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VFL Wrap-Up
It was a full weekend, but for the main part, a happy one!
After thoroughly enjoying an excellent performance from our North Melbourne boys, among a vast majority royal blue and white, it was off to Werribee to see if the Tigers could replicate their upset of the Roosters last week, against the ladder leading Seagulls of Williamstown.
Unfortunately, that wasn't to be as Williamstown exerted their influence early and Werribee never seriously threatened.
As far as the North Melbourne aligned players...
Alan Obst was easily our best on an ordinary day. Obba played around the ground and when he wasn't getting the ball, he was hitting the contest hard.
Ben Speight was good in a well beaten side.
Nathan O'Keefe didn't see a lot of it on a night that Werribee just couldn't get going.
Matthew Scott was a contributor, without being able to exert any real influence on the outcome.
In the seconds, Werribee continued their finals form with a big win over the number 1 Seagulls! Conor Meredith and Ayden Kennedy both involved in an excellent win.
After the full day on Saturday, I was off to Ballarat to watch the Roosters take on Coburg. It was a solo trip on this occasion. The game wasn't a great spectacle, but North Ballarat were never seriously threatened in a win of just under 4 goals. It was stop start footy all day with free kicks and 50 metre penalties in abundance.
Josh Smith sat out after what I'm told was a calf strain. With Orren Stephenson back for his first game in quite some time, it meant that David Hale got a chance to play forward a bit more, although Orren's game time was limited.
Hale was good in the ruck and up forward. Coburg gave him plenty of attention, so it was more about getting the ball to ground and allowing the small forwards to capitalise.
Corey Jones again impressed, but with straighter goal kicking, could have torn this game open. Corey's work rate has to be admired, and I'm hoping that North Ballarat can get the threepeat and provide Corey with a Grand Final win!
Braydon Norris didn't get a ton of the ball, but had a couple of very good passages, including a nice goal.
Warren Benjamin played mainly in the midfield without having a huge impact, but did still manage to get a running goal in the fourth quarter.
Gavin Urquhart played solidly throughout in a game style that probably wasn't best suited to him.
Marcus White continued on with his good play, with some desperate defense in a couple of situations that looked like sure Coburg goals. Marcus would have had my vote as the best of the North Melbourne listed players on the day.
Two young North Ballarat players that continue to impress, and may very well draw the eyes of AFL recruiters, Myles Sewell and Cam Richardson, both had very good games. I'll watch this year's draft with interest, as I thought Sewell was probably a bit unlucky not to get a shot last year! While neither of the two are teenagers, they both have their best footy in front of them.
I wouldn't expect too many, if any changes this week, although Ben Warren and Matt Campbell may both be available while returning from injury. Good luck to all of the boys, and let's hope we can get 22 fit and firing players taking it up to the Saints on Sunday.
See you at the footy!
John Schwager
VFL Round 15
Hello Northerners,
It wasn't a great weekend footy wise for North Melbourne people! Our only win came from Werribee. This would have been great, except that it was at the expense of North Ballarat. With Werribee's finals hopes gone, and North Ballarat fighting for top spot on the ladder, it was probably the worst result as even a draw would have sent the Roosters to the VFL top spot.
With North Melbourne being depleted by injuries, it also means that our VFL affiliates were also missing a number of the players that they have relied on. North Ballarat had a forgettable day, as Werribee got on top early and were never seriously challenged. A late charge by the Roosters made it look closer than it was.
No North Melbourne players had great games, but none were disgraced either in this game for bragging rights at training!
Alan Obst was one of the best for Werribee. Doing an excellent shut down role on Corey Jones until the fourth quarter when Corey got away a bit and kicked a few. This was after the battle was pretty much won, so the points probably went to Obba on this occasion.
Nathan O'Keefe again looked good with the ball, but probably needs to get a bit more of it to push for senior recall. A solid game from the tall forward, though.
David Hale only had to play the one game this week, and played in the ruck for North Ballarat. It was a workman like effort for David on the afternoon.
Warren Benjamin played in the midfield for the Roosters, but it was Werribee's midfield that was winning more of the ball on the day. Wazza is another player that needs to get more of the ball to push for senior selection.
Braydon Norris put in a good effort, but again, Werribee dominated possession.
Luke Delaney was in defense this week with Captain Maloney back. Maloney was a bit rusty and the whole Roosters defense suffered. Delaney seemed to play his role well.
Ayden Kennedy and Connor Meredith played well in Werribee's seconds side's win. The seconds appear to be travelling quite well as they head for finals.
Matthew Scott was solid, while not spectacular, in the Werribee midfield. Playing his role well and contributing to the win.
Here's looking forward to North Melbourne getting a few of the boys back for the match against Freo! Remember, this is our last home game of the season!!! We're a young side that needs a few more experienced heads in order to compete with the top sides. The next two weeks will show the boys where they are in relation to finals footy. It would be nice for the coaching staff to have enough options to make the selection meeting difficult!
Well Done to all of the young players that have debuted recently, and throughout season 2010!
VFL Round 14
Hello Northerners,
Well, usually, I'm absolutely crushed after any loss by North Melbourne, but considering the circumstances, I would have been amazed had we pulled off a win Saturday night.
