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2nds Reserves 2011

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Yes it sounds like an underwhelming performance especially by those closest to seniors selection. It always sounds like a war when we go down to Canberra, the players always seem to come back with a few injuries.

At the moment Queanbeyan are thrashing our opponents for next week Belconnen. They're leading by 94 points at 3 quarter time. Looks like the Magpies aren't a strong team any more judging by this game and the touch-up we gave them a few weeks ago.
 
SOPH_CROSS said:
thanks for the report BSA
but by the sounds of things even though we won we werent that good

Isnt Sumner a character i do love him remember him kicking that puddle of water into the Aislie player last year too good
Click to expand...

We were good, McNeil was really good in close, ditto Parker, TDL was classy, and Seaby and Currie were effective in the hitouts. All in all it was a really functional outfit. It's just that there were few standouts, those that should have really dominated didn't, and Kennelly and Moore were particularly disappointing.

And yes, Sumner is a great character. Love watching him play, and that puddle incident was fantastic. :)
 

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bloodstainedangel5 said:
Definitely. He was our best, and given his previous form, and the fact that he is now quite solidly built, he'd definitely be my pick.

Why, is Bradshaw on your mind? :o:(
Click to expand...

Bolton, Bradshaw and im not totally confident Heath is set for a quick return. Id rather have seen a report that said Meredith as it is someone with genuine footskills we need stepping up but if there not winning the ball we need someone who can get there hands on it first.
 
NEAFL (Eastern Conference) Round 3
Sydney Swans Reserves v Belconnen Magpies
Saturday 16th April 2010 3.40pm
Sydney Cricket Ground

A visit from the Belconnen Magpies is usually one of the fixtures to look out for on the Reserves' schedule. They have been one of the powerhouses in the old AFL Canberra competition winning premierships in 2002-2004 and 2009. However, judging by the early results (including pre-season) in 2011, this match may not live up to some of the great battles of past seasons.

Belconnen surprisingly missed out on the finals in 2010, and subsequently relinquished their title to Ainslie. Injuries cruelled their chances for most of the year, in particular their star tall forward Andrew Ainger who had led the competition goalkicking with 86 in 2009. Ainger has since left for the brighter lights of the SANFL, while the departure of other dominant senior players such as Griffin Underwood (QAFL), Josh Jennings (coaching at Traralgon) and James Bennett can partly explain their drop off so far this year.

Eastern Conference Ladder


Past Meetings
2010
R1 Reserves 20.8 (128) defeated Belconnen 9.12 (66) @ Sydney Cricket Ground

The Reserves were impressive in thrashing the defending premiers in Round 1. That victory halted a shocking record of 8 losses in 9 games against the Magpies. Sam Reid kicked 5, while Campbell Heath, Nick Smith and Matthew O'Dwyer were amongst the best Swans players that day.

R6 Belconnen 8.6 (54) defeated by Reserves 18.9 (117) @ Manuka Oval

The Reserves led from start to finish, and their performance was hailed by coach Frosty McPherson as their best performance in 2 years. Trent Dennis-Lane finished with 7 majors at the end of the game, while Sam Reid was named BOG after a impressive stint in defence. He was ably supported by Matthew O'Dwyer and Dylan McNeil.

R11 Belconnen 11.7 (73) defeated by Reserves 14.13 (97) @ Manuka Oval

The Reserves continued their much improved away form by easily accounting for the Magpies. They led by 44 points at the last change before a string of injuries allowed Belconnen to close the gap to a respectable 24 point margin. Gary Rohan bounced back from his dropping with 3 goals while Lewis Johnston, Ted Richards and Brett Meredith pushed their claims for senior selection with impressive games.

R18 Belconnen 15.15 (105) defeated Reserves 11.7 (73) @ Manuka Oval

A depleted squad of just 10 listed players battled hard in the first half but were eventually vanquished by a hungry Magpie lineup who had to win to keep their slim finals chances alive. Campbell Heath impressed in an unusual role forward kicking 3 goals and being named BOG. Dylan McNeil had yet another sterling game in the midfield while Matthew O'Dwyer provided much-needed drive from the half-bank flank.

