Reserves v Eastlake

[ugg]

Johnston big bomb

11.7 to 25.10

[ugg]

Margin back to 94. Suspense is killing me

[ugg]

Back to 100

Siren!

11.9 75
27.13 175

[hammo]

Bloody hell! It's been a while since we've seen a 2's result like that

[ugg]

These kids sure suck let's play the infants Allison!

I wouldn't be too worried Eastlake have recruited well and were amped up for this game. The Swans were missing too many and had to rely on a lot of top ups. It's a bye next week.

Just added up the goalkickers:

Currie 2 Thornton 2 Brabazon 1 O'Dwyer 1 Orreal 1 Johnston 1 #48 1 #54 1 #55 1

(or Brabazon 2 Thornton 1 - I think I'm right the first time)

[liz]

Pretty sure it was Braba who kicked two.

Strange kind of experience the reserves get quite so comprehensively beaten. But it is fair to say we went in with pretty much no tall defenders - just a couple of top up kids and both were way off the pace. I don't think any of the top-ups were of the quality of the better ones in recent seasons - number 48 had a red hot go and showed some neat skills but was an absolute midget. Nathan Gordon was also an almost non-existent factor in the game, which was a bit disappointing after his performance two weekends ago.

Result was that too much was left to too few, and most of them were ragged by the end. Can't say any put their hand up for a senior gig any time soon, with maybe just one exception.

MOD and Braba were good in patches but then non-existent for much of the game. MOD, in particular, was disappointing in his use of the ball.

Currie showed some nice signs up forward. He still looks like he's short of a gallop but apart from missing one absolute sitter, it was an encouraging performance. He still looks likely of getting senior footy sometime this year (depending on what White has to say, of course).

I thought the best two - or at least, two of the most encouraging performances - were Hannebury and Gilchrist. Hannebury's first quarter was a bit underwhelming - he looked slow, indecisive and his early disposals were pretty ordinary. But in the second and third quarters he looked like a different player. Found the ball with ease, found a yard of pace, and used the thing intelligently. He looks like a dead ringer for Kane Cornes, not only physically but even in the way he moves. Looks like he can become the same kind of hard working, ball-accumulator that Cornes is. Definitely has future senior player written all over him.

If Gilchrist weren't so skinny, I'd be putting him on senior-watch for later in the year. As it is, he looks like he needs a summer or two alternating between the larder and the gym before he's ready. Descriptions of him when he was drafted suggested he was a bit too "outside" and needed to learn how to go in and win his own ball. On today's evidence, he's a fast learner. He showed little fear, especially in aerial contests, and some of his second, third and fourth efforts were impressive indeed. He's decently quick for his height and showed a good range of skills.

The one exception who looked senior ready was (wait for the groans) Barlow. He only played a half but it was a very decent half he played. In particular, he looked like he was making a huge effort to tackle. I suspect he would have laid half a dozen in that first half. And his off ball running was a step up in intensity too, even from many of his previous reserves games. It wasn't a command performance that demands an instant recall but he certainly looked like he was trying to address many of the things that I am sure have been suggested to him over the past week.

As to the rest, Thornton was pretty innocuous, apart from one screamer, Johnstone seemed to struggle to get into the game and was too easily bodied out of marking contests but showed a few signs that he can definitely play the game, while the best that can be said for DOK is that he looked to be trying really hard. Pyke looked like someone with good athletic ability who is still very much learning the game - hardly surprising since that is exactly what he is. He has a tendency to jump a bit early in ruck contests and lose his balance but he has a grasp on many of the skills of the game. A highlight was a set shot from 50m out which sailed off the boot straight as an arrow but fell just a few metres short. (Currie marked it on the goal line so we got a score anyway.)

[Triple B]

As I texted (is that a word?) Reggi, DoctorJ and ScottH as early as halftime, I am absolutely taken with Hanneberry. Oozes poise, class and has a beautiful left foot but also has a body that looks like if he was forced to play seniors next week he would not be too far off the mark physically, even though it is only 6 weeks since he turned 18!!!

Star of the future, bookmark it.

I told Reggi and DoctorJ 2 years ago to bookmark DOK as a dud. Unfortunately it looks like I'll be proven correct. As Liz commented, the best you can say is he tried hard, but seriously he is so far from a senior footballer it isn't funny.

I also liked Johnstone's game as well, his second and third efforts were very solid. Not scared to mix it once the ball came to ground. Still well short physically to play the CHF role the club hopes he will fill long term, but mature enough to maybe get a game later in the year as a tall 3rd or 4th forward.

[ugg]

DOK has been disappointing, even if you take away the fact he was pick 15 in the so called superdraft, and treated him as another youngster trying to make it into the seniors. I think he played off half back today, as liz mentioned he tried hard, but fell off too many tackles and didn't make his possessions count. Still looks very small physically and I feel that he shies away from physical contact.

Hannebery very cool and composed, used the ball well. I was disappointed in MOD, who did well in the scratch match and was emergency last week. The midfield was crying out for someone like him, who's been there for a couple of years, to stand up but he was AWOL.

On Barlow, yes he really got stuck in physically but for me anyway, that was just one aspect that was disappointing for me from Round 1. The other part is his use of the ball. Compare his game to that of Meredith who looked so assured with the ball in hand and I know which one I would prefer in the team.