Amazement was certainly the emotion after North Ballarat escaped with a win on the road against a very determined Port Melbourne side on Saturday afternoon. Port Melbourne got off to a red hot start, but couldn't translate it to scoreboard pressure with some missed shots that should have been slotted. North Ballarat slowly worked their way into the game, but were behind most of the day before Stevie Dinnell slotted a set shot late to give the Roosters a four point win. It's the sign of a good side when you can overcome an opposition that has had the better of you most of the day.
For the North Melbourne aligned players...
Warren Benjamin got a bit of the ball, but disposal let him down at times in the muddy, heavy conditions. Thrown into the ruck on a couple of occasions, we were treated to Wazza's vertical leap!
Marcus White earned BOG honours with another strong performance. Whitey has worked back to the form that had us so excited toward the end of last season, after overcoming injury earlier this year.
Braydon Norris didn't get a lot of it early, but worked his way into the game and stood up when needed most in the fourth quarter comeback.
David Hale played very well in the ruck and went forward to boot a couple of goals. Haley also took a couple of very important marks late in the game. We all now know how he went on to play his second game of the day when Wellsy went down for North Melbourne! Legendary day for David. Shame it couldn't have been a bit more of a fairy tale by getting two wins!
Luke Delaney worked hard in defense, missing both captain Maloney (injured) and Josh Smith (elevated to AFL) on the day.
North Ballarat definitely had to rework structures, with injuries to the side as well as players covering injuries at North Melbourne. A Masterful job by Gerard Fitzgerald coaching them to an important win, which kept them just percentage behind 1st place Williamstown.
I mentioned how shattered the boys looked after the game and I was dumbfounded when I saw number 31 go onto the ground at the Dome just a couple of hours later!!
Well Done to the Roosters, and to the North Melbourne boys that nearly overcame a number of setbacks. It just means the Roos need to beat 1 or 2 of the sides they would face in the finals, in order to get there!
Go Roos!
John Schwager
VFL Round 13
Hi Northerners!
What a great win by North Melbourne! Managed to win all 4 quarters even down 2 players in the last! Love to see more of that.
It was a real footy feast on the weekend. Julie and I started out watching the North Ballarat seconds pants the Frankston seconds by over 100 points. No North Melbourne players on show, but an enjoyable exhibition of footy.
That was followed by the North Ballarat senior side. Unfortunately, watching this game was hard work. It was a scrappy slog and although North Ballarat never looked like losing, they didn't really get away from Frankston until a Leigh Harding lead burst in the third quarter. Turtle's ability to break the lines was instrumental and earned him BOG honours for the game. North Ballarat slugged it out to a near enough 6 goal win.
Leigh Harding - BOG performance and lead from the front in the important third quarter burst. Has been very good most of the year, and stepped up again in pushing for North Melbourne selection.
Corey Jones - Unfortunately, went down in the first half with what looked like an ankle injury. No word on the seriousness. Hopefully, it was just a knock. Did not return.
David Hale - David went down early with a knee injury. Again, here's hoping it isn't serious as Haley has been looking better every outing. David took no further part in the game.
Braydon Norris - Again worked hard throughout the game and snagged a goal. Not a ton of possession, but its only a matter of time.
Marcus White - Whitey had another very good game and looks like he has overcome injuries and returned to the form that had us all excited toward the end of last season. If North elevate another rookie, Whitey appears to be pushing to be the guy.
Josh Smith - Oscar started down back and was playing well when he was moved up forward to cover the loss of Corey Jones and David Hale. With Azza elevated to North Melbourne, the Roosters had a different look up forward. It took a while to get the structure right, and Oscar snapped a nice left foot goal. Worked hard at both ends of the ground and was once again named in the bests for the Roosters.
Luke Delaney - Was strong in defence once again. With Maloney out and Smith moved forward, Delaney stood up in defense. Frankston was well held in tough conditions for the big men.
North Ballarat maintained second spot on the ladder behind Williamstown on percentage.
It was off to Werribee from Ballarat.
The Werribee seconds had a very nice win and continue to drive toward finals. We only caught the tail end of this game, but I understand that Matthew Scott and Ayden Kennedy both went well.
The Werribee seniors once again dug a hole they couldn't get out of. Falling behind 31 - 0 early, it was a bridge too far. Werribee looks to be out of any finals contention.
Ben Speight - was the best of the North Melbourne listed players. His running ability and gathering of possessions helped Werribee to work back into this game, although they just couldn't get the margin down into single digits and put real scoreboard pressure on.
Alan Obst - Obba was again hard at it and used in multiple positions. Obba played solidly, although not spectacularly.
Jamie Macmillan - Was again solid in defense and helped create rebound.
Conor Meredith - A solid game from Conor, looking very much like he belonged in the senior team after earlier stints in the seconds.
Nathan O'Keefe - Had a quiet night and appeared a bit frustrated by his lack of opportunities.
An exhausting, but mostly satisfying weekend!
See you on Saturday night to watch the Roos tackle the Bombers!
John Schwager
VFL Round 12
Hello Northerners,
Well, the weekend certainly didn't net the result we all wanted at AFL level, but our VFL affiliates were on song. I didn't get across to Werribee due to the time clash with North Melbourne's game, but the Tigers were very impressive with a devastating first half display! With the win, Werribee keeps themselves mathematically in the race for the top 8 as 7th and 8th place sides are on 24 points (Werribee on 14). This was a particularly good win against a strong Sandringham side. If Werribee can maintain this form, they aren't out of it, yet!
