Whispering_Jack

I don’t think in those conditions, the number of possessions is necessarily the arbiter of how the younger players, particularly the talls, performed in those conditions. In the cases of both Turner and JVR, there were plenty of instances of them doing the 1 per centers like tackling, shepherding, punching the ball and tapping it away from opponents, second efforts, a lot of which didn’t appear on the stats sheets. JVR in particular, showed how much of a monster he’s going to be when he fully matures. Can’t wait.

I can empathise with you on your club’s issue with grading. The concept of grading is excellent because it should ensure that teams in each division are as close as possible in ability but it doesn’t always work out that way.

Should be more competitive but the top half of C is not far behind the level of the bottom half of B. I’ll miss your ground in 2023. It’s a nice facility and the folks in the canteen are very welcoming.

It’s AJAX but, from talking to others at games, it was common to quite a few clubs.

I think community football is currently at the crossroads and I base this on some experiences I had this year following the suburban club that my family has been involved with for decades. This was the first season since prior to the Covid pandemic where the game was allowed to proceed to completion at grassroots levels but the effects were still evident in a number of ways. One of my grandsons who was restricted to about half a dozen games of junior footy in 2020-1 as a result of the cancellation of one season and lockdowns in the next decided along with a few of his mates to try out at Under 19 level to balance their VHS studies (he turns 18 late this year) at their club whose seniors play in VAFA B Section. As it turned out, a number of former senior players had made the decision to retire or take the season off in order to travel - some had completed their studies and others simply wanted to take the first opportunity in a few years for a break from work in the almost post pandemic period. Similarly, with many potential Under 19 level players having just finished secondary studies wanting to concentrate on getting jobs, having gap years or to travel for part of the time, there weren’t enough numbers for an under 19s. The result was that my grandson and a few other teenagers doing their preseason, suddenly found themselves candidates for places in the senior team in Round 1 in B Section. The club played a number of teenagers during the season and, all things considered, they were pretty competitive. The team lost players to injury and more travel plus a couple of retirements around mid season but they battled on. My grandson played 12 games and was out injured in four (there was an odd number of teams in the section requiring two byes and a 16 match season - also partly due to Covid). He was given a few tagging roles and was named in the best players on quite a few occasions. Despite us being in the second highest section of the VAFA and with a number of teenagers playing reasonably well at that level, we never saw any talent scouts at our matches. Was that due to a lack of money available to finance recruiting or simply that nobody was interested? This wasn’t an issue for our club but, in speaking to others from other VAFA and suburban clubs, what we experienced was happening across the board. Every once in a while, there might be a surprise result and the explanation was health and safety issues, work requirements, trips north, to the snow or overseas, retirements and the like. There isn’t the same level of commitment as there used to be at this level – perhaps with another year, things might return to normal.

No change after week three of the finals.

This in the Age ~ Revealed: The AFL’s draft assistance package for North Melbourne

RAINING PREMIERS by KC from Casey If the threatening dark grey skies that loomed above Ikon Park before the VFL Grand Final didn’t provide a sufficiently inhospitable reception for our visitors from sunny Queensland, the rains that bucketed down after quarter time certainly did. For years, the Casey Demons have welcomed opposing teams at their home fortress with rain, hail, wind and frosty conditions and it was just Southport’s luck that they met those conditions head on in the VFL’s big dance. They suited Casey’s skillful players backed by a couple of hardened veterans of the competition right down to the sodden ground. Both during and after the deluge, the Sharks struggled. They were held to a mere two goals after quarter time while the Demons piled on eight to march away with the flag to the tune of 38 points. In truth, the Casey Demons would most likely have won in any weather conditions as they demonstrated throughout 2022 when they won 20 out of 21 games played, ironically losing their only match in balmy South East Queensland to the Brisbane Lions a month ago. But they were never going to lose this one. For starters, they were a team replete with 16 AFL-listed players of varying levels of experience and size backed up by two lion-hearted hard nosed performers in captain Mitch White and the brutal hard-tackling Jimmy Munro in the midfield. Both the skipper and the trusty Munro have been at the wheel in previous unsuccessful premiership campaigns but played in losing grand finals in 2016 and 2018. On Sunday, they were indefatigable in their attack on the ball and their opponents. White (29 disposals, 13 tackles) was a fitting recipient of the Norm Goss Memorial Medal for the best afield in the VFL grand final while Jimmy Munro was close behind with 21 touches including a goal plus an incredible 17 tackles. With those tackle counts, they wore down the solid-mature bodied Southport outfit and allowed players of the calibre of Luke Dunstan, Toby Bedford, Kade Chandler and Oskar Baker to create enough regular forward thrusts to break the game apart. In the end, it was the brilliance up forward of Jake Melksham who kicked the opening goal to add three more in the final term to ice up the game. Mitch Brown was another experienced hand up forward who contributed a couple of goals. Premierships are rarely won without having a superb defence and here, Casey excelled through the agency of Adam Tomlinson, Joel Smith, Daniel Turner, Matt Buntine, Corey Ellison and rookie Judd McVee. They were certainly helped by the conditions but, after the first break they were so miserly that they hardly let the wind and rain through and warmed the hearts of coach Mark Corrigan and the fans. Special mention needs to be made of the continuing emergence of Sam Weideman as a ruckman. He held his own against a much bigger opponent and his mobility around the ground was crucial to Casey’s effort in denying the Sharks the first use of the football. Although they weren’t prolific ball winners on the day, the likes of Jacob Van Rooyen, Taj Woewodin and Bailey Laurie all showed enough to suggest that there’s a lot more in store for the Demons from players of their calibre. And there ended a brilliant season from the Casey Demons with the first flag under the new banner of a century old club. Long may they reign. CASEY DEMONS 2.2.14 4.5.29 6.8.44 10.10.70 SOUTHPORT SHARKS 3.3.21 3.5.23 4.5.29 5.8.38 Goals Casey Demons Melksham 4 Brown 2 Bedford Laurie Munro Woewodin Southport Sharks Townsend 2 Johnson King Pescud Best Casey Demons Bedford Melksham White Munro Dunstan Weideman Southport Sharks Woodcock Boakye Joyce Townsend Crossley Manteit Statistics Oskar Baker 1 behind 19 kicks 6 handballs 25 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 82 dream team points Toby Bedford 1 goal 2 behinds 8 kicks 6 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 7 tackles 84 dream team points Mitch Brown 2 goals 1 behind 11 kicks 11 disposals 6 marks 64 dream team points Matt Buntine 7 kicks 2 handballs 9 disposals 2 marks 35 dream team points Kade Chandler 12 kicks 11 handballs 23 disposals 8 marks 7 tackles 107 dream team points Luke Dunstan 24 kicks 7 handballs 31 disposals 4 marks 9 tackles 128 dream team points Corey Ellison 5 kicks 1 handballs 6 disposals 6 tackles 43 dream team points George Grey 7 kicks 7 disposals 5 tackles 44 dream team points Blake Howes 2 kicks 2 handballs 4 disposals 3 tackles 22 dream team points Bailey Laurie 1 goal 1 behinds 4 kicks 4 handballs 8 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles 45 dream team points Judd McVee 12 kicks 2 handballs 14 disposals 2 tackles 47 dream team points Jake Melksham 4 goals 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 6 marks 3 tackles 96 dream team points Andy Moniz-Wakefield 4 kicks 4 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles 30 dream team points James Munro 1 goal 14 kicks 7 handballs 21 disposals 3 marks 17 tackles 128 dream team points Aidan Quigley 2 kicks 1 handballs 3 disposals 2 marks 6 tackles 38 dream team points Joel Smith 1 behind 10 kicks 2 handballs 12 disposals 2 marks 4 tackles 52 dream team points Adam Tomlinson 14 kicks 5 handballs 19 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 68 dream team points Daniel Turner 6 kicks 1 handballs 7 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 35 dream team points Ryan Valentine 2 kicks 1 handball 3 disposals 1 mark 1 tackle 5 hit outs 18 dream team points Jacob Van Rooyen 4 kicks 6 handballs 10 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 1 hit out 41 dream team points Sam Weideman 12 kicks 6 handballs 18 disposals 1 mark 3 tackles 35 hit outs 101 dream team points Mitch White 24 kicks 5 handballs 29 disposals 3 marks 13 tackles 135 dream team points Taj Woewodin 1 goal 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 68 dream team points

