EASTERN Ranges livewire Lachy Dovaston was integral to his side’s thrilling three-point victory over Northern Knights on Sunday. The speedy goalsneak booted three majors, including what ended up being the sealer as he looks to stamp his claim as the competition’s premier small forward.

We put his performance under the Player Focus microscope.

Eastern RangesSmall Forward

Lachy Dovaston

Height: 177cm

Weight: -

DOB: 29-05-2007

PLAYER FOCUS

2025 Coates Talent League: Round 1
Northern Knights 7.12 (54) def. by Eastern Ranges 8.9 (57)

#8 Lachy Dovaston (Eastern Ranges)
Stats: 11 disposals (8 kicks, 3 handballs), 2 marks, 6 tackles, 3 goals, 2 behinds

FIRST QUARTER:

It didn’t take long for Dovaston to impact the match, booting the opening goal from a great read of the play. Standing the mark, he cut off Roman Moxon’s kick-in with swift movement, a clean take, and an even sharper finish. That act set the tone for his game.

Dovaston would continue to chase and harass the opposition, using his speed to apply pressure and force Northern into rushed possessions. He not only did so inside 50, but also when venturing further afield to try and restrict the Knights’ fluency in transition.

The lively small also showed his smarts to be front-and-centre at contests, looking dangerous as he hunted the ball at ground level. He only had two touches for the term, but made them count and had an impact without possession as all small forwards should.

SECOND QUARTER:

The Ranges began to make their move early in the second quarter, though their marking targets left few crumbs for smalls like Dovaston to mop up. It took until the 13th minute for him to impact the scoreboard again, only this time it was with a minor score.

Dovaston showcased his ability to break open congestion, receiving a handball and bursting through traffic before getting a shot off. It was carried wide by the harsh wind at Trevor Barker Beach Oval, but Dovaston would later find the target.

Ever the opportunist, Dovaston again cut off a Northern kick inside 50, snapping up Liam Farrar’s overcooked pass to line up for a 40m set shot. He duly converted, easily carrying the distance and judging the breeze well for his second major.

THIRD QUARTER:

The third was Dovaston’s most prolific quarter – gathering four disposals – although it was the only one where he didn’t kick a major. He continued to make a menace of himself at ground level, swooping on the loose ball and looking to break free with speed.

Doing so became a little more difficult as Northern ramped up the pressure, with Dovaston being wrapped up in a couple of heavy tackles upon taking possession. His only real chances were guilt-edge, having one snap smothered as he pounced on the chaos ball.

One of Dovaston’s best bit of plays went unrewarded. He could be seen hitting up through the corridor off a defensive wing clearance before turning, hitting his kick wide, and then storming back towards attacking 50. That’s the kind of play of a modern day small forward.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Dovaston ended up being key to Eastern seeing out the result, kicking the sealing goal nearly 10 minutes into term four. Northern had cut the margin back to five points, but the goalsneak ensured his side’s buffer would be restored for most of the remaining time.

After hitting up on a short lead and hitting the post with his set shot, Dovaston made a certainty of his next chance. He read the flight of the ball to recognise it would run over the back in the pocket, latched onto it and shrugged off an opponent to waltz into an open goal.

Eastern was made to defend valiantly for the remaining 15 minutes but managed to hold on. Dovaston’s low-possession, high-impact style was observed by his only two kicks for the quarter being scores which went a long way to determining the outcome.

SUMMARY

Having cut his teeth in a variety of roles over the last couple of years, Dovaston looks set to settle in as a specialist small forward. He was an All-Australian wingman at Under 16 level and tried his hand as a playmaking small defender, but his pace and smarts look best suited to attacking 50.

Dovaston has plenty of tools to take him far. His rapid turn of foot and high footy IQ make him a threat at ground level, though he can work on being a little stronger in the contest. Being able to accumulate and create beyond the 50m arc will also elevate his game, on top of the pressure he provides.