly and getting involved in open play. He did most of his work by hand and fed others well around the contest. Doherty also impacted up forward with a couple of marks and converted a set shot goal in the final quarter.

Geelong Falcons 18.18 (126) def. Oakleigh Chargers 8.8 (56)

By: Adrian Dixon

GEELONG FALCONS:

#7 Noah Tullio
Midfielder/Forward | 169cm | 23/03/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 3 marks, 2 goals

Tullio was dangerous like usual around the contest on Sunday, always looking for ways to be creative and at one stage showed strong repeated tackle efforts. He lacked awareness at times however also managed to position himself well to backup his teammates in contests. Showed great pace and a great sidestep to kick the first goal of the second half. Goalkicking accuracy from set shots and on the run could have their accuracy improved though.

#13 Xavier Ivisic
Midfielder | 180cm | 01/06/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 8 marks, 7 inside 50s

The Vic Country representative covered the ground very well and also made excellent decisions with the footy, especially when going forward delivering the ball perfectly well inside 50 hitting up his teammates on a lead on numerous occasions. His ability to break away from the contest was a highlight and provided plenty of run going forward.

#15 Cooper Ward
Forward | 178cm | 19/05/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 6 marks, 7 goals

Ward finished the game with seven goals and easily could have had double figures had he converted a few chances he should have taken and had luck been on his side. He kicked the first for the game with a mark just outside the goal square then backed himself to play on and goal from close range, then kicked his second moments later. When he knew he wasn’t in range he managed to hit up a few teammates on a lead for a set shot within a closer range displaying his strong IQ and decision making. Was front and centre at the contests and his kicking around the body had a fair boot on it. Pushed up the ground well.

#18 Noah Caracella
Defender | 188cm | 17/06/2006

Stats: 20 disposals, 5 marks, 5 rebound 50s

One of the many players down back who were crucial to the Falcons big win, Caracella showed a great play reading ability and quick hands under pressure along with his clean ball use. The Essendon father-son prospect was strong around the ball and showed great transitional running while also making smart decisions with and without the footy.

#20 Lachie Jaques
Defender | 184cn | 01/06/2006

Stats: 21 disposals, 10 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Jaques teamed up well with his fellow Falcons co-captain Brady Hall down back amongst many others to provide plenty of run and drive out of the backline for the Falcons, with his intercepting ability and his trademark smart decision making. Jacques pushed up the ground well and delivered the ball sensibly inside 50.

#21 Jack Skinner
Defender | 188cm | 07/06/2006

Stats: 15 disposals, 13 marks, 7 rebound 50s

Skinner marked everything down back for the Falcons, repelling many entries and competing very well against the bigger bodies in the air. He did so despite being undersized and up against more athletic opponents. Skinner also made smart decisions when executing the ball out of the backline showing great IQ, especially when he quickly reacted to a play on call for an opponent to smother a set shot at an early stage in the game.

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS:

#24 Kane Emery
Midfielder/Forward | 173cm | 11/02/2006

Stats: 26 disposals, 3 marks, 6 inside 50s

On a dirty day for the Chargers, Emery never stopped trying providing his trademark dash from the contests while also doing his best to win the ball in the middle for the Chargers. Emery showed great reflexes and also competed well in the midfield against much bigger bodies. His ball delivery especially inside 50 was solid kicking it into dangerous spots and it led to the first goal for the game for Oakleigh. Showed a great play reading and intercepting ability well and also ran hard to provide his teammates with a running option.

#28 Thomas McCluskey
Defender | 185cm | 05/05/2007

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 marks, 5 rebound 50s

The bottom-ager was on song for Oakleigh early with his intercept marking and play reading ability a highlight taking a few strong grabs as a last line of defence, while also saving a few certain goals. McCluskey provided plenty of run out of defence and the margin could have been a lot worse had it not been for his efforts down back.

