By Jonty Ralphsmith
Gippsland Power’s Zane Duursma stood up on Sunday to swing the momentum Vic Country’s way in their win over Vic Metro at Ikon Park.
After a tight first half in the final game of the national championships, Duursma kicked three third-quarter goals to turbocharge a run of nine unanswered for his team to kick Vic Metro out of the game.
A checkside from 40 showed Duursma’s x-factor and talent and he shared the forward line with Power teammate Archer Reid and Dandenong/Endeavour Hills’ Jacob Grant.
Reid played his most consistent game for Vic Country, taking eight marks inside 50 and kicking 2.2, including his team’s first.
Grant, a late inclusion for his second game, also kicked a pair of goals and took a screamer from three deep in the