Three quarter time Chargers lead by a goal.

Oaks easily in the end which means that although the Vic Country clubs dominated throughout the season, suburban neigbours Eastern Ranges and Oakleigh Chargers will play off in next weekend's grand final.

North Ballarat Rebels 3.0 5.4 7.7 8.9 (57)

Oakleigh Chargers 2.3 3.4 8.7 13.11 (89)

GOALS:

North Ballarat Rebels: Cowan 2 Hopper 2 Rioli Johnston Korewha Taurau

Oakleigh Chargers: Phillips 3 Phillips 2 Thompson 2 Crocker 2 Answerth McLarty Johnstone Adduci

BEST:

North Ballarat Rebels: Hopper Eades Cowan Lloyd Webster Templeton

Oakleigh Chargers: Answerth Byrne-Jones Pearce Johnstone Whitehead Duman

Don't know how tall he is how he plays, pick Hardwick from Eastern Rangers, just for the name he will be a star.

  On 19/09/2015 at 08:07, don said:

Don't know how tall he is how he plays, pick hardwick from eastern rangers, just for the name he will be a star

He's about 181cm and plays as a lead up forward. His leading & strength overhead reminds me a bit of Jako (in that he plays like an undersized full forward). Not as freakish with his goals from general play. Has a good footy brain, but not super athletic and needs to work on his tank to play more midfield.

  On 19/09/2015 at 06:31, Whispering_Jack said:

Oaks easily in the end which means that although the Vic Country clubs dominated throughout the season, suburban neigbours Eastern Ranges and Oakleigh Chargers will play off in next weekend's grand final.

Thanks for the updates WJ, made it for the second game, but did spend a lot of time distracted by the kids (my wife spent a lot of time distracted by Jo Silvagni).

  On 19/09/2015 at 08:14, ChaserJ said:

He's about 181cm and plays as a lead up forward. His leading & strength overhead reminds me a bit of Jako (in that he plays like an undersized full forward). Not as freakish with his goals from general play. Has a good footy brain, but not super athletic and needs to work on his tank to play more midfield.

Agree on Hardwick. He's an interesting player - a real X factor with boundless possibilities if handled well. His marking is very good for someone under 6 feet tall. Not sure if he's the type of player who fits the Roos mould.

TAC Cup finals review: Week Three Wrap

TAC Cup review: Finals Week 3

TAC Cup Grand Final Teams

Eastern Ranges vs. Oakleigh Chargers

Sunday September 27th

Etihad Stadium at 11.05am

Eastern Ranges

B: Stanley Maibaum Cerra

HB: D Clarke Keppel Brolic

C: Harvey Batty Cotte

HF: Crocker Collins Hardwick

F: Garner Hannon Brown

FOLL: Mitchener R Clarke Gallucci

I/C: Cyster Horner Jacotine Jeffs Prosser Santamaria Stavrou Stephenson

Oakleigh Chargers

B: McLarty Firns Whitehead

HB: Hooper Beddison Byrne-Jones

C: Duman Roughsedge Lane

HF: Johnstone Thompson Crocker

F: Cunningham Walker P Phillips

FOLL: Wenn Answerth Sullivan

I/C: Adduci Jackson Kerr Morgan Pearce T Phillips Ridley

The game will be televised live on Fox Footy Channel

The TAC Cup Grand Final is being televised for the first time since 2009 when the Calder Cannons 17.10.112 defeated Dandenong Stingrays 14.14.98.

The following You Tube from that game might be of interest ~

The Bombers also drafted Jake Carlisle from that Calder Cannons team while the Demons took Tom Scully who did not play in the grand final due to a knee injury incurred in his team's preliminary final win.

Other examples of players who have performed well in past TAC Cup finals series to improve their draft prospects have been Scott Pendlebury for Gippsland Power in 2005 and Steele Sidebottom who hit the headlines with his stunning ten goal performance for the Murray Bushrangers which rocketed him to the top ten in draft calculations.

