GEELONG Falcons’ top-age group might have celebrated winning the TAC Cup’s most prestigious team accolade, but their successful reign could have a very bright future after a dominant carnival by Geelong’s under 15s side.

The Falcons sent two teams to the V/Line Cup in Gippsland this week and would have left any scouts or coaches impressed with what they saw, as Geelong dominated Peninsula Stingrays 19.18 (132) to 1.4 (10), before defeating fellow undefeated side Gippsland Power by 47 points to be the clear top side in the round robin competition.

Against Peninsula, lightly built small forward Noah Gadsby booted four goals in a clear best-on-ground performance. Other multiple goal kickers included three each to Gennaro Bove, Max Annadale (who booted five goals total for the tournament) and Chris Seymour, with Annadale perhaps the more interesting prospect, standing at 187cm and 78kg at just 15 years of age, indicating he could be a key position forward for the 2020 draft. Others named in the best were Tanner Bruhn, Charlie Lazzaro (two goals) and Cameron Fleeton (two), the latter of which could also be a key position forward in a couple of years, standing at 184cm currently. Chris O’Meara booted a game-high three goals against Gippsland Power.

For Peninsula Stingrays, Matthew James booted their only goal against the Falcons, and is a player who is already 188cm and 86kg hailing from Somerville. Henry Berenga (188cm, Mount Martha), Bayleigh Welsh (179cm, Mt Eliza) and James Thomas, 183cm, Mt Eliza were named the Stingrays’ best. Adam Walker starred in Peninsula’s closer five-point loss against Western Bulldogs Next Generation Academy (NGA), booting four goals, while Clayton Gay was named the Stingrays’ best and capped off a strong carnival for the 181cm player.

Speaking of Western Bulldogs NGA, the side remained undefeated from its two matches, knocking off Peninsula and North East Border – the two sides without a win from two matches. Both games were tight, with the Bulldogs’ side emerging victorious by a combined 10 points. Flynn Atchinson starred in the first game with four majors against North East Border, while Isaac Carey and Kane Johnstone were named as the Bulldogs’ best. In the game against the Stingrays, Clem Nagorcka booted two goals to be named best afield, with the 170cm exciting forward from Koroit showing off his class. A player that also caught the eye was South Warrnambool’s Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who stands at 193cm, and along with Riley Nicolson (194cm) and Fergus Macdonald (196cm) are some seriously tall timber for the GWV Rebels in a few years.

Bendigo Pioneers had a mixed couple of days, going down to Goulburn Murray by eight points before thumping North East Border by 68 points. In the latter game, Josh Treacy, a 183cm player booted five goals to lead his side to victory in a clear best on ground performance. Seamus Mitchell finished the game with three goals, while Sam Conforti and Tylar Atkinson were both named among the Pioneers’ best. Treacy was again named best against Goulburn Murray earlier in the carnival, while Jack Merrin a 184cm prospect from Golden Square was named alongside Treacy, Conforti and Atkinson.

Jai Carn was Goulburn Murray’s only multiple goal scorer against Bendigo Pioneers, while Josh O’Dwyer was named the side’s best player, backing up his impressive performance in the team’s loss to Gippsland Power earlier in the week. Ben Ashley Cooper and Will Dwyer were also good in defeat across both games. Josh Rachele was another player who earned plaudits from his team named in the best.

Gippsland Power’s defeat to Geelong overshadowed an impressive win against Goulburn Murray, when Tyran Rees and Kelsey Pavlou booted two goals. Ethan Kincaid-Shingles was named best on ground in the win, while Jess McGrath, a 184cm prospect from Moe, and Bayley Paul (182cm from Hill End) were also named among the best. In defeat to Geelong, Kincaid-Shingles’ Maffra teammate Sam Berry was named best for the Power, alongside alongside Traralgon’s Chance Doultree and McGrath.

Finally for North East Border, offensively the team stood up, topping the century and being the fourth highest scoring team, but conceded the second most points. Isaac Folino and Elijah Hollands both booted two goals in the Border’s tight loss to Western Bulldogs, while Corowa Rutherglen’s Darcy Melksham was named his side’s best player with Charlie Byrne and pocket rocket, 168cm and 58kg Patrick Parnell. Byrne and Parnell were again impressive in the heavy loss against the Pioneers, while Maclayn Hallows and Josh Muraca were also named among the best in that game.

