THE BRISBANE Lions Academy improved to 5-1 in its penultimate Talent League outing with a 15-point away win over Gippsland Power. Both sides were in fine shooting form as only a goal separated them after a high-scoring first half, before the Lions began to pull away in term three at La Trobe University.

A pair of Hawthorn-tied prospects showed their wares on either side, with Next Generation Academy member Keenan Boi suiting up for Gippsland and father-son gun Cooper Hodge captaining the Lions. We took note of them, and many more of the top prospects afield in our Scouting Notes.

>> Scouting Notes: Calder vs. Geelong | Eastern vs. Sydney | GWV vs. NT | Bendigo vs. Dandenong

GIPPSLAND POWER:

#7 Keenan Boi (Hawthorn NGA)
Small Forward | 177cm | 03/11/2008

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 2 goals

Electric at his best, Boi produced moments of flair while acting to keep Brisbane’s high-volume half-backs accountable. He worked up the ground and looked to use his pace on the way back to goal, accelerating forward in an instant to burn off opponents. One such instance saw him latch onto the ball on the wing before taking off and banging home a goal from 50. He added a second in the final term after swooping on the loose ball, but can work on ironing out his four-quarter consistency.

#10 Cody Templeton
Midfielder | 180cm | 01/01/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 9 clearances, 1 goal

Templeton did just about everything he could to keep his side in the game, winning more contested ball than anyone else afield. He set the tone with the first centre clearance of the day, bursting away into space and penetrating the forward 50 arc for a direct goal assist. Templeton continued to thrive at the contest with his clean hands and powerful frame, standing up in tackles or having the agility to step around them. His final quarter goal – off another fine stoppage rove – gave the Power one last glimmer of hope. It wasn’t to be, but by no fault of their inspirational skipper. A real competitor.

#16 Oscar Henwood
Midfielder | 185cm | 11/06/2009

Stats: 19 disposals, 6 tackles, 8 clearances, 1 goal

Along with Templeton, Henwood helped drive Gippsland’s clearance advantage with a total of eight, including seven at the centre ball-ups. He was supremely clean when roving the rucks’ taps and looked stylish when able to wheel into space on his favoured left side. Though, being a bottom-ager with some size to put on, he often found himself wrapped up or under pressure to dispose of the ball. Still, Henwood would not be denied as he continued to rack up at the source, even slotting a set shot goal in term three. His class should elevate him to great heights among next year’s crop.

#40 Xavier Ladbrook
Key Forward/Ruck | 201cm | 16/10/2008

Stats: 10 disposals, 5 marks, 5 hitouts, 1 goal

We already know of Ladbrook’s quality as a key defender, so this week served as a reminder of his versatility. The mobile tall found a home up forward and chopped out in the ruck, showcasing the speed and athleticism which have him in first round calculations. He started brightly with a strong mark and goal off the opening centre clearance, and went on to catch the eye with several sharp leads. Ladbrook’s pace off the mark and ability to extend at the ball overhead made him difficult to defend, faring well aerially while still using the ball well in open play. A genuine unicorn.

#41 Clancy Snell
Key Defender | 196cm | 21/08/2008

Stats: 13 disposals, 10 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Seeing Snell put on another marking masterclass brought up memories of Harry Dean’s top-age year. Poised to take up the Carlton draftee’s mantle as Vic Country centre half-back, Snell clunked a whopping six contested grabs among his 10 overall. He read the flight of the ball expertly and wasn’t afraid to put his body on the line, but also engaged in one-on-one jostles and nearly always came out on top. His athleticism and aerial range were impressive, as were his distributive skills.

#42 Jonah Walker
Key Forward/Ruck | 193cm | 16/06/2007

Stats: 10 disposals, 5 marks, 8 hitouts, 2 goals

Few can claim to match Walker for his sheer physicality and the over-ager imposed himself in that domain on Sunday. Spending most of his time up forward, he snapped a pair of goals in the opening half and crashed packs inside 50. He showed good mobility and spring for his size, competing hard in the air both deep and high up the ground. Walker’s love for the contest and team-first attitude were evident in the several big shepherds he applied. As a ruck in the final term, he made continual efforts to drop back and fly or intercept inside defensive 50, giving his all at each contest.

LIONS ACADEMY:

#4 Benjamin Lillico
Midfielder/Forward | 176cm | 09/09/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 clearances, 3 inside 50s

It was another polished performance from Lillico, whose sharp steps and foot skills helped Brisbane connect inside 50. When he wasn’t burrowing in to win contested possessions, the over-ager was often sighted across half-forward where he looked to take ground and make poised decisions upon entering the final third. Lillico had the agility to buy time and wasn’t afraid to wait for options to present, rather than blazing away long. He pounced on errors and was equal parts tough and clean at ground level, making an impact in both roles he played.

#13 Matthew Owen
Midfielder/Forward | 180cm | 01/03/2008

Stats: 24 disposals, 5 marks, 8 tackles, 1 goal

Owen was a more reliable provider to his teammates than most telecom services with his distribution by hand. He found a way to impact in each phase of play, either winning a quick possession at the contest or spreading hard away from it to impact the next passage. Owen was clean and competitive throughout the day, hunting well at ground level and applying several hard tackles which defied his light frame. He needed a little more time and space to be fully effective by foot, but slotted a goal under heavy pressure in the opening term.

