The Tasmania Devils boys program enjoyed a high-intensity hit-out on Sunday, with the Devils under-19 side claiming a 62-point win over the under-17 squad at the Kingborough Twin Ovals. While the scoreline might suggest a comfortable win for the older group, the under-17s battled hard throughout and made the contest much tougher than the final margin shows.
A hard-fought first quarter saw the momentum swing from end to end, and it was the under-17s that had the edge around the contest as they ended the term ahead in both clearances and inside-50s. The forward craft of the under-19 squad shone through, though, and they still took a two-goal lead into the first break thanks to some tidy finishing. That continued into the second quarter, where they piled on five goals to one despite again struggling to assert their dominance at the stoppages.
There were plenty of early positives for the under-17 squad at the main break, and they continued to find the ball and move it forward with purpose after the restart. Some wayward kicking for goal was all that kept them from drawing closer– while both sides had the same number of scoring shots in the third term, they could only manage four behinds to the under-19 side’s 3.1.
With rain setting in and fatigue becoming a factor, the bigger bodies of the senior squad began to come into play. They started to take over at the stoppages, winning the clearances by seven in the third quarter and five in the fourth. That finally converted into some forward momentum in the final term, as they had 14 inside-50s and attacked with purpose. That saw them rack up plenty of scoring shots late, but some good conversion from the under-17s saw them kick three goals of their own to keep the score close for the quarter. While the under-19s ran out winners by a sizable margin, the under-17s certainly weren’t overawed despite their relative youth and inexperience at the top level.
UNDER-19s 5.1 10.3 13.4 17.10 (112)
UNDER-17s 3.1 4.3 4.7 7.8 (50)
GOALS
Under-19s: Menzie 6, Splann 4, Smith 1, Davies 1, Ryan 1, Foley 1, Lowe 1, McLeod 1, White 1
Under-17s: McCallum 2, Schoenmaker 1, Lee 1, J. Gillow 1, Alomes 1, McGee 1
BEST
Under-19s: Splann, Menzie, White, Gardner, Bourn, Borsboom
Under-17s: Cowan, R. Sanders, McCallum, Simpson, Ollington, Beaumont
Will Splann was a standout on the winning side, playing at both ends of the ground and having an impact throughout the game. He started forward and dominated in the air, clunking six marks in the first half and converting well with four goals. He was swung back into defence after half-time, and while the highlights were more sparse he did a mountain of work as the under-19s clamped down late. Fellow forward Jye Menzie is leading the Devils goalkicking in the NAB League this season, and he was at his dynamic best once again with six goals. He showed his versatility to push through the midfield for long stretches, finishing with 18 disposals and seven marks in an impressive all-around display.
After earning selection in the Allies squad earlier this year, Darcy Gardner was back to his best in another strong performance. He collected 26 disposals, including a game-high 14 contested possessions, and he led the under-19s with five clearances. Just as important was his defensive work, as he applied plenty of pressure from start to finish and made his opponents work throughout. Also prolific for the under-19s were Dom White (26 disposals, seven marks) and George McLeod (23 disposals), both of whom worked tirelessly on the wings and covered plenty of ground.
For the under-17s, the clear standout was NAB League regular Lachie Cowan. After spending plenty of time on the half-back line for the Devils, he relished the opportunity to run through the midfield in Sunday’s game. He finished with a game-high 27 disposals and also led both sides in rebound-50s (seven) and inside-50s (seven). It was a remarkable performance from the Devonport young gun, as he found the ball at will and impacted the game from right across the ground.
It was a typically industrious performance from Tom McCallum, with the NAB League forward working hard up and down the ground. He collected 18 disposals in all areas of the ground, and he looked the most likely target in attack for his side. His first goal from outside 50 was the kick-start that they needed in the first quarter, and he finished with two goals and three behinds for the day.
South Launceston youngster Tom Beaumont didn’t look out of place in the midfield for the under-17s, and while his 14 disposals may not jump off the page he was a strong presence around the stoppages. He was among the game’s leaders with five clearances, and he laid five tackles to show off his two-way ability.
There is always some friendly rivalry in any intra-club contest, but there was some extra pride on the line in Sunday’s game with two sets of siblings facing off on opposite sides. The Gillow brothers, pictured above, largely avoided any direct matchups in their very different roles. Both were solid contributors, with Bailey Gillow collecting 15 disposals and five marks in the under-19 midfield and Josh Gillow marshalling the under-17 defence and finishing with nine spoils.
The real head-to-head came in the midfield, where both Sanders brothers lined up for much of the day. Ollie Sanders played limited minutes as he continued his return from injury, but he was still able to contribute to the win with 15 disposals and an equal game-high seven rebound-50s. The individual bragging rights, though, may go to younger brother Ryley Sanders. The under-17s were strong at the stoppages, and he played a huge role in that effort with 24 disposals and a game-high eight clearances.