EASTERN Ranges have made amends for their Round 1 Grand Final rematch loss, defeating Sandringham Dragons by 66 points in their Round 13 clash on Saturday. The Ranges burst out of the blocks with six goals to one in the opening term and consolidated in the second half to take home a comfortably victory. In the midst of the Under 18 National Championships beginning, a smattering of Vic Metro squad members were out to impress. We took note of the top performers from either side.

EASTERN RANGES 6.5 | 8.5 | 11.10 | 15.14 (104)
SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 1.2 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 5.8 (38)

GOALS:
Eastern Ranges: M. Bartlett 4, R. Hoffman 4, J. Flower, L. Martin, B. McMillan, J. Knapp, J. Lewis, H. Ryan, B. Wilson
Sandrigham Dragons: L. Browne 3, R. Nagar, K. Watt

BEST:
Eastern Ranges: M. Bartlett, B. Sruk, M. Gillan, A. Spencer, J. Flower
Sandringham Dragons: H. Wright, J. Noorbergen, M. Matthews, J. Lemon, S. Demetriou

EASTERN RANGES:

#2 Baxter Sruk
Midfielder | 182cm | 18/07/2009

Stats: 24 disposals, 4 marks, 5 inside 50s

The powerful bottom-ager repeatedly separated himself from congestion via bursts of speed and utilised his quick hand-to-foot to spring the Ranges from end to end. Sruk read the ball superbly out of the ruck, meaning he was able to supply his side with possession routinely. He asked a lot of pursuing opponents who ended up either fended-off or shrugged aside. 

#3 Jett Flower
Midfielder | 183cm | 25/05/2009

Stats: 19 disposals, 5 marks, 4 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Flower is putting together a very solid bottom-age campaign. The grandson of Melbourne great Robbie Flower registered the first score of the game with an accurate snap after a ground level collect. He rarely held onto the ball for long, instead choosing to release to unmanned teammates. Even as rain fell, Flower’s efficiency didn’t seem to drop. 

#8 Archie Spencer
Midfielder | 180cm | 24/09/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 clearances

The solidly built onballer delivered another solid showing. You know exactly what you’re getting from Spencer, who is sharp at ground level and always at the drop of the ball at stoppages. He is typically one of the first to swoop on loose ball and his clean hands proved very useful in the second half when conditions worsened, finishing with 18 handballs.

#11 Mitch Gillan
Defender | 181cm | 27/04/2008

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

Leading all-comers for disposals, the lightly built rebounding defender confidently floated around the ground, collecting the ball at will. A mark of his game was his precise ball use from defensive 50 and his competence in hitting up leads. Gillan smartly made his way up the ground in order to supply the Ranges’ forwards via his tidy skills.

#12 Max Bartlett
Midfielder/Forward | 182cm | 14/09/2008

Stats: 31 disposals, 9 marks, 7 inside 50s, 4 goals

Easily best on ground, Bartlett played uninhibited football across the four quarters. He racked up plenty of ball in the forward half and often used it to put the ball in dangerous positions. He was accurate from set shots and didn’t look like missing when given time to steady in front of goal. 

#21 Thomas Krawczyk
Defender | 180cm | 05/07/2009

Stats: 13 disposals, 5 marks, 8 tackles

The small defender impressed once again with his limited opportunities. His lack of size didn’t prevent him from providing significant physical pressure. He laid the equal most tackles on the ground and made them stick each time. While exiting defensive 50, his careful ball use limited the Dragons’ ability to turn the ball over.

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS:

#3 Max Matthews
Defender | 186cm | 01/04/2008

Stats: 23 disposals, 3 tackles, 5 rebound 50s

The rebounding defender provided his side with plenty of energy despite the lopsided scoreboard. He looked to maximise his damage when taking kick-outs by gaining meterage through run and long passes. Matthews tried his best to supply the Dragons with forward momentum through audacious manoeuvres and searing left-foot kicks from the back half of the ground. 

#14 Hudson Wright
Midfielder | 184cm | 02/05/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 5 tackles, 2 inside 50s

The gutsy inside midfielder battled manfully at the coalface. Wright was the Ranges’ biggest impediment at stoppages and a formidable one-on-one opponent. You simply couldn’t question his effort as he scrounged for every disposal and won as much contested ball as anyone on the ground for his endeavour. 

#25 Jasper Noorbergen
Key Defender | 194cm | 27/01/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 6 marks, 8 rebound 50s

Noorbergen played an important role as one of the Dragons’ tallest and sturdiest defenders. He utilised his height to clunk timely intercept marks but still got around the ground swiftly in a manner that belies his decent size. Most impressively, he remained composed in the face of heavy adversity and saved his side from further scoreboard damage. 

#40 Judd Lemon
Midfielder | 181cm | 13/12/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 5 tackles, 3 clearances

In the midst of a difficult opening term, Lemon’s hard-nosed contest work stood out. He was one of the Dragon’s cleanest players when in the midfield, and his quick hands allowed his side to escape scrimmages. The strong-bodied midfielder was also particularly good in the second quarter, helping Sandringham to settle into the contest as a result.