Recent Form
Reserves
WIN Eastlake 83-33

Belconnen
LOSS Tuggeranong 46-169

Last Round
Reserves 12.11 (83) defeated Eastlake 4.9 (33)
In damp and cold conditions, the Reserves were slow out of the blocks being kept goalless in the first quarter. However with another rev-up from coach Playfair still ringing in their ears, they put in a much improved effort for the rest of the game, cruising to a big win by kicking 12 of the next 14 goals. Trent Dennis-Lane made the most of his chances, kicking 3 quick goals in a little spurt in the 2nd quarter. Top-up player Kane Murphy's lively performance across the forward-line netted him BOG honours with midfielders Nathan Gordon and Dylan McNeil also starring in the win.

Queanbeyan 26.13 (169) defeated Belconnen 7.4 (46)
The Tigers were dominant in all 4 quarters, opening up a 53 point half time lead and pushing the margin to a whopping 123 points by the end of the game. Star forward James Kavanagh dominated with 7 majors.

Team List (number of 2011 AFL Canberra games in brackets)
Listed players

  • 1. Mark SEABY [1]
  • 7. Brett MEREDITH [1]
  • 8. Trent DENNIS-LANE [1]
  • 10. Daniel CURRIE [1]
  • 11. Jed LAMB [1]
  • 17. Tadhg KENNELLY [1]
  • 23. Lewis JOHNSTON [1]
  • 26. Luke PARKER [1] (Senior emergency)
  • 28. Dylan McNEIL [1]
  • 30. Lewis ROBERTS-THOMSON [0]
  • 33. Jarred MOORE [1]
  • 36. Chris McKAIGUE [1]
  • 38. Mike PYKE [0] (Senior emergency)
  • 43. Eugene KRUGER [1]
  • 45. Nathan GORDON [1]
  • 46. Ben HAREN [1]
Changes
In: Roberts-Thomson (calf), Pyke (non playing senior emergency)
Out: Max Otten (rested/injured?), Byron Sumner (senior emergency/injured?)

I'm not sure for the exact reasons for the omissions of Otten and Sumner. One guess might be that there were enough listed players available and in order to give everyone enough playing time (due to the restriction of 13 listed players on the field at the same time), they'd rather rest 2 than play all 18. Before we jump to any conclusions, note that Luke Parker was named an emergency 2 weeks ago and didn't play in the curtain-raiser. This may be Sumner's fate this week.

The Pyke and Seaby duo is a ruck division that most AFL teams would be proud of, and they have a handy backup in Daniel Currie should they require him. McNeil, Parker, Meredith and Gordon should be prepared for a lot of red leather coming their way at the ruck contests. Lewis Johnston, LRT, Kennelly and McKaigue should man the fortress down back, with TDL, Currie, Haren, Moore and Lamb forming a potent looking forward line.

Academy Players/Topups

  • 47. Jackson POTTER [1]
  • 48. Blake GUTHRIE [1]
  • 49. Nathan KENNY [0]
  • 50. James BRAIN [1]
  • 51. Jack LYNCH [1]
  • 53. Kane MURPHY [1]
  • 54. Tim WALES [1]
  • Mitch THOMPSON [0] (I'm guessing 52?)
In: Kenny, Thompson
Out: May, Strudwick

It's nice to see a core group of topups playing from week-to-week. It will help with the stability of the side and assist the chances of the Reserves winning games.

Reserves leading goalkickers

  • Trent Dennis-Lane 3
  • Ben Haren, Blake Guthrie, Kane Murphy 2
For full list: 2011 Leading goalkickers - RWOwiki

Reserves leading votegetters

  • Kane Murphy 6
  • Nathan Gordon 5
  • Dylan McNeil 4
For full list: 2011 Best votes - RWOwiki

Talking points

  • LRT - Half a game 3 weeks ago and his calf pulled up sore. How will he fare this week?
  • Kennelly - With the bye next week, it will be his last chance to work on his match fitness for 2 weeks. Expect him to play close to the full game.
  • Parker - close to senior selection and wouldn't be a bad candidate for the substitute position either. He missed the GWS game so I'm keen to see how he fares in this one
  • TDL - 3 goals in limited time against Eastlake last week. TDL has been playing further up the ground in an attempt to enhance his prospects of senior selection. With only 3 on the interchange bench now, players who can play multiple positions are seen as more valuable.
Belconnen
3 to be omitted