Julie and I made the trip to Ballarat on Saturday. With the wind buffeting the Land Rover all the way, and when the driving rain starting just outside Ballarat, we knew we were in for a cold wet slog!
The game started with Gold Coast posting an early goal, and with the conditions, it was clear that every goal at Eureka Stadium would be a gold nugget! Gold Coast managed 2 goals straight in the first quarter, and it looked like North Ballarat were in for a real fight! The Roosters came out strongly in the second quarter and were never seriously challenged from that point. Each team managed 1 behind in the third quarter, and in the end, North Ballarat managed 18 shots to just 4 for the Queenslanders. It was a dour 48 - 19 win, and the Roosters maintained second spot on the ladder behind Williamstown only on percentage.
The North Melbourne boys certainly played a huge part in this win. The Roosters were missing three top players, with Sewell, Stephenson, and Captain Maloney all sidelined with injuries!
Aaron Edwards - On a day when marks were regularly dropped, and the ball seemingly impossible to hold onto, Azza's sure hands were greatly appreciated. Working hard in the conditions and setting a strong target all day.
Corey Jones - Corey has been playing well, and today he was the master of the conditions. 3 goals in a gale reading the wind beautifully! Corey also provided the games lightest moment when coming to the interchange and colourfully describing how cold it was! The crowd appreciated his candour and all had a big laugh.
David Hale - Hale was strong in the ruck, in conditions where reading the bounce (or toss up) was near impossible. Haley was also very good around the ground in conditions that were totally unsuited to big men. A strong outing as David works his way back to ruck form after playing almost exclusively as a forward for some time.
Luke Delaney - Charged with the fullback role in Maloney's absence, Delaney was strong in defense. The Roosters defense was all but impenetrable all day. With Delaney and Smith playing far better than the conditions would have dictated for big men!
Josh Smith - was very strong in defense. Getting a ton of the ball and moving it forward off both feet, Oscar played arguably his best game in defense in conditions that didn't suit. Mister everywhere in defense on the day, beaten for BOG only by the excellent work of Dan Feery playing on the ball.
Warren Benjamin - Wazza bounced back well from a quieter game last week. He played very well getting quite a bit of the ball. Worked very well in tandem with his brother Clinton in the midfield, both proving to be a handful for the young Gold Coast side.
Marcus White - Continues with his recent form improvement. Whitey finally seems to be all the way back from his injuries and is playing a very strong rebounding role out of defense, with stints on the ball.
Gavin Urquhart - Tackled strongly and worked hard around the ball. Not a huge impact in the scoring, but was instrumental in keeping down any chances for the visitors.
Leigh Harding - The conditions probably didn't suit Turtle's line breaking dashing type of play, but he contributed throughout the game. Reading the play well and keeping the visitors from getting into space.
Braydon Norris - Chuck looked like he wasn't far off something special for much of the day. The conditions probably blunted his skills slightly, but he worked hard and all day it felt like he was about to explode. Certainly looked to be back to his earlier solid form.
With North Melbourne's disappointing loss on Sunday, there could be a number of players looked at for next week's game against Richmond. With several good performances by both Werribee and North Ballarat aligned players, it will be interesting at the selection table this week.
See you at the footy!
John Schwager
VFL Round 11, 2010
11 July 2010
Hello Northerners and Friends,
Julie and I made our first foray to Vic park to watch the Roosters take on the Magpies on Saturday. I have to say that Collingwood supporters are good about turning up to their VFL home games. It was a big crowd! Nicer still, was how small the crowd got by the time the fourth quarter was halfway through! This was due to a very impressive game from North Ballarat.
Missing their captain (Shaun Maloney), who is a stalwart in defense, the task of shutting down the tall forwards, which included Josh Fraser, at times, was down to Josh Smith and Luke Delaney.
North Ballarat started strongly and were never seriously threatened, although the Magpies made several runs at them in the second half, all of which the Roosters were able to repel. The magpies only managed to win one quarter for the game (the third).
As usual, North Ballarat's VFL players were very good. This was a solid team effort with everyone contributing to the 35 point victory!
North Melbourne listed players also played a huge part in the victory...
Luke Delaney - Playing predominantly at fullback, in his first game back from injury, Delaney did an admirable job in filling the shoes of Maloney. Delaney contested well all game in a difficult return match.
Josh Smith - Oscar played on Fraser at times and held him well. Smith played on the big resting ruckmen and held strongly all game, with good rebound out of defense on a number of occasions.
Brayden Norris - Chuck had a quieter game in terms of possessions, but competed well all game and maintained his work rate throughout.
Marcus White - Marcus showed glimpses of his best form and looks like he's getting pretty close to returning to his consistent best. He was hard at it and competed well.
Warren Benjamin - Wazza had a quiet day in terms of possession count as well. He would have learned from competing against some AFL veteran Collingwood players. Another player that maintained his work rate throughout the day.
Leigh Harding - Turtle was instrumental in rebounding out of defense and breaking lines. He looked dangerous throughout the game and played yet another solid game that will have the senior coaches looking at him for a return to the AFL.
