CALDER Cannons were overwhelmingly clinical in their 50-point win over the Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels at Highgate Recreation Reserve on Saturday afternoon. The home side led from go to woah, making better of an equal amount of scoring shots (27) in the 18.9 (117) to 8.19 (67) victory.

A host of club-tied and bottom-age talent starred for the Cannons, headlined by Essendon father-son gun Koby Bewick. The prolific midfielder led all comers with 33 disposals, while fellow 2027 prospect Nathaniel Jenkins impressed with a move to defence, reeling in 10 marks among his 21 touches.

Rebels captain Ethan Drever was relatively subdued but still willed himself to a team-high 26 disposals in the defeat. Meanwhile, forward Archie Elliott converted his chances on an wayward day for his side with four goals. We took note of the top prospects from either side in their Round 22 clash.

CALDER CANNONS 5.4 | 7.7 | 13.9 | 18.9 (117)
GWV REBELS 2.4 | 4.10 | 6.11 | 8.19 (67)

GOALS:
Calder Cannons: T. Lincoln 3, T. Longmire 3, B. Justice 2, C. Robbins 2, T. Rodan 2, L. West 2, M. Darwish, S. Law, J. Watkins, C. White
GWV Rebels: A. Elliott 4, P. McKenna 2, E. Drever, O. Henderson

BEST:
Calder Cannons: K. Bewick, N. Jenkins, G. Holderhead, B. Justice, T. Rodan, M. Darwish
GWV Rebels: E. Drever, A. Elliott, L. Ellerton, P. McKenna, L. Petrie, M. Ward

CALDER CANNONS:

#1 Blake Justice
Midfielder/Forward | 191cm | 29/09/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 marks, 6 clearances, 2 goals

Justice got to show his wares at the contest on Saturday, once again leading Calder for clearances. The tall and athletic utility sparked a strong partnership with Bewick in the early stages, proving to be a capable feeder with his quick and clean hands. Justice was able to absorb pressure when required and looked to exert himself more physically after half time. He also rotated forward and drifted into dangerous space, taking two marks inside 50 to earn both his goals. The second was a gutsy grab going back with the flight. If he can use his speed and foot skills to be a little more dynamic coming away from the contest, he can do plenty of damage.

#3 Nathaniel Jenkins
Key Defender | 196cm | 18/08/2009

Stats: 21 disposals, 10 marks, 9 rebound 50s

Having cut his teeth as a forward and proven his value there, Jenkins was swung to defence this time around. He showed all the same upside behind the ball, reading the play expertly and settling across a high line to intercept at will. The bottom-ager’s mobility, combined with crisp foot skills gave him the look of a much smaller player. Jenkins confidently joined the attack and had moments of flair, but was also prepared to lock down when required, spending time on Toby Hellessey. He has the speed and aerial range to beat just about any tall his age.

#4 Tevita Rodan
Forward/Midfielder | 180cm | 18/02/2009

Stats: 17 disposals, 6 marks, 5 inside 50s, 2 goals

Rodan put together one of his better games in recent weeks, providing plenty of power and speed in the front half. As usual, he worked high up the ground and connected his side into attacking 50, often driving his legs and looking to find that final kick. While his end product was hit-or-miss at times, the bottom-ager made defenders panic through his attacking intent and physicality. One example of that came as he ripped the ball off an opponent in a tackle before slamming home the game’s first goal. For a smaller player, he’s very strong one-on-one.

#5 George Holderhead
Key Defender | 194cm | 11/03/2009

Stats: 11 disposals, 5 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Teaming up with Jenkins down back, Holderhead was a brick wall. He often took the Hellessey matchup and gave his opponents nothing in the air while also competing hard to recover ground balls. Holderhead got into great positions to intercept high up the ground and was also a reliable ‘goalkeeper’ type figure across the last line. He tended to clear the ball quickly and play the percentages, although was a trusted distributor across the back half.

