Allies crush Under-18 Vics
4:03:28 PM Thu 28 September, 2006
Matt Burgan
Sportal for afl.com.au
Key forward Kurt Tippett and Under-18 All Australians Craig Bird, Daniel Dzufer and Nathan Djerrkura dominated for the Allies as the combine annihilated a Victorian Under-18 team by 81 points in the NAB AFL Rising Star Cup at MC Labour Park on Thursday.
Tippett, a former Queensland under-18 basketball representative with only two years experience in the game, was terrific up forward. He finished the match with four goals and looms as one to watch come draft time in November. His marking overhead and athleticism is a feature of his game.
Ball-winner Bird (27 disposals), Dzufer (23) and Djerrkura (23) displayed class in the midfield. Dzufer also chipped in with two majors while Territorian Jethro Calma-Holt bagged three goals.
The Allies class was evident before the match started with 12 players representing the combine also invited to this year's NAB AFL Draft Camp.
But Victoria was only able to select its players from six TAC Cup teams - Murray Bushrangers, Bendigo Pioneers, Dandenong Stingrays, Sandringham Dragons, Western Jets and Eastern Ranges - due to other teams competing in recent finals.
Queensland's Dzufer, Haydyn Kiel, Ben Warren, Chris Smith, Gavin Grose, Tippett, Shaun Hampson and Jesse White; Northern Territory's Joe Anderson, Djerrkura and Tasmania's Colin Garland and Jack Riewoldt (cousin of St Kilda superstar Nick) all featured in the match and will attend the Australian Institute of Sport next week in Canberra for the camp.
Victorian Alex Lee and Daniel Hayes were the sole representatives that will attend this year's camp.
From the start, the Allies never looked in doubt. They booted the opening nine goals of the match before Victoria's Dale Whelan could register his side's first major. It came at the 19-minute mark of the second term.
By three quarter-time the Allies had 14 goals to one and won the centre clearances 16-0.
Victoria managed its only other three goals - all in a row - in the final term. Tomi Johnston, the son of four-time Carlton premiership player Wayne, bobbed up with one during this period.
Johnston managed 16 touches - including 10 contested - for the day, while Rhyce Prismall, brother of Geelong's Brent, was also a solid performer for the Vics. Murray/Corowa-Rutherglen's Tim McIntrye, who represented NSW/ACT during this year's under 18 championships, was also one of Victoria's best.
VICTORIA: 0.2 1.3 1.4 4.9 (33)
ALLIES: 4.4 10.7 14.9 17.12 (114)
GOALS - Victoria: Johnston, Stewart, Walker, Whelan
Allies: Tippett 4, Calma-Holt 3, Dzufer 2, Garland 2, Djerrkura, Hampson, Kiel, Riewoldt, Suckling, Warren
BEST - Victoria: McIntyre, Robinson, Clarke, Johnston, Boyle, Prismall
Allies: Bird, Tippett, Dzufer, Djerrkura, Wonaeamirri, Magin
At MC Labour Park
