Much of Noble Park’s much-vaunted summer recruiting spree centred on the big names of Jackson Casey and Shane McDonald.
But one who flew under the radar to many – notably not Bulls coach Steve Hughes – in Nathan Noblett, announced his arrival to the Eastern Football League on Sunday with a standout performance in the Bulls’ six-goal round two win over Berwick.
Hughes described him to Star News in the preseason as a utility with an excellent left foot, and that peg was on full display in front of a sizeable crowd at Edwin Flack Reserve.
Playing as a medium-sized forward, the 21-year-old graduate from the Gippsland Power Coates Talent League program – who featured on a couple of occasions for Port Melbourne in the 2022 VFL season – kicked five goals on an afternoon in which scoring was difficult, despite pristine conditions for football in Berwick.
The third-quarter, in which the Bulls charged away from their opponents by kicking five-goals-to-one, was where Noblett’s full arsenal of tricks was on display.
He kicked his third of the day early in the term, converting a set shot that he knew he nailed almost immediately when it left his boot.
He kicked his fourth with a beautiful snap from the right forward pocket in front of the netball courts, that curled back on the natural angle for his left foot to perfection over the goal umpire’s head, prompting ‘ooh’s’ and ‘ahh’s’ from those in attendance.
He could have finished with seven or eight, having missed a handful of chances, but made immediate amends after one by pouncing on a risky kick in his forward 50.
Awake to the opportunity for a bag, he read the cue’s from the defender early, and flashed past his opponent to take the mark on the move, before bounding in to an open goal to complete his handful.
The margin ballooned from 17 points at halftime to 40 at the final break, and ultimately put the nail in the coffin for a fighting Berwick side.
The Bulls’ trademark suffocating defence was on full display in the early stages of the game, as Clint Evans’ men were held goalless in the first quarter.
Noblett opened the scoring in the seventh minute of the game, taking advantage of Jackson Sketcher’s burst from the stoppage at half back and kicking long to a contest, where Noblett snapped a ground ball around the corner following a marking contest.
Noble Park’s forward pressure, led by the likes of Ben Marson and the rapid flashing mop of blonde hair in Harley Fairbank, was causing the Berwick backline headaches, no better articulated by Fairbank’s volley of an errant handball in the goal-square, having succumb to the intensity of the forward pack.
Spearheaded by Will Arthurson, the Wick’s defensive group held up admirably as Noble played route-one football, using the corridor at every opportunity when spring-boarding from their back half.
Whatever Evans told his side at the first break brought immediate dividends, as Tom Gunn goaled in the opening minute of the second term to put his side on the board.
Berwick moved the ball quickly out of their back half and had some success penetrating the Noble Park fortress, but shot themselves in the foot with continual breakdowns between their midfield and forward group, as they either kicked to an out-number or struggled to hit targets.
The tall presence of Charlie Muley appeared to give them some direction in the second half of the quarter as they began to possess the football and win the territory battle.
A goal to Braedyn Bowden saw Berwick outscore the reigning premiers in the second term and enter the rooms at half time with some momentum, despite the scoring-shot disparity of 12 to five in the Bulls’ favour.
Any ascendency they had had, or felt, was immediately put to rest by Hughes’ men, who kicked the first five of the half and were at their strangulating best once again.
Even when the Wicks had their chances, they couldn’t take full advantage, as Gunn, and ruck Jesse Cirulis, both missed very kickable set shots from almost the exact same spot, around 30 metres from goal on a slight angle.
Rubbing salt into the wound, Jackson Casey kicked his first in blue and gold with a set shot on a tight angle after receiving a freekick for a clumsy tackle.
Noblett then kicked his snap in the following minute, and the margin had suddenly ballooned to 33 points as the Bulls dominated territory.
With their backs against the wall, the Wicks attacked the contest with ferocity in the final term, but continued to let themselves down with their forward entries.
Jack Francis, who led from the front all day in the Noble Park back six, mopped up their mistakes and repelled plenty as Berwick erected a wall across halfway.
Both sides kicked one each in the final term, through Muley and Matthew Nelson respectively, before finishing 36 points adrift, 10.9 69 to 4.9 33.
In his 200th game, Bulls champion Luke Bull was chaired off the ground and into the rooms, comforted in the knowledge that his side had completed a tricky start to the season with victories in differing circumstances.
Noble Park head to Cheong Park next week to battle South Croydon, while Berwick host Doncaster.
BERWICK 0.1 2.3 3.5 4.9 (33)
NOBLE PARK 3.4 4.8 9.9 10.9 (69)
Berwick Goals: Tom Gunn, Braedyn Bowden, Charlie Muley, Jacob Keysers. Best: Nick Hillard, Caleb Van Oostveen, Brad Homfray, Benzhamen Todd, Ryan Bromley, Zac Long.
Noble Park Goals: Nathan Noblett 5, Ben Marson, Jackson Casey, Harley Fairbank, Hudson Thomas, Matthew Nelson. Best: Nathan Noblett, Luke Bull, Chris Horton-Milne, Tom Glen, Dean Jones, Lachlan McDonnell.