#8 Koby Bewick
Midfielder/Forward | 178cm | 10/01/2009

Stats: 33 disposals, 7 marks, 4 clearances, 4 inside 50s

A player who genuinely runs the show in just about every game he plays, Bewick did exactly that on Saturday. The prolific midfielder was super slick on the inside and showed his deceptive core strength to deny opponents who tried to bring him to ground. He then shone on the outside, showing enormous footy IQ and timing to either find space or become an overlap option and give flow to Calder’s ball movement. Quite often he received the ball on the move and hit a laser-like kick at full tilt. He’s stylish and racks up possessions for fun – 25 uncontested on the weekend.

#9 Moustafa Darwish
Midfielder | 180cm | 07/01/2009

Stats: 31 disposals, 8 marks, 5 inside 50s, 1 goal

Darwish seems to be hard on himself after an error and given he willed himself to 31 disposals after a couple of early mistakes, he knows how to bounce back. The Essendon NGA prospect covered the ground seamlessly, often dropping back to spark transitional ball movement and getting involved as Calder ran in waves. Darwish’s quick hands and combination play caught the eye in several fluent passages of play. One of them ended in him streaming inside 50 to slot a goal in term four. He’s full of creativity and attacks well, albeit sometimes guilty of being too cute.

#10 Isa Merhi
Small Defender | 177cm | 14/05/2009

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

It was a typical Merhi kind of game, with the dashing rebounder showing plenty of dare all day. He set up play from deep but wasn’t afraid to venture high into the attacking half as Calder transitioned from end-to-end. The bottom-ager’s speed and sharp foot skills combined to carve the Rebels up, ensuring Calder’s forwards would be supplied with quick and deep entries.

#20 Jackson Watkins
Forward/Midfielder | 185cm | 04/10/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 5 inside 50s, 1 goal

Watkins produced plenty of eye-catching moments throughout the day, but saved his best for last with a sensational dribble goal from the pocket. The powerful top-ager was made to search high up the ground and used his speed to do damage on the way back to goal, often finishing off with sharp kicks while moving at full tilt. Watkins’ clean hands and core strength to stand in tackles were other key features of his game, playing a high-impact style.

GWV REBELS:

#4 Ethan Drever
Midfielder/Forward | 188cm | 10/07/2008

Stats: 26 disposals, 7 clearances, 1 goal

Calder did a reasonably good job of subduing Drever’s hurt factor, although he still managed to showcase his best traits. The Rebels skipper thrived on the inside, where his wickedly slick hands and innate vision helped to release teammates into space. Despite most of his possessions coming under pressure, Drever found a way to flick the ball out effectively when others would hack it forward or transfer the pressure. He began to find more open grass as the game wore on, surging forward for a couple of his usual forays towards goal but ending up with 1.2.

#8 Toby Hellessey
Key Forward/Defender | 194cm | 01/02/2009

Stats: 12 disposals, 6 marks, 2 behinds

Spending most of the game up forward, Hellessey displayed rare mobility and touch for a player his size. Matched up by fellow bottom-agers Holderhead and Jenkins, he wasn’t given many easy looks in the air so had to get on his bike and present hard to gain separation on the lead. Hellessey did his best to split aerial contests and followed up to either recover the ball or apply pressure. The left-footer missed his pair of set shots but showed good skill in general play and boasts enormous upside. Once he builds the strength to take advantage of his range and athleticism, look out.

#11 Leo Ellerton
Wing | 182cm | 08/08/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 8 marks, 3 inside 50s

Ellerton produced a mixed bag on Saturday, going at around 50 per cent by foot but having some great moments by hand. The smooth moving utility played out on the wing and looked most dangerous when able to get involved in combination play up and down the line. His clean handling was a highlight during the final quarter where he stuck a trio of intercept marks at half-forward before straightening up to hit targets heading back inside 50. His kicking technique was stylish, although finding teammates early in the piece wasn’t easy.

#14 Archie Elliott
Forward | 182cm | 10/08/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 11 marks, 7 inside 50s, 4 goals

Now just one major off the league’s leading goalkicker spot, Elliott added four to his tally on Saturday. He was clinical on a day where his teammates couldn’t find the target as easily, booting 4.1 and showing great power in his set shots. Elliott found success on the lead and tended to play a little taller, presenting as a strong overhead marker. His speed also translated to lively open play passages and pressure acts inside 50. He had a brief run on-ball before half time but was most impactful within range of goal.