[shaun..]

As I texted (is that a word?) Reggi, DoctorJ and ScottH as early as halftime, I am absolutely taken with Hanneberry. Oozes poise, class and has a beautiful left foot but also has a body that looks like if he was forced to play seniors next week he would not be too far off the mark physically, even though it is only 6 weeks since he turned 18!!!

Star of the future, bookmark it.

I told Reggi and DoctorJ 2 years ago to bookmark DOK as a dud. Unfortunately it looks like I'll be proven correct. As Liz commented, the best you can say is he tried hard, but seriously he is so far from a senior footballer it isn't funny.

I also liked Johnstone's game as well, his second and third efforts were very solid. Not scared to mix it once the ball came to ground. Still well short physically to play the CHF role the club hopes he will fill long term, but mature enough to maybe get a game later in the year as a tall 3rd or 4th forward.

Sounds like we'll have a very classy midfield to go with hopefully a powerful CHF in the (not to distant) future

[liz]

On Barlow, yes he really got stuck in physically but for me anyway, that was just one aspect that was disappointing for me from Round 1. The other part is his use of the ball. Compare his game to that of Meredith who looked so assured with the ball in hand and I know which one I would prefer in the team.

Barlow's ball use was fine in the first quarter last week when the team was dominant. And it was fine in his debut too, if we're comparing to Meredith

I've seen enough of Barlow to believe that his skills are up to scratch to become a long-term senior player. The but - and it's a big but - is whether he can ever develop the intensity, not just in the contest, but to do the gut-busting running that his much-talked-about endurance suggests he should be capable of when - or if - he realises that's what senior AFL is about for a player like him.

[Primmy]

Dan Hannerby is definitely a keeper, I worry about Barlow, I am almost glad to hear Buchannan was injured (he didn't appear to play any better than the kiddies!), and I do like Orreal who is not afraid to go to ground, and for someone of his height its an asset. I think you are being a bit harsh on DOK, he was working and doing a reasonable job - even Kirky took time to develop....they were going to drop him in 2002/2003 weren't they until Stuey spoke up for him.

Number 48 would be fun to have back again he has a good sense of where the ball is, thin as a mop handle and with that hair, Mop is a good name.

MOD is so inconsistent its alarming. Gets the ball with no fear, and full intent, but his disposal !!! oh woe is me....

One thing to note is the size of Eastlake boys in general. Not boys, full grown men, and we had kiddies out there. I would say due to ressie injuries, half of the team were ringers and they hadn't played with ressies as a group.

I really like Braba as a leader. I watched him bring in supp boys and include them - I hope his game continues to improve because as a leader he is a keeper.

Does anyone know who the big kid in the high up number (yeah I know, I can't remember my own name) playing in the back half is? Look a ringer for Jesse, and had us mildly worried. Really a big unit for a supp on a ressie team. Ta

[dimelb]

Thanks for the comments Ugg, Liz, Triple B and others. We have done and will do better, but the good news in there is encouraging to read, especially on Johnston, Hannebury and Thornton. Can anyone say where they had Barlow playing?

[ugg]

Thanks for the comments Ugg, Liz, Triple B and others. We have done and will do better, but the good news in there is encouraging to read, especially on Johnston, Hannebury and Thornton. Can anyone say where they had Barlow playing?

Half-forward flank pushing up towards the wings.

Match Results

Trying to work out who the top ups were. That list has 2 scholarship players - Nathan Gordon who was wearing 45 and Jay Lewis who I have no idea what he looks like. 53 was Max Wilson while Bryce Addison (brother of Dylan?) kicked a goal so he was either 54 55 or 48.

[Dalai Lama]

What about Amon - how long?

[Old Royboy]

Only 12 listed players and rookies turned up to play. With Monty injured and Barlow benched as 1st reserve in the second half the team was severely undermanned and it really showed, especially in the lack of midfield grunt players like Nick Smith and in defence, where last year Faulks, Murphy and White were the backbone.

With bugger all midfield pressure the Eastlake boys provided a constant stream of accurate supply their forwards, with our key defenders in the first half being Orreal and O?Keefe and Neville Nobody in the second half. A rude wake up for big Jake, seriously a fish out of water back there.

As Big Bad has already said, the silver lining to this cloud was Dan Hannebury. Immediately stood out as a class above those around him. Good ball sense, lovely disposal and one of those players who just seems to effortlessly glide around the park. Quality with a capital Q.

Hannerbury?s class emphasised the shortcomings of Brabazon. Three years now, and still failing to impose himself. I thought he should have been cut last year, and have seen nothing this year to alter that view.

Dan Currie was poor in the first half ? it was quite windy then and his judgement of the ball ion the air was badly astray. He improved steadily as the match wore on and ended up one of our better players. We should expect much more when he gets back to full fitness.

A key defender DOK is not! But every now and then he did a few things that show he is not short on class and ticker. The charitable view is that after so much injury he will take his time to shine. I?m not prepared to be that charitable, but neither am I convinced he is a total dud.

Of the others, Johnson and Gilchrist both showed that they are talented footballers and promise good things for the future.