  • 1. Matthew Byatt
  • 2. Stephen Coate
  • 3. Daniel Jordan
  • 5. Lachlan Harper
  • 6. Daniel Lock
  • 7. Jordan Harper
  • 8. Paul Raadts
  • 9. Matthew Hammond
  • 11. Alexander Bennett (capt)
  • 13. Jye Bohm
  • 14. Malcolm Douglas
  • 15. Andrew Dess
  • 24. Rhys Mcalister
  • 28. Samuel Rutland
  • 29. Simon Curtis
  • 31. Thomas Alexander
  • 32. Christopher Mcdevitt
  • 33. Christopher York
  • 34. Reuben Towill
  • 37. John Love
  • 38. Luke Donohue
  • 39. Brendan Dess
  • 40. Oliver Tweeddale
  • 41. Joss Whitford
  • 43. Nick Collins
  • 44. Pat (u16) Delaney
  • 46. Ryan Turnbull
Summary
Belconnen have picked a bad week to play the Reserves as it will be one of the strongest sides we will field in recent years. We have 3 players with a Premiership medal (Seaby, Kennelly and LRT), 6 players with AFL finals experience (+TDL, +Moore, +Pyke) and 7 players who have tasted senior AFL football (+Meredith). Given the beating that they received at the hands of Queanbeyan last week, it is hard to see them travelling up to the SCG and toppling such a strong Reserves side. Their saving grace may be the predicted wet weather which in all likelihood will lessen the final margin.
 
Thanks grim looking forward to it. Hopefully they will put up a bit of a fight this week.
 
Off to the game I go. Tweeting at www.twitter.com/swansreserves

If it's raining heavily, I may have to keep the updates to a minimum to protect my dear old phone.
 

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SOPH_CROSS said:
yeah dont know about Seabs

But Pyke deserves a game played well today
Click to expand...

You wouldn't happen to have an individual rundown of how each player fared in your eyes (I think Grim usually does this) or maybe your opinion of best 5 afield?
I'm very interested to see how Parker and Johnston performed.
 
Mick I'll be writing a report later, probably tomorrow but for a summary I had this:

FT Swans 20.18 138 Belco 4.5 29
Goals: Pyke Haren Parker 3 Moore Meredith TDL Murphy 2 Seaby Kennelly LRT

My best: Moore Pyke Gordon McNeil Parker Johnston
 

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Mick I'll be writing a report later, probably tomorrow but for a summary I had this:

FT Swans 20.18 138 Belco 4.5 29
Goals: Pyke Haren Parker 3 Moore Meredith TDL Murphy 2 Seaby Kennelly LRT

My best: Moore Pyke Gordon McNeil Parker Johnston
 
grimlock said:
Mick I'll be writing a report later, probably tomorrow but for a summary I had this:

FT Swans 20.18 138 Belco 4.5 29
Goals: Pyke Haren Parker 3 Moore Meredith TDL Murphy 2 Seaby Kennelly LRT

My best: Moore Pyke Gordon McNeil Parker Johnston
Click to expand...

Cheers Grim, it's a good insight for us Vics and of course, others who can't get to these matches. And greatly appreciated!:thumbsu:
 
Tired, cranky but a busy day tomorrow so I'll jot down a quick summary and a few notes of the players involved.

Belconnen struggled to clear their defensive zone for most of the day, with most of their forays into their attacking half, hopeful half-blind kicks where the Swans' defence would tidy up with little trouble. While they didn't lose the first quarter this week, they were still quite profligate going inside 50 and only had 4 goals on the board at quarter time. The rain was quite heavy in parts of the 2nd quarter and the Swans could manage only another 4 goals with Belco getting 2 of their own.

The weather improved somewhat in the 2nd half and the Swans' better ball use and better fitness started to tell. The game was almost exclusively played in the Swans half with most players on both sides stationed in our forward half. We kicked 12 goals to 1 in the 2nd half which was a fair return for such a period of superiority.

Overall, while Belconnen hardly threatened the scoreboard all game, they did tackle well for most of it and only started to drop off towards the end when perhaps fatigue started to set it.