Corey Jones - Corey continued his excellent work at this level and got a much better return for his efforts on the scoreboard. Kicking 5 and working hard with and without the ball all day. An excellent game for CJ.
David Hale - Haley played a strong game in the ruck and resting up forward. His work rate was terrific and he was absolutely spent each time he came to the bench. A very nice game for David playing for Stephenson, who has been dominant at VFL level.
Aaron Edwards - Azza was absolutely on fire in the first half and was nearly unstoppable. He continued to work hard throughout the game, and with those one grab hands, was the most dangerous forward on the ground! A stellar game that would have him in consideration for a return to the AFL side. Azza was a dominant marking target up forward, kicking 7 on the day!
An enjoyable day and a very nice road win for the reigning premiers! Games like this get the fans thinking a three-peat isn't out of the question!
John Schwager
VFL Round 10, 2010
20 June 2010
Hello Northerners and Friends,
With the split week affecting AFL and VFL, there was far less footy this past weekend. We did manage to get to the Werribee game, which many of you may have seen live on the ABC.
Werribee started the game in a dominant fashion, and if not for errant goal kicking (the bane of Werribee's season), they would have built a match winning lead. For a while on Saturday it looked like the poor early goal kicking would haunt the Tigers once again. Werribee managed to finish off the game in fine fashion and beat the 'other Tigers' by 7 points, doubling the win total for the season.
From a North Melbourne perspective there was a lot to like. Although down in numbers, there was no drop in intensity and endeavour from the North Melbourne group.
Unfortunately, Matthew Scott's day was over in the second quarter when he copped an elbow to the head that had him briefly out cold. I had been looking forward to getting a good look at the young fellow, but it wasn't to be.
Robbie Tarrant played in defense. Robbie got a bit of the ball on the day, and certainly contributed to the win. It was obvious that Robbie is still learning the position, after being moved from the forward line, but he worked hard throughout the game.
Alan Obst was again a bit of "Mr Everywhere". He played in the ruck, and a bit up forward and occasionally dropping into defense. Obba played well and seemed to improve as the game went, without being outstanding on the day. Another solid contributor in the win.
Ben Speight started like a house on fire. Seemingly everywhere in the first quarter. Ben was solid on the day with his pace and ball winning ability much appreciated. Certainly a good outing as Ben works his way back toward AFL consideration after returning from injury.
Leigh (Patch) Adams played an excellent game and was another that just seemed to get better as the game wore on. After looking like he was just a touch off of tearing the game open early, he improved as the day went, which earned him BOG honours. Patch did a bit of everything on the day and was instrumental in the win. He certainly didn't do his chances of an AFL recall any damage. Patch will be looking to force his way into an AFL side that has been playing very good footy. He certainly made the selection committee's job a little more difficult leading up to the Geelong game.
Next weekend we have North Ballarat at Collingwood, and Werribee at Casey on Saturday. Followed by North Melbourne at Geelong on Sunday.
See you at the Footy!
John Schwager
VFL Round 8, 2010
Hi All,
A bit late getting this up this week as I've been in Canberra. I'll be among the 50,000+ at North v Carlton on Friday, but as my oldest daughter is getting married this weekend, I won't have a VFL report! So last report for a couple of weeks.
Well, not a great deal to say about the weekend's games. I was only able to catch the last three quarters of the Werribee game, and that was from a TV, as there was preparation to do for the pending wedding. Ben Speight was quieter than usual and only Nathan O'Keefe really stood out. His work rate was first class and he was the only forward looking dangerous for Werribee on the day. Ayden Kennedy continues to develop as a defender and certainly had times where he displayed his ability.
North Ballarat played on Sunday and just didn't fire on the day. The 1 - 6 Geelong side looked the better team for most of the day. Errant goal kicking also cost the Roosters dearly as they lost by 9 points after tallying 18 behinds. North Ballarat definitely never played to their normal standard. The Roosters always looked the beaten side until finally firing midway through the final quarter. It turned out to be too little, too late. The Roosters only managed to make the score line look respectable.
The North Melbourne listed players on the day...
Corey Jones - CJ once again got a lot of ball and threatened to do so much more, but was once again plagued by wasteful goal kicking.
Warren Benjamin - Wazza had a quiet day, which was unfortunate as the midfield really needed someone to step up.
Aaron Edwards - Azza failed to have much of an impact in this one, but a lot of the game was played at the opposite end of the ground.
Gavin Urquhart - Gav is still improving after his return from injury, and probably can't be blamed for not getting more of the ball. Looked pretty good with it in his hands when he did get a hold of it.
Brayden Norris - Chuck needed the run after being travelling emergency and not playing footy for a couple of weeks. He failed to have much of an impact in this one.
Josh Smith - Oscar got a lot of the ball, but much of that was in defense. He broke through late for a big goal from outside 50, but there was too little time left from there for the Roosters to go on with it. The Roosters forward line looked better after Smith moved forward, with Corey Jones really coming to life with Josh drawing some attention.
Leigh Harding - Turtle's tackling pressure was excellent but he too was not as effective as other recent games, as the Roosters just didn't get enough good delivery into the forwards.
Marcus White, Luke Delaney, and Aaron Black missed with an assortment of injuries. White looks likely to be the first of those three to return. North Ballarat also may have missed the midfield pressure of Ed Lower and the speed of Cruize Garlett, both playing at AFL level, but they really just looked to collectively have an 'off' day. Several of the North Ballarat VFL stalwarts looked a bit down on the day, which may have been unfortunate as I noticed a 'scout' from AFL NSW at the game.
