SANFL Trials Week 3

[Drummond]

Friday March 14:
Norwood v North @ Coopers Stadium

Saturday March 15:
South v Port @ Hickinbotham
Central v Eagles @ Thebarton
Glenelg v West @ Chall Rec
Sturt Bye

Massie, Jericho, Walker and Kite in action tonight for the Legs, Armstrong in the North reserves which is disappointing as I was hoping to see him play.

Anyone else heading down to a trial over the weekend? Thankfully the Norwood/North game was changed as it was originally scheduled at Max Basheer Reserve. I wonder if the crowd for the Panthers game will hit double figures...

 

[fryingpan]

I'm actually thinking of heading to see Norwood play tonight.

Campbell playing?

 

[RangaInTeal]

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HEAD TO CENTRALS vs. EAGLES AND REPORT ON MOSS!

 

[Stephen2]

Looking forward to the great match reports as usual Drummond.

Hopefully young Walker has a blinder, I would really love to see him force his way into the Crows lineup this year!

 

[Drummond]

I'm actually thinking of heading to see Norwood play tonight.

Campbell playing?

He's not, which I find strange. He's obviously not in the Crows' plans for Round 1 so I would've thought he would play for Norwood.

 

[-CG-]

Friday March 14:
Norwood v North @ Coopers Stadium

Massie, Jericho, Walker and Kite in action tonight for the Legs, Armstrong in the North reserves which is disappointing as I was hoping to see him play.

Anyone else heading down to a trial over the weekend? Thankfully the Norwood/North game was changed as it was originally scheduled at Max Basheer Reserve. I wonder if the crowd for the Panthers game will hit double figures...

Considering Norwood are playing at Norwood Oval tonight, I should be able to head down for a look. Drummond, do you know what time it starts?

 

[RoosterLad]

Trial Game Change!
After discussions with Norwood Football Club it has been decided to change the day and venue of this weekends trial games. The games will now be played on Friday night at Coopers Stadium.

League 8.00pm start - 4 x 25mins (no time on)
Ressies 5.30pm start - 2 x 20mins (no time on) - then review at half time

 

[RoosterLad]

Norwood should win easy tonight, North are missing the best player from last season Jimmy Allan as well as Ryswyk, O'Hara, Ivens, D Ebert, Stribling, Delvins and new recruit David Clarke from South.

 

[Vader]

Fairly sure the clubs need to seek permission from the AFL for their players to play in SANFL trials the week between the end of the MMC and R1.

Campbell played in 3 of the MMC games (albeit minimally in the GF) and played in Norwood's internal trial the week he missed the MMC.

It's highly likely that the club considered his pre-season preparations to be complete and thus did not seek a release from the AFL. Hence the reason why he is not playing for Norwood this week.

 

[RoosterLad]

Why would you need permission to play in a trial game? That is ridiculous. He won't be playing Round 1 for the Crows so he needs a run after getting splinters during the Grand Final.

 

[adelaide_40]

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HEAD TO CENTRALS vs. EAGLES AND REPORT ON MOSS!

If he plays league i will be there for that game so will keep an eye out.

 

[RangaInTeal]

If he plays league i will be there for that game so will keep an eye out.

Thanks mate, could i get maybe a sentace or two about Williams and Boyle if they play as well! Just what possisions they play in and how they went! Thanks in Advance!

 

[Vader]

Why would you need permission to play in a trial game? That is ridiculous. He won't be playing Round 1 for the Crows so he needs a run after getting splinters during the Grand Final.

The players are contracted to the AFL, through the AFL clubs. They are NOT contracted to the SANFL. Essentially, when they play for their SANFL clubs they are on loan.

I'm fairly sure it's in the players agreement that they're entitled to a week off between the end of the MMC and the beginning of the H&A season.

The only players who should be playing this week are those for whom the club got permission - either because they were underdone (eg Bassett) or did not have a full MMC workload (eg. any of our first year players).

Campbell played all 4 weeks of the pre-season - albeit one game spent picking pine splinters out of his rear and another in an internal SANFL trial. He is thus entitled to a week off before the real stuff commences.

I'm not arguing that he would not be better off playing for Norwood. I agree that he WOULD be better off. However, under the terms of the AFL players agreement, there is little the club can do.

 

[RoosterLad]

Yeah I realise they are contracted to the Vics but it should be up to the player as well. If he thinks he needs a run, let him have a kick, if he has had a solid hitout already and wants a rest then that should also be his call. The AFL shouldn't have any say unless the evil Norwood Corporation decides he MUST play and then Bryce can report them to the AFL who in turn will infract NFC and give them a nice holiday.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

The game at Thebby has done the old switcharoo. League in the morning and ressies in the afternoon.