  • 1. Seaby - Seaby got his hands to a lot of taps but wasn't as effective as Pyke in this area. That wasn't such a surprise as I rate Pyke's tapwork very highly but more surprisingly was the fact that he was outpointed by Pyke playing in the forward line. This was supposedly his advantage over Pyke but he hasn't really offered anything beyond competent in this game or the GWS game. He didn't take many marks inside 50, and in fact his only goal came from a strange role reversal with TDL. Meredith bombed long to the forward line and TDL drops the tough contested mark. Seaby crumbs and snaps around his body for a clever goal. He is very much behind Pyke in the ruck pecking order at the moment.
  • 7. Meredith - Meredith is starting to frustrate me. He obviously has a lot of talent but doesn't seem capable of putting it together for a whole game. We witnessed more flashes of brilliance today but intermixed with somewhat lackadaisical play. He kicked a beautiful goal on a tough angle from the right hand pocket after looking twice inboard without seeing an available option. It was beautifully executed. However, in general, he seems content to do the bare minimum and lacks the intensity around the contests. There are also question marks over what position he is best suited to in the seniors as I don't think he would cut it playing as an inside midfielder as he has been doing in the reserves.
  • 8. Dennis-Lane - Dennis-Lane was rusty for most of this game, spilling marks all over the ground with his usually dependable strong hands letting him down. He kicked 2 opportunistic goals, one of them being a clever kick from Pyke for TDL to run onto in the goal square and finish from point blank. He didn't play as much up the ground as I expected and heard about last week. On this performance alone, I don't think he will seriously threaten for a senior spot.
  • 10. Currie - Definitely the biggest surprise of the day. After the first quarter, which he spent milling about the forward line with a tight set shot missing his only contribution, he did a swap with LRT going down back. However, when LRT went off for the day (see his report below), he continued to stay at CHB for the rest of the game. Given most of the play was in our forward half and the balls that did come his way were often of poor quality, he didn't have much to do but he performed his duties well.
  • 11. Lamb - After reading my notes my judgment of his game has risen slightly. He was involved in a few scores early, the highlight being a beautifully hit kick to Pyke who was stationed well behind his opponent. Missed his only set shot of the game but other than that I thought he did some nice things towards the end of the game.
  • 17. Kennelly - Noticeably very vocal out there, gave a lot of encouragement to the toppies playing alongside him. Started playing his usual role at half back, but as the game went on, drifted further forward and finished the game playing on ball. He was keen to prove his fitnes out there, and I don't think he spent any time on the bench. Made a valiant effort in the 2nd quarter when Belconnen actually broke through our zone from the kick-in and he was the last man back racing against multiple opponents. He managed to slap the ball out of play, with not enough subtlety according to the umpires giving a deliberate out of bounds freekick. However, it would have been a certain Belco goal and they missed with the subsequent shot. He kicked the last goal of the match by bravely marking and taking a hit before going back and slotting through after the siren (possibly his first goal at any level for many years?). I'm not sure how the bye will play into his selection chances but I think he's ready to go if there was a match next weekend.
  • 23. Johnston - Marked him highly based mainly on his spoiling, tackling, chasing and general physicality. We all know and have witnessed how good a kick he is but sometimes the other facets of his game can be a ltitle lacking. Not today. Again, with not much ball going into our defence, most of his touches were up against the wing or even higher at half-forward. Not sure if it was the black boots he was wearing but his legs looked much skinnier than usual.
  • 26. Parker - Was red hot in the first quarter, working well with Pyke in the taps. There were many instances in a forward 50 throw in where Pyke would tap it over his head for Parker to run onto and Belconnen didn't seem to twig to this tactic. Perhaps somewhat quieter after that but I was suitable impressed from his early work. I'd rather have Parker than Meredith if a replacement is needed in the midfield.
