THE PENULTIMATE round of the Coates Talent League home-and-away season saw some players trialled in new positions and roles, while others returned to action with big games in familiar posts. We highlighted some of the top prospects and performers across all six games in Round 18.

>> CTL Round 18: Snapshot | Player of the Week | Team of the Week

Oakleigh Chargers 15.15 (105) def. Tasmania Devils 3.8 (26)

By: Michael Alvaro

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS:

#3 Jai Saxena (Collingwood NGA)
Small Forward | 180cm | 27/07/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 2 goals

Six shots on goal makes for good reading as a small forward, although Saxena couldn’t quite make the most of his opportunities. He was steady when converting over the mark, booting his two goals that way, didn’t bring his snapping boots when shooting in open play. In other phases of play, Saxena worked nicely up the ground and backed his speed and skill to make things happen on the way back to goal. He was clever at ground level and leant on his movement to create opportunities.

#4 Jack Ison (Carlton NGA)
Midfielder/Forward | 190cm | 26/03/2007

Stats: 22 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 2 goals

Returning for just his third Coates Talent League appearance this season, Ison produced his best game in Oakleigh colours. He exhibited dynamism as both a forward and midfielder, entering the contest with momentum and extracting the ball cleanly. His size made him difficult to contain and helped him wrap up opponents, complimenting that kind of work with link-up chains on the outside and smooth kicking heading inside 50. Ison’s decision making was on point and he was opportunistic in booting consecutive goals during the second quarter. The first was his best, applying repeat pressure acts to lay a smother, gather, and snap the ball home.

#5 Sam Grlj
Midfielder/Defender | 182cm | 26/07/2007

Stats: 23 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 7 clearances

Grlj hit the ground running fresh off his recent VFL exposure with Richmond, making his presence felt going both ways. His tenacious tackling was a key feature throughout the match, with Grlj aggressively locking up opponents and letting them know about it. That kind of intensity extended to demanding the ball from teammates, and his competitiveness translated to high work rate. Grlj worked hard to win his own ball but was also full of running on the outside and used his speed to take ground in the attacking phase. He booted a goal on the half time siren and ran out the game in defence, where his pace and overlap run continued to be major weapons.

#9 Aaron Sharkie
Defender | 184cm | 20/01/2007

Stats: 29 disposals, 5 marks, 3 rebound 50s

It was a typically busy four quarters from Sharkie, who started out shakily with his ball use but ended up leading all comers. The industrious rebound defender worked high up the ground to provide overlap run and drive the ball forward, taking the game on wherever possible. Sharkie also held a high line to help lock the ball in Oakleigh’s front half, hitting his intercepts at speed and carrying that momentum on the counterattack.

#14 Max Kondogiannis
Tall Defender | 190cm | 14/11/2007

Stats: 25 disposals, 5 tackles, 7 rebound 50s

A prospect who ticks plenty of boxes from week to week, Kondogiannis was a calm and distributor and link player out of the Chargers’ defence. He impacted less in an intercept marking sense but got busy on the rebound by facilitating slow play or chaining possessions up the field. The Vic Metro representative added a bit of dash and dare to his game with forays through the corridor and was consistently there to support teammates in transition.

#44 Archie Dollman
Wing | 184cm | 21/02/2007

Stats: 23 disposals, 7 marks, 4 clearances

A fast-rising prospect who forced his way back into the Chargers’ program, Dollman produced arguably his best CTL game yet on Saturday. Stationed out on the wing, he showcased terrific overhead marking skills and was able to fold in on ground level contests when necessary. A good mover, Dollman’s darting steps opened up space to hit creative passes, although he was guilty of being a little too cute at times. Nonetheless, his class and ability to carve through traffic certainly caught the eye, and he positioned nicely behind the ball to maintain his side’s defensive shape.

TASMANIA DEVILS:

#11 Sam Husband
Midfielder | 180cm | 17/09/2009

Stats: 14 disposals, 5 tackles, 2 clearances

Playing just his second game at the level, Husband showed considerable poise and power. The Under 16 All-Australian got his chance to roll through Tasmania’s midfield group and manufactured some elite stoppage exits. He carved his way through congestion with an explosive turn of speed, but remained composed and used his vision to hit targets by foot. Whether bringing the game forward or changing angles, Husband made terrific decisions with ball in hand.