John Schwager
VFL Round 7, 2010
It was a busy weekend with North Ballarat playing at Sandringham on Saturday, and Werribee playing at home against Frankston on Sunday, followed by North Melbourne at Freo, which I watched on TV in full, thanks to Foxtel IQ.
Sandringham is always tough to beat at home and were fighting to stay in touch with the top sides, so this game was always going to be a challenge to the Roosters. North Ballarat got off to a great start and looked like they might blow Sandy away in the first quarter. Sandringham stormed back into it in the second and it was a battle right to the end, although the Roosters always looked likely winners. The win keeps them atop the VFL ladder at 6 - 1.
North Melbourne had a number of representatives in this one.
Corey Jones - worked hard all day and had a big impact. Unfortunately, Corey's goal kicking let him down again kicking just 1.5 from his chances. His chase, tackling and work were all first rate.Many had him best on ground for the day. Has to be getting the senior coaches thinking.
Ed Lower - Ed was my pick for BOG. His clearance work and linking in the midfield were excellent and his numerous possessions were very important, especially when Sandringham was challenging in the third quarter. Ed put a strong case for elevation to the AFL side with his game, and can't be too far away.
Josh Smith - Oscar was also named in the bests and had one of his best days in a long time statistically. Smith started in defense and was very good down back in the first half. He was moved forward when Aaron Edwards went down with a shoulder injury. He would be another player putting pressure on the boys in the AFL side, after being dropped last week.
Warren Benjamin - Wazza had a bit of a quiet day after a good start to the game. His improvement this season is noticeable, and he worked hard throughout the game.
Aaron Edwards - Azza had what appeared to be a minor shoulder injury, and was taken from the field as a precaution, with the shoulder on ice.
Cruize Garlett - Cruize has been very consistent at VFL level this year, with another high possession game. He is another player that looks ready to return to the AFL side, should the opportunity present.
Gavin Urquhart - It was a welcome sight to see Gav return to the field from injury. He played a solid game with some excellent kicking a feature. Gav will need to get full match fitness back, and get a bit more of the ball, but this was a good start, including a nice 50 metre running goal.
Aaron Black - Aaron displayed good hands and solid goal kicking in his limited opportunities to mark and goal. Another player working back to fitness from injury, Aaron will need to get into the game a lot more to have any consistent impact. He kicked 3 goals and took a bewdy of a contested mark in the goal square.
Brayden Norris - Was the North Melbourne travelling emergency on Sunday, so did not play.
Marcus White - Played a tagging role and did his job well. Got a bit of the ball and continues to develop himself toward becoming a complete AFL player.
On Sunday, Majak Daw played in the Werribee seconds and enjoyed being a part of a huge score line. Werribee put on 212 points in a dominant display. Majak continues to work on his game, playing predominantly in the ruck and drifting forward on occasion to pick up the odd goal. Connor Meredith also played in this game and contributed a number of possessions as well as working hard in and around packs.
In the Werribee firsts, it was an arm wrestle for three quarters, with Werribee finally putting Frankston to the sword in the fourth quarter. Although none of the North Melbourne players dominated, all played their roles and contributed. Special mention to Robbie Castello, who played his 100th game for Werribee. Werribee grabbed their first win of the season and moved off of the bottom of the ladder.
A number of the Werribee affiliated North Melbourne players are out with injuries.
Jamie MacMillan - Jamie played a very solid game in defense making it to a number of contests and spoiling and marking well. He added run out of defense which was a welcome sight for Werribee.
Alan Obst - Obba continues to play a tough contested brand of footy and worked hard all day. Still a way off of his best, he is working his way back after missing out on a pre-season as well as the early part of the season.
Matthew Scott - Matthew kicked a goal and looked clean with his disposal. He worked his way into this game and looks set to add greater impact.
Ben Speight - Ben is another player returning from an injury. Ben definitely looked better toward the latter part of this game as he worked his way into it. Had a number of possessions and definitely needed the run. I look forward to Ben gaining full fitness and once again challenging for a spot the AFL side.
Ben Warren - Milky had an improved game and as usual, was around the ball and contest regularly. He kicked a few nice goals, and seems to be gaining confidence, again. Once he makes a few more of those marks stick, he'll make it hard for the coaches not to select him to come back into the AFL side.
It's nice to see so many of our boys keeping pressure on the senior players. With North Melbourne having a disappointing result on the weekend, the selection committee may have a long hard look at a number of players.
See you at the footy!
John Schwager
VFL Round 6, 2010
Hello Northerners and friends,
A good weekend for all of us following North Melbourne's victory to even the ledger at 4 - 4!
At VFL level, we couldn't get the clean sweep as our two affiliates were battling each other. The first half started out North Ballarat's way, but Werribee matched them with a solid second quarter. Werribee briefly headed North Ballarat early in the third, but it was nearly all North Ballarat from there.
On a beautiful day in Ballarat, it was the pressure and not the wind or weather that caused errant goal kicking. North Ballarat winning the game 13.23 - 101 to 6.14 - 50. North Ballarat stayed top of the VFL ladder with the win, while Werribee gets a chance to pick up their first victory against Frankston at home on 30 May. Next weekend the VFL is on hiatus as the Vics travel to WA in a state against state clash!