  • 28. McNeil - Not as dominant as usual but not for a lack of trying. I was impressed by his workrate and his tackling in the wet and especially with a few passages where his quick hands were key in extracting the ball for his teammates.
  • 30. Roberts-Thomson - Only played the first half, one quarter down back and the next up forward. Pretty quiet in the first quarter as you may imagine but he linked up well down back with equanimity as you would expect from a player of his experience. His foray up forward was a little more interesting, yielding little reward besides his soccerred goal after a teammates had spilled the mark. At least 2 more games at this level at the bare minimum.
  • 33. Moore - Moore started the game as a small forward but finished it as the game's dominant midfielder. Once he got into his stride he was the general dictating play with his ball use a highlight. Unfortunately at senior level, the quicker pace of the game blunts this asepct of his game, but almost every time he drops back to this level and plays in the midfield, he is such a clever and efficient user of the football. Today he was rewarded with 2 goals, the 2nd of which was an interesting volleyball-style spike by Pyke into Moore's path who eventually goaled on the run from 40m out. He should come in for the Carlton game, and hopefully he can gives us a semblance of structure in our sometimes haphazard looking forward line.
  • 36. McKaigue - Not really seeing any signs of improvement. I think his kicking still isn't good enough for him to play as a rebounding defender. They tend to go up and under which many forwards will gladly inform you, makes it very hard for them and very easy for their opponents to spoil. Needs to get some kicking lessons, perhaps from his good mate Tadhg.
  • 38. Pyke - Super game from the Canadian. Controlled the taps (although a lot were uncontested) with ease, directing many ballups and throwins to his teammates. When up forward, moved freely and more importantly moved into the right areas. He kicked the first 2 goals of the game, both of them from marks where he ran to the right spot and thankfully was rewarded with great kicks over the top from Parker and Lamb. His third goal was a big bomb from way outside 50. Also had 3 behinds, including 2 from set shots that probably should have converted, and an assist (not counting taps). He is in form, he looks very hungry and eager and I think it would be a travesty not to promote him given we are getting very little from our second ruck at the moment.
  • 43. Kruger - I can't recall much from him, spent a lot of time on the bench early on. His play of the day was spotting up Ben Haren on the run when it would have been easy (especially for him) to blaze away at the goals. With more players coming off the injury list, he might be one of the players to be rotated in and out to give all players meaningful playing time.
  • 45. Gordon - Great game by Nipper, he showed real intent out there and didn't waste too many positions. Being released from inside midfield duties helped liberate his role, I would classify it as being a linkman from defence. He was lively, creative and also a standout in the wet.
  • 46. Haren - Benched early on to my disappointment. When he was on the field, he was a hard leading target but he only managed to hang on to one of his now trademark contested grabs (and which he duly converted). I really rate his kicking, both accuracy and distance. Today he snapped a fantastic goal from around the corner, some distance out that literally took my breath away. He moves so well that you don't realise how tall he is until you measure him up against his teammates and realise he is a big lad.
  • Topups - Agree with the assessment that they are all solid and aren't a major weakness in the side anymore. Today, I was most impressed with Brain who used the ball well and didn't panic. Thompson also laid a few nice, solid tackles. Wales is a dependable option down back, reads the play well and has a spoil-first policy. Guthrie and Kenny had a bit of it while Potter was somewhat quieter. Don't remember Lynch much but when he did have the ball, he looked a fine physical specimen. And finally to everyone's favourite topup Kane Murphy, I was watching him take shots during the warmup and he nailed most of them, with some flair I might add. He certainly must practice his snaps a lot as he finished off 2 today off a couple of steps with such ease.
There is a bye next week to co-incide with the seniors, and then we play Tuggeranong as the curtain raiser to the Carlton game. It will start at the very interesting time of Friday 4.20pm