#32 Boston Dowling
Ruck | 205cm | 08/04/2005

Stats: 12 disposals, 18 hitouts, 1 goal

Returning to the Chargers’ lineup, Dowling took out the honours in the ruck battle with Joe Pike with his athletic ability although Pike did have him covered around the ground in terms of winning the ball. Dowling showed creativeness with his ruck work while also showing great composure under pressure. His kicking has improved however ball delivery inside 50 needs work still. Presented well as a key forward on a lead taking a few great marks and a good conversion from close range in front of goal.

#43 Jonty Sinclair
Forward | 178cm | 16/06/2006

Stats: 4 disposals, 4 kicks, 4 goals

Sinclair managed four goals from all his disposals, however while not needing a lot of disposals to impact the game, he managed to demonstrate strong pressure acts around the contests and was front and centre at the fall of the packs. Kicked three of his four goals in the first half and his one mark of the game was taken against bigger opponents and also showed good reflexes.

#55 Isaiah Markovsky
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 10/12/2005

Stats: 22 disposals, 7 marks, 1 goal

The over-ager was a constant driving force for Oakleigh with his strong work around the contests and his competitiveness keeping his side in it. When going for the short kick he managed to hit his targets however more often than not when going long especially inside 50 his kicks went to the opposition. Kicking when going long needs improvement however moved well around the ground and showed great closing speed. Did well as a small forward late in the game where he managed to kick a goal from being front and square at the contest while also setting up a teammate with a short kick inside 50.

Bendigo Pioneers 7.12 (54) def. by Calder Cannons 13.12 (90)

By: Michael Alvaro

BENDIGO PIONEERS:

#2 Archer Day-Wicks
Forward | 186cm | 13/05/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

Utilised primarily as a forward before swinging into midfield during the second half, Day-Wicks further proved himself as an aerial threat. Whether high up the ground or inside 50, he flew confidently for his marks and was able to find space in dangerous positions. Having booted a goal in the opening quarter, his set shot routine failed to earn him another thereafter, though he certainly had his chances throughout each term.

#12 Jobe Shanahan
Tall Defender | 194cm | 02/08/2006

Stats: 20 disposals, 8 marks, 1 goal

In somewhat of a throwback to his bottom-age season, Shanahan served a reminder of his versatility by playing in defence with stints through midfield. The 194cm talent made it look easy at times, taking the ball cleanly overhead and moving it on in typically casual fashion. Shanahan’s reading of the ball in flight was a standout on the intercept and his handling translated to nice work at the centre stoppages. After a big first half, which included a terrific set shot goal, Shanahan ran out the game reasonably well having changed out to wear the number 38.

#42 James Barrat
Tall Defender | 193cm | 23/11/2006

Stats: 18 disposals, 9 marks, 13 rebound 50s

Along with Shanahan, Barrat was stationed down back but also ran through the centre bounces at times. His strengths clearly lie in the aerial department, with the 193cm prospect pulling off a series of strong intercept marks, and doing so prolifically throughout the match. He started out with a big grab off the first centre clearance and his competitiveness led to sheer dominance in that department. With punchy field kicking to boot, he may well have found his position.

#52 Cody Walker
Midfielder/Forward | 185cm | 26/01/2008

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 marks, 6 inside 50s

Walker has generated plenty of fanfare having recently taken out Vic Country’s Under 16 MVP award, on top of being named All Australian captain. The 2026 Carlton father-son and Richmond NGA prospect held his own on debut, mostly playing forward with a decent run through midfield. His ability to cover ground was on show, as was his power around the contest and penetrative kicking. As a high forward, he serves to connect defence to attack with strong work rate.

CALDER CANNONS:

#2 Isaac Kako
Midfielder | 175cm | 07/03/2006

Stats: 25 disposals, 7 tackles, 3 goals

Kako was simply electric and the best player afield on Sunday, playing nearly exclusively as a midfielder. The Essendon NGA prospect was lively as ever at ground level and used his speed to accelerate out of congestion, while setting up play with creative passes by hand and foot. His decision making was terrific, making things happen every time he had the ball and waxing well with teammates along the way. He maintained his scoreboard impact too, booting a set shot goal in the opening quarter and two more in term three.

