BAXTER Sruk‘s golden goal has seen Eastern Ranges knock off the Northern Knights in a dramatic Wildcard Round encounter on Sunday morning. In what was a meeting between the minor and reigning premiers, the latter prevailed having been the better side for much of the day at Preston City Oval.

Eastern led the low-scoring armwrestle by 15 points heading into three-quarter time, but looked certain to be overrun as Northern piled on five goals in the opening 10 minutes of term four. Braces from Logan Shepherd and Sam Gayfer gave the Knights a 15-point buffer of their own.

Star prospect Harrison Chapman then gave the Ranges a sniff with his remarkable checkside goal from the tightest of angles, before a Hunter Ryan behind levelled the scores with 25 seconds of regulation time left. In a rare golden point scenario, Sruk was the hero who delivered Eastern an unlikely win.

The result sees both sides move on to the quarter-final stage, with Northern progressing as the highest ranked loser in the Metro conference. The Knights will go on to face Sandringham at Preston City Oval on Saturday, while Eastern takes on Oakleigh in Ballarat on Sunday.

NORTHERN KNIGHTS 4.3 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 10.5 (65)
EASTERN RANGES 2.1 | 4.6 | 7.8 | 10.11 (71)

GOALS:
Northern Knights: S. Gayfer 3, L. Shepherd 3, S. Caruso, H. Cooke, J. Tranquilli, H. Van Hattum
Eastern Ranges: H. Chapman 2, R. McConnell 2, B. Sruk 2, R. Hoffman, J. Lewis, H. Ryan, B. Wilson

BEST:
Northern Knights: T. Krasna, H. Cooke, S. Gayfer, H. Van Hattum, L. Shepherd, H. Lawrence
Eastern Ranges: B. Sruk, B. Wilson, Z. Antonellos, H. Chapman, S. Devers, M. Krasnadamskis

NORTHERN KNIGHTS:

#3 Toby Krasna
Midfielder | 182cm | 28/02/2008

Stats: 27 disposals, 6 clearances, 6 inside 50s

One of the best and most polished players afield, Krasna impressed with his inside-outside capabilities. The midfielder was clean and tough at the contest, able to extract his own ball while using his agility to navigate paths into space. He also looked to use his speed to take ground before dealing damage by foot, delivering some searing passes heading inside 50. While lightly framed, his gutsiness and touch were top notch throughout the day.

#5 Harvie Cooke
Midfielder/Forward | 176cm | 12/04/2008

Stats: 27 disposals, 7 clearances, 1 goal

As has been the case for much of the season, Cooke was made to do plenty of grunt work in Northern’s engine room, getting busy at stoppages with 14 contested possessions. Like Krasna, he handled the ball cleanly and looked to drive it forward through sheer will, either bursting through tackles or dishing the ball out under pressure. He seemed to always get a hand in on loose balls and competed typically hard all day. His crowning moment was a terrific take and spin en route to a team-lifting goal late in term three.

#9 Logan Shepherd
Forward/Midfielder | 182cm | 18/07/2008

Stats: 11 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 3 goals

Shepherd looked like being one of the heroes for Northern as he slammed home two goals among his side’s run of five to start the fourth quarter. His back-to-back majors helped snatched the lead, striking the ball so purely from both set shots. The top-ager also showcased a strong set of hands both at stoppage and in marking contests, looking every bit a natural footballer with his neat fundamental skills. His size and ability to hit the scoreboard as a rotating mid were invaluable.

#15 Lewis Houndsome
Key Forward/Ruck | 198cm | 29/05/2008

Stats: 12 disposals, 3 tackles, 12 hitouts

While Northern’s talls had a hard time sticking their grabs at times, Houndsome was willing to compete. Perhaps the most impressive facet of his game was his ground level pressure, applying punishing tackles and dishing out hits to help impose his physicality. The towering tall also showed a strong leap at the centre ball-ups and used his body to advantage around the ground, providing ample fold in the ruck. He hardly got a clean look at it up forward though, taking only one mark.

#18 Sam Gayfer
Key Forward | 194cm | 21/05/2008

Stats: 11 disposals, 5 marks, 3 goals

Gayfer looked far and away Northern’s most threatening tall forward, fighting through a tough matchup to reel in five marks (two contested) and boot three goals. While the forwardline was crowded at times, he extended well overhead and showed a strong set of hands to provide a focal point inside 50. Gayfer’s leading patterns were sound and he was just as capable once the ball hit the deck, although should really have ended up with a bag of four or five majors. He’s often a fast starter, which helped on Sunday.

