THE SYDNEY Swans Academy completed an unlikely comeback against the Northern Territory to complete its Under 16 National Championships on a winning note. Having trailed all day and by as many as 32 points late in term three, the Swans piled on five unanswered final-quarter goals at the scoring end to win by seven points in Southport.

NT midfielder Gary Lawford helped set up his side’s early ascendancy with three goals in the opening term, but could not quite help his side hold on. The result sees Sydney claim a 1-2 record, while the Northern Territory cruelly finished winless despite arguably being the better side in their last two encounters on the Gold Coast.

NORTHERN TERRITORY 5.4 | 6.4 | 10.8 | 10.10 (70)
SWANS ACADEMY 1.2 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 11.11 (77)

GOALS:
Northern Territory: G. Lawford 3, H. Timms 2, L. Case, L. Howie, D. Parfitt, O. Rivas, J. Sambo
Swans Academy: D. Dametto 2, N. Keam 2, B. Lampret 2, S. Millington 2, H. Hawes, P. McMahon, O. Turner

BEST:
Northern Territory: G. Lawford, H. Timms, D. Mbemap, L. Howie, J. Sambo, D. Oliver
Swans Academy: N. Keam, D. Dametto, O. Sheridan, S. Millington, O. Turner, P. McMahon

MVPs:
Northern Territory: Billy Brown
Swans Academy: Noah Keam

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NORTHERN TERRITORY:

#7 Jaren Sambo
Forward/Midfielder | 184cm | 19/04/2009

Stats: 10 disposals, 6 tackles, 1 goal

The type of player who can impact in bursts, Sambo had his best moments during the second term. He made a menace of himself inside forward 50, using his speed and power to lay crunching rundown tackles – one of which led to his only goal. Sambo also displayed a strong set of hands and was dangerous when able to drive his legs out the back. A fierce, aggressive forward half prospect.

#16 Hugo Timms
Key Forward/Ruck | 196cm | 17/12/2009

Stats: 16 disposals, 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 2 goals

Backing up an MVP-winning campaign last year, Timms was once again his side’s focal point up forward. The mobile tall presented hard up the ground and provided a contest to bring the NT’s smalls into play. He was also capable of following up from marking contests, crumbing for two goals at the base of packs deep inside 50 during the third quarter. Timms added another layer to his game by rotating through the ruck, where his leap and competitiveness continued to shine.

#17 Daniel Mbemap
Ruck | 185cm | 03/12/2010

Stats: 10 disposals, 4 marks, 21 hitouts

While outgunned in terms of pure height in the ruck, Mbemap cut the difference with a spring-heeled and enthusiastic leap. He competed well in the air all across the ground, either standing his base or flying into marking contests with his usual athleticism. Mbemap also showed an ability to follow up at ground level, winning secondary possessions and tackling well early on.

#23 Gary Lawford
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 02/05/2009

Stats: 18 disposals, 6 tackles, 4 clearances, 3 goals

Lawford made an electric start to the game, kicking three goals within the first 15 minutes to give his side an early buffer. All three were moments of pure magic, including a running burst out of the opening ball-up. His power and trickery were on display as he slipped out of tackles and baulked his way into space, crafting dangerous opportunities out of nothing. While perhaps guilty of biting off more than he could chew at times, Lawford’s skills were brilliant and he made his presence felt with several crunching defensive efforts. He wanted to be the player to drive the NT to victory.

#24 Lane Howie
Forward | 186cm | 06/04/2011

Stats: 11 disposals, 3 marks, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

An impressive bottom-ager in the NT’s ranks, Howie helped divert some attention away from Timms up forward. He worked hard to provide a connective marking target up the ground, often gaining separation from his opponent and attacking the ball hard. Howie marked well with his hands out in front to boot his lone goal in the opening term, playing slightly taller than his height would suggest.

SWANS ACADEMY:

#5 Dominic Dametto
Midfielder | 173cm | 02/02/2010

Stats: 28 disposals, 5 rebound 50s, 2 goals

It was a busy performance from Dametto, whose quick feet and clean hands served him well in midfield. The diminutive ball winner showed great agility and craft to find his way out of packs, driving his legs to get to the outside and launch forward. His distributive skills were classy and he worked hard to provide the same kind of energy around the ground. Dametto also impacted the scoreboard, finishing nicely with his second goal being the one to put Sydney ahead late on.

#10 Patrick McMahon
Midfielder | 173cm | 25/09/2010

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 tackles, 3 clearances, 1 goal

McMahon worked his way into the contest, balancing his inside qualities with an ability to find possessions on the spread. His hunt and tackle pressure at stoppage were typically present, with the midfielder’s compact frame serving him well in close quarters. He made repeat efforts to win the ball and feed it out to teammates, but also took the moment on himself to wheel around and boot an important goal during the final term.

#14 Oliver Turner
Midfielder | 178cm | 25/06/2010

Stats: 16 disposals, 5 clearances, 1 goal

Another of the Swans’ prominent midfielders who helped drive their clearance ascendancy, Turner showed dynamism in his ball-winning efforts. He often looked to take possession at speed and use his momentum to accelerate out of packs, doing so in powerful bursts. While that sometimes led to dump kicks which cleared congestion, Turner was also able to absorb pressure and release teammates by hand. He was another Swan who popped up with a goal in the final quarter to apply scoreboard pressure.

#19 Noah Keam
Midfielder | 182cm | 02/01/2010

Stats: 26 disposals, 7 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 2 goals

A deserving MVP winner, Keam was once again central to Sydney’s success. He showed a wide skillset in midfield; able to absorb pressure or break tackles, remaining clean and poised at stoppage, and working hard to accumulate on the outside. His timing and smarts to demand overlap handballs were terrific, complimenting his clearance dominance. The cherry on top was Keam’s ability to sneak forward and score, sealing the game with his second goal in the dying stages. Before that came a clutch holding-the-ball tackle and booming forward-50 entry to gain territory.

#22 Oliver Sheridan
Defender | 179cm | 01/01/2010

Stats: 32 disposals, 5 marks, 3 tackles

Sheridan was his productive self in the Swans’ defence, leading all comers with 32 disposals. He kickstarted and continued his side’s transitional play, directing traffic from the kick-ins and seeking to take ground where possible. He seemed to have his hands on everything as Sydney won possession back inside defensive 50, but also took the opportunity to advance up the field and drive the ball deep. Sheridan’s positioning and play-reading were key reasons why he was so prolific.

#31 Spencer Millington
Forward/Ruck | 186cm | 18/06/2010

Stats: 21 disposals, 5 marks, 6 tackles, 2 goals

A competitive aerial player, Millington provided a mobile connective target while also getting his hands dirty at ground level. He had a say in several scoring chains either by launching the ball inside 50 or applying pressure to force repeat chances closer to goal. Millington booted a major himself to kickstart Sydney’s final quarter revival, faring well upon being swung forward for this game.

#37 Rasmus Borg
Ruck | 195cm | 04/09/2010

Stats: 11 disposals, 21 hitouts, 5 inside 50s

As he usually does, Borg imposed himself with some strong ruckwork while importantly dropping back to support the defence. He was consistently able to impact aerially, standing tall under long entries and splitting packs to help his side win back possession. Borg’s intercept ability was also useful when Sydney looked to lock the ball in its attacking half. He sent it forward with no nonsense.