 

[Alex99]

Fairly sure the clubs need to seek permission from the AFL for their players to play in SANFL trials the week between the end of the MMC and R1.

Campbell played in 3 of the MMC games (albeit minimally in the GF) and played in Norwood's internal trial the week he missed the MMC.

It's highly likely that the club considered his pre-season preparations to be complete and thus did not seek a release from the AFL. Hence the reason why he is not playing for Norwood this week.

In the past the AFL has never kicked us a fuss about granting permission for kids or fringe player to get a game, it the stars that have trouble getting a game in the break week.

I cannot see a reason why they would stop Bryce Campbell getting a game this week.

Does anyone know if the Crows have sort permission to get Nathan Bassett a game with Norwood this week?

 

[Vader]

In the past the AFL has never kicked us a fuss about granting permission for kids or fringe player to get a game, it the stars that have trouble getting a game in the break week.

I cannot see a reason why they would stop Bryce Campbell getting a game this week.

Does anyone know if the Crows have sort permission to get Nathan Bassett a game with Norwood this week?

I agree they probably wouldn't have had any difficulty getting permission. From what I can gather they just let the AFL know and the AFL gives them the nod.

However, with 4 games under his belt already, I guess the club felt there was no need for Campbell to play another pre-season game.

 

[Alex99]

I agree they probably wouldn't have had any difficulty getting permission. From what I can gather they just let the AFL know and the AFL gives them the nod.

However, with 4 games under his belt already, I guess the club felt there was no need for Campbell to play another pre-season game.

Yep my bad. Forgot it was Friday and the SANFL squad would have been named. So i guess that's a no for Bassett?

 

[Crowman32]

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HEAD TO CENTRALS vs. EAGLES AND REPORT ON MOSS!

Does anyone know how Moss went last week?

 

[Tails14]

Bryce Campbell has gone home to Wagga this weekend to see parents apparently.......Taylor Walker to start in the back pocket in the seniors...it should show how versatile he is ????

 

[Freddy Bassett]

Im sure Roosterlad will tell me where to go but to ALL the South blokes who left at the end of the season go yourselves

 

[WheresGroomgone]

Im sure Roosterlad will tell me where to go but to ALL the South blokes who left at the end of the season go yourselves

who needs em...

 

[Drummond]

Aaron Kite: Very impressive showing tonight from young Kite and one that has probably moved him ahead of fellow Crow teammate Taylor Walker. He played across the half back flank on Motlop for the first three terms and he clearly had the better of him. In the first term he probably had about 4 possessions and he used the ball reasonably well. It was a similar story in the second quarter but there was one passage of play which got a warm reception from the coaching staff. He stormed out of defence, hit the contest hard and kicked the ball forward. Despite sitting on the opposite wing from the coaches you could hear the encouragement from a mile away.

It was the third term which probably would have won him selection for Round 1 and at the very least next week. From memory he would’ve had about 7 possessions and most were as a result of hard running from defence. He worked extremely hard all quarter and he often made long, hard leads from defence all the way to the forward line. On one occasion he used his speed and backed himself to burn the opposition off, once again it proved successful. That’s already the one thing that stands out from his game, his electrifying speed and when he puts he ball under his arm and takes off he’s awfully hard to stop. I've also noticed that when he dishes off a handball he's always on the run anticipating getting the ball back, and that's when he uses his speed. He’s a real good mover and has an impressive side step. In the latter stages of the quarter he started to show signs of fatigue and he even looked as though he might have felt some pain in his thigh. He did however manage to beat Motlop in a crucial contest in the last few minutes of the quarter. He took the mark opposed to Motlop and then kicked the ball to a free man inside forward 50. Motlop appeared to injure his hamstring though which certainly would’ve benefited Kite.

I wandered out to the huddle at the last break and there was some real encouragement for Kite. The defensive coach praised his work and then during Trevor Hill’s address to the players he claimed Kite was, “sensational”. He was asked twice whether he was right to play on and he insisted he was, despite being in some discomfort. Early in the last quarter he was tackled and was very slow to get up. The trainers came to his assistance and despite being slow to recoverer he did manage to get up and play out the quarter. I can’t recall him gathering any possessions during the last quarter and if he was an established player I think he would have called it a night sooner.

