ONLY two Country regions remain in the Coates Talent League premiership race after the weekend’s quarter finals. GWV Rebels played spoiled to progress over Geelong, while Dandenong Stingrays set up a preliminary final against reigning premier, Sandringham. We took not of some of the top prospects out of Saturday’s double-header in Port Melbourne.

>> Scouting Notes: 2024 Coates Talent League Metro Quarter Finals

Geelong Falcons 12.10 (82) def. by GWV Rebels 14.11 (95)

GEELONG FALCONS:

#6 River Stevens
Small Forward | 176cm | 26/06/2006

Stats: 13 disposals, 3 marks, 4 tackles, 1 goal

Stevens impressed once again with his pressure game and hardness at the footy, burrowing down at ground level and throwing his 176cm frame around. The North Melbourne father-son hopeful set the tone with a strong tackle in the early stages, and went on to be a busy operator in the high forward role. He held his own over the ball and wore contact relatively well while also dishing out his own hits. Stevens bagged a running goal in term two to momentarily take the lead before half time.

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

Stats: 24 disposals, 4 marks, 8 inside 50s, 1 goal

Geelong’s top ball winner for the day, Ivisic rounded out a consistent season where he managed between 20-29 disposals in all six appearances. The midfielder was supremely clean and provided constant drive on the attack, doing much of his work facing forward. His running capacity allowed him to spread and be a valuable outlet in attacking phases, where he either marked uncontested or received second possession before driving his legs and delivering inside 50. Ivisic even snuck free close to goal to slot a major in the third quarter to spark Geelong’s run of momentum.

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

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 3 goals, 3 behinds

Ward impacted the scoreboard more than any other Falcon, booting three goals from six scoring shots. The hard-running small kicked all his majors at one end of the ground, including a pair on the run in the third quarter to give his side a handy buffer. Ward’s explosive first few steps got him into enough space to attempt shots on goal, mostly via snaps or on the fly having been fed by teammates. One of his best moments came in the second term where he took the game on with a couple of bounces through the corridor and assisted Stevens’ goal.

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

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 3 rebound 50s

Jaques was relatively quiet over the last couple of games in an attacking sense, but still played much of the game off an aggressively high line and impacted with intercept marks. He was rushed into a couple of early turnovers on Saturday having attempted to add impetus to his side’s transitional play, though got into good spots behind the ball and was able to read the opposition’s cues. The co-captain was there to fly the flag for his side when things got heated, too.

#28 Daniel Lowther
Key Forward | 198cm | 07/08/2006

Stats: 12 disposals, 4 marks, 3 inside 50s, 2 goals

Lowther made an impactful start to the game, booting both of his two goals in the opening quarter. After grassing his first couple of marking attempts on the lead, he stuck to the task and began to clunk the ball cleanly inside 50. Manned by the resolute Mitchell Lloyd, Lowther’s mobility made him tough to contain when hitting up at the ball, and he even drew free kicks in one-on-one contests before petering out of the contest after half time.

#29 Joe Pike
Ruck | 203cm | 17/05/2005

Stats: 12 disposals, 5 tackles, 31 hitouts, 1 goal

Taking on Geelong’s primary ruck duties as usual, Pike was beaten in the hitout count by GWV’s Flynn Penry, albeit by one. Among his tally of 31, plenty fell into the lap of accelerating rovers who would have appreciated his craft at stoppages. Pike also spent time forward and had a couple of chances on goal in the final quarter. After missing a set shot, he nailed a checkside in open play to keep Geelong in the hunt with 10 minutes left on the clock.

#44 Darcy Harrington
Forward/Midfielder | 17/11/2008

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles, 6 inside 50s

Perhaps an under-age talent flying under the radar, Harrington entered Geelong’s Under 18 side having been overlooked for Under 16 representative honours this year. The 15-year-old was hardly overawed by the finals occasion and proved he had the bottle to hold his own. He was gutsy when flying for overhead marks and showed good spring to get aerial, while also impressing with his quick decision making and execution on angled kicks going inside 50.

