By Jonty Ralphsmith
Gippsland big man Wil Dawson used Sunday’s Vic Country match against the dominant Allies to boost his draft stocks.
Dawson has been thrown around the field this Talent League season, playing as a key forward, starting ruck and big-bodied defensive mid at different times.
At 200cm, he plays the ruck position well and can hold front position inside 50, but it was as a defender for Vic Country where he made his mark.
In a team bereft of much aerial presence behind the footy, he was swung back and took six intercept marks, reading the ball well and getting in the hole on multiple occasions.
His aerial resistance, both via marks and spoils, was part of the reason why the undefeated Allies, expected to romp to victory, won by just 11 points.
For Gippsland in 2023, he averages 10 disposals, four marks and 12 hitouts, with Sunday’s performance comfortably his most impressive of the season.
After Vic Country won the first quarter, it was a tight tussle through the middle, before the Allies kicked away either side of three-quarter-time.
The big margin was 26 points six minutes into the last quarter, before Vic Country played fast footy and got it within five points.
In red time, they had two opportunities, one via probable number one draft pick Harley Reid, to pinch the lead but missed, before the Allies went up the other end and sowed it up.
Inverloch-Kongwak’s Archer Reid had his best game of the championships so far, taking six marks and posing an aerial threat in the forward half.
He took contested marks to balls that were dumped on his head as well as grabs on the lead, kicking an important goal against the tide in the third quarter.
The Sea Eagles’ junior could have had two, if not for a moment of poor awareness.
After taking a mark 30 out directly in front with five seconds remaining, he looked to hit up a teammate closer to goal, but the siren sounded when the ball was mid-flight.
Gippsland teammate Zane Duursma kicked two goals and would have gained plenty from spending time in the midfield, directly opposing first round draft prospects Ryley Sanders and Colby McKercher.
Drouin’s Lachie Smith was once again the starting ruck, while there was also four Dandenong Stingrays in action.
Harry DeMattia was a starting midfielder before spending the last quarter off halfback and halving a couple of important aerial contests.
Rebound defender Billy Wilson got the opportunity to spend some time on the wing, while Kobe Shipp was also a solid part of the wing rotation, but will rue a late missed goal.
Beaconsfield’s Kade De La Rue played in his preferred half forward position.