There were the occasional lowlights where he didn’t attack the contest as hard as he should have and there was one contest in the last quarter where for whatever reason he didn’t even try and attempt to spoil the ball which his opponent then marked and had a shot on goal. I think we can put that down to fatigue though as he was well and truly spent by that time. Overall it was a very encouraging performance from Kite and on the back of his effort I think he’s a strong chance to hold down a key defensive post for Round 1.

Taylor Walker: Walker played deep in defence for the first three terms and fared reasonably well. His first quarter was outstanding and he would’ve had about 7 possessions and 3 marks in the first term alone. He took a great contested mark in the opening minute of the game. He looked far more comfortable down back than I had anticipated and he seems to be able to read the ball well regardless of which end he’s stationed at. He did produce a cardinal sin though where after taking a mark on the wing he then decided to kick back to the middle of the ground which ended up in the hands of a Roosters player. The end result was a goal.

His second and third terms were both relatively quiet and he spent some time on the bench in both. He then moved forward in the last quarter and even though the ball only went inside Norwood’s fifty a few times he did managed to have 2 shots on goal. The first was a result of a strong lead but he failed to convert from about 50 out. The second came in the dying stages of the term, where he took a very nice 1-on-1 mark about 45 metres from goal. He went back and slotted the goal and the siren sounded seconds after it sailed through. So for the night he finished with about 15 possessions, 5 marks and 1.1. He looked quite capable of playing at both ends of the ground and he looks very comfortable playing at league level. At this stage I think there’s a fair chance he starts off playing in the reserves but there are some promising signs.

Kris Massie: It's safe to say Massie had one of his worst outings for the Redlegs. His first half was pretty much one to forget as he turned the ball over too often and he failed to have any real impact. He was caught holding the ball once or twice for being too slow to choose an option, he kicked it straight to an opponent when trying to find a leading forward, and he kicked it across goal which once again was intercepted and resulted in a goal. He slightly improved in the second half and he picked up a bit of the ball but for a guy with 100+ AFL games he had a poor night. It’s tough to pin point how much of the ball he had but I’d say close to 20, but his usage of the ball was less than what we’ve come to expect.

Luke Jericho: It seems to be the stock standard answer but it’s tough to analyse Jericho’s game. He finished with 3 goals and had roughly 20 possessions, but he drifted in and out of the game. He kicked a beautiful crumbing goal in the second quarter and he took a nice contested mark in the last term which he then went back and drilled, but he seemed to go missing for long periods at a time. He would pick up 5 possessions in as many minutes, but then you wouldn’t see for another 10 minutes. He did however do some great things and he was always dangerous when he had possession. He seemed willing to run and carry the ball and just as he did last week he had numerous forward fifty entires.

To be honest I thought he was one of Norwood’s better players and he did manage to kick 3 goals whilst playing mostly on the wing. I just wish he’d insert himself on games more often and be willing to contest for the entire duration of games. As is always the case he failed to attack a couple of contests with the required ferocity but as we’ve all discovered that’s never going to change. He had a strong game tonight, just not strong enough to get him back in the Crows line-up just yet.

 

[panthers]

Im sure Roosterlad will tell me where to go but to ALL the South blokes who left at the end of the season go yourselves

Totally agree.

 

[-CG-]

There were five Crow boys in action tonight down at Norwood Oval. Luke Jericho, Kris Massie, Aaron Kite and Taylor Walker for Norwood and Tony Armstrong for North (yes he did play league).

Was a pretty close and entertaining game all the way through, but North managed to just get on top of Norwood in the final quarter. The game also saw a few injuries to various players from both sides, although no Crows players were injured.

Final Score:
Norwood 4.3 6.5 9.6 12.7 79
North 2.1 6.3 9.7 14.10 94

Luke Jericho: Jericho patrolled the wing all night, in what was a strong performance for Norwood, coming off a pretty odd/not so good game last week.

His first term was fairly quiet with only a couple of kicks and handballs. He got on the scoreboard early with a snap at goal in the pocket, although missing to the right for a behind. Not to be deterred, he kicked a nice goal on the run from about the 50 metre line later in the quarter. What impressed me was at one point; he put his head over the ball to gather but got a fair bump and spun 180 degrees mid air. Was good to see from him.

Again, only a handful of possessions in the second quarter but he managed to score a goal, dribbling the ball through from about 20 metres out.

His third and fourth quarters were reasonable, but only came with a smattering of possessions. He added to his goal tally in the last quarter, taking a Tippett-like mark (up goes one hand to guide the ball down to his chest), right in front of goal. To finish things off he kicked the goal.

