Vic Country 6.9 (45) defeated by South Australia 11.13 (79)

South Australia were just a class above Vic Country, as Country fell to their first defeat of the Championships. Missing the run of Lewis Taylor through suspension, the Country midfield just couldn’t compete with the size and class of the SA midfield. Billy Hartung was one of the best for Country, as he was given some freedom in the second half, which allowed for him to showcase his speed and talent. Nick Holman, Zak Jones and Zac Merrett also held their own for Country in a disappointing result. Darcy Gardiner, who was having a good game in the defense, injured his ankle in the third quarter, and didn’t return. Missing a few big names, Country fought hard, but just couldn’t get the job done in the end.

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Vic Country 10.10 (70) defeated by Western Australia 11.7 (73)

GOALS: McCartin (5), Scott (3), Willsmore, Crouch
BEST: McCartin, Impey, Goddard, Fort, Leslie, Herbert

Vic Country went into the game against Western Australia confident they could win given the depth of their midfield and key position players. It was a surprise to see Darcy Gardiner left out of the side with Falcons teammate Jye Cross replacing him. Another Falcon, Patrick McCartin was the star of the show with five goals and the scariest part being the fact he won’t be eligible to be drafted until next year. Josh Scott also stood up in the narrow loss with three goals, but it was the last quarter which saw Western Australia take control and mark in the dying seconds to win and end Vic Country’s chances of winning the carnival. Nic Bourke, Billy Hartung and Lewis Taylor were busy as always while James Tsitas was classy on the outside. Rebels over-ager Louis Herbert and Bushrangers forward Jarman Impey were also impressive across the match with Herbert continuing his fantastic TAC Cup form.

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Vic Country 6.6 (42) defeated by Vic Metro 9.7 (61)

GOALS: Willsmore (2), McCartney, Herbert, Nelson, Taylor
BEST: Taylor, Crouch, Holman, Jones, Impey

Unfortunately, Vic Country couldn’t end their campaign with a win, going down to state rivals Vic Metro in the final round. The game got off to a slow start, with Darcy Lang being stretchered off with what was later confirmed a broken fibula. Lewis Taylor was sensational again for Country using his endurance to find the ball all over the ground, this time collecting 32 disposals and a goal for his efforts. Matt Crouch and Nick Holman put in good performances in the Country midfield, but they just didn’t have the class and composure to go with Metro midfield all day. Zak Jones also impressive for Country, giving them some much needed run out of half back.

Overall, it was a disappointing Championships for Country, finishing 2-3, and last in Division one. However, this shouldn’t affect AFL clubs come draft day, as numerous players through the tournament showed why they should be given a shot at the big time.

KEY PLAYERS:

Lewis Taylor

Lewis Taylor is a nuggety midfielder who has been nicknamed the ‘energiser bunny’ by many fans who just continually watch Taylor’s second and third efforts over four quarters. Unlike other players he never drifts out of games or tires and continues to have an influence around the ground. He is a great on-field leader and has no problem racking up over 30 disposals a game. He also has the knack to drift forward and kick goals or drift back and rebound it out of the defensive 50. Despite missing the AIS squad as a 16 year old, Taylor has dominated the past two TAC Cup seasons and is currently second in the BFGN Rising Stars Medal. It is not surprising he has also had a good carnival at the Under 18s Championships. Against Vic Metro, Taylor stepped it up a notch and collected 32 disposals in a BOG performance. Taylor won’t slip past the first round in the National Draft.

James Tsitas

James Tsitas is a co-captain of the Vic Country side with Taylor and the pair are like Ying and Yang. Regularly using each other for the 1-2 handball, Tsitas knows how to find space and provides a bit more outside run. While he probably doesn’t have the enormous tank Taylor has, Tsitas is very good aerobically and can dominate for four quarters. He is another one who has had a good TAC Cup season and will be looking to cap off his year with a premiership at the Geelong Falcons. While he has had a solid Champs, Tsitas is potentially the early dark horse as he could go anywhere from top ten to second round depending on how certain clubs rate him.

Billy Hartung

Billy Hartung is one of those in-your-face type players who has that Dane Swan type aura about him. He has an elite tank and runs all day but in bursts, much like Swan. Not afraid to throw the odd sledge, Hartung is one of the most dangerous outside players in the draft. Offensively he is fantastic but there are still question marks over his defensive game. He was quite impressive against Western Australia at Simmonds Stadium and also has no trouble finding the ball. Against South Australia he had stints on James Aish and held his own, providing recruiters with some hope that he could develop into a good two-way runner. Occasionally he has a temptation to automatically assume a handball receive in a 1-2 situation and therefore can lead to some compromising situations if his teammate isn’t up to the task. Behind Billings and Lennon, Hartung is probably the next best goal scorer who can play midfield. Hartung will go in the first round given his huge hurt factor.