On this day in 1964, we beat the Black and Whire. Relive it in those two colours and enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66S5m6o_j3M

Norwood stormed home with the last three goals including one to Matthew Panos at the 26 minute mark of the final quarter to win the SANFL Grand Final by a point.

It’s not just the age of their better players that will make it a season that won’t be replicated - it’s that every coach will be working out ways to slow them down or to stop them altogether. In addition, the fixture won’t be as kind to them and finally, everything went right for them in so many of their miracle comebacks - accuracy in kicking for goal, frees in front of goal, opposition coaching errors, As their two close finals defeats showed, if one or two things don’t go your way the result may not go your way either.

Hawthorn supporter I know says Gunston will re-sign in the next few days.

On this day in 1988 …

It’s not inconceivable that the Dragons are going to produce three top 10 picks in Ashcroft, Sheezel and McKenzie with two others, Clarke and Hotton in line for the top 20. A big feather in the cap of the South Metro Junior Football League where they played before joining the Dragons and which also produced George Wardlaw who was with the Oakleigh Chargers and could also figure in top two to five in the draft. Dragons take the sting out of ‘Rays in epic Grand Final performance

He probably finished in their best players but that’s not saying anything. Probably not quite top 40 so if the Dees want to pick him, they’ll get the opportunity.

That’s it - the Dragons win their 4th flag, this time coming from 8th place on the ladder. Sandringham Dragons 14.10.94 to Dandenong Stingrays 7.9.51. Will Ashcroft named best on ground in the Grand Final with 39 disposals.

Three Quarter Time and you can put down your glasses. Dragons 13.8.86 to Stingrays 3.6.24 and that quarter was more of the same.

Sheezel curls his third through as the Dragons move to a lead in excess of 50 points.

It’s half time and the Dragons remain in full control. They lead 9.6.60 to 2.3.15. The usual suspects outstanding for the Dragons - Will Ashcroft leads the way with 26 touches. Sheezel, McKenzie, Hotton and Clarke all prominent and McLennan playing a great game in defence. They’re going to be hard to beat from here.

I’m watching on the NAB Boys League App. Will Ashcroft is already on 20 touches. Dragons leading 40 - 6.

Qtr Time: Sandringham Dragons 5.2.32 lead Dandenong Stingrays 0.0.0. Will Ashcroft has 13 touches. Harry Sheezel - 2 goals plus an out of bounds on the full. Clarke & McKenzie are two highly fancied players with a goal each. Dandenong’s Binns is picking up touches but they frankly look shell shocked.

Will Ashcroft starring.

It never made any sense for TMac to play in this game. We move on.

A selection of previews of this evening's Grand Final - Preview | 2022 NAB League Grand Final: Dandenong Stingrays vs. Sandringham Dragons NAB League preview: Dandenong Stingrays v Sandringham 2022 NAB League Boys Grand Final: Players to watch

I think it's been reported that he's been told he will have to wait until the end of the trade period before Carlton make a decision on his future. That's not exactly the same as being delisted but more of an invitation to other clubs to make them an offer?