Before I go into the performances of North Melbourne aligned players, a special mention goes to Shaun Maloney for an amazing performance at fullback! One of the more dominant performances seen in defense lead to just the 6 Werribee scores, and only 2 in the second half. With Luke Delaney (injured) and Daniel Pratt (elevated to AFL) out of the side, captain Maloney was more than up to it, as he has been throughout his stellar VFL career.
Nathan O'Keefe kicked 2 of Werribee's 6 goals, but would have learned a lot from Maloney. He certainly saw what an amazing work rate looks like.
Alan Obst sat out (suspended) and we had three players in the VFL seconds game, which unfortunately, I didn't see. The honours in that game did go to Werribee.
It was great to see Ben Speight back playing, and he managed to get a bit of the footy. As his opponent was often Marcus White, I couldn't barrack for either player, just cheering any good play from either of the boys.
Werribee's defenders were under siege for much of the day, with Ayden Kennedy probably the most noticeable, including a great speccy that got the crowd roaring!
For North Ballarat, Corey Jones very nearly had a career day, finishing with 3 goals, and but for some errant kicking, could possibly have made it into double figures. With Josh Smith playing Saturday night, Corey was a dominant presence in the Roosters forward line.
Aaron Black returned to the Roosters from injury. He showed flashes of what is to come. Aaron kicked one, but had a few shots at goal after taking some good marks.
Brayden Norris has shown huge improvement since I saw him early this season! He has obviously adjusted to the footy at VFL level and is now not just getting possessions, but using the ball well. He shows very good speed and was prominent all day, getting into the bests along with Jones.
Marcus White played well and seems to be getting back closer to his best form, which is great to see.
Warren Benjamin played another solid game. It will be interesting to see if Wazza can take the next step and turn it up another notch.
Matt Campbell displayed his speed with a long run and numerous bounces up the far side of the field, and he looked to be running freely. He certainly won't be far from a return to the AFL side, putting pressure on the boys to keep their spots.
Ed Lower is another player that will come into Brad Scott and his team's considerations. Ed played another very solid game with numerous possessions, good tackling, and he worked hard in getting to contests.
It was a tough game as a spectator, as I was torn between the two sides, and ended up probably slightly favouring North Ballarat due to their ladder standing.
Now it's off to watch North take on the Doggies next weekend, with a choice between Werribee at home against Frankston or a road trip to Sandringham vs North Ballarat on Sunday the 30th. I may have to record the North Melbourne vs Fremantle game in order to attend a VFL match!
Go Roos!
John Schwager
VFL Round 5, 2010
It was a full weekend following our excellent evening at the coaches dinner on Thursday!
Unfortunately, it didn't start out well with North's loss to Collingwood coupled with a number of injuries. I followed that up with my future son-in-law's bucks night, which reminded me of my age when I dragged myself home at 3am. I was up early on Sunday to get my haircut and then it was straight down to Frankston for the North Ballarat VFL game.
Julie and I arrived early in the third quarter of the North Ballarat seconds match. The boys were travelling beautifully and went on to a big win, with Clinton Benjamin, Warren's brother and former Carlton listed player, very nearly taking mark of the year! It probably should have been paid, if just for the effort!
9 North Melbourne players lined up for the senior game. It was an absolutely beautiful day, although perhaps a bit warm for those actually playing! Frankston wasn't going to be intimidated by the fancied North Ballarat side. They came out hard early and their tackling was fierce. North Ballarat could only manage a couple of behinds early, one of which was a poster by Josh Smith. Corey Jones opened up the goal scoring by getting the first of his four for the day. It was tight through the first half with North Ballarat holding a 22 point edge at halftime. The Roosters started to gain a bit more ascendancy in the third quarter, and managed to edge out to a 40 point lead at 3/4 time. After North Ballarat got an early goal in the fourth quarter, the flood gates opened. The Roosters kicked 7.1 to no score in the last to run out 83 point winners. It must be said that Stephen Clifton was outstanding in the midfield for North Ballarat! He won BOG for a dominant performance in the midfield.
North Melbourne listed players...
Corey Jones played hard and contested all day. Kicked four goals and was often the focal point of forward 50 entries.
Leigh Harding also played up forward. Turtle started slowly, but worked his way into the game, getting stronger as the game wore on. Leigh also kicked 4 including a beautiful roving effort off of a Josh Smith hit-out in the forward line. He ran into the open goal for a very nice score.
Josh Smith looked ominous early, kicking 2.2 in the first quarter. Frankston adjusted the defense throwing an extra man back to fill the space in front of Oscar, effectively blunting his influence. Oscar competed hard throughout, crashing packs and bringing the ball to ground to good effect for Harding, Billy Driscoll, and Stevie Dinnell. Smith finished with 2.4 for the game with a few narrow misses.
Breydon Norris played the most complete game I've seen from him early in his career. He showed flashes of brilliant speed and used the ball very well. 'Chuck' seems to have adapted to the VFL game and was very effective, gaining possessions and competing well throughout.
Warren Benjamin was again solid in his midfield role. Wazza has really improved his disposal and looks closer to an AFL debut than ever before. If he can continue at his current rate of development, his debut will be sooner, rather than later.