Full results:

Geelong Falcons 19.18 (132) defeated Peninsula Stingrays 1.4 (10)

Geelong goals: Noah Gadsby 4, Gennaro Bove 3, Max Annadale 3, Chris Seymour 3, Cameron Fleeton 2, Charlie Lazzaro 2, Noah Gribble 2.
Peninsula goals: Matthew James.
Geelong best: Noah Gadsby, Tanner Bruhn, Charlie Lazzaro, Gennaro Bove, Cameron Fleeton, Charlie Brauer.
Peninsula best: Henry Berenger, Bayleigh Welsh, James Thomas, Matthew James, Clayton Gay, Seth Kelly.

Gippsland Power 8.3 (51) defeated Goulburn Murray 6.3 (39)

Gippsland goals: Tyran Rees 2, Kelsey Pavlou 2, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Bailey Friend, Sage Tapner, Brody Deering.
Goulburn Murray goals: Josh O’Dwyer, Jhett Cooper, Harry Beasley.
Gippsland best: Ethan Kincaid-Shingles, Jess McGrath, Bayley Paul, Connor Ives, Sam Berry, Chance Doultree.
Goulburn Murray best: Ben Ashley-Cooper, Will Dwyer, Josh O’Dwyer, Ethan Baxter, Luca Allen, Fergus Pinnuck.

Western Bulldogs NGA 12.6 (78) defeated North East Border 10.13 (73)

Western Bulldogs goals: Flynn Atchison 4, Fergus Macdonald, Fraser Marris, Harry Waters, Josh Carlyle-Marks, Nicholas Stevens, Clem Nagorcka, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Riley Nicolson.
North East Border goals: Isaac Folino 2, Elijah Hollands 2, Patrick Parnell, Ryley Bouker, Charlie Crisp, Declan Bren, Regan Williams, Ethan Patrala.
Western Bulldogs best: Isaac Carey, Kane Johnstone, Harry Sharp, Fergus Macdonald, Flynn Atchison
North East Border best: Darcy Melksham, Charlie Byrne, Isaac Folino, Patrick Parnell, William Unthank, Geordie McLennan.

Goulburn Murray 5.13 (43) defeated Bendigo Pioneers 5.5 (35)

Goulburn Murray goals: Jai Carn 2, Ben Ashley-Cooper, Josh Rachele, Harry Beasley.
Bendigo goals: Riley Bouwmeester, Sam Conforti, Nathan Kay, Seamus Mitchell, Mason Wakefield.
Goulburn Murray best: Josh O’Dwyer, Josh Rachele, Will Dwyer, Ben Ashley-Cooper, Luca Allen, Jai Carn.
Bendigo best: Josh Treacy, Jack Merrin, Sam Conforti, Tylar Atkinson, Nick Hodgson, Riley Bouwmeester.

Geelong Falcons 9.14 (68) defeated Gippsland Power 3.3 (21)

Geelong goals: Connor O’Meara 3, Max Annadale 2, Gennaro Bove, Noah Gadsby, Josh Sorgiovanni, Chris Seymour.
Gippsland goals: Jess McGrath, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Nicholas Prowd.
Geelong best: Charlie Brauer, Connor O’Meara, Tanner Bruhn, Henry Walsh, Sam Witherden, Lachlan Hood.
Gippsland best: Sam Berry, Chance Doultree, Jess McGrath, Ethan Kincaid-Shingles, Tyran Rees, Darcy Summer.

Bendigo Pioneers 15.8 (98) defeated North East Border 4.6 (30)

Bendigo goals: Josh Treacy 5, Seamus Mitchell 3, Liua Polata, Sam Conforti, Xavier Mitchell, Finn Ellis Castle, Evan Davie, Abe Sheahan.
North East Border goals: Patrick Parnell, Darcy Melksham, William Bowden, Bailey Annett.
Bendigo best: Josh Treacy, Sam Conforti, Tylar Atkinson, Liua Polata, Seamus Mitchell.
North East Border best: Charlie Byrne, Patrick Parnell, Maclayn Hallows, Josh Muraca, Elijah Amery, Clayton Marsh.

Western Bulldogs NGA 6.12 (48) defeated Peninsula Stingrays 7.1 (43)

Western Bulldogs goals: Clem Nagorcka 2, Kane Johnstone, Josh Carlyle-Marks, Ethan Councillor, Fergus Macdonald.
Peninsula goals: Adam Walker 4, Clayton Gay, Ben Tennant, Taj Westworth.
Western Bulldogs best: Clem Nagorcka, Fraser Marris, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Will Clark, Riley Nicolson, Nicolas Stevens.
Peninsula best: Clayton Gay, Thomas Crozier, Adam Walker, Henry Berenger, Flynn Hynes, Dean Ablett.

