Learning to time his leaps is very much on Draper’s todo list.
And final siren.
14.16.100 we win over 6.10.46
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64-16 in the second half.
That game makes me feel like Howlett stays on the list next year…possibly at the expense of Morgan.
Younan ice on left shoulder at the end.
First quarter was dismal, bit we got better slowly as the game wore on and just wore them down with our obvious class difference.
LAV looks a class ahead, didn’t get it a ton but everytime he gets it he’s just better, even on a crummy day like today where the game was mostly ugly. Could have kicked 6, took some good marks and looks strong. Probably another 2 weeks away before we consider him due to fitness.
Howlett regularly dominates at VFL level, but just isn’t capable of being more than a bit player at AFL level. He has all the hardness and contested beast you need, and enough skills to excel doing it in the VFL, but his skills are just not quite enough for AFL.
How did the afl listed players go in today’s game?
I went. Ordinary game.
Howlett played well.
Big Straughan (sp) took some great grabs.
Laverde was good.
Anyone know why Looney didnt play?
Umpiring was pathetic!
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What about Begley? What’s the go there?
I suspect the guys who didn’t play were being held in reserve for Friday’s game.
Incidentally, did Longer do a hammie or was I dreaming it?
Didn’t play: Dea, Leuenberger, Bird (and Begley, who was there as emergency, and Langford)
- Redman in defence, decent.
- Ridley relatively quiet.
- Mutch on the wing and accumulating.
- Stanton started back and helped the VFL team without ever looking like he’ll graduate from it.
- Clarke got a stack of it, nominally a forward as usual but roaming with the ball.
- Long did a few nice things but as usual it was just a few.
- Laverde played four quarters, was scheduled to cut off at 12.5km. Convert a few more set shots and he gets a bag of goals. Still a bit away, looked very sore after the game.
- McKernan forward first half and useless, then a fair bit of ruck in the second half and a key reason we kicked away. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
- Francis was everywhere in the first quarter, taking marks and making mistakes. A blow to the ribs (?) then slowed him down but also it was about then Nth Ballarat stopped going forward as much…
- Howlett got a lot of the ball, especially later on.
- Hocking spending most of his time midfield. Got caught a couple times but otherwise bullocking useful.
- Draper ruck and forward. Didn’t dominate but having three rucks/forwards stretched Nth Ballarat badly.
- Merrett had a quality game: kicked goals and delivered accurate spearing kicks.
- Morgan: didn’t really notice him much, either way
VFL players were Ferry HepA Hind Boyse Berry Strachan Nobby Younan: Ferry, Hind, Boyse and Strachan were very important players today.
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If you mean Long, I didn’t notice that (and I popped into our rooms afterwards, and saw plenty of other guys iced up).
Franga’s dad made the road trip to see the game — it’s “only” 5.5 hours to get to Ballarat. He’s a seriously big dude.
The facilities there are pretty nice. Bizarrely, the away team’s room is much bigger than the home team’s. Lots of history put up on the new walls, including photos of all players to make the AFL in the past 25 years. I looked at the photo of Winis Imbi and still don’t remember anything about him (apart from the name, of course, it’s an all-time classic).
Jackie wants you all to know that they have safety warnings in the dunnies noting that rips can drown even good swimmers. ‘Cause, like, you know, the ocean’s right there.
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Re Winis Imbi
I stand to be corrected on this, but I think he won the reserves B+F one year (1997-1999) and joked that the man who wins a seconds b+f is often delisted, he duly was.
Billy Longer.
Was just cogitating on whether that could have had anything to do with Luey being held over…but that doesn’t make all that much sense really.
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I was there and thought (no seniors mentioned):
Mutch - accumulates but sometimes doesn’t look before kicking.
Lav - still a bit away, did nothin early
Redman - very good I thought . Fast, tackled well ans took the game on
Ridley - didn’t do much but I thought him and Mutch are OK to step up PS I think him and Mutch are the closest to getting elevated and both have the most potential (apart from Franga)
Franga - good but not exceptional, great first 1/4, just after that.
Merrett - nothing special
Fridge and langers not playing
Cnt see Stants, Bobcat and Buddha being given another game.
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Should have added, Franga needs to work on kicking, and I dont think he took a contested mark all day.
Lost one contested mark for the day?
Not his fault his opponent didn’t read the ball better and make it a contest…
In the first 1/4 he tried to centre the ball twice and missed both times. He was OK but not worth considering promotion. I haven’t seen him up close but thought he would be better.