#13 Max Gulliver
Midfielder/Forward | 178cm | 04/11/2009

Stats: 12 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles, 3 inside 50s

Captain of this year’s Under 16 All-Australian team, Gulliver is a key part of the bright future of Tasmanian football. He made his Under 18 debut on Saturday and showed glimpses of his potential, taking the game on in a lively performance. The 15-year-old often took off with explosive bursts of speed, taking ground and looking to break tackles en route to kicking inside 50. He was gutsy, clean, and daring on debut, though couldn’t quite find the goals as he usually does – missing a couple of opportunities on the run. He and Husband look like top talents for the 2027 crop.

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

Stats: 27 disposals, 7 marks, 9 rebound 50s

Roney was Tasmania’s top disposal winner, accumulating across the backline alongside bottom-agers Hugh McCallum and Archie Devine. He was productive on the overlap, leaning on his running capacity to stream past teammates and offer outside support. Such play helped the Devils generate momentum heading out of defence, compounded by Roney’s kick penetration and overall distributive skills. The over-ager became more daring as the game wore on, stepping past opponents and biting off more dangerous passes.

#24 Khalen Matthews
Tall Defender/Ruck | 193cm | 23/03/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 8 marks, 20 hitouts, 5 rebound 50s

In somewhat of a breakout game for Matthews, the over-ager played an important role in supporting the besieged Devils defence. The undersized ruck competed well in the air, winning his share of hitouts and dropping back to clunk several intercept marks. His brave aerial work was assured, although he proved a little more raw in his decision making and skill execution. Still, Tasmania would have been far worse off without his presence and competitive acts.

Gippsland Power 12.12 (84) def. Bendigo Pioneers 7.9 (51)

By: Declan Reeve

GIPPSLAND POWER:

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

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 tackles, 6 inside 50s, 1 goal

Putting on a display that has become pretty standard for the pick one fancy, Duursma was one of the prime movers for his side with his ability to stay involved in chains of possession and get contest to contest. Duursma was once again clean when gathering the ball either in the air or at ground level, with his one-touch gathers at speed allowing him to gain separation from the contest and carry the ball his full distance. He did some neat work on the inside, intercepting a few handballs in close and usually following up by bursting away and kicking long, with his one major for the game coming from one such instance inside 50 as he snapped truly off his left boot.

#10 Cody Templeton
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 01/01/2008

Stats: 16 disposals, 9 tackles, 3 clearances

Finding it more difficult to find the ball on the outside than usual, Templeton still managed to have an impact with his ball use by hand and attack on the contest. Leading his side for tackles, Templeton was a tone setter on the inside as he scrapped to win every contest he could, remaining calm in possession to move through traffic, or hit targets by hand heading towards goal.

#11 Marlon Neocleous
Forward/Midfielder | 168cm | 26/02/2008

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

The bottom-aged small was clean at ground level all game as he stood strong over the footy and executed plenty of clean pick-ups, displaying his nimbleness as he looked to work through traffic heading forward. Neocleous was effective with his ball use as he often handballed to teammates moving at speed, or kicked to the advantage of leading forwards, also showing that he’s comfortable using both sides of his body when required. 

#24 Brodie Atkins
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 25/01/2007

Stats: 23 disposals, 6 tackles, 8 clearances, 6 inside 50s

It was a standard display from Atkins who was dominant around stoppage as he led the game with eight clearances, able to utilise his strength over the opposition to force them off the ball and get a cleaner run at it. Atkins had a couple of looks on goal whilst resting forward but was unable to capitalise, still offering a physical presence inside the 50 to create opportunities for his side.

#37 Keenan Boi
Forward | 183cm | 03/11/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 4 marks, 3 goals

Boi was often a key link in the chain when Gippsland was in the attacking half, running to support ball carriers as a handball option heading forward. One such instance led to his first goal from about 45 meters out. Boi’s positioning around contest followed through inside the forward 50, as he found himself in good spots to crumb the ball off marking contests to earn opportunities on goal. Away from goal, Boi was effective with his ball use, more often than not finding a target.