GWV REBELS:

#2 Harry Charleson
Defender | 182cm | 26/06/2006

Stats: 18 disposals, 2 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Charleson provided his usual dash and dare off half-back, especially in the first half. The rebound defender got into his work early by receiving on the overlap as GWV won the opening centre clearance, proving to be an integral part of his side’s ball movement. Charleson also took on the kick-in duties and had a couple of handy moments in term two. He rose for a brave intercept mark and landed hard, before going on to connect through the corridor with a chain of handballs, showcasing his attacking flair.

#3 Rhys Unwin
Midfielder | 178cm | 11/10/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 inside 50s, 1 goal

Unwin continued his venture into GWV’s midfield and was a mainstay en route to his personal-best disposal haul for the season (22). The lively and agile small proved difficult to tie down, consistently finding ways to exit the contest and wax with teammates. He read the ball well of hands and got his reward for a busy outing in the form of a terrific set shot goal from the boundary in term four. It was one of just eight kicks, as Unwin did much of his best work by hand.

#6 Jack Ough
Midfielder | 194cm | 15/12/2006

Stats: 33 disposals, 4 marks, 7 inside 50s

Ough led all comers on Saturday and was the most dominant onballer afield. The 194cm prospect displayed neat fundamental skills by hand and foot, feeding teammates at stoppages and delivering well inside 50. He showed a great ability to absorb contact and stand in tackles, providing a cool head in the heat of the contest. His 13-disposal opening quarter set the platform for a strong outing.

#7 Oliver Hannaford
Forward/Midfielder | 180cm | 01/09/2006

Stats: 15 disposals, 3 marks, 3 inside 50s, 6 goals

Hannaford put his game-winning ability on show with three final quarter goals and six overall, helping drag his side over the line from a three-quarter time deficit. The recast small forward was powerful in possession and brought the heat with each touch, coming to life with explosive steps to zig and zag around opponents. He helped GWV keep touch with consecutive goals in the third quarter, but left his best for last, including an outrageous dribbler hemmed in on the boundary. That came after taking an athletic one-on-one mark close to goal, to take the lead. Having been overlooked for a draft combine invite, he’s bashing the door down for higher honours.

#8 Jonty Faull
Key Forward | 195cm | 01/02/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 4 marks, 3 inside 50s, 4 goals

Faull went all-out on Saturday and while things didn’t always come easily, the mobile key forward could hardly be faulted for effort. He was rewarded with four goals, including three in the first half to see his side take a lead at the main break. Faull was difficult to beat when presenting at the kicker and working up the ground. He imposed himself physically and was up for the scrap, though struggled to convert that hardness to contested marks. He just about sealed the result with his fourth major, converted with 10 minutes left to play.

#16 Harley Hicks
Forward/Midfielder | 178cm | 26/07/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 tackles, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

After returning to the fold in Wildcard Round, Hicks produced his most prolific outing for the season to give a glimpse of what to expect next year. The bottom-ager‘s movement troubled Geelong, as he hit the ball at speed and was difficult to catch as he weaved his way into attack. Hicks’ ability to shark the ball of hands was terrific and he slotted a classy running goal in the second quarter.

Dandenong Stingrays 9.10 (64) def. Gippsland Power 7.16 (58)

DANDENONG STINGRAYS:

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

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 marks, 3 inside 50s, 2 goals

Hynes was central to Dandenong’s early dominance, both through the middle and up forward. His ability to see the game and assess options in front of him made for creative play in the front half, having also ran rampant with clean stoppage extraction. Hynes snapped a left-foot goal in the opening quarter and was often left one-out with his direct opponent. Up around the ball, he sharked fed teammates neatly by hand, while also showing his strength to break tackles.

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

Stats: 27 disposals, 3 marks, 5 inside 50s

Langford unsurprisingly led all comers once again and was among the most consistent performers afield. His skills were impacted at times by having opponents hanging off him, but the big-bodied ball winner was strong enough to get the footy away. Nonetheless, Langford’s hands were typically clean and his running capacity made him a key link man between the arcs. He was everywhere at times, spreading hard from the contest and tracking the play to be involved several times in the same passage. One such instance saw him win a defensive 50 stoppage in the fourth quarter, before having his repeat running rewarded with a handball receive up on the wing.

