GEELONG Falcons finished their home-and-away campaign on a high, raiding Tasmania with an 18-point win over the Devils at Windsor Park on Saturday. In what was a spiteful contest at times, both teams cracked in hard but it was the visitors who led at every break en route to a 15.5 (95) to 11.11 (77) victory.

Despite the result, Geelong finished in 11th place overall with a 4-10-1 record, good enough for fifth in the Country conference. Tasmania is in the same pool, placing third to set up a Wildcard Round meeting with Bendigo at home. The Falcons will take on Greater Western Victoria in Bundoora.

We took note of the top prospects and performers from either side.

TASMANIA DEVILS 3.3 | 6.5 | 9.7 | 11.11 (77)
GEELONG FALCONS 5.1 | 7.2 | 12.3 | 15.5 (95)

GOALS:
Tasmania Devils: T. Bearman 4, J. Morrison 2, M. Young 2, C. Barwick, O. Freeland, T. Geappen
Geelong Falcons: A. Daffy 4, A. Chamberlain 3, Z. Stevens 3, V. Rahilly 2, H. Andrews, J. Elek, O. Roydhouse

BEST:
Tasmania Devils: J. Beams, M. Gulliver, S. Husband, T. Geappen, T. Bearman, M. Young
Geelong Falcons: D. Harrington, A. Daffy, Z. Stevens, N. Mensch, J. Elek, N. Williams

TASMANIA DEVILS:

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

Stats: 27 disposals, 8 marks, 8 rebound 50s

It was a typically high-volume, high-production game from Beams. The dashing half-back took ground when possible and looked to do damage with his foot skills and relentless attacking intent. While still relatively lightly built, Beams showed plenty of guts to compete and win aerial contests, becoming a terrific interceptor with his aggressive positioning up the ground. That added layer of contested determination complimented his usual outside style nicely.

#9 Sam Husband
Midfielder | 178cm | 17/09/2009

Stats: 16 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 clearances

Husband teamed up with Max Gulliver to provide a handy inside-outside balance in Tasmania’s midfield. He absorbed pressure well, showing clean hands and core strength to stand in tackles or apply some of his own in the clinches. His power then translated to the outside where he could break into space and help connect the lines with his punchy foot skills.

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

Stats: 10 disposals, 3 marks, 4 goals

Another of Tasmania’s promising bottom-agers, Bearman cashed in with six scoring shots in a hotly contested defeat. He fared best as a lead-up target, proving adept at taking sliding marks just as readily as he would dominate in the air. As he seems to do each week, he rose for a sensational pack mark in the third term to further prove his ability to play taller than his height would suggest. His finishing was generally sound, too, particularly from set shot opportunities.

#16 Max Gulliver
Midfielder | 178cm | 04/11/2009

Stats: 20 disposals, 5 marks, 5 clearances

After dominating last year’s Under 16 championships, Gulliver is building into much of the same form at Under 18 level. The crash-and-bash style midfielder constantly looked to explode out of stoppage, bursting through tackles and driving his legs before launching long kicks forward. While his end product wavered at times, his ability to put Tasmania on the front foot was important. On top of his hardened contested game, Gulliver also spread well to accumulate on the outside.

#21 Tom Geappen
Wing/Forward | 182cm | 28/07/2008

Stats: 14 disposals, 7 tackles, 1 goal

Alongside the likes of Miller Young and Campbell Barwick, Geappen operated along the wing with stints up forward. His clean handling was a standout feature both at ground level and overhead, allowing the top-ager to have an impact at contest or with his marking around the ground. Geappen also tackled hard, wrapping up opponents to make his presence felt and offsetting that hard edge with some finessed ball use heading forward. He even got on the scoreboard in term one.

#36 Campbell Barwick
Wing/Forward | 182cm | 19/03/2010

Stats: 10 disposals, 5 marks, 1 goal

One of the standouts in Tasmania’s 2010 crop, Barwick has made a promising entry to the Talent League. The speedy utility started brightly on Saturday, getting involved in several scores with his precise foot skills and composed decision making. For a player his age, his ability to calmly identify and hit targets in dangerous positions was outstanding. Barwick’s lone goal saw him show his raw speed while chasing a ball over the back, and he was able to cause Geelong headaches in bursts.

GEELONG FALCONS:

#2 Zach Stevens
Forward | 183cm | 06/07/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 3 goals

Stevens has impressed every time he has donned the Falcons colours, via South Barwon and Geelong VFL. The over-ager slotted the first and last goals of the game with two polished finishes on the run, showing a great deal of class. He had plenty more chances with set shots and snaps, but couldn’t quite convert from tougher angles. Stevens was otherwise adept at connecting the midfield and forward line, using his speed to take ground and foot skills to be incisive heading inside 50.

#3 Archie Daffy (Richmond F/S)
Forward/Midfielder | 175cm | 24/09/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 7 clearances, 4 goals

Daffy cashed in with four goals for the Falcons, showing great smarts and speed along the way. The Richmond father-son hopeful swooped at ground level and used his goal sense to snap home crafty conversions, looking at his best within close proximity to the big sticks. He looked to accelerate out of stoppage and launch long when working through midfield, racking up seven clearances to compound his impact across both roles.

#4 Darcy Harrington
Midfielder/Forward | 176cm | 17/11/2008

Stats: 23 disposals, 8 clearances, 7 inside 50s

Part of Geelong’s mosquito fleet of midfielders, Harrington stood out with his slick clearance work and quick feet. The diminutive and tough ball winner was robust on the inside, riding contact and applying pressure at stoppage. He looked most dangerous when able to rove the ball on the move and accelerate forward before delivering inside 50. Harrington’s end product wavered under pressure throughout the day, but he constantly launched the ball from dangerous positions.

#5 Noah Williams
Midfielder/Forward | 177cm | 22/01/2008

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 tackles, 5 clearances

Returning to the fold for his first Talent League appearance since Round 3, Williams’ output was steady. He was certainly up for the scrap, flying the flag for teammates and getting into the face of opponents throughout. The first round prospect contrasted his aggression with classy ball use, particularly when looking for targets inside 50. The tough midfielder drew attention and won the ball as a result, using his quick feet to get out of trouble.

#25 Jett Elek
Ruck/Key Forward | 201cm | 17/04/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 24 hitouts, 1 goal

Elek was simply too big and strong in the ruck, using his size advantage to comfortably get first hand to the ball. He also followed up strongly and did well to keep his hands free under pressure, acting like a fourth midfielder at stoppage. While the over-ager didn’t register a mark, he was prepared to crash contests and kicked a ripping snap goal from long-range to highlight his raw talent. He looked up for the scrap when competing in the air.

#36 Nate Mensch (Geelong F/S)
Key Forward/Ruck | 196cm | 11/03/2009

Stats: 14 disposals, 7 marks, 27 hitouts

Along with Elek, Mensch dominated in the ruck against an undersized but game opponent. He leapt with vigour and plenty of athleticism while also showing strong bodywork to thrive at centre ball-ups and around the ground. The bottom-ager also worked hard to connect as a marking target across centre half-forward and showed great mobility to impact aerially in all parts of Windsor Park.