BENDIGO PIONEERS:

#1 Cody Walker (Carlton F/S)
Midfielder/Forward | 184cm | 26/01/2008

Stats: 29 disposals, 6 clearances, 2 goals

The bottom-ager continued his rapid development at the level, looking comfortable with the physicality of Gippsland’s on-ball brigade. Walker’s cleanliness was a highlight around the ground as he was able to consistently hold the footy with one grab at ground level and in the air, typically looking to run the ball forward at all costs. This mentality occasionally got him in trouble as he ran into opponents several times, but with more strength behind him he will be breaking tackles in no time. Whilst Walker had some messy disposals, he also produced some brilliance under pressure at times with his kicking and use by hand.

#2 Tom Evans
Defender | 180cm | 22/02/2006

Stats: 28 disposals, 4 marks, 7 rebound 50s

Seeing the over-ager as one of the leading disposal getters is no shock at this point, with Evans often trusted with moving the ball out of the defensive 50 whenever his teammates could find him, especially given the quality of his disposal. Evans looked to drive the ball forward as often as possible, confidently taking on difficult kicks that would hurt the opposition the most.

#44 Zaydyn Lockwood
Ruck | 198cm | 25/01/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 7 marks, 7 tackles, 13 hitouts

Another over-ager that regularly sits within Bendigo’s top handful of players, Lockwood wasn’t quite as influential in the hitouts as he typically is, giving up 10cm to Gippsland’s Cohen Dent, but made up for it with his work around the ground. Lockwood acted as an extra midfielder for his side with his follow-up work at ground level supreme, able to win the ball and fire out a handball or pressure defensively. Lockwood worked hard to be in good positions as a marking target around the ground and often held the ones he went for, even when contested.

Sandringham Dragons 17.9 (111) def. Calder Cannons 11.8 (74)

By: Michael Alvaro

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS:

#2 Jack Dalton
Midfielder/Defender | 177cm | 05/04/2007

Stats: 30 disposals, 5 tackles, 1 goal

It’s arguably more unusual to not see Dalton top the disposal charts for Sandringham at this point, as he again did so in an industrious performance. He balanced his play beautifully, showcasing clever contest craft to rove the ball cleanly and tackle hard, while also getting on his bike to accumulate on the outside. Dalton snapped his lone goal from a forward 50 stoppage and while prone to errors at times, generally used the ball well once switched to defence in the second half. His supporting runs and ability to drive the ball proved useful in the back half.

#6 Arki Butler
Small Forward | 180cm | 23/04/2007

Stats: 13 disposals, 5 marks, 5 goals

Butler showcased his freakish talent throughout the four quarters, popping up for moments of brilliance and five fantastic goals. His quick feet and spring-heeled leap were standout traits, with the bottom-ager rising for a huge mark and goal in the third term. Butler even slammed home a goal from about 65 metres on the run, operating with a midas touch in the forward half. He’s nearly impossible to contain when on song, especially one-out inside attacking 50.

#9 Rory Wright
Defender/Midfielder | 184cm | 02/06/2007

Stats: 29 disposals, 7 marks, 5 rebound 50s

Playing the inverse role to Dalton, Wright started in defence before being unleashed in midfield after half time. His left-foot kicking was prominent when distributing the ball heading forward, although he produced an uncharacteristically poor set shot at goal in the second quarter. Wright showed good core strength and competitiveness to remain upright in contests to win the ball back, which translated well to his work in midfield. He looked slick when afforded time and space to deliver on the outside, hitting leading targets on the move with typical class.

#27 Xavier Bamert
Midfielder | 186cm | 29/01/2007

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 7 inside 50s

Bamert played in his typical style, crashing his way through packs and barrelling the ball forward at all costs. He displayed improved lateral movement to navigate packs and take metres, proving a difficult player to stop in full flight. Bamert thundered home a long-range goal in the opening term and further showed his raw power with a huge speccy on the wing in term two. His physicality and big frame on the inside were complimented by good ground coverage on the outer.