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DIVISION TWO:

GEELONG Falcons and Bendigo Pioneers have both produced excellent division two V/Line Cup carnivals to showcase the depth that their respective TAC Cup sides might have in a few years. In the two-game series, both the Falcons and Pioneers went undefeated, while the evenness of the division two competition as three sides claimed a victory.

The Yarra Ranges – an Eastern Ranges catchment side entered its sole team in the division and conceded the second least amount of points, finishing on percentage ahead of Goulburn Murray, North East Border and Western Bulldogs NGA on a hypothetical ladder, with Gippsland Power’s second team rounding out the seven sides.

Geelong Falcons’ future 2020 TAC Cup side looks scary good if the V/Line Cup results are anything to go by, topping the table in both divisions, but in division two, recording a very healthy 326.09 per cent from just two games. After a tight victory over Yarra Ranges on the opening day, the Falcons stormed to a 90-point win over Gippsland later in the week. Kyle Skene booted four goals and Griffen Wilson kicked three majors in the big win, with Brady Coutts, Tom Dickinson and Nicholas Ash named across the games.

Bendigo Pioneers also had an impressive carnival, defeating Goulburn Murray by 13 points and then knocking over North East Border by 27 points. Ethan Palma-Ludeman and Xavier Mitchell booted four goals across the carnival, while Cooper Smith and Wezley Hill were named in the Pioneers’ best on both occasions. Josh Hunter and Jack Ginnivan were named the best on ground in the Pioneers’ respective wins.

Yarra Ranges went down to the Falcons by nine points before claiming a strong 29-point win over Western Bulldogs NGA. The side had single goal kickers in both games, with Angus Nelson, Dylan Goldberg and Alex Green kicking a goal in both games. Josh Spencer and Callum Bourne were named the best in the loss to the Falcons, while Alistair Johansen was best on ground in the team’s win on the last day. Lochlan Beecroft was an aggregate best across the tournament with the lightly built 175cm, 58kg player one to perhaps watch for the future.

Goulburn Murray had an opening day win over Gippsland Power, before falling to Bendigo Pioneers by 13 points. Tom Brown booted a goal in both games, while Cooper Trembath equalled his leading goal kicker feat with two majors in the loss to the Pioneers. Matthew Collard was the side’s best across both games, named best on ground against Gippsland Power and second best behind Nathan Basile in the loss. Collard is a 175cm player from St Mary’s with Goulburn Murray falling into the Murray Bushrangers catchment area.

North East Border had a three-point victory over Western Bulldogs NGA, before going down to Bendigo Pioneers by 27 points. Another Murray Bushrangers’ catchment side, North East Border had eight individual goal kickers against the Bushrangers, with Alex Bennett and Riley O’Kane leading the way with two majors each. O’Kane was named best on ground with the 177cm, 76kg player already a good size for a 15 year-old. In the loss to the Pioneers, Max Glass and Hayden Weller were named the side’s best with the team booting an inaccurate 3.6 on the day, with O’Kane, Jarrad Duncan and Daniel Turner the goal kickers.

Western Bulldogs NGA were competitive in both games but went down to North East Border by three points and Yarra Ranges by 29 points. Taylor Kennedy finished the tournament with a team-high three goals while Mackenzie Royals, and Willem O’Sullivan booted two in the tight loss on the Tuesday. Loris Bayly and Benedict Howard were named among the best with Kennedy and Royals in that game, while in the final day loss, Trenton Severino, Finn Lappin and George Simpson were named the Bulldogs’ best. Of all the players, Logan Hayles might well be one to watch develop, with the Carngham Lions Linton prospect already 198cm and 70kg after turning 15 in August.

The final side Gippsland Power had a huge 95-point loss to Geelong Falcons, but were ultra-competitive against Goulburn Murray, losing by just 16 points. On that day, Nathan Noblett and Matthew Heywood (one goal) were named among the Power’s best, while the Power had five individual goal kickers across the two games. Lachlan Rock, Heath Morgan-Morris, Fletcher Robertson-Edgar and Heywood were the Power’s top performers across the carnival.

Full results:

Goulburn Murray 5.9 (39) defeated Gippsland Power 3.5 (23)

Goulburn Murray goals: Marcus Quinn, Nathan Beattie, Tom Brown, George Brisbane, Nathan Basile.
Gippsland goals: Heath Morgan-Morris, Lachlan Rock, Matthew Heywood.
Goulburn Murray best: Matthew Collard, Nathan Beattie, Isaac Dowling, Marcus Quinn, Mitchell Roche, Josh Robertson.
Gippsland best: Nathan Noblett, Matthew Heywood, Lachlan Rathjen, Lachlan Rock, Heath Morgan-Morris, Fletcher Robertson-Edgar.

