CALDER Cannons kicked away to a 65-point victory over the Northern Territory Academy in Thursday night’s standalone clash to close out Round 5. The home side was littered with bottom-age talent, albeit undermanned, and led at every break in the 14.22 (106) to 6.5 (41) victory in Craigieburn.

Despite inaccuracy in front of goal, the Cannons straightened up in the final term with six goals to one to inflate their winning margin. They ended up with a whopping 36 scoring shots to the NT’s 11, setting up their second win of the season. The NT will regroup before facing Bendigo on Sunday afternoon.

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

CALDER CANNONS 1.7 | 5.12 | 8.18 | 14.22 (106)
NORTHERN TERRITORY 1.3 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 (41)

GOALS:
Calder Cannons: N. Jenkins 4, M. Darwish 2, T. Rodan 2, J. Barber, B. Crook, T. Longmire, J. Naim, C. Roberts, C. Tudor
Northern Territory: S. Smiler 2, N. Bourke-Miler, M. Le Rossignol, P. McAuliffe-Smith, T. Sartori

BEST:
Calder Cannons: A. Abdallah, I. Merhi, M. Darwish, T. Rodan, N. Jenkins, G. Holderhead
Northern Territory: J. Boulton, B. Barnard, S. Smiler, F. Tipungwuti, N. Lampton, I. Thomson

>> Scouting Notes: Oakleigh vs. Tasmania | Northern Academies

CALDER CANNONS:

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

A bottom-ager who is no stranger to booting bunches of goals, Jenkins spearheaded Calder’s win. While he spent time up on the wing, the large majority of his impact came when situated deep inside 50. There, Jenkins showed his smarts and agility to react to the incoming ball, finding pockets of space to mark. He extended well overhead and bagged nearly all of his goals via snaps, showing great dexterity on his favoured left side.

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

Essendon NGA & Port Adelaide F/S

It was a powerful performance from Rodan, who got to show is explosive streak with ample opportunity inside forward 50. The dual club-tied prospect was clean in the air and at ground level, while proving difficult to tie down once he had collected the ball. Rodan’s turn of speed and strong frame saw him shake off tacklers as he manufactured a way towards goal, finishing with two for the night. His second was a classy checkside from the pocket.

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

Essendon NGA

A capable wingman and forward, Darwish was unleashed in midfield where he still found a way to sneak into scoring positions. The Essendon NGA prospect provided spurts of run and was sharp in tight spaces, flicking out flashy handballs at all angles. On the outside, he helped link into attack and bagged two classy goals using either side of his foot. He’s the type of player who only needs a moment of opportunity to score, and certainly hunts for them.

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

Merhi was full of run on Thursday, putting speed on the ball at every opportunity. He played the high back role with vigour, linking up between the arcs and providing a threat on the overlap. Merhi’s run-and-carry was capped off by creative ball use and an ability to launch the ball deep, ensuring each venture up the field would help give Calder the opportunity to score.

#18 Charlie Tudor
Defender/Wing | 178cm | 29/05/2009

Another prospect among Calder’s promising bunch of bottom-agers, Tudor certainly caught the eye with his dash and dare. While prone to errors when moving at speed, he backed himself to break the lines and put Calder on the front foot. Even despite spending a lot of time down back, he had no problem sneaking inside 50 and continuing to track his side’s transitional play with a hunger to be involved. His constant end-to-end passages and raw pace made him exciting to watch.

#27 Jack Dodorico
Small Defender | 179cm | 30/05/2008

Dodorico was a settling influence down back, distributing the ball with a new level of composure. The top-ager mopped up and intercepted across Calder’s defensive half, proving gutsy when competing overhead. His ball use was sound by foot, firstly having the agility to find space and execute properly, and then pulling off sharp kicks with assuredness. Quite a mature performance.

NORTHERN TERRITORY ACADEMY:

#4 Malakai Le Rossignol (Rovers/South Adelaide)
Small Forward | 180cm | 30/07/2008

It was a pretty handy small forward’s game from Le Rossignol, whose movement and evasiveness were difficult to handle. The opportunistic talent slotted a nice goal on the run in the opening quarter but also impressed with his work up the ground. He provided an connective option between the arcs and handled the ball neatly, before coming to life with his lively turn of foot.

#6 Sonny Smiler (Wanderers)
Forward/Midfielder | 176cm | 20/10/2008

Still fairly fresh off his National Academy duties, Smiler hit the scoreboard for the NT as a forward-turned-midfielder. He started in attack and didn’t need an invitation to shoot on goal, swinging onto his left foot at every opportunity. The top-ager burst out of a scramble to slot his second quarter goal and showcased great agility throughout the night. He looked dangerous when swooping on the ground ball with clean hands and eye-catching lateral movement.

#7 Nathaniel Lampton (Pioneer/Palmerston)
Defender/Midfielder | 177cm | 04/11/2008

A productive outside runner, Lampton propelled his side forward at all costs on Thursday. He provided great support in wide areas, taking the ball at speed and carrying his momentum into attack. His side-step was a great tool to free up space to run into, making that transitional run all the more possible. Despite being lightly framed, Lampton wasn’t afraid to get stuck in with a tackle and even had a run on-ball having previously featured off half-back and the wing.

#9 Benjamin Barnard (Southern Districts/Sturt)
Defender | 182cm | 26/03/2008

With Calder kicking 22 behinds, Barnard had plenty to do as the NT’s main distributor from defence. He took on the responsibility with aplomb, displaying high-level foot skills and to pick out targets with good range and penetration. Barnard’s stylish technique made to good viewing on the restarts, and he found ways to impact through the corridor. There, he peeled off nicely to be an option inboard who could launch the ball long into attack. Barnard also showed his hardness with tackle and intercept efforts, while proving nimble with ball in hand. An excellent playmaker.

#16 Ian Thomson (Katherine/Glenelg)
Key Forward | 197cm | 22/11/2008

One of a good few NT prospects who also plies his trade in South Australia, Thomson played with presence up forward. Teaming up with over-ager Taj Murray, he hit up nicely on the lead and made use of whatever delivery came his way – in the air or on the deck – with a clean set of hands. Thomson’s mobility was evident and he was quite skilful when dishing the ball off across half-forward, proving a vital connection piece as his side looked to venture inside 50.

#30 Jaxon Boulton (Palmerston)
Key Defender | 194cm | 13/05/2008

While the final margin was blown out in term four, things would likely have been much worse if not for Boulton’s presence down back. The top-age tall was incredibly solid, proving difficult to beat one-on-one and clunking a series of strong intercept marks. His physicality and clean hands were key features throughout the game, as he snuffed out plenty of dangerous Calder entries.