CALDER CANNONS:

#2 Hussien El Achkar (Essendon NGA)
Small Forward | 171cm | 02/04/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 3 goals

Ending up with 3.1 for the day, El Achkar even had a few more attempts on goal which fell short or went wide. He got on the board early with a free kick conversion and often looked to wheel around quickly when shooting on goal. He found his radar with that method twice more in the second half, marking on the lead and collecting the loose ball at pace. El Achkar also displayed a heightened work rate to get up the ground and used the ball creatively to hit targets across the attacking arc.

#18 Sam Harris (North Melbourne F/S)
Midfielder | 179cm | 17/01/2008

Stats: 25 disposals, 5 marks, 5 clearances, 6 inside 50s

Harris continued his form as one of Calder’s prime movers in midfield, impacting on the inside and outside. He spread into space around the ground to rack up uncontested possessions, pinpointing passes with his punchy foot skills. Harris was also dangerous when exiting the contest, making clean breaks out of centre stoppages to pierce kicks inside 50. The North Melbourne father-son candidate is a prospect Roos fans can look forward to next year.

#23 Adam Sweid (Essendon NGA)
Midfielder/Forward | 175cm | 14/09/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 5 inside 50s, 2 goals

Sweid may not have picked up as many possessions as he is perhaps used to, but was impactful in several forward forays. He made darting runs through traffic, linking up with teammates in passages which took his side from end-to-end. The Essendon NGA prospect notched a specialty long-range goal in term two and nabbed another in the third quarter, also impacting as a forward with his defensive pressure. He proved up for the scrap to compliment his potent outside work.

#34 Blake Justice (Essendon NGA)
Midfielder/Forward | 190cm | 29/09/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 7 marks, 1 goal

Yet another club-tied player in Calder’s ranks, Justice carried on from his promising showing for Vic Metro’s Under 17 side. He was prominent at the contest with clean hands and strength over the ball, bursting out of congestion with great power. After ditching the longsleeve guernsey out of half time, Justice switched forward and got on the board with a set shot goal in term three. His ability to crash in and get free on the lead made him a viable option inside 50.

Northern Knights 10.14 (74) def. Western Jets 9.8 (62)

By: Michael Alvaro

NORTHERN KNIGHTS:

#2 Seb Murphy
Forward/Midfielder | 176cm | 23/10/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 8 tackles, 2 goals

Murphy started deep forward alongside co-captain Tyson Gresham, with both players taking little time to impact the scoreboard. The diminutive talent showed great smarts inside 50 to not only score himself, but also set up others with unselfish and creative ball use. His tackle pressure and ability to lock up opponents was also fierce, while bravely drawing free kicks to test the technique of opponents. He scrapped hard all day in another well-rounded performance.

#3 Tyson Gresham (Carlton NGA)
Forward/Midfielder | 169cm | 21/06/2007

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 clearances, 2 goals

Starting out inside 50 alongside Murphy, Gresham kicked two goals during an opportunistic opening term. The Carlton NGA prospect was dangerous at ground level and adapted that trait to his midfield move in term two. He made an immediate impact at stoppage and was tough when winning his own ball, although ended up frustrated by a couple of free kicks he gave away when tackling the shrewd Thomas Burton. Still, his endeavour could not be questioned.

#12 Nicholas Driscoll
Midfielder | 181cm | 07/04/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 4 marks, 4 clearances

A surprise call-up to the state draft combine, plenty of eyes were on Driscoll as he operated in Northern’s midfield. The speedy customer dug in and under the contest, attempting to burst to the outside and crash the packs open. He was clean when sharking the ball off hands and proved gutsy when attempting overhead marks. While he didn’t have it all his own way, Driscoll made positive runs on the spread and showed handy stoppage craft.

#13 Roman Moxon
Midfielder | 175cm | 11/06/2007

Stats: 25 disposals, 6 tackles, 7 clearances, 1 goal

Usually a prolific running defender, Moxon got his opportunity in Northern’s midfield and took it with both hands. He was busy at the drop of the ball and had little trouble prising clearances, even breaking out of the middle with a couple of roves on the move. His kicking opened up the play at times and he slotted a nice goal on the run during the second term. To compliment that work, Moxon also held up to the challenge of contested craft and got stuck in with a half-dozen tackles.

