OBSERVATIONS FROM INTRA CLUB 17 February 2006

by Scoop Junior

While it has been made clear that the NAB Cup is not a priority for the Demons this year (and nor should it be), at least weather wise the team will have had a decent build up to their opening match in Darwin. After match practice last week on the Gold Coast, the Dees had their first four-quarter hit out today at Victoria Park in hot conditions, which should help them adapt to the searing conditions they will have to face in the Top End.

In what was a fairly relaxed intra-club match, which featured a number of Sandringham players after half time, several youngsters put their case forward for an appearance in the NAB Cup, while last year’s goalkicking dynamo Russell Robertson put in an impressive display which included some trademark grabs.

Simon Buckley, Ben Holland, Brock McLean, David Neitz, Daniel Ward, Brent Moloney, Heath Neville and Phil Read were non-starters, while Brad Miller, Colin Sylvia and Byron Pickett only played a half each. There didn’t appear to be any injury in the first half to the latter three, so presumably their reduced game time was planned before the match. Here are my observations of the players:

Nathan Jones – very promising performance. Improved as the game went on and showed that he can already match it at this level (although the second half was littered with Sandringham players). Played mostly in midfield and displayed good skills and the ability to find the footy. Did not look overawed or uncomfortable at this higher level and just gives that impression that he will be a player. Got the crowd cheering with a lovely smother to turn the ball over. Gritty ball magnets with good skills are not easy to find but we may have one here. Should play in Darwin.

Clint Bizzell – played on Bate on the wing before being switched. Found a fair bit of the footy but his red-headed opponent was more prominent and damaging in the first half. Looked fit and moved around the ground well, but perhaps spending time out of defence may be an indication that he will need to lift again to reclaim his spot in the back six after losing it late last season.

Matthew Bate – in sizzling form early on a wing. Found the ball in midfield and delivered some lovely long passes into the forward line, with one resulting in a goal to Robertson. Faded after that but lifted again in the last term, including a 5-minute purple patch where he found lots of possessions and kicked a nice goal on the run. Impressive performance and should be a certainty for next week.

Brad Miller – only played a half. Presented well and took a few marks in the first quarter. Missed a set shot from straight in front in the first term and was quieter in the second. Couldn’t read too much into his performance.

Alistair Nicholson – battled manfully but seemed to fumble quite a bit. Was honest in the one-on-one contests and was solid defensively, but just lacked polish when the ball hit the deck or was in his hands. Almost successfully engineered a baulk around Flash, but just as the impossible appeared possible, Flash stuck out a hand and slapped the ball out of bounds.

Paul Johnson – switched between full forward and ruck. Took a nice mark in a contest…albeit on his chest…and then dropped a regulation mark out on the lead. Finally took an overhead grab in the third quarter which almost brought the house down. PJ again looked good roaming around the ground with his mobility and foot skills. It’s a broken record but unless his marking can improve, he is not a forward threat. Kicked 2 goals.

Colin Sylvia – played a half. Switched between midfield and half forward. Got a bit of the ball and laid a crunching tackle in the middle of the ground. Like Miller, it is difficult to assess his performance given his limited game time.

Adem Yze – played across half back, went off for a spell and then finished in the midfield. Appeared to be more prominent when his fellow defenders had the ball, as he would run to create space to receive a pass. Didn’t really notice him defensively; whether that means he did his job without much fuss or was not really involved in the play was unclear to me.

Lynden Dunn – played up forward. Limited impact. Had a chance to snag a goal in the last term but his stab kick from 15m on the run was touched on the line. He probably should have tried to kick it into Lulie St, but he will learn from that. Conjured up a nice piece of play just before the siren when he gathered the footy, spun and hit CJ with a lovely pass. May be a chance for next week. Still only young but would like to see more impact.

Nick Smith – disappointing for mine. Looked fairly slow and ungainly on the lead and struggled to have any influence. Was blitzed by Carroll in the first half and didn’t have much success when switching teams for the second half. Intercepted a kick in from full back and slotted a nice goal from the resultant set shot, but other than that was largely anonymous.

Travis Johnstone – solid four quarter effort from Trav. Set up play well for his team, brought others into the game and kicked 2 goals. Looks set to continue on from last year’s best and fairest form.

Chris Johnson – not particularly busy, but just so classy when in possession of the ball. Started at half back and finished up forward. This kid has loads of ability and can really take some strides forward this year. Took a classical mark second in line in a pack on the forward flank in the last term and kicked a goal later on. Looking forward to his progress this year.

Brad Green – had a heap of the ball in the second term. Was almost playing the style of a central defensive midfielder in soccer. For those unfamiliar with that role, Green was planted defensive side of midfield (near the defensive line on the centre square). He was often the first to receive the ball coming out of defence and picked up numerous kicks. Did not notice him as much in the second half. Would still like to see him improve at winning his own ball, though.

Clint Bartram – outpointed by Davey early but displayed his persistence in fighting back on other opponents. Played back pocket and midifield and showed a good appetite for the game. Made a number of errors under pressure but didn’t let it get to him and kept persisting. Raw and skinny but displays competitiveness.

Daniel Bell – slightly disappointing, particularly because I’ve got a very high opinion of Belly. Gave away free kicks a little recklessly and perhaps didn’t find as much footy as he would’ve liked to. Seemed to spend most of his time in defence. Has built up significantly over the off-season and has the body to cause genuine damage to the opposition. Kicked a goal after a 50m penalty.

James McDonald – started well in midfield and faded towards the end. Played a decent game and was in the thick of things as usual. Same old honest performance from Junior.