#16 Caylen Murray
Defender/Midfielder | 183cm | 03/01/2008

Stats: 28 disposals, 6 marks, 9 inside 50s, 1 goal

Murray ran riot for the Lions and was particularly damaging with a second half switch to midfield. He started in his customary role off half-back, taking up aggressive positions up the ground and hunting handball receives to drive forward on the outside. Murray seemed to always take the ball on the move and used his leg speed to advantage, accelerating with intent at every opportunity. The top-ager showed how damaging he could be with an excellent long goal on the run in term three, and was full of similar creativity throughout the day – feasting when given time and space.

#17 Ethan Duke
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 10/11/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 5 marks, 8 tackles, 2 goals

The Lions had plenty of willing competitors at their disposal and Duke was at the forefront of that list. He showed great core strength and determination to break free at centre stoppages, launching the ball forward off either foot. Duke was also strong in one-on-one contests and recovered the ball at ground level after splitting the aerial duel. His repeat efforts extended to robust tackles which earned him scoring opportunities, ending up with 2.3 and a job well done.

#19 Harrison Bridge
Defender | 182cm | 04/09/2007

Stats: 26 disposals, 5 clearances, 4 inside 50s

Bridge was another whose impact – not output – seemed to lift in the second half. He continued to track forward and lurk on the outside as Brisbane transitioned down the field, but got more bang for his buck as the game wore on. Bridge also showed a willingness to get stuck in on the contested side, proving clean at ground level as he fired off slick handballs. He hardly ever has any trouble finding the ball, but doing so in varied ways helped to showcase a different side to his game.

#21 Cooper Hodge (Hawthorn F/S)
Midfielder | 182cm | 26/07/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 8 marks, 7 tackles

Often going toe-to-toe with opposing captain Templeton, Hodge was typically hard at the contest. He got on the move to rove balls at speed and showed some explosiveness when barrelling out of congestion. The dual club-tied prospect also imposed himself with big hits and punishing tackles, but balanced those acts out by finding more uncontested possessions. His neater foot skills and decision making signalled an intent to take better care of the ball around the ground.

#27 Archie Watts
Wing | 185cm | 30/06/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 7 marks, 5 inside 50s, 3 goals

Yet another of the Lions’ dangerous scoring avenues, Watts also provided plenty of connectivity between the arcs. He booted all three of his goals in the opening term; slotting one on the run, snapping one over his shoulder, and converting a free kick late in the piece. The left-footer went on to become a weapon in transition, working up and down the line to possess the ball in dangerous launch zones. His ability to connect and provide an outlet in space helped the Lions flow forward.

GIPPSLAND POWER 4.0 | 8.1 | 10.3 | 13.6 (84)
LIONS ACADEMY 6.1 | 9.1 | 14.5 | 15.9 (99)

GOALS:
Gippsland Power: A. Finsterer 3, K. Boi 2, J. Walker 2, B. Bibby, J. Froud, O. Henwood, X. Ladbrook, T. Macmillan, C. Templeton
Lions Academy: A. Watts 3, E. Duke 2, J. Grills 2, X. Salvana 2, J. Bridge, T. Hall, Z. Kleinschmidt, C. Murray, M. Owen, A. Prindable

BEST:
Gippsland Power: C. Snell, J. Walker, T. Macmillan, H. Allsop, C. Templeton, K. Boi
Lions Academy: C. Freiberg, C. Hodge, C. Murray, M. Owen, J. Grills, A. Watts

AROUND THE GROUNDS

NORTHERN Knights extended their unblemished start to the season, defeating the Suns Academy by 63 points for a sixth win on the trot. The Knights were wayward on their travels to Carrara, but piled on a whopping 36 scoring shots in the 12.24 (96) to 5.3 (33) victory to remain top of the ladder.

Knights midfielder Harvie Cooke was in the thick of the action with 24 disposals, 10 tackles and six clearances to be named best afield. Meanwhile, tall forwards Harrison Leeder (15 disposals, eight marks, 3.6) and Sam Gayfer (12 disposals, six marks, 2.4) were not short on opportunities in the win. The latter even grabbed headlines with a huge speccy.

Defender Tate Hodgson (17 disposals) was the only one of Northern’s three National Academy members to take the field. Meanwhile, Archie Hill did so for the Suns and was typically prominent with 21 disposals, seven marks, six tackles and a goal. He has spent increasingly more time on the wing and on-ball.

Over-ager Cooper Collins was Gold Coast’s best, amassing a remarkable 42 disposals, seven marks and eight rebound 50s. The result brings the Suns to a 2-4 record with one Talent League appearance left to make, against the Gippsland Power at La Trobe University on Sunday afternoon in Melbourne.

SUNS ACADEMY 2.1 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 5.3 (33)
NORTHERN KNIGHTS 1.4 | 4.10 | 8.16 | 12.24 (96)

GOALS:
Suns Academy: G. Turner 2, J. Callinan, A. Hill, J. Wenzel
Northern Knights: H. Leeder 3, S. Gayfer 2, O. Flanagan, T. Jeffs, T. Krasna, J. Leeson, X. Rowley, J. Tranquilli, C. Woodward

BEST:
Suns Academy: C. Collins, J. Harris, A. Hill, K. Wallace, C. Johnson, J. Callinan
Northern Knights: H. Cooke, J. Borghouts, H. Leeder, X. Rowley, T. Hodgson, T. Krasna