Reserves 4.3 8.6 14.13 20.18 (138)
Belconnen 0.0 2.4 3.4 4.5 (29)

Goals: Pyke Haren Parker 3 Moore Meredith TDL Murphy 2 Seaby Kennelly LRT
 
grimlock said:
Tired, cranky but a busy day tomorrow so I'll jot down a quick summary and a few notes of the players involved.

Belconnen struggled to clear their defensive zone for most of the day, with most of their forays into their attacking half, hopeful half-blind kicks where the Swans' defence would tidy up with little trouble. While they didn't lose the first quarter this week, they were still quite profligate going inside 50 and only had 4 goals on the board at quarter time. The rain was quite heavy in parts of the 2nd quarter and the Swans could manage only another 4 goals with Belco getting 2 of their own.

The weather improved somewhat in the 2nd half and the Swans' better ball use and better fitness started to tell. The game was almost exclusively played in the Swans half with most players on both sides stationed in our forward half. We kicked 12 goals to 1 in the 2nd half which was a fair return for such a period of superiority.

Overall, while Belconnen hardly threatened the scoreboard all game, they did tackle well for most of it and only started to drop off towards the end when perhaps fatigue started to set it.


  • 1. Seaby - Seaby got his hands to a lot of taps but wasn't as effective as Pyke in this area. That wasn't such a surprise as I rate Pyke's tapwork very highly but more surprisingly was the fact that he was outpointed by Pyke playing in the forward line. This was supposedly his advantage over Pyke but he hasn't really offered anything beyond competent in this game or the GWS game. He didn't take many marks inside 50, and in fact his only goal came from a strange role reversal with TDL. Meredith bombed long to the forward line and TDL drops the tough contested mark. Seaby crumbs and snaps around his body for a clever goal. He is very much behind Pyke in the ruck pecking order at the moment.
  • 7. Meredith - Meredith is starting to frustrate me. He obviously has a lot of talent but doesn't seem capable of putting it together for a whole game. We witnessed more flashes of brilliance today but intermixed with somewhat lackadaisical play. He kicked a beautiful goal on a tough angle from the right hand pocket after looking twice inboard without seeing an available option. It was beautifully executed. However, in general, he seems content to do the bare minimum and lacks the intensity around the contests. There are also question marks over what position he is best suited to in the seniors as I don't think he would cut it playing as an inside midfielder as he has been doing in the reserves.
  • 8. Dennis-Lane - Dennis-Lane was rusty for most of this game, spilling marks all over the ground with his usually dependable strong hands letting him down. He kicked 2 opportunistic goals, one of them being a clever kick from Pyke for TDL to run onto in the goal square and finish from point blank. He didn't play as much up the ground as I expected and heard about last week. On this performance alone, I don't think he will seriously threaten for a senior spot.
  • 10. Currie - Definitely the biggest surprise of the day. After the first quarter, which he spent milling about the forward line with a tight set shot missing his only contribution, he did a swap with LRT going down back. However, when LRT went off for the day (see his report below), he continued to stay at CHB for the rest of the game. Given most of the play was in our forward half and the balls that did come his way were often of poor quality, he didn't have much to do but he performed his duties well.
  • 11. Lamb - After reading my notes my judgment of his game has risen slightly. He was involved in a few scores early, the highlight being a beautifully hit kick to Pyke who was stationed well behind his opponent. Missed his only set shot of the game but other than that I thought he did some nice things towards the end of the game.
  • 17. Kennelly - Noticeably very vocal out there, gave a lot of encouragement to the toppies playing alongside him. Started playing his usual role at half back, but as the game went on, drifted further forward and finished the game playing on ball. He was keen to prove his fitnes out there, and I don't think he spent any time on the bench. Made a valiant effort in the 2nd quarter when Belconnen actually broke through our zone from the kick-in and he was the last man back racing against multiple opponents. He managed to slap the ball out of play, with not enough subtlety according to the umpires giving a deliberate out of bounds freekick. However, it would have been a certain Belco goal and they missed with the subsequent shot. He kicked the last goal of the match by bravely marking and taking a hit before going back and slotting through after the siren (possibly his first goal at any level for many years?). I'm not sure how the bye will play into his selection chances but I think he's ready to go if there was a match next weekend.
  • 23. Johnston - Marked him highly based mainly on his spoiling, tackling, chasing and general physicality. We all know and have witnessed how good a kick he is but sometimes the other facets of his game can be a ltitle lacking. Not today. Again, with not much ball going into our defence, most of his touches were up against the wing or even higher at half-forward. Not sure if it was the black boots he was wearing but his legs looked much skinnier than usual.
  • 26. Parker - Was red hot in the first quarter, working well with Pyke in the taps. There were many instances in a forward 50 throw in where Pyke would tap it over his head for Parker to run onto and Belconnen didn't seem to twig to this tactic. Perhaps somewhat quieter after that but I was suitable impressed from his early work. I'd rather have Parker than Meredith if a replacement is needed in the midfield.