Russell Robertson – clearly the best forward on the ground. Outplayed his opponent in Warnock and booted 3 goals. Should have kicked more but for some wayward kicking. 2 of his goals were preceded by strong pack marks that you now take for granted from Robbo, while he managed to pull down his customary screamer in the second term. It is amazing how this bloke has improved from a hot-and-cold flanker to a consistent potent forward threat in his time at Melbourne. At the peak of his career now.

Nathan Brown – this bloke is amazing, just runs hard all day and finds the footy. Still preferred to use the chip kick option coming out of the backline, but his work rate sets a great example for the younger players. Took a typically gutsy mark running back with the flight of the ball deep in defence.

Jared Rivers – solid performance defensively, but made a couple of kicking errors early and wasn’t at his best with the ball in his hands. Didn’t have a great deal to do with Neitz in the stands and Miller on his team. Will be keen to see him next week as I’m confident he can get back to his brilliant 2004 form.

Michael Newton – showed good mobility for a bloke of his size but had limited impact. Kicked a goal early but didn’t really impose himself onto the contest. Like Dunn, though, his age needs to be taken into account. Appeared to play in defence in the last quarter. Slim chance for next week I would presume.

Simon Godfrey – played mostly around the midfield. Was a surprise to see him in as I've read from the training reports that he had been hampered by a leg injury. Did not really notice Godders that much and there’s little doubt that he’ll find it difficult to break into the senior side if everyone is up and running.

Paul Wheatley – also didn’t see much of Wheatley. Played in the backline early and barely saw him in the second half.

Cameron Bruce – started like a house on fire in the first quarter before fading out of the game. Started in midfield and was dominant and switched to a position deep in the forward line. Hopefully he can build on his pre-season and get back to the form of early 2005 when he was BOG three weeks in a row.

Byron Pickett – only played a half but showed a touch of class in stints up forward and in the midfield. There was a situation where he could have run through a player, but obviously Byron was having none of that. Had it been an opposition player, the poor bloke may have ended up in row G in the Collingwood members stand on the wing. My only concern was his body shape – seemed overweight and not in peak condition. Will be interesting to see next week to say the least.

Jeff White – rucked and spent time forward in the last quarter. Wasn’t his usual busy self around the ground and didn’t have much impact up forward. No concern though as the season has barely even started and White won’t be playing next week.

Ryan Ferguson – I think he started on Miller at centre half back. If so, he was beaten early, but played a decent game after that. In the second half he was pitted against Smith and clearly took the honours in that contest. His presence further up the ground at centre half back (away from the last line of defence) may be an indication of where he will spend more time this year.

Aaron Davey – started brilliantly on youngster Bartram, kicking an early goal and was lively during the match. Missed a few shots, though, which should be converted from a player of his ability. Not at his best but a decent performance.

Matthew Warnock – had the unenviable task of minding Robbo and was outgunned. Just didn’t have the nous to go with him. It was possibly too big an ask for him to play on a bloke who booted 70-odd goals last year, but I’m sure it was a good learning experience for him.

Daniel Hughes – impressive performance from the former Zebra. Hughes played up forward and showed an excellent pair of hands and good pace off the mark. He times his leads well, is a nice size (but will need to add muscle to his frame) and appears to be quite smart around the goals. Also has a decent leap and pulled down a couple notable grabs. Kicked 2 goals.

Shane Neaves – spent time deep in the forward line and had no impact. Didn’t look all that mobile chasing his opponent out of defence on one occasion. Young and raw.

Mark Jamar – his ruckwork was good but didn’t seem to have much of an impact around the ground. Spent time forward, but looked more comfortable in a rucking role. Will have the number one ruckman’s spot next week and it will be interesting to see whether he can step up to the task.

Nathan Carroll – too good for Smith early, the man with the appalling hairstyle/moustache combination showed glimpses of his late 2005 form with a solid defensive performance. Will need to be tested by stronger opposition before any statements can be made on how much he has improved over the off-season.

Andre Gianfagna – displayed speed and a neat left foot. This rookie performed well, booting 3 goals, including one on the run from deep in the pocket. Appears to be an outside type who likes space to work in, but shows that he has class and an ability to find the big sticks. Played across half forward and on the wing.

Jace Bode – quiet early but got better as the game wore on. He is a big and strong midfielder and ran through the lines well. Not a classical left footer’s kicking action, but nevertheless a nice long kick of the ball. Kicked a great goal on the run in the third term and perhaps is some chance of playing next week. Along with Hughes, he was the most impressive of the rookies.

Shannon Motlop – very good game. Found plenty of the ball in midfield and generally used it well, either spotting up a teammate or kicking long with plenty of penetration. Booted a nice goal from 50. Has that touch of class which is important and could be one to improve during the season.

Matthew Whelan – really didn’t seem to notice Wheels too much. He had a quiet game. Not one of his best performances.

I just want to make it clear that you cannot read too much into intra-club games. I have provided my observations to inform those who couldn’t attend the game today and shed some light on players’ performances. It’s only February and there’s a long way to go before the real stuff begins…and, ultimately, that’s what counts.

Yellow 4.4.28 6.7.43 8.12.60 10.14.74

Blue 3.1.19 4.2.26 6.3.39 10.4.64

Goals:

Yellow Robertson 3 P Johnson 2 Bate Bell Davey Motlop Smith

Blue Gianfagna 3 Hughes Johnstone 2 Bode C Johnson Newton

Best Robertson Johnstone Bate Carroll Jones Hughes