By Tyler Lewis
“Oh, I don’t know how to put it into words to be honest mate. I have coached footy for a long time and it was one of the best local performances you will ever see… I haven’t seen the stats yet, but he had a squillion.” Noble Park coach Steve Hughes on Jackson Sketchers Anzac Eve performance against Berwick.
Noble Park is back on the winners list.
And while there was a lot to like for Bulls coach Steve Hughes, he was lost for words when it came to describing the performance by his superstar midfielder Jackson Sketcher.
“Oh, I don’t know how to put it into words to be honest mate,” Bulls coach Steve Hughes said.
“I have coached footy for a long time and it was one of the best local performances you will ever see… I haven’t seen the stats yet, but he had a squillion.
“They put a bit of work into Kyle (Martin) and I think Kyle got on top by the end of the day, but that opened up Sketch to do what he did.
“His ball use, ability to break lines and how hard he worked and ran, it was super impressive. A few supporters hanging back after the game were really impressed by him, it was nice having conversations about it.
“It was a pleasure to watch, very enjoyable.”
Both Berwick and Noble Park came into the Anzac Eve Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL) stand-alone clash 0-1, with one side destined to walk off Pat Wright Oval 0-2.
Sketcher and his proud Bulls teammates made certain it wasn’t they who would leave 0-2, in a clinical display of football.
The Bulls had a disappointing opening round defeat to Rowville but were out to resurrect that against the Wickers.
Seven goals to two in the opening half set up the 14.13 (97) to 6.7 (43) victory, as the Bulls midfielders ran rampant.
“There was lots, there was lots to like, we were really pleased with a lot of elements of the game,” Hughes said.
“Our midfield probably won the battle comprehensively against what we feel is a strong and mature midfield with Tucky (Travis Tuck) and Bryce Rutherford, the likes of those boys.
“We probably had the ascendancy in the ruck which helped, but it wasn’t just the midfield, it was guys taking their turn.
“Ryan Morrison did a really good job on Harry Money, Mitch Woolgar did a good job on Josh Burgess, and our forwards all bobbed up and contributed, I think we had a spread of eight or nine goal-kickers… which is really healthy and that is the side we want to be.
“It was a good day for us, and we needed to after a pretty disappointing day the other week, it was a good response.”
The Bulls uncharacteristically conceded over 100 points in round one and it didn’t escape the eyes of Hughes, who admits he was ‘a bit narky’ after the season opener.
“Calling a spade, a spade… I was a bit narky with the back six, I didn’t think they played the brand of footy we wanted to play,” he said.
“It’s not just putting it all on our back six, our midfield has to work back hard and support them.
“I think our back six would acknowledge we didn’t have a good day a couple of weeks back, we try and pride ourselves on being a little bit stingy.
“They corrected that yesterday, at half-time they (Berwick) kicked two goals, so we had the game in our keeping, which was a by-product – again emphasising I was pleased with our midfield – but the defenders doing their job.”
Questions were raised before the season about where the Bulls goals were going to come from.
And while the easy answer was the return of Shayne Allan, Hughes was confident in the organic growth of Ben Marson.
Marson has repaid the coaches faith, by kicking four majors in the opening round and a further three on the weekend.
“We are so excited about his season; I made the comment in the box ‘what sort of player is this guy going to be when he is 25-26? He is still a baby’,” he said.
“His preseason has been as comprehensive as anybody’s, he has worked his bum off.
“His kicking is a smidge off, he is a beautiful kick of the footy, he just has to get his technique and a bit of momentum right, but he is going to be a handful, Benny.
“That is where we want to be, it is not just about him, we don’t want to be a one-trick pony, but his forward craft was as good as anyone yesterday.
“As a collective we are trying to be flexible with our forward options, he can play a bit high and he did that yesterday, he is in great form and he is going to have a great season.”
Rowville coach Ben Wise, meanwhile, has an enjoyable selection headache to start the EFNL Premier Division season.
The Hawks are in resounding touch, especially on the offensive end.
Rowville travelled to Quambee Reserve on Saturday, to punish North Ringwood in another forward masterclass.
The Hawks had five multiple goal-kickers in the 19.21 (135) to 8.7 (55) thrashing of the Saints, making it two from two for wins, and scores of over 100, for Rowville in the opening two rounds.
But the selection headache for Wise doesn’t come from Matt Davey or Mav Taylor respectively booting four; it comes from the performance of young gun Kurtis Flakemore in the reserves.
“Kurto is a very talented player,” he said.
“He did a preseason at Carlton VFL and in one of their match sims he had a bit of meniscus trouble, so he had an op and he has missed six or eight weeks.
“We brought him back through the twos and he had a day out.
“Selection this week, I actually played him as a back a lot last year, but he is a natural forward, so I have got some thinking to do for sure.”
In other matches across the Premier Division: Park Orchards defeated Balwyn 15.10 (100) to 13.12 (90); Vermont sealed a nail-biter over Norwood, 13.14 (92) to 12.10 (82); East Doncaster won the Doncaster derby, 11.21 (87) to 6.7 (43) and Blackburn went down to South Croydon on Anzac Day, 17.10 (112) to 12.10 (82).
EFNL PREMIER LADDER
Rowville, Park Orchards, South Croydon, Vermont 8, Balwyn, Norwood, Doncaster East, Noble Park 4, Berwick, Blackburn, Doncaster, North Ringwood 0.
FIXTURE – ROUND 3
Balwyn v Berwick, Noble Park v Vermont, Norwood v Rowville, Park Orchards v South Croydon, North Ringwood v Doncaster East, Doncaster v Blackburn.
