Vic Country claims U18 titleBy Jason Phelan
5:31 PM Wed 30 June, 2010SOUTH AUST 2.1 3.4 5.4 8.7 (55)
VIC COUNTRY 2.1 4.6 5.7 7.9 (51)
GOALS
SA: Daniel Gorringe 3, Sam Gray, Matthew Rankine, Jared Polec, Jamie Solly, Sam Day
Vic Country: Josh Walker 2, Adam Treloar, Jed Lamb, Taylor Adams, Tom Lynch, Lucas Cook
BEST
SA: Brodie Smith, Daniel Gorringe, Jared Polec, Jarred Schiller, Sam Gray, Luke Davis, Patrick McCartny, Scott Lycett
Vic Country: Dyson Heppell, Shaun Atley, Adam Treloar, Jed Lamb, Mitchell Hallahan, Billie Smedts
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VIC COUNTRY has taken out the 2010 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships despite going down to South Australia by four points at Skilled Stadium on Wednesday.
The Vics entered the final undefeated with a healthy percentage, with the Croweaters needing to win by a large margin to claim the national Division One crown.
The fiercely-fought encounter was in the balance right to the end with the 8.7 (55) to 7.9 (51) defeat enough to see Country take out overall honours.
Adam Treloar was influential for the Vics with 21 possessions while Shaun Atley (16), Jed Lamb (16) and Dyson Heppell (16) were all busy.
Brodie Smith was a standout for SA with 26 touches, with Jared Polec (20) and Sam Gray (19) providing excellent support. Daniel Gorringe was the leading goal kicker on the ground with three.
The tense match had all the hallmarks of a grand final, with players on both sides appearing nervous in the early going.
The sides were deadlocked at the first change despite the efforts of Country's Josh Walker who booted two goals in the opening term.
The Victorians were left to rue missed opportunities in the second quarter as they sent five shots on goal in a row wide of the mark, allowing SA to hit the lead. It was short-lived, however, with the Vics booting the last two goals of the term despite the onset of heavy rain which made conditions treacherous.
The teams continued to go toe-to-toe in the third with the Croweaters putting through two goals to one to set up an epic final term.
Sam Gray and Sam Day put their side ahead with the first two majors and despite a brilliant running goal from Adam Treloar, Gorringe's third proved the sealer in a thrilling win for the visitors.
Both sides finished the championships with four wins and one loss each.
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