#20 Harry Van Hattum
Key Forward/Ruck | 202cm | 01/07/2008

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 marks, 16 hitouts

With Northern missing a couple of important talls, Van Hattum’s contributions would be all the more crucial. He attacked the aerial ball with vigour, unable to consistently clunk marks but splitting packs to bring the Knights’ smalls into play. The bottom-ager showcased his impressive size and athleticism to do so, covering ground well and presenting with genuine presence.

WESTERN JETS:

#1 Khaled El Souki (Western Bulldogs NGA)
Small Forward | 173cm | 04/07/2008

Stats: 16 disposals, 5 clearances, 2 goals

El Souki produced one of his most productive and well-rounded games to date on Sunday. He hit the scoreboard as usual with two goals from five scoring shots, but also imposed himself with tackle pressure while bustling out of the grasp of opponents. For a smaller player, he was deceptively strong in those instances and opened up the play with his ability to exit from congestion. Whether up the ground or close to goal, he looked dangerous with ball in hand.

#10 Thomas Burton
Midfielder | 178cm | 09/01/2007

Stats: 31 disposals, 11 clearances, 11 inside 50s, 1 goal

Burton produced an incredible triple-double on the stats sheet, racking up numbers with ease. He was prepared to fight for possession at the bottom of packs and worked hard to drop back and support Western’s defence. From there, and even out of the contest, Burton showcased his ability to take ground with his speed and daring runs. The Vic Metro representative was also clever in the face of oncoming contact, drawing free kicks and poppinDavis found his groove through a few challenges on Sunday, getting into a rhythm to produce his usual dash and dare. His clean hands allowed him to get involved in contests up the ground and intercept Northern kicks, although he took some time to get his kicking game going after uncharacteristic skill errors. Davis adjusted to take metres with his speed instead, charging up the ground with repeat runs and overlapping support.g straight back up from a few big hits. His competitive nature and work ethic were just about unmatched on the day.

#26 Finn Davis
Defender | 187cm | 21/01/2007

Stats: 24 disposals, 5 marks, 6 rebound 50s

Davis found his groove through a few challenges on Sunday, getting into a rhythm to produce his usual dash and dare. His clean hands allowed him to get involved in contests up the ground and intercept Northern kicks, although he took some time to get his kicking game going after uncharacteristic skill errors. Davis adjusted to take metres with his speed instead, charging up the ground with repeat runs and overlapping support.

#34 Angus Tippett
Midfielder | 192cm | 12/02/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 7 tackles, 5 clearances, 1 goal

Tippett was a big body among the many small midfielders, using his points of difference to make an impact on-ball. He hardly fumbled at the contest, bringing the ball from in to out by linking up with teammates and moving well for a player his size. The bottom-ager was difficult to stop in motion and kept his hands free when pressured, although was prone to dumping his kicks at times. He still had a good moment by foot in the second quarter, marking at the top of attacking 50 before quickly turning and slamming home a long-range goal.

#35 Jacob Marron
Key Defender | 195cm | 27/11/2007

Stats: 13 disposals, 6 marks, 1 rebound 50

A steady head across Western’s defensive half, Marron proved resolute as usual. He was involved in slow play as Western looked to work a way forward, using the ball efficiently and safely. The Vic Metro representative also took a couple of clean intercept grabs and read the ball well to spoil when positioned one-out close to his own goal. One of Marron’s best moments came as he set and leapt for a big mark on the wing in term four.

GWV Rebels 9.5 (59) def. by Dandenong Stingrays 18.10 (118)

By: Declan Reeve

GWV REBELS:

#3 Archie Taylor
Midfielder | 178cm | 25/05/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 9 tackles, 3 rebound 50s

The energetic Vic Country representative did all he could through the midfield to get his side moving at speed, generally looking to take off with ball in hand when he won the footy and deliver long. Taylor’s repeated efforts around the contest, whether defensive or offensive, caused headaches for Dandenong as he never stopped trying to tip the scale in his sides favour. Although, his ball use wasn’t as clean as it typically is, with a few errant kicks when moving at speed.