Jarman Impey

Jarman Impey is an interesting one because he has all the characteristics to become a great player, but still needs to work on his consistency. Impey’s ball use and vision is fantastic with his rare ability to bring others into the game, a feature of his style. Impey is one of those players that probably isn’t built like your typical AFL player, but he’s strong around the hips and can switch between the midfield and forward lines. Impey has played full forward at times for the Bushrangers, but being a smaller player this is highly unlikely at AFL level, even with his strong contested marking ability. If Impey can be drafted by a club with great development, he could really become a future star because his characteristics are highly sought after by AFL clubs. Impey should be drafted in the second to third round.

Josh Scott

Josh Scott missed out on being drafted last year and has come back as a changed man. Living in the shadow of Tim Membrey in 2012, Scott has become the number one target in the Gippsland Power forward line. He’s leading the TAC Cup goal kicking and the BFGN Rising Stars Medal which shows how impressive his season has been. While Scott isn’t the same mould of a Tom Boyd, he has fantastic pace and is a strong mark on the lead very similar to a Jeremy Cameron. Scott, like Cameron, is also a fantastic kick for goal and would be a reliable pick up for any side looking for a third tall forward. Against Western Australia he really stood up booting multiple goals and will be keen to finish off his season in the same fashion and if he does, he should get drafted in the top 40.

Clayton McCartney

Clayton McCartney is a live wire small forward who is always dangerous around goals. While that may seem like a stock standard player, McCartney has a bigger tank which allows him to play through the midfield and across the wings. McCartney’s biggest knock is his consistency as he can boot six goals and have 25 touches but then he can have nine touches and be held goalless. Once he can find consistency, McCartney has the ability to become a real dangerous player not to dissimilar to Matthew Stokes who has recently progressed into the midfield. Being a one-touch player, McCartney is clean and able to dispose of the ball well while having the evasion to step around players when in traffic. McCartney is a real X-factor and could go anywhere from the second round to the fourth round depending on who pounces first.

Matt Crouch

Matt Crouch is someone who fills a complete need for a club but will also have less improvement than others around him. Crouch is one of the best one-trick ponies you’ll ever see. He is no athlete, certainly not quick and can’t provide the outside run others can. What he can do is something that no-one else in this draft crop and indeed very few others can. Elite vision through traffic and clearance ability is second to none with Crouch seeing things well before any other players and his ability to do so is beyond many opponents ability. A bonus with Crouch is the fact that he’ll never get tagged at AFL level due to his lack of pace and outside run. Crouch doesn’t hurt you with his disposal; he makes others hurt you with their disposal. Often opposition players don’t realise there’s more than meets the eye with Matt Crouch and his seemingly elite peripheral vision is why he’ll go first round and become a really solid AFL player. Despite his deficiencies, his ability far outweighs what could be limitations and Josh P. Kennedy was a similar player and has since turned into a dual midfielder.

Darcy Gardiner

Darcy Gardiner is the best switch KP player in the draft. He can play forward or back and play both roles effectively. Despite being a surprise omission for the Western Australia match, Gardiner is an AIS pupil who has shown his trade up either end for the Falcons. He is strong overhead, knows how to kick goals and reads the play magnificently. He is deceptively quick and has the right characteristics to be developed into any type of player the club who drafts him wants. A perfect example is where he ran down Vic Metro’s Jay Kennedy-Harris who is renowned for being quite quick and was rewarded with a free kick. Gardiner is able to provide a tall target and time his leads well or maintain close body contact with his opponents while in defense. Gardiner will go in the first two rounds, most likely in the top twenty.

Nic Bourke

Nic Bourke is another player from the all-conquering Geelong Falcons outfit this year. One of four AIS players, Bourke struggled with injury problems earlier in the season but has stood up in the Under 18s Championships as good players do. While his injury may have sent him down the rankings, it didn’t last long with a couple of fantastic efforts at the Under 18s Championship and TAC Cup matches in between. He provides good outside run on a wing and can play off a half back flank when required. Bourke is probably overshadowed by his teammates in Lewis Taylor and James Tsitas but has plenty of qualities which should see him forge a successful AFL career. Bourke should go in the first two rounds and depending on what the AFL clubs look for in November, could sneak into the top 20.

Isaiah Miller

Isaiah Miller is the premier medium defender in the competition so has been able to be impressive while being the obvious standout at TAC Cup level. Another member of the AIS squad, Miller is strong overhead and has a good penetrating kick that is usually reliable. Despite making a few uncharacteristic errors against Western Australia, Miller has been impressive for the Pioneers, leading a youthful defence since returning from AIS duties. Miller reads the play well and is a good link-up player and reliable kick out when called upon to do so. Unlike many others in this crop that are midfielders or forwards, Miller is the genuine defender who stands out above the rest and should go in the top 30 this year.

Zak Jones

Zak Jones is the younger brother of Melbourne’s Nathan and has some very similar characteristics. He is as tough as nails, loves the contest and doesn’t mind getting in the face of opponents. He is primarily played in defense where he has had a multitude of roles which range from being an offensive half back runner to a lock down defender. Jones has deceptively good skills and great evasion. Without spending much time in the midfield it’s hard to gauge if he is as developed aerobically as his brother however he is certainly quicker. He won Vic Country’s Most Valuable Player award and has put himself into draft contention given his fantastic carnival.