Match report

[Charlie]

Saddo punched it.

Three times.

[Reggi]

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=136860

Kangaroos finish all over Swans
7:01:07 PM Fri 5 March, 2004
Matt Burgan
Sportal
The Kangaroos have won their first match of 2004 by 23 points in the Wizard Regional Challenge Series after producing an impressive final quarter against Sydney at Optus Oval on Friday.

The Kangaroos 13.16 (94) defeated Sydney 11.5 (71).



For the majority of the match it was the Jones show ? with Kangaroos Corey and Chad ? proving to be fine players for the winners.

The unrelated teammates finished with four goals between them and were busy across half-forward and inside the 50-metre arc.

Corey, 23, finished with two goals for the match and showed further encouraging signs that he will again be a permanent fixture in the Roos? best line-up in 2004 after notching 19 games in his third senior season in 2003.

New recruit Chad booted two goals for the match, while he pulled in a spectacular mark in the opening term.

The 19 year-old, 196cm key forward was the Kangaroos second selection in last year?s National AFL Draft, when he was taken at No.24 from Claremont.

A former wicket-keeper in Western Australian grade cricket, Jones, is the younger brother of Brett, who was also drafted at the end of last year as a rookie for West Coast. He too was a fine cricketer representing the Western Australian second eleven.

Kangaroos skipper Adam Simpson and midfielder partner Daniel Harris were also impressive.

Key Sydney forward Barry Hall again was a tireless worker, booting three goals for the match, as well as providing plenty of targets across half-forward.

Veteran Swan and 2003 All-Australian Paul Williams was again his ultra-consistent self, while Heath James ? who has had a shocking run with hamstring and knee injuries in recent years ? showed plenty of promise.

The Roos lost talented youngster Daniel Motlop with a shoulder injury during the second term, while veteran Sydney defender Andrew Schauble hobbled from the ground in the third quarter with a hamstring strain.

Motlop?s injury occurred after falling to the ground, while Schauble?s came after attempting to soccer the ball off the ground with resulted in a fresh-air kick.

Sydney went into the match without several senior players including reigning Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes ? who was the Swans best last week against Collingwood.

Mercurial Swans forward Michael O?Loughlin, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Adam Schneider, Ben Mathews, Matthew Nicks, Stephen Doyle, Ben Fixter and emerging midfielder Jarrad McVeigh were also missing.

Senior Roos Brent Harvey, Leigh Colbert, Jess Sinclair, Daniel Wells, Mark Porter and Shane Clayton were absent from their line-up.

Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley said he was pleased with his side?s intensity and he was especially happy with the performance of Chad Jones, who was playing his first senior game for the club.

?I thought Chad Jones was particularly good. He just added a bit of difference. He?s tall but he?s quick and agile.?

?It?s a bit different to Corey (McKernan) and Drew (Petrie) or Browny (Leigh Brown), who was up there at certain stages and then Sav (Rocca) came on and did OK late in the third to fourth quarter.?

?So we?ve certainly got some options up there.?

Sydney coach Paul Roos said the loss was not too concerning considering the make-up and form of the team will be vastly different when the season starts.

?We know that to be a winning team, we need 15 or 16 good players, so really today was just a reinforcement of what we knew from last year and what we still believe going into this season,? Roos said.

Roos did indicate that the club's best 22 will comprise the majority of players that took the side to a preliminary final against the Brisbane Lions last year.

?For the people waiting out there thinking we?re going to unearth a Michael Voss or an Alastair Lynch ? it?s just not going to happen. We haven?t added to our personnel and we took four young kids and unfortunately that?s the reality of where we?re at,? Roos said.

Roos said Schauble?s injury was a short-term concern, with the 2000 best and fairest winner now in some doubt for the start of the premiership season.

?I?m not sure how bad (is it), but it didn?t look good at the time and normally when you do that and you come off straight away, it can be pretty debilitating, so I?d say it?d be a minimum three to four weeks,? Roos said.

The Kangaroos will next play Fremantle at Mandurah next Saturday, while Sydney will meet the loser of the St Kilda and Essendon Wizard Home Loans Cup semi-final in Newcastle next Saturday.

KANGAROOS: 4.4 9.7 11.13 13.16 (94)
SYDNEY: 4.4 7.5 10.5 11.5 (71)

GOALS: Kangaroos: Brown 2, Harris 2, Ch.Jones 2, Co.Jones 2, Firrito, S.Harvey, McKernan, Motlop, Petrie
Sydney: Hall 3, Williams 2, J.Bolton, Crouch, James, O?Keefe, Powell, Sundqvist
BEST: Kangaroos: Co.Jones, Ch.Jones, Brown, Harris, Simpson, Hale
Sydney: Williams, Hall, James, Crouch, Saddington, O?Keefe
INJURIES: Kangaroos: Motlop (shoulder)
Sydney: Schauble (hamstring)
REPORTS: None
UMPIRES: James, Rosebury, Morris
CROWD: 1500 approx at Optus Oval

[anniswan]

Re: Match report

Originally posted by Charlie
Saddo punched it.