#5 Floyd Burmeister
Ruck | 199cm | 04/05/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 6 marks, 20 hitouts, 1 goal

Taking on a fair chunk of ruck duties through the game, Burmeister was one of the most impactful players around stoppages. Whether through winning the hitout and putting it in front of teammates, or through his follow up work post stoppage, his cleanliness at ground level and athleticism proved difficult to stop. Burmeister did well to cover the ‘long down the line’ option behind the ball, taking a couple of intercept marks as Dandenong looked to move quickly in transition.

#9 Talor Byrne
Midfielder/Forward | 174cm | 14/11/2007

Stats: 22 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 6 inside 50s

Byrne had an ‘almost’ day when inside the forward 50, with his repeated efforts and strength over the ball leading to a few scoring opportunities that he couldn’t fully capitalise on early. After quarter time, Byrne moved further afield, using his athleticism and tenacity to win the footy in tight and burst away from contest, typically following up with clean ball use by hand and foot. 

DANDENONG STINGRAYS:

#3 Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Midfielder/Wing | 186cm | 16/11/2007

Stats: 29 disposals, 8 marks, 5 clearances, 5 goals

Hibbins-Hargreaves has struggled to find consistency throughout the season given his horrid run with injury, but may just have put out the statement game recruiters have been waiting for all year. He went at 100 per cent accuracy from his five set shots, the majority earned through smart positioning to get into dangerous spaces and take the ball uncontested, or from timing his lead well to beat his opponent to the footy just by half a second. He was involved in plenty of play away from goal as well, looking to run past for handball receives when teammates had a free kick, or positioning well outside the contest to swoop on loose balls or handballs from the pack. Whilst there were signs of rust in some of his disposal and decision making under pressure, when he was allowed to run and dispose of the ball in space, Hibbins-Hargreaves was clinical. If he can continue such form, there’s not reason Hibbins-Hargreaves can’t be looked at as an early selection.

#19 JayDe Varlet
Forward | 181cm | 26/07/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 9 marks, 7 inside 50s, 2 goals

Another Stingray to produce some season-best form, Varlet was excellent as one of Dandenong’s main links into the forward half, with his athleticism and marking power helping him be the perfect target coming out of defensive 50. Varlet was able to hold some impressive contested grabs before putting some distance on the ball towards goals, showing some moments of brilliance in the air.

#29 Callum Smith
Midfielder | 189cm | 12/09/2007

Stats: 27 disposals, 6 clearances, 7 inside 50s, 1 goal

As he so often does, Smith accumulated easily and used the ball well, looking particularly dangerous in the front half of the ground where his ability to use the ball on both sides of the body came in handy. Whilst some of his kicking heading forward was impressive, Smith was arguably more damaging with some of his work by hand from the inside, able to spot options through congestion. 

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

Stats: 20 disposals, 10 marks, 8 hitouts, 2 goals

The strong-bodied tall was once again unstoppable in marking contests, where his leading patterns and strength were too much for opposition to deal with. In those situations, he was able to read the cues further afield and do his body work early to get to the fall of the ball first, helping him lead the game with 10 marks. Ah-Mu was competitive as usual when chopping out in the ruck, able to completely control stoppages when he could initiate body contact.

Geelong Falcons 12.6 (78) def. by Eastern Ranges 12.8 (80)

By: Adrian Dixon

GEELONG FALCONS:

#6 Josh Lindsay
Defender | 183cm | 07/04/2007

Stats: 20 disposals, 3 tackles, 3 inside 50s

Returning to the Falcons for just his third appearance of the season after his commitments with Geelong Grammar ended, Lindsay was prolific across half-back. He worked hard alongside Fred Lucas to generate run and drive out of the Falcons’ backline, while also pushing up the ground to deliver inside 50 with his long-left foot kicking. However, he was let down at times by his disposal having made crucial errors which resulted in the ball being turned over for opposition scores. Lindsay did however provide strong tackle pressure when he needed to at key moments in the match to ensure the Ranges didn’t get easy goals.