Certainly a lot of improvement from last week’s game. He probably only made one or two turnovers and just looked so much better, he actually looked like he knew what he was doing.

Game stats: 10 kicks, 4 handballs, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 hit out, 3 goals, 1 behind.

Kris Massie: Often noted for his leadership shown on the field, Massie produced a solid game for Norwood tonight. While he wasn't outstanding, he still played a commanding role in the midfield.

He started off with a fairly quiet quarter, gathering just the five possessions.

His second quarter was his best for the night, with six kicks and a couple of handballs. Early on in the term the ball bounced over the boundary line with a number of players from both teams within close proximity to it. Massie, the AFL player that he is, was the only player to call for deliberate The umpire replied 'It’s not an AFL match!' It was quite funny.

His form from the second quarter continued after the half time break, producing another solid term. He was feeling a little worn out around the 15 minute mark and asked to have a break for 10 minutes. He came back on later to finish off the quarter.

During the final term he tapered off a bit, collecting five possessions.

Overall, I would say his game last week was a bit better, but you can tell that out on the field he always knows what he is doing and plays with authority. Will be interesting to see whether he is in the equation for a spot against the Bulldogs next week.

Game Stats: 16 kicks, 7 handballs, 7 marks, 4 tackles.

Aaron Kite: Having played two weeks in a row for his new club Norwood, you would imagine Kite would be well accustomed to the team and his role. Although sticking with the trial game theme, he played at half back all night, instead of his usual full back. His two main opponents for the night were the Motlop boys.

I'd imagine young Kite would've have felt a little more at ease tonight matching up on North's also young Marlon Motlop, compared to some of the more senior SANFL players he's played against. Kite held a height advantage of about half a head to a head. He competed well in the first quarter, holding Motlop ineffective, although remained stat-less himself.

In the second quarter he was granted the older Motlop, Shannon. It was so interesting to watch him. He would follow him around, usually with his left hand just touching Motlop's back and even stood right next to him as he had a drink. Overall for this term he got a couple of stats on the board and four tackles. Motlop didn't have much effect. Late in the term he switched to ex-Crow Rhys Archard.

His third quarter was by far his best quarter I've seen him play. Without getting too carried away, he again held S Motlop well and was able to gather seven possessions himself. There was one particular piece of play on the wing where he intercepted a kick to Motlop and streamed away goal ward to set up a shot at goal. Motlop then hobbled off injured, left hamstring I think, so Kite was on Matthew Krieg for a minute or two.

His last quarter was quiet, with no possessions against North's Kingsley Walker. But early on in the term he had his head over the ball to gather it and was bumped head high by a North player. He seemed to be a bit dazed by the incident, but continued to see out the term.

I liked what I saw from him tonight, you can tell he is determined to succeed. He has good defensive skills. As I mentioned earlier, he absolutely stuck to his opponents tonight. He also got a few of spoils in and generally has good defensive skills. He shows endeavour to the ball, in tackling etc. Was really good to watch tonight.

Game stats: 5 kicks, 4 handballs, 4 marks, 5 tackles.

Taylor Walker: Walker played mainly only the last half of tonight's game, although he was on the ground for about a minute in the second quarter.

As mentioned by Tails14, he played the third term in the backlines on North's Kingsley Walker. He wasn't too bad in this position, managing to get a couple of spoils into the fray. He was shouldered with the kicking in duties a few times, one he sent short, two long. One of the long kicks resulted in a turn over.

In the final term he was moved down to full forward, where he looked a lot livelier. Early on he took a strong mark on the lead to settle for a set shot on the 50 metre line. Although the ball sailed to the right and missed. He followed up again late in the term with a set shot a bit further out. It was a great kick which soared through the middle for a goal.

A pretty quiet half for young Walker. Not sure about him in defence, looks more dangerous up forward.

Game Stats: 5 kicks, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 goal, 1 behind.

Tony Armstrong: Bit of a funny game from Armstrong tonight, the only Crows player playing for North. He was on and off the ground and unable to really get going.

He made his first appearance in the second quarter, although it was fairly brief. Came on about half way through into the midfield, gave a free for in the back to Jericho and that’s about it.

In the third quarter he came on, again briefly, but it was the fourth quarter where he finally got his hands on the ball. He appeared to be playing on Norwood's Simon Phillips. His highlight for the game was a nice gather in the centre square where he continued to run and bounce until the 50 metre line where he had a running shot at goal. Unfortunately, he missed.

Again, not much of a game for Armstrong. Seems like he could get it together in a full game.

Game stats: 2 kicks, 2 handballs, 1 behind.