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

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 marks, 4 inside 50s

Hibbins-Hargreaves can sometimes go under the radar when not impacting the scoreboard, but he hardly wastes a possession. Starting on the wing, the bottom-ager got his hands on the ball early and was composed with his use going into attack. He proved efficient by hand and and foot, showcasing great skill to either link up with teammates on the move or hit up leading targets. He had a chance to score in term four but instead laced out Tairon Ah-Mu to kick the sealer.

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

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 marks, 13 hitouts

Doherty was Dandenong’s primary ruck as usual and only just won a low hitout count with 13, but impressed most with his ability around the ground. The 199cm prospect ran in and contributed to Dandenong’s attacking waves, looking comfortable when carrying the ball away from stoppages and connecting with teammates. He was tidy in tight spots and even rose for a strong overhead mark in term three, almost making it two in a row but being pinged for infringing an opponent.

#65 Tairon Ah-Mu
Key Forward/Ruck | 198cm | 06/06/2007

Stats: 7 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 3 goals

Ah-Mu helped set the tone for Dandenong’s first-quarter scoring avalanche, needing just 42 seconds to bag his first goal and making it two after 10 minutes. While relatively low in output throughout the game, he was a high-impact player who went on to seal the result with a set shot in term four. The bottom-ager is a tough matchup inside 50 with his sheer size and willingness to thrown his strong frame around. He makes opponents nervous close to goal.

GIPPSLAND POWER:

#4 Zachary O’Keefe
Midfielder | 177cm | 22/03/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 4 tackles, 6 inside 50s

One of a number of bottom-agers stepping up through Gippsland’s midfield, O’Keefe took to the task well. He was tough and smart at the contest, knowing where contact would come and finding ways to exit the stoppage. The agile small was often sighted taking the ball sharply and wheeling to the outside. He also applied himself with strong tackles, including one to lock up Dandenong’s ruckman in term two, and even manned Langford at a few stoppages.

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

Stats: 21 disposals, 5 marks, 4 inside 50s

Duursma’s late-season run in midfield yielded another 20-plus disposal outing, having the equal-most touches of any Power player. The bottom-ager’s aerial game stood out most as he rose for five marks, taking most of them while extending overhead around the ground. While certainly an asset, he could perhaps have opted to spoil more often when flying from back position. He was another midfielder who matched up on Langford at times and showed flashes of class when looking to carry and use the ball expansively on the attack.

#8 Thomas Matthews
Small Forward | 170cm | 28/02/2007

Stats: 10 disposals, 5 tackles, 2 goals

Matthews continued his strong scoring form, booting multiple goals for the third game running and making a menace of himself up forward. The bottom-ager worked into the game with good craft, parting the seas for his first goal at the fall of a forward 50 stoppage. His second came in similar fashion, bursting through a wave of opponents, and Matthews had two more attempts from long-range set shots in the fourth quarter. One of his best moments without the ball was a tackle to force the ball free for William Brent to score.

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

Stats: 16 disposals, 6 marks, 2 goals

Tauru started the game defending the wind-advantaged end, but ended up staying there in term two and played out most of the game as a forward. The high-flying swingman had a costly dropped mark early in the piece, but continued to compete hard and ended up clunking some typically eye-catching overhead grabs. Tauru hardly looked like dropping one in the second half and cut the margin back to two points with his second goal, late in the piece. He even had a brief run in midfield.

#33 Wil Malady
Tall Forward | 188cm | 12/10/2008

Stats: 9 disposals, 3 marks, 2 goals

Malady continues to defy his age with confident performances at Under 18 level, having been a strong Under 16 performer this year. The tall and rangy forward leapt at the ball beautifully as Gippsland’s main target inside 50, drawing free kicks to highlight his aerial threat. Malady’s attack on the ball and ability to take it with his arms extended proved crucial assets as he bagged two goals in the second quarter – including Gippsland’s first.