#10 Hugo Mikunda
Midfielder | 180cm | 13/03/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 4 clearances, 4 rebound 50s

After his 15-disposal effort the previous week representing Werribee at VFL level, Mikunda was strong around the contest. He did his best to get the ball out and fought hard for the footy while providing strong tackle pressure, all of which complimented his skilful work on the outside. Mikunda’s efforts at ground level were crucial in keeping the Falcons in the contest and he used his vision to find teammates with his trademark long handballs. Mikunda’s coverage of the ground was a highlight and would deliver the ball inside 50 dangerously.

#19 Darcy Harrington
Wing | 177cm | 17/11/2008

Stats: 18 disposals, 11 marks, 1 goal

After his strong performance in last weeks Under 17 trial game for Vic Country, Harrington had his best performance for the Falcons amid an injury riddled season. He provided a strong marking option all around the ground for the Falcons with his ability to read the play, while also utilising his pace through the corridor to drive his side forward, taking the game on. With an accurate left-foot kick, Harrington showed a tenacity to fight hard for the footy while also showing his strong tackling and was rewarded for his efforts with a goal at the beginning of the third quarter.

#39 Jack Pickett
Tall Forward | 193cm | 06/03/2008

Stats: 6 disposals, 3 marks, 4 goals

Continuing his exciting form, bottom-ager Pickett started off the game very well for the Falcons by kicking the first two goals. Both came as he broke away on a lead to take his marks and convert from the resulting set shots. Pickett would show a repeat effort later in the quarter to kick his third for the game by quarter time. While he went quiet in patches later in the game, Pickett proved that he is the type of player that doesn’t need a lot of disposals to impact the game. Again, breaking away on a lead in the third quarter, he managed his fourth and final goal of the day by converting his set shot kick on the angle.

EASTERN RANGES:

#9 Josiah Landy
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 27/01/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 9 tackles, 4 clearances

Landy was at the heart of everything that the Ranges did throughout the whole game. Of note were his efforts around the centre contests where he provided the grunt work, with his tough tackling technique and ability to get the ball out cleanly allowing the Ranges to move forward. Landy would also generate run from the contest at times and utilised the kicking angles to locate his teammates around the ground. Landy spent some time up forward and while he didn’t manage to hit the scoreboard, he proved to be dangerous while resting there with his defensive pressure.

#22 Xavier Taylor
Tall Defender | 191cm | 30/01/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles, 5 rebound 50s

Continuing his consistent Coates Talent League form where he is constantly amongst Eastern’s best, Taylor thrived in his usual defensive post. He was exceptional overhead, showcasing his intercepting ability where he was able to run off his opponent and get the ball moving forward with his long kicking coming out of defence. Although Taylor did make some decisions where the ball was crucially turned over as a result, he continued to show resilience by fighting hard against a dangerous Falcons forwardline that posed questions throughout the four quarters.

#23 Jamie Gilchrist
Forward | 185cm | 03/02/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 4 marks, 3 goals

Gilchrist started the game off well, utilising his leading patterns to kick the first two goals for the Ranges. For both scores, he utilised his leading patterns to take marks and nail the set shots from a considerable range with good kicking power. Gilchrist would work hard up the ground to provide an option for the Ranges and showed excellent IQ when squaring up to find Blake Chambers for a set shot on goal. Gilchrist made the most of his opportunities when presented to him and an example of that came when he kicked his third goal for the game from a free kick directly in front of goal.

#26 Oliver Greeves
Midfielder | 191cm | 07/02/2007

Stats: 28 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal

After a slow start to the game, Greeves managed to work his way into the contest during the second quarter where he was much more prominent all around the ground. His vision and composure in traffic were a highlight where he often used his evasiveness, especially his sidestep to put his opponents in two minds. Greeves’ kicking around the ground saw him find teammates by foot cleanly, and his day was capped off when he took a strong mark in the forward pocket and converted from the snap set shot in the pocket for a critical goal in the third quarter.