Just a bit more info.
As my mate said we're here on mass on Feb 5 watching an intra-club - we're mad!
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Absentees: Tambling, Cotchin from what I saw.
Gourdis and Petts had a kick around on the oval before the start of the game. Sugar was also a non-participant.
Fev was behind us watching on with interest. Geoff Raines was walking around too.
McRae was coaching the Blacks and Rawlings the Whites when I went to the half-time huddles.
The starting centre-square match-ups were:
B: Simmo Foley Jackson Lids
W: Gus Collins Tuck Thomson
Polo was on Richo on the Punt Rd side wing and Cuz and Whitey were on the other wing IIRC.
Okay onto Individual summaries - Black team first:
Raines - impressive return to footy from Rainesy. Got plenty of it and ran the lines through the corridor well. One of the best on the day. He switched from the blacks to the white at quarter time.
Deledio - not the greatest game from Lids IMV. Quiet first quarter from what I saw and his first two possessions up on a HFF missed the target and were turned over. Was better after quarter time when he took a strong pack mark and got more of the footy generating plenty of run. Missed all 3 shots on goal he had.
Simmo - Solid game for the time he was on rucking and linking up through the midfield. Only played a quarter and a bit as did most of the older guys.
Browny - Played more forward of the centre rather than up forward. Got many possessions say 70m out from goal. Only criticism was although his passes hit their mark, many of them were passes into the pockets. Similar game time to Simmo.
Riewoldt - Very good from Jack. He was on a first year young ruckman Browney and continually lead up the corridor to offer marking options for the mids. 3 goals including one from outside 50 (hello Saints game) and a number of marks was a good day out for Jack.
Bowden - Used him mainly up forward in a FP or deep HFF from what I saw. Solid and kicked a goal during his time on the ground.
Richo - Poor Polo was given the job on the wing
. Richo played a quarter and a bit, did what he pleased marking here, there and everywhere, handballed off to a teammate despite marking only 12m out, missed the easy shot but got the harder one. Typical Richo lol.
McMahon - Played in his usually HBF rebounding role. A solid to good game from Jordie who got plenty of it.
Rance - I thought up to half-time he was very quiet so that was disappointing. Last quarter was good though playing in defence (CHB) and cutting off White forays forward.
Morton - One of the Blacks best. Very busy and finished with 2.3.
Nahas - Clearly favourite to be promoted of our rookies. A handy late pick-up if he can produce today's effort on a regular basis. Played up high on a HFF or that's where he marked the footy.
Jackson - Solid without being influential. A typical Jacko game for mine.
Schulz - Played in defence and I thought he was solid to good. It was pleasing to see him switch and move the ball on quickly once he marked or gained possession. Used the footy well too.
Patto - didn't really notice Patto to be honest apart from his time in the ruck and that great grab he took towards the end.
Hislop - started very well in the first quarter but drifted out of the game after that. Not sure what happened when his goal was given a point. Must have been touched by the man on the mark.
Hughes - Disappointing as his skinhead haircut. Just couldn't get into the game for most of it whenever the ball headed in his direction. He kicked 2 goals, one of which came from a good mark and kick from outside 50 on an angle, but that was about it from Cleve.
White - Solid from Whitey. Not a standout apart from being Cuz's opponent for a while. I would've given Whitey the points in the first quarter and to Cuz in the second.
Vickery - Well I was just as impressed by him today as I was when I saw him in the U18 champs. Moreso today for his ruckwork. Okay I'm not expecting him to play ruck this year as although he's a good size for a 18 year old he is only 18 but his tapwork was excellent. We were watching from the Punt Rd wing so had a good view of the rucks to watch them carefully and Ty's hand taps were sublime at times. Not necessarily down the mids throats but his taps down into space advantaged a number of times the Black mids and allowed them run onto the footy without breaking stride and get the clearance. Exciting times for the future.
Connors - Another who switched sides after quarter time. Solid across half-forward and also across half-back without being a standout.
Foley - Easily B.O.G. for mine. Would've had easily 30+ possies. He was everywhere - bursting out and through the centre, breaking lines doing his famous long runs, as well as getting out to contests on wing and boundary. Today was the Foley we know and love
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King - Played back pocket for the Blacks and it was typical Kingy game - worked very hard defensively and got plenty of it but his disposal was erratic when using it. For example he did well to earn a free kick and stop a goal on the last line of defence only to then footpass it straight back to the opposition 30m out from goal.