Sidebottom's teammate Tom Rockliff also had a big game and booted four goals but he was considered too slow and he was overlooked in the main draft but earned an invitation to train with Melbourne before going to Brisbane in the PSD. Scully was an underage player for the losing team.

  Quote

Fox Footy Channel: AFL: TAC Cup Live at 11.00am

Eastern Ranges v Oakleigh Chargers

The 2015 TAC Cup Grand Final between the Oakleigh Chargers and Eastern Ranges from Etihad Stadium

The official TAC Cup website takes a close look at the game:-

TAC Cup Grand Final preview

I suppose I am being repetitious but the stand out player for me is Eastern Ranges' dynamic 186cm running midfielder/forward Ryan Clarke who has starred in the three weeks of the finals to date. His teammate Sam Weideman is another highly touted prospect who won't be there due to a foot injury. I wouldn't mind it if that pair was reunited with Christian Petracca who was at the Ranges in 2013/4 but if wishes were dreams ...

  On 25/09/2015 at 22:00, Whispering_Jack said:

I suppose I am being repetitious but the stand out player for me is Eastern Ranges' dynamic 186cm running midfielder/forward Ryan Clarke who has starred in the three weeks of the finals to date. His teammate Sam Weideman is another highly touted prospect who won't be there due to a foot injury. I wouldn't mind it if that pair was reunited with Christian Petracca who was at the Ranges in 2013/4 but if wishes were dreams ...

Watched him last week and was super impressed, looks like a natural footballer and as always Jack you're spot on with the talent ID.

Watching that video of the 2009 TAC Cup GF brought back some memories, super amount of talent playing that day with a couple of handy underage inside mids, Tom Liberatore and Luke Parker.

  On 25/09/2015 at 22:59, Melon22 said:

Watched him last week and was super impressed, looks like a natural footballer and as always Jack you're spot on with the talent ID.

Watching that video of the 2009 TAC Cup GF brought back some memories, super amount of talent playing that day with a couple of handy underage inside mids, Tom Liberatore and Luke Parker.

I think another bottom age player in the Cannons team that day was Dion Prestia.

Keep an eye on Jaidyn Stephenson a bottom age player for eastern . he is still growing and will be at 6-2 to 6-5 when fully grown . He has serious talent and could be a nat fyfe type.

I played with his dad, at 6-5 he had serious leg speed and agility, hard to keep up with and would regularly kick bags . he actually kicked 21 one day coming back from injury in the ressies.yeah yeah local footy but he was an elite junior coming up with darren crocker being another elite in the area , Stevo was better.

this kid will be a gun.Strong through the legs already but skinny upper body. Is in the afl academy squad . I hope we are looking at him.

Talking about raising the pre game status of one player in a grand final ~

TAC Cup grand final 2015: Oakleigh Chargers must keep an eye on Eastern Ranges' Ryan Clarke

  Quote

Eastern Ranges ball-magnet Ryan Clarke has been earmarked as one for defending premiers Oakleigh Chargers to keep tabs on in Sunday's TAC Cup grand final at Etihad Stadium.

The Eastern Ranges have four AIS-AFL Academy members missing from today's grand final lineup Aaron Fenton, James Parsons and Sam Weideman and this leaves Ryan Clarke as the only "name" player in the game in terms of high draft pick contention because the Oakleigh Chargers are a very even team with few individual stand outs.

The Ranges are favourites to win the game which starts later this morning.

Who woulda thought?

Half time and the no name Chargers are 5 goals in front!

  On 26/09/2015 at 20:34, CityDee said:

Keep an eye on Jaidyn Stephenson a bottom age player for eastern . he is still growing and will be at 6-2 to 6-5 when fully grown . He has serious talent and could be a nat fyfe type.

