By Jonty Ralphsmith
Vic Metro defeated Vic Country by seven points in a thrilling final game of the National Championships at Marvel Stadium last Thursday.
The match was on a knife’s edge until the last couple of minutes when two goals to Vic Metro gave them what would prove to be a match-winning lead.
Vic Country had the play in the first quarter but wasn’t able to put it on the scoreboard and the opponents were dangerous and efficient when going forward, giving Jason Davenport’s men the scoreboard ascendancy.
Vic Country put on three second-quarter goals though and were in it at three-quarter-time ahead of a nine goal shootout in the final stanza.
Harley Reid, a 2023 Bendigo key position prospect, was best afield for Vic Country, deployed in defence in the first three quarters before being swung forward and kicking 2.1 to nearly get his team over the line.
Below is an overview on how the local players went…
• Bailey Humphrey (Moe, Gippsland): threatened to tear the game apart in the first 10 minutes like he has on several occasions in the NAB League but failed to capitalise on his opportunities. Still got some good looks thereafter but Vic Metro’s Jakob Anderson, a Dingley junior, was mostly matched up on him and curbed his influence well despite Humphrey having the size advantage. Has shown his burst through the midfield as well as up forward throughout the year and the highlight of his day was a goal on the run from 40 in the second quarter.
• Jaxon Binns (Berwick, Dandenong): saw a lot of the footy early and ran and ran on the wing, as has become typical of his footy. Stationed in his customary wing position, he set up teammates inside 50 a couple of times with short, inventive kicks and gave off to set up Konstanty on a couple of separate occasions. Demands the footy and one of the team’s better player’s on the day.
• Jacob Konstanty (Drouin, Gippsland): the pressure forward showed his creativity by handballing to himself through an opponent’s legs, but unfortunately could not finish the set up play. Was involved in several scoring passages throughout the day and was always thereabouts inside 50, but will be ruing a late miss from 20 at a crucial stage of the match.
• Henry Hustwaite (Rosebud, Dandenong): in his second match back from an ankle injury, it was a quieter day for Hustwaite, who played both through the midfield and in defence. His class was on show when he received handball from a scrimmage and calmly hit up Jaxon Binns for a shot on goal with a short lateral kick, and showed his trademark traits throughout the day but got less of the ball than usual.
• Finn Emile-Brennan (Mount Eliza, Dandenong): his precise kicking is his one-wood and backed himself all day as you would expect. Among the highlights were lateral kick into the middle of the ground which looked to get something going and himself got into space in the corridor and hit Konstanty on the lead inside 50.
• Mitch Szybkowski (Beaconsfield, Dandenong): like Hustwaite, Szybkowski did not have the individual output that he has in previous matches, but still showed his toughness on the ball and has established himself as a potential first round selection with his body of work.
• Gippslanders from afar: Maffra’s Max Knobel was Gippsland’s predominant ruckman and was solid without having a standout performance. Took a good contested mark when the game was in the balance in the final quarter which helped give his side repeat opportunities. Midfielder/forward Coby Burgiel (Maffra) had a couple of shots and finished with a goal and Jonti Schuback (Maffra) was a constant off halfback.