  • 28. McNeil - Not as dominant as usual but not for a lack of trying. I was impressed by his workrate and his tackling in the wet and especially with a few passages where his quick hands were key in extracting the ball for his teammates.
  • 30. Roberts-Thomson - Only played the first half, one quarter down back and the next up forward. Pretty quiet in the first quarter as you may imagine but he linked up well down back with equanimity as you would expect from a player of his experience. His foray up forward was a little more interesting, yielding little reward besides his soccerred goal after a teammates had spilled the mark. At least 2 more games at this level at the bare minimum.
  • 33. Moore - Moore started the game as a small forward but finished it as the game's dominant midfielder. Once he got into his stride he was the general dictating play with his ball use a highlight. Unfortunately at senior level, the quicker pace of the game blunts this asepct of his game, but almost every time he drops back to this level and plays in the midfield, he is such a clever and efficient user of the football. Today he was rewarded with 2 goals, the 2nd of which was an interesting volleyball-style spike by Pyke into Moore's path who eventually goaled on the run from 40m out. He should come in for the Carlton game, and hopefully he can gives us a semblance of structure in our sometimes haphazard looking forward line.
  • 36. McKaigue - Not really seeing any signs of improvement. I think his kicking still isn't good enough for him to play as a rebounding defender. They tend to go up and under which many forwards will gladly inform you, makes it very hard for them and very easy for their opponents to spoil. Needs to get some kicking lessons, perhaps from his good mate Tadhg.
  • 38. Pyke - Super game from the Canadian. Controlled the taps (although a lot were uncontested) with ease, directing many ballups and throwins to his teammates. When up forward, moved freely and more importantly moved into the right areas. He kicked the first 2 goals of the game, both of them from marks where he ran to the right spot and thankfully was rewarded with great kicks over the top from Parker and Lamb. His third goal was a big bomb from way outside 50. Also had 3 behinds, including 2 from set shots that probably should have converted, and an assist (not counting taps). He is in form, he looks very hungry and eager and I think it would be a travesty not to promote him given we are getting very little from our second ruck at the moment.
  • 43. Kruger - I can't recall much from him, spent a lot of time on the bench early on. His play of the day was spotting up Ben Haren on the run when it would have been easy (especially for him) to blaze away at the goals. With more players coming off the injury list, he might be one of the players to be rotated in and out to give all players meaningful playing time.
  • 45. Gordon - Great game by Nipper, he showed real intent out there and didn't waste too many positions. Being released from inside midfield duties helped liberate his role, I would classify it as being a linkman from defence. He was lively, creative and also a standout in the wet.
  • 46. Haren - Benched early on to my disappointment. When he was on the field, he was a hard leading target but he only managed to hang on to one of his now trademark contested grabs (and which he duly converted). I really rate his kicking, both accuracy and distance. Today he snapped a fantastic goal from around the corner, some distance out that literally took my breath away. He moves so well that you don't realise how tall he is until you measure him up against his teammates and realise he is a big lad.
  • Topups - Agree with the assessment that they are all solid and aren't a major weakness in the side anymore. Today, I was most impressed with Brain who used the ball well and didn't panic. Thompson also laid a few nice, solid tackles. Wales is a dependable option down back, reads the play well and has a spoil-first policy. Guthrie and Kenny had a bit of it while Potter was somewhat quieter. Don't remember Lynch much but when he did have the ball, he looked a fine physical specimen. And finally to everyone's favourite topup Kane Murphy, I was watching him take shots during the warmup and he nailed most of them, with some flair I might add. He certainly must practice his snaps a lot as he finished off 2 today off a couple of steps with such ease.
There is a bye next week to co-incide with the seniors, and then we play Tuggeranong as the curtain raiser to the Carlton game. It will start at the very interesting time of Friday 4.20pm

Reserves 4.3 8.6 14.13 20.18 (138)
Belconnen 0.0 2.4 3.4 4.5 (29)

Goals: Pyke Haren Parker 3 Moore Meredith TDL Murphy 2 Seaby Kennelly LRT
Click to expand...

Excellent work again Grim. By that report, Pyke, Parker, Kennelly, Moore & maybe Johnston under consideration. Having said that, who'd know, Alex Johnson came from nowhere and has performed well. A true forward...please stand up (or maybe hit a forward on the tit laces out someone please)!
 
grimlock said:
And finally to everyone's favourite topup Kane Murphy, I was watching him take shots during the warmup and he nailed most of them, with some flair I might add. He certainly must practice his snaps a lot as he finished off 2 today off a couple of steps with such ease.
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Have no doubt we'll find Kane in the Red and White proper by the end of the year. 2nd F/S pick or at the very least a rookie pick
 
If a father son pick is not taken the first time around (like with Kane Murpy) do they qualify as a possible father son pick the second time around?
 

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