Three times.

Cruel Charlie. You forgot the bit about RobbieAndo going off about Schauble not realising he was sitting next to Schubles parents.

[Charlie]

Before you say anything else, Ann, Willo's kick was a shocker off the boot.

Shane Warne can't turn a ball like that.

Oh yeah, I nominate Schaubes as everybodies' target this week. Saddo might go for marks, but he doesn't pull his hamstring whilst completely missing the ball trying to kick it off the ground, 25 metres directly in front of the opposition goal.

[Reggi]

Is that when he did it??

Because they lifted in the last part of the third, you quickly forget we were an absolute comedy show, including that.

In trouble more than 20m from goal Schaubs - stupid way to do a hamstring.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by Reggi
Is that when he did it??

Because they lifted in the last part of the third, you quickly forget we were an absolute comedy show, including that.

In trouble more than 20m from goal Schaubs - stupid way to do a hamstring.

Precisely when he did it.

For those that came in late (The Phantom: great comic):

Schauble finds himself alone, and the ball happens to be nearby.

Schauble decides that he is actually Nick Davis.

Rather than doing the smart thing and picking up the ball, he decides to show everybody he is actually Nick Davis.

Schauble tries to kick the ball. Without picking it up.

Schauble, because he is not Nick Davis, misses the ball.

Schauble's leg overextends because it didn't do what it was supposed to do, which was kick the ball.

Schauble does his hamstring.

Can't remember if the Roos got a goal out of that.

[anniswan]

Originally posted by Charlie
Before you say anything else, Ann, Willo's kick was a shocker off the boot.

Shane Warne can't turn a ball like that.

Charlie, I had forgotten all about that little comment, was good for a laugh.

[Reggi]

They were so busy laughing they missed the goal

Thankfully his parents saw it

[Charlie]

Originally posted by anniswan
Charlie, I had forgotten all about that little comment, was good for a laugh.

Damn!

This is what happened:

Early in the game.

Willo in the forward line, gets the ball.

He is all alone.

He runs in the general direction of the goal.

He kicks it.

The ball heads directly towards the boundary line.

I shout out, "what was that, Willo?!"

God intervenes.

He has a sense of humour, it seems.

He takes hold of the ball, and sends it in a different direction.

The ball is still in midair.

The ball sails through for a goal.

I end up looking like an idiot, but a happy idiot.

[robbieando]

Yep, Saddo must read these boards because he was punching the ball today like some of us said he should. Other than that he did OK, but was overpowered a few times, but nothing really major. On me going off a Schauble, well that was because he was poorly positioned, how was I to know his parents were sitting next to me

[Bas]

I remember three years back when Sydneysiders were criticised for booing Stafford. Poor Schauble, it's only a practise game and he's already copping the abuse.

Schauble has been slow for some years now and after a full pre-season I imagine that's about as fast as he's going to get.

It seems at this early stage of the pre-season that Stafford will lose the title of being the last Swans player booed by supporters. It will be a toss of the coin whether it will be Saddo or Schauble.

Schauble had a big air swing against Carlton as well.

I still think the Swans should have traded Saddo to get Kepler Bradley. He was very impressive at North Sydney. Unfortunately won't be worth much next year if the form doesn't improve.

Haven't said that, I hope both of them have a good year and I promise not to boo.

Great to hear James is going well.

Might even get a chance to go up to Newcastle next week. Last time we played their in a pre season practise thingy was when Ryan Fitzgerald did his knee, Lewis broke his arm and Fixter buggered his leg.

[Charlie]

Bas - we weren't seriously criticising Schauble.

He wasn't that bad. A couple of mistakes - in particular the logic defying decision that he was Nick Davis - gave him the appearance of having a shocker, is all.

[Bas]

That's good Charlie. I thought the Nick Davis comparison was funny.

Far too early in the season to get your blood pressure raised over a practise game.

I'm not too worried about the form. About Rd 7 should indicate how the team is going. One thing is for sure is I'm getting money on St Kilda to make the 8 this year. If they can't with that young team, they should cannonise St Thomas.

With a real cannon!!!!!!

[SWANSBEST]

BAS

Kepler Bradley looked second rate playing on Brennan last week in the Lions match. Then again, Brennan will make many players look second rate in years to come.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by robbieando
Yep, Saddo must read these boards because he was punching the ball today like some of us said he should. Other than that he did OK, but was overpowered a few times, but nothing really major.

I wonder if he received a talking to over the team rules. Would be nice if he was able to mix punching and marking at the right time this year. Would like to see him fire and actually play like a star we all thought he would be.