Ed Lower was also in the midfield for North Ballarat. Ed was getting the ball early, but with Frankston applying pressure wasn't able to find any space to get forward thrusts from his clearance work. As the game wore on, things opened up somewhat and Lower started to exert influence on the contest finding space to get the ball moving forward from stoppages. With Frankston having numbers around the ball all day, it was a tough game for the midfielders and by the end of it, Lower and the North Ballarat midfield were well on top.
Daniel Pratt continued his fine form in defense. Pratty racked up possessions and made many a contest as the North Ballarat defense was it's normal stingy self in continuously denying Frankston reward for their efforts. Pratt will force his way back into the AFL side soon with continued good form, and will have to be considered for this week's game against Adelaide.
Luke Delaney again played very well. He spelled Spider Maloney at fullback and had the occasional spell in the ruck, while playing mainly in defense. Delaney's big body was used to great effect in contests and he has settled well into the Roosters' back line.
Marcus White hasn't yet achieved the status he had last year for North Ballarat but his performances continue to improve this season. White reads the play well and each week seems to be getting a bit more of the ball. He had another solid performance in a defense which has built a big reputation in the VFL.
It was an excellent win and provided the Roosters with back to back road wins after their excellent win last week at Box Hill. This win was accomplished without the help of star ruckman Orrin Stephenson as he sat this game out. With solid to strong performances from the North Melbourne listed players, the pressure for spots in the AFL side continues.
Next Sunday, our VFL affiliates go head to head out at Eureka Stadium. It's your chance to see all of our VFL affiliated players together, so head out for an afternoon in Ballarat to watch Werribee take on North Ballarat.
See you there!
John Schwager
VFL Round 4, 2010
It was a big weekend of footy! Unfortunately, not too many results went our way, but congratulations to the Roosters, for getting both the seniors and seconds across the line. Werribee seconds also came up with a win while the Werribee seniors came up well short against Sandringham, at Beach Oval.
The Foxtel IQ got a workout. While attending North Melbourne's game against Sydney, I recorded that game for reviewing, as I always do. I also had the North Ballarat game against the Northern Bullants recording, as it was the ABC VFL game of the week.
I got along on Sunday to watch the second half of the Werribee seconds and the full senior game. So my reports are based on TV for the Roosters' game and live for the Tigers.
North Ballarat has lost a few of their VFL stars from the past two Grand Final wins, but they still have a formidable list including Stephenson, Sewell, and BOG on the day, Clifton. The game was hard fought and North Ballarat just couldn't get away from the Bullants, but they were never headed in getting their hard fought 18 point win.
Now to the North Melbourne players in the Roosters' side for the game...
Warren Benjamin - I've watched a lot of Roosters' games over the past couple of years, and no one has developed further than Wazza. He has gone from an inconsistent, yet mercurial player in the seconds to a very solid midfielder/halfback in the senior side. Wazza's disposal and decision making are much improved and his disposal count is well up. A solid contributor in this game
Ben Cunnington - Not the big impact that Ben has been having, but to get the kind of attention he was given at VFL level says something in itself. Ben worked hard throughout the game and never stopped. He will have gained valuable experience from this game.
Luke Delaney - played very well in defense. Luke is a mobile big man and is rarely beaten one on one. Another solid defensive game from Delaney.
Cruize Garlett - was a ball magnet and a major contributor. Probably beaten out of BOG by Clifton's stellar game. Cruize is certainly pushing for elevation to the AFL side.
Corey Jones - Corey worked as hard as I've seen for some time. Pushing back into defense from his position in the forwards. His marking and kicking were good, and he reaped the rewards with a 5 goal effort, including a charity goal when Thornton (Carlton listed) kicked it onto his chest from a kick out.
Daniel Pratt - worked his way into the game and into some form. Pratty was a hard man at many a contest and is certain to be looked at over the next couple of weeks for a return to the AFL. With Delaney and Maloney, the Roosters' defense was a wall against the Bullants attack all day.
Josh Smith - Worked hard and made a contest of every ball that came his way. Like Jones, got up the ground a bit to assist in moving the ball into attacking positions. Oscar took two very good contested marks and converted both to impose himself on the game and the scoreboard. He had a roving goal for the second straight week, this one coming from a spilled Bullants' mark.
Marcus White - Marcus continues to play well and work hard. Although we haven't seen the eye-opening performances in the first two rounds that became his trademark last season, He has been consistent and the feeling is that a big game is just around the corner.
I arrived at the ground in time for the second half of the Werribee seconds nice win, with Ayden Kennedy of North Melbourne playing a solid game in defense. Connor Meredith also played in this game, and Connor appeared to play his role well. Both of the boys will have enjoyed playing in a winning side and could be looked at for elevation to the senior VFL team.
Unfortunately, the Werribee senior side was chasing Sandringham for much of the day. Two strange happenings in this game.
First, Sandringham appeared to have 19 men on the field for a couple of minutes in the third quarter, including one of their goals. As a player came off, he was yelling for a replacement when the coaching staff shushed him and told him just get off and sit down. Not sure how the umpires missed that one.
