IT WAS the Murray Bushrangers who capitalised early in breezy conditions at Highgate Recreation Reserve on Sunday. Kicking with the wind, the Bushrangers kicked four goals to zero in the opening quarter, but Tasmania managed the conditions far better as the game wore on to storm home in the final term.

A crucial third quarter for the Devils set up their fast finish, holding the Bushrangers to just two goals with the wind while also matching that tally while kicking into the wind. The result marked the Bushrangers’ 11th loss of the season, while the Devils enjoyed their first win in nearly a month.

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS 4.5 | 6.9 | 8.13 | 8.14 (62)
TASMANIA DEVILS 0.2 | 4.6 | 6.9 | 11.13 (79)

GOALS:
Murray Bushrangers: J. Mellington 2, C Webster 2, A. Everett, H. Howells. J. Snelling, A. Whitlock
Tasmania Devils: T. Bearman 6, M. Gulliver 2, M. Brown, L. Heazlewood, T. Thomas

BEST:
Murray Bushrangers: M. Calleja, L. Brand, R. Ash, A. Whitlock, K. Hadley, J. Hewitt
Tasmania Devils: T. Bearman, M. Gulliver, N. Hedger, J. Morrison, O. Freeland, C. Bovill

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS:

#7 Lincoln Brand
Midfielder | 188cm | 16/05/2009

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

The bottom-ager has the frame and size of a top-ager. His in-and-under contest work, clean hands and ability to get from contest-to-contest are traits that make him a fantastic inside player. He covers the ground well, frequently popping up in forward and defensive halves to provide a ball-winning body for his team. However, his kicking could have used a little more precision. On occasion, his passes fell to either 50-50 contests or were disadvantageous to teammates.

#11 Jackson Hewitt
Midfielder/Defender | 182cm | 19/03/2008

Stats: 32 disposals, 9 clearances, 7 rebound 50s

Hewitt’s performance highlighted his main strength – his accumulation. But what was particularly impressive is that Hewitt conjured many ways to find the footy. Whether it was link-up play around the ground or clearance work around stoppage, Hewitt was incredibly noticeable with ball in hand. He proved to be a very tidy player too, looking clean below his knees, rarely fumbling and making good decisions. He and Brand were two players who consistently extracted the footy for their outside runners.

#26 Eamon Hyde
Defender | 189cm | 21/02/2010

Stats: 13 disposals, 5 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Despite having a quiet start to the match, the Under 16 All-Australian worked himself into the game as it went on. Hyde read the ball nicely throughout the contest and really attacked the ball aerially. He ended with five marks playing as the last line of defence in a ‘goalkeeper’ type role. Like many other players, he found a little trouble kicking into the breeze, with the young gun’s decision making and execution among his areas for growth over the next couple of years.

TASMANIA DEVILS:

#4 Charlie Bovill
Key Defender | 193cm | 30/03/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 9 marks, 4 rebound 50s

The strong-bodied defender was at his aerial best throughout the game. Bovill often used his ability to read the play as well as his frame and size to outmuscle opponents in marking contests, frequently resulting in intercept marks. His performance was a real catalyst for Tassie’s comeback, as his intercepting allowed the Devils to launch off half-back and keep the ball in the front half of their ground more often.

#5 Jake Beams
Defender | 181cm | 22/12/2009

Stats: 26 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 5 rebound 50s

Beams enjoyed a really positive game, with his link-up play and sharp ball use a feature off half-back. It’s clear that Tassie trusts him to kickstart their defensive half transition, with handball receives a common part of his game as well as occasionally taking kick-ins. Despite only standing at 181cm, Beams was more than competitive aerially, taking some nice overhead marks alongside some strong spoils. Despite that, an area for improvement would be his physicality, with Beams crucially letting slip on a tackle which allowed Murray to score.

#6 Archie Devine
Defender | 181cm | 13/02/2008

Stats: 32 disposals, 5 marks, 4 rebound 50s

The Devine-Beams combo is a dangerous half-back pairing for any opposition to worry about. Taking the majority of kick-ins, Devine’s run and carry proved a real asset not only to his game, but also to how the Devils moved the ball. Every time the ball was in Devine’s hands, he was eager to make something happen – whether it was through line-breaking speed or precision kicking.

#13 Thomas Bearman
Forward | 181cm | 19/07/2009

Stats: 12 disposals, 6 marks, 6 goals

This performance encapsulated Bearman as a human highlight reel. His aerial presence early on was paramount, clunking some impressive marks. Most notably in the second term, Bearman took a great contested mark where the ball was kicked disadvantageously to him, but he pushed back hard into his opponent, palmed it down and snatched it on the second grab. His fourth goal was a clutch set shot from the boundary right on 50 metres to give the Devils the lead in the last term. To top that, his fifth major was a composed snap from the boundary off one step, and his sixth sealed the game in a massive day for the bottom-ager. While everyone was playing in tough breezy conditions, Bearman made it look easy.

#16 Max Gulliver (Tasmania Devils)
Midfielder/Forward | 178cm | 04/11/2009

Stats: 25 disposals, 7 marks, 8 inside 50s, 2 goals

Gulliver’s attack and appetite for the contest were on display for the Devils. Early on, he had some really explosive breakaways from stoppage that propelled Tassie forward. When the game was in general play, Gulliver often showcased his speed and dare in eye-catching passages. He kicked a fantastic running goal from outside 50 with the breeze to kickstart the Devils’ comeback in the last. Defensively, Gulliver is constantly chasing and shows a willingness to manoeuvre opponents off the footy so he can win the ground ball.