#10 Damon Hollow
Forward | 180cm | 30/03/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 5 marks, 3 goals

Hollow has been made to showcase his versatility throughout the year and much like he did as a bottom-ager, thrived up forward. The Calder captain was everywhere in the first half, proving a menace with his constant movement and ability to either get free at the top of attacking 50, or over the back. As reward for his enormous work rate, he booted three goals – each from different scenarios – and later earned a run on-ball to close out the game.

#17 Nash King
Midfielder | 181cm | 05/01/2006

Stats: 20 disposals, 4 marks, 5 inside 50s

King is building into what has been an injury interrupted season, and was in solid form back through the midfield post-champs. The 181cm onballer was quite neat by hand but also backed his foot skills to bite off dangerous options early on, before adjusting for more high-percentage passes. King began to get his running game going in the second half with a few sharp stoppage exits, and his best form is likely to come late in the season.

#27 Patrick Said
Midfielder/Forward | 180cm | 24/04/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 6 marks, 7 inside 50s

Said is highly rated internally and again showed out with solid plays both in midfield and up forward. He sparked his side with some clean centre clearances and hit the scoreboard with a goal in term two. The 180cm prospect was a viable option atop the forward 50 arc and took a brave grab there (one of six), while consistently finding options closer to goal.

Gippsland Power 11.13 (79) def. Eastern Ranges 11.3 (69)

By: Declan Reeve

GIPPSLAND POWER:

#3 Xavier Lindsay
Midfielder | 183cm | 03/08/2006

Stats: 31 disposals, 10 marks, 5 inside 50s

Fresh off arguably a best afield performance in the Under 18 National Championships decider, Lindsay continued with his purple patch of form, pulling the strings for Gippsland through the midfield with short stints up forward. As his side’s major clearance winner, his early disposal work wasn’t to his usual quality as he was winning much of the footy in congestion, or from on his knees in the middle of a pack as he dived onto everything in arm’s reach, but after the first quarter Lindsay was back to his classy self by hand and foot, demonstrating some elite vision with pinpoint passes from contest. Lindsay worked hard around the ground in both offence and defence, putting in hard efforts to get a fist to the ball in a contest as enthusiastically as he got involved in handball chains for his side. 

#7 Willem Duursma
Wing | 191cm | 21/06/2007

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal

The bottom-aged star was a mainstay on the wing all game, covering ground easily and providing an option in space constantly, but also demonstrating his ability under pressure and comfortability in the contest when the time called for it. Duursma’s skills were particularly noticeable early in the piece when others were getting used to the conditions, cleanly picking up ground balls with one hand and using it well by foot to follow. Duursma was strong and consistently ‘one-grab’ overhead for the day making him a reliable link-up player from defence to offence, as his side often looked to head forward through his wing. The most impressive aspect of Duursma’s game was arguably how well he released teammates by hand, with well weighted, yet penetrating, handballs forward he was able to keep his team moving forward quickly regardless of where the call was coming from.

#16 Jobe Scapin
Forward | 186cm | 01/05/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 7 inside 50s, 2 goals

Another promising bottom-ager in the Gippsland ranks, Scapin was on from the very start, capitalising on Gippsland’s first forward 50 entry with a clean ground ball win to snap a goal over his shoulder. It felt like every time Scapin used the footy it led to a scoring opportunity for his side, showing smart positioning to get into the best position for a mark and clean skills at ground level to crumb from marking contests, even showing some contested craft in the third quarter where he held his feet after copping a bump near the boundary line, keeping the ball alive and kicking it to a teammate leading into goal. When he wasn’t kicking or assisting goals, Scapin’s movement further afield was also valuable to Gippsland coming out of defence, as he regularly presented as an option outside of the 50, or worked hard to be part of possession chains heading forward.