Geelong Falcons 6.4 (40) defeated Yarra Ranges 4.7 (31)

Geelong goals: Griffen Wilson, Noah Lever, Trey Wheadon, Thomas Hancock, Kynan Manning-Stratton, Brady Coutts.
Yarra Ranges goals: Angus Nelson, Dylan Goldberg, Alex Green, Bailey Syswerda.
Geelong best: Nicolas Ash, Mitchell Knevitt, Griffen Wilson, Indiana Parish, Kyle Skene, Tom Dickinson.
Yarra Ranges best: Josh Spencer, Callum Bourne, Harrison Keeling, Lochlan Beecroft, Liam O’Dea, Ben Grimes.

North East Border 10.6 (66) defeated Western Bulldogs NGA 9.9 (63)

North East Border goals: Alex Bennett 2, Riley O’Kane 2, Jarrad Duncan, Noah Campbell, Regan Gorman, Rory Wapling, Tom Bracher, Lachlan O’Connor.
Western Bulldogs goals: Mackenzie Royals 2, Taylor Kennedy 2, Willem O’Sullivan 2, Benedict Howard, Matthew Schaper, Aaron Glare.
North East Border best: Riley O’Kane, Lachlan Peake, Jarrad Duncan, Ethan Roach, Alex Bennett, Hayden Weller.
Western Bulldogs best: Loris Bayly, Benedict Howard, Taylor Kennedy, Mackenzie Royals, Gage Wright, Zacc Dwyer.

Bendigo Pioneers 9.9 (63) defeated Goulburn Murray 7.8 (50)

Bendigo goals: Ethan Palma-Ludeman 3, Xavier Mitchell 2, Jack Ginnivan 2, Ben Xiriha, Jack Cottrell.
Goulburn Murray goals: Cooper Trembath 2, Tom Brown, Matthew Collard, Mitchell Roche, Darcy Russell, Woody Guthrie.
Bendigo best: Josh Hunter, Cooper Smith, Xavier Mitchell, Angus Rogers, Ben Xiriha, Wezley Hill.
Goulburn Murray best: Nathan Basile, Matthew Collard, Tom Brown, George Brisbane, Harry Hillier, John Turvey.

Geelong Falcons 15.20 (110) defeated Gippsland Power 2.3 (15)

Geelong goals: Kyle Skene 4, Griffen Wilson 3, Thomas Hancock, Brady Coutts, Nicholas Hau, Thomas Reynolds, Trey Wheadon, Alistair O’Donnell, Tye Mason, Noah Allen.
Gippsland goals: Jake Stewart, Reegan Kemp.
Geelong best: Brady Coutts, Griffen Wilson, Kyle Skene, Tom Dickinson, Noah Lever, Thomas Hancock.
Gippsland best: Lachlan Rock, Heath Morgan-Morris, Fletcher Robertson-Edgar, Matthew Heywood, Mac Huts, Jake Richards.

Bendigo Pioneers 8.3 (51) defeated North East Border 3.6 (24)

Bendigo goals: Xavier Mitchell 2, Bailey Hall 2, Ethan Palma-Ludeman, Jack Cottrell, Tim Hosking, Brayden Mcheyzer-Bacchin.
North East Border goals: Jarrad Duncan, Daniel Turner, Riley O’Kane.
Bendigo best: Jack Ginnivan, Wezley Hill, Cooper Smith, Jim Bellas, Bodie Colbert, Angus Rogers.
North East Border best: Max Glass, Hayden Weller, Flynn Eriksson, Alex Bennett, Jordyn Croucher.

Yarra Ranges 7.7 (49) defeated Western Bulldogs NGA 2.8 (20)

Yarra Ranges goals: Thomas Taylor, Angus Nelson, Max Renouf, Dylan Goldberg, Alex Green, Ethan Cochrane.
Western Bulldogs goals: Jack Christie, Taylor Kennedy.
Yarra Ranges best: Alistair Johansen, Lochlan Beecroft, Ben Grimes, James Somervaille, Harrison Keeling, Thomas Taylor.
Western Bulldogs best: Trenton Severino, Finn Lappin, George Simpson, Luke Spalding, Sam Chatfield, Siddharth Rajesh.