#20 Harry Van Hattum
Ruck/Key Forward | 205cm | 01/07/2008

Stats: 18 disposals, 19 hitouts, 8 clearances, 1 goal

Van Hattum once again produced strong numbers as Northern’s primary ruck, showcasing his ability to prolifically win hits and clearances. He was prepared to get stuck in at the contest, often ending up on all fours in pursuit of the pill. The mobile tall was impactful when Northern shifted out of stoppage by hand, moving like a fourth midfielder and covering the ground beautifully out-of-possession. He could perhaps have been a little stronger and more active in the air though, positioning well down the line but failing to consistently clunk his marks as the biggest player out there. Despite that, he certainly played with aggression and wasn’t afraid to pick a fight.

EASTERN RANGES:

#2 Baxter Sruk
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 18/07/2009

Stats: 23 disposals, 4 marks, 4 inside 50s, 2 goals

A player who thrives on the big moments, Sruk did exactly that to snap home the winning goal in added time. The left-footed dynamo is always a goal threat and sealed credentials by delivering six points when Eastern only needed one. He consistently looked to gain possession in dangerous areas, helping launch the ball long inside 50 to stamp his mark in the attacking phase. Doing so required a strong work ethic which Sruk showed throughout, while his clean handling and compact frame proved useful at the coalface. He’s difficult to contain both inside and out.

#6 Brodie Wilson
Wing/Forward | 177cm | 03/02/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal

Having mostly cut his teeth as a creative small forward, Wilson started up on the wing. His work rate shone in that role, dropping back to support the defence while still becoming a threat when his side attacked. The lightly-framed prospect was evasive with ball in hand, looking to craft clever kicks around the corner and set up scoring opportunities. He also found pockets of space around the ground and was an outlet for teammates under pressure, even sneaking free inside 50.

#7 Jordan Knapp
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 05/01/2008

Stats: 24 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 clearances

In what seemed like a relatively quiet game for Knapp’s standards, he still managed to lead his side for disposals with 24. He looked to use his speed and agility when exiting stoppage, either swooping on the ball or latching onto handball receives to begin dictating play from the middle. The skipper spent plenty of time forward but was thrown back into the guts at the start of term four and once again proved his ability to lift when the game is up for grabs.

#8 Archie Spencer
Midfielder | 181cm | 24/09/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 5 marks, 5 tackles

It was another industrious outing from Spencer, who worked hard and was typically slick by hand. In turn, that perhaps meant he lacked the hurt factor of others by foot, but he played to his strengths. Spencer’s tackle pressure and hardness at the contest lived up to the stakes, playing as if there was no tomorrow. His stoppage craft and positioning were also sound, allowing him access to the ball while remaining wary of his direct opponent. He’s a player who makes others better.

#14 Zac Antonellos
Forward/Midfielder | 181cm | 04/04/2008

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 marks, 5 tackles

Antonellos is a player with plenty of tricks, but the hard edge to match. He brought that toughness to the contest and was super clean in close quarters, while proving just as agile to manufacture creative exit disposals. His evasiveness was also useful closer to goal, where Antonellos wasn’t afraid to step out and have a ping at the big sticks. His ability to connect the ground as a high forward while also absorbing pressure and generating energy on the inside is outstanding.

#15 Charlie Nash
Key Defender | 193cm | 20/05/2008

Stats: 8 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 3 rebound 50s

It wasn’t necessarily a high-volume game from Nash, but he showed glimpses of his promising traits as an athletic tall defender. He matched up on Harrison Leeder at times but played quite loose in the back 50, using his mobility to impact aerial contests and rebound the ball quickly. He wasn’t afraid to venture high up the ground to attack, perhaps playing more like a small rather than a genuine key position player. He had a jumper change to number 52 after the two sides engaged in a heated scuffle heading into three-quarter time.

#16 Harrison Chapman
Wing/Forward | 189cm | 06/01/2008

Stats: 12 disposals, 4 marks, 2 goals

Without Chapman’s moment of brilliance late in the piece, Eastern does not win this game. The classy wingman slotted a miraculous checkside goal hemmed in on the boundary to put his side within a point of Northern, just when all hope seemed lost. He had been bubbling away as a threat in the attacking phase, often timing his runs to peel off into space and receive forward handballs. From there, his pace and foot skills took over. Chapman still has a ways to go in terms of levelling up his contested game and four-quarter consistency, but is a lethal prospect with plenty of upside.

#19 Sam Devers
Defender | 189cm | 27/03/2008

Stats: 11 disposals, 4 marks, 1 rebound 50

With seven of his 11 disposals coming in the final quarter, it’s fair to say Devers saved his best for last. He overcame a quiet game to that point to prove integral to the result with his ability to attack from the back half. Devers’ power and speed were on display as he carried the ball forward with intent, snuffing out opposition forays before getting dangerous on the counter. He proved willing to fly and crash contests in the three quarters prior, but levelled up at the death.