#26 Mitch Stevens
Wing/Defender | 185cm | 15/08/2007

Stats: 11 disposals, 2 marks, 2 inside 50s

One for the Crows fans to track through 2025, the bottom-aged son of Mark Stevens provided drive from the defensive half and off the wing through the game. Stevens was an aerial threat through the game as he regularly flew for marks in packs when Eastern was looking to rebound, able to follow up well at ground level if no one could hold onto the footy, showing good composure and courage with the threat of oncoming contact. Stevens showed good vision when in possession, often looking to attack the corridor by either hand or foot when he had the ball, able to spot teammates in space consistently.

#27 Asher Eastham
Defender | 188cm | 13/05/2006

Stats: 10 disposals, 7 marks, 4 rebound 50s

More commonly seen stuffing the scoreboard in the forwardline, Eastham was given the opportunity to line up at the other end of the ground and demonstrated his versatility with a strong performance. Able to translate his marking ability from his time up forward, Eastham was strong aerially all game, reading the ball well in flight and positioning in dangerous spots, able to intercept a few of Eastern’s more promising opportunities on goal. Eastham’s use by foot was mostly good for the game, looking to exit the defensive half through the wings but also comfortable going through the corridor when the opportunity presented. 

#31 Alix Tauru
Defender/Midfielder | 194cm | 16/11/2006

Stats: 12 disposals, 2 marks, 5 tackles

On return from his late Vic Country call-up, Tauru was another Gippsland player given an opportunity in a new role, lining up in the centre square for most of the game. Whilst there’s certainly a way to go in Tauru’s midfield and stoppage craft, the athletic 194cm prospect showed some promising signs with his contest work at ground level, and precise handballing from the inside, where his ability to keep his arms free in tackles helped him absorb pressure longer to further release teammates into space. Tauru still managed to have an impact aerially when stationed in the midfield, pushing back to aid his defence when Eastern won possession to intercept when he could. Tauru was moved into the backline again halfway through the third quarter, finishing the game strongly with some good run tackle and marking efforts.

EASTERN RANGES:

#9 Christian Moraes
Midfielder/Forward | 183cm | 08/11/2006

Stats: 25 disposals, 4 marks, 1 goal

Moraes started the game strongly as he slotted the opening goal of the game in the first 30 seconds, with a smart run forward of stoppage, receiving a releasing handball and launching from the centre square. Moraes was a strong first possession winner around stoppages for the day, reading the ball off rucks hands well, but often pounced on early by opposition making it hard to release the ball cleanly, however in open play Moraes was able to show his usual slickness by hand, with his vision and agility allowing him to effectively release runners from congestion. Moraes running power was well on display as he regularly looked to be part of Eastern’s offensive chains, and covered ground well to be a marking option. There were moments through the game where Moraes would’ve been better getting boot to ball rather than disposing of it by hand, occasionally slowing down his side in transition by preferring to go by hand. 

#26 Josh Smillie
Midfielder | 194cm | 17/05/2006

Stats: 26 disposals, 7 tackles, 1 goal

Smillie had a mixed day, able to show off his cleanliness by hand and below his knees, but struggling at times to effectively use the ball by foot whilst on the move. Smillie displayed his physicality well around stoppages and when one-on-one up forward, comfortable pushing opponents aside to give himself an unimpeded run at the footy, but looking to take contested footy, both in the air and at ground level, in his stride as he regularly held onto most things he went for. Smillie covered the ground well in open play, regularly pushing into the defensive 50 to be an option in transition, better able to show off his ability by foot when kicking from a mark. Smillie stepped up defensively in the last quarter when the game was in the balance, laying a couple of strong tackles around the ground and regularly pressuring when Gippsland won it from stoppage.

#44 Seth MacDonald
Forward | 189cm | 14/09/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 4 goals

Clearly his side’s strongest performer, MacDonald was a spark in Eastern’s front half across all four quarters, finishing with four majors to his name. MacDonald worked hard up the ground to present as a link-up option for his side coming out of defence, able to lose his opponent through constant movement to win ball essentially uncontested and keep his side moving forward. MacDonald made sure everyone at the game knew what he could do aerially though, getting onto opponents shoulders multiple times through the game. MacDonald was good when Gippsland won the ball inside his 50 as well, putting in hard efforts to lay tackles or pressure opposition as they disposed of it.