I played with his dad, at 6-5 he had serious leg speed and agility, hard to keep up with and would regularly kick bags . he actually kicked 21 one day coming back from injury in the ressies.yeah yeah local footy but he was an elite junior coming up with darren crocker being another elite in the area , Stevo was better.

this kid will be a gun.Strong through the legs already but skinny upper body. Is in the afl academy squad . I hope we are looking at him.

Looks the goods.

Just kicked a banana for his third to put the Ranges down by only 7 points.

That makes 10 goals he's kicked over the finals series.

Hardwick kicks his third from a free after the siren. It's a two point game in favour of Oakleigh at ¾ time.

Wonder if the MFC recruiters are in the crowd watching. Has anyone caught your eye WJ?

Oakleigh Chargers make it back to back premierships (and three out of four) to win by two goals.

2015 TAC Cup Grand Final

Eastern Ranges 2.3 3.6 8.6 9.7 (61)

Oakleigh Chargers 4.2 8.6 8.8 10.13 (73)

GOALS:

Eastern Ranges: Hardwick 3 Stephenson 3 Cotte Brown Clarke

Oakleigh Chargers: Phillips 2 Phillips 2 Thompson 2 Walker Morgan Crocker Kerr

BEST:

Eastern Ranges: D Clarke Cotte Cerra Stephenson Stanley R Clarke

Oakleigh Chargers: Answerth Phillips Firns Beddison Walker Cuningham

  On 27/09/2015 at 03:10, Lamashtu said:

Wonder if the MFC recruiters are in the crowd watching. Has anyone caught your eye WJ?

I've been watching the last half on Foxtel. Didn't see much of Ryan Clarke apart from a goal early in the third quarter. Oakleigh were an even team. Oakleigh's Answerth the best to me but I'm not sure about his draftability. Hardwick of Eastern looks a prospect.

  On 26/09/2015 at 20:34, CityDee said:

Keep an eye on Jaidyn Stephenson a bottom age player for eastern . he is still growing and will be at 6-2 to 6-5 when fully grown . He has serious talent and could be a nat fyfe type.

I played with his dad, at 6-5 he had serious leg speed and agility, hard to keep up with and would regularly kick bags . he actually kicked 21 one day coming back from injury in the ressies.yeah yeah local footy but he was an elite junior coming up with darren crocker being another elite in the area , Stevo was better.

this kid will be a gun.Strong through the legs already but skinny upper body. Is in the afl academy squad . I hope we are looking at him.

Was that the kid with the long blonde hair if it is yes he's a got a future

TAC Cup Grand Final player ratings

I am calling it early Hardwick will be a A grader. I have a theory that a player's surname can tell you what sort of player they will turn out to be like. Anyone with the surname Davis or Davey will be small forward who kicks amazing goals, example Nick Davis, Aaron Davey. Hardwick will be a tough hard player and I will be disappointed if we don't pick him. I had the same feeling about Jackson McCrae.

  On 28/09/2015 at 19:59, don said:

I am calling it early Hardwick will be a A grader. I have a theory that a player's surname can tell you what sort of player they will turn out to be like. Anyone with the surname Davis or Davey will be small forward who kicks amazing goals, example Nick Davis, Aaron Davey. Hardwick will be a tough hard player and I will be disappointed if we don't pick him. I had the same feeling about Jackson McCrae.

Looks like a bloke who will dominate local footy but not get a kick at AFL level. Very Tapscott like

  On 12/09/2015 at 00:43, Whispering_Jack said:

Tomorrow is TAC Cup Semi Final day and I'm declaring my interest in two midfielders. Darcy Parish from Geelong Falcons is pretty well known by draft watchers by now while Clayton Oliver, who was best for the Bushies in their narrow loss to the Stingrays last week, is climbing up the ratings on the back of some impressive recent form.

I confess that while Darcy Parish was my preference back in November, I was wrong with Oliver.

At least I can claim the first recorded sighting of Clayton Oliver on Demonland.