The second incident involved Nick Sautner and Jamie MacMillan. Sautner appeared to hit MacMillan in the ribs and MacMillan went to ground, coming off for a spell shortly after. This lead to retaliation by Werribee players which resulted in two consecutive free kicks for goals. Unfortunately, this occurred just as Werribee had played their way back into the game. A lack of discipline definitely costing the side.
The North Melbourne players ...
Jamie Macmillan - Held Sautner well in this game! Both of Sautner's goals coming from free kicks. Jamie would have gotten a lot from this one. He outplayed the experienced Sautner throughout.
Alan Obst - Great to see Obba back playing. He played well and with aggression, in a match that saw the ball down his end of the ground far too often.
Majak Daw - Majak's vertical leap was certainly on display in ruck contests and he went well in his first game at senior VFL level. Still gets lost on occasion, but his skills and athleticism are evident. Once Majak grasps the nuances of the game, he will become a major impact player.
Levi Greenwood - Great to also see Levi back in action. In a game where the Werribee midfield battled all day, Levi was one of the highlights. He'll be better for the run, and it won't be long before we see him back at AFL level.
Nathan O'Keefe - Nathan was moving well and worked hard throughout the game. Definitely appears to have regained a lot of the fitness lost to glandular fever. A very solid performance.
Ben Ross - Another player in a beaten midfield, Ben chased and tackled well. Still needs to get more of the ball in attacking positions.
Matthew Scott - Hardly noticed Matthew, which is a good thing, as he plays in defense and his opponent wasn't making a huge impact in a game where Sandringham was scoring freely. I'll need to lift my game and watch him closer in upcoming weeks!
Robbie Tarrant - Robbie kicked a couple of nice goals with limited opportunities. He may need to hunt more for possessions up the ground, and still needs to work on his defensive side, but is certainly showing good signs, with one of his goals a beauty from just outside 50. A tough game to be a forward for Werribee.
Next week I'll be in Tassie for North versus Hawthorn, but my reports will return the following week.
Until then, Go Roos!
John Schwager
VFL Round 3, 2010
Well, for the first 10 minutes of this game, one could have been forgiven for having flashbacks to the St Kilda vs North Melbourne game of last week! Coburg did all the running and had the majority of the ball. The Tigers supporters may have been wondering why some of these guys weren't in the AFL side. The score quickly blew out to a 31 - 0 Coburg advantage!
It was a blustery day with wind gusts making it hard to judge shots at goal.
The Roosters slowly started to work their way back into the match, but still looked nothing like the premiers of last year, or even like a chance of winning, with a halftime deficit of 26 points.
For the North Melbourne listed players, Braden Norris got a bit of the ball in the first half, but looked very much the young kid that he is. Although he struggled with disposal early, he seemed to settle in the second half to finish strongly and appears to have a nose for the ball. He kicked a couple of goals and certainly showed good signs in his first VFL match for points.
Unfortunately, injuries to Aaron Black and Matt Campbell put an early end to their day. Black looked fairly handy in the first half when not much was going well for North Ballarat. Flash didn't get a whole lot of opportunity, and we look forward to good news on his ankle, and a quick return.
Corey Jones was around the ball all day, but the Roosters were perhaps a bit too 'Jones focussed' early while kicking to him in 1 on 2 and 1 on 3 situations, resulting in a lot of rebound footy for the Tigers.
Ben Cunnington played a strong game after strong efforts in practice matches. He was certainly instrumental in the second half turn around. Very clean user of the ball and he has the build necessary to play at AFL level when he is called upon.
After a quiet first half, Josh Smith fired up in the second half. Moving up the ground more to get possessions and winning contests. He did a nice job of bringing team mates into the game, and had a dominant fourth quarter, rucking when in the forward line, tackling and finishing with a couple of goals, including the clincher which was in heavy traffic from about 35 or 40 metres along the ground.
Luke Delaney played very well from full back and spelling Stephenson in the ruck. Good mobility by the big fella, and great job of getting to contests.
Daniel Pratt made a nice return from his injury woes and with another VFL outing or two, he will surely come back into contention for a spot in the AFL side. Pratty competed well and improved as the game wore on.
Warren Benjamin has shown he has developed his game from last year and certainly contributed well in the midfield. He looks to be a fixture in the Roosters senior side as he develops further toward playing at AFL level.
Cruze Garlett did nothing to hurt his chances of getting an AFL recall. Ran and competed hard all day. he was another to step up in the second half and help lead the Roosters back from behind.
A number of the Roosters VFL stalwarts were as usual, instrumental in the comeback. None more so than Miles Sewell, who, after a slow start, played a very strong game.
So North Ballarat start their premiership defense off with a hard fought 10 point win, 85 - 75.
John Schwager, 2010 Northerner
| North Ballarat | Werribee |
|---|---|
| Anthony | Adams |
| Bastinac | Daw |
| Benjamin | Firrito |
| Black | Goldstein |
| Campbell | Grima |
| Cunnington | Hansen |
| Delaney | Harvey |
| Edwards | Kennedy |
| Garlett | MacMillan |
| Hale | McIntosh |
| Harding | McMahon |
| Jones | Meredith |
| Lower | Obst |
| Norris | O'Keefe |
| Petrie | Rawlings |
| Pratt | Ross |
| Smith | Scott |
| Thomas | Speight |
| Urquhart | Tarrant |
| Wells | Thompson |
| White | Warren |
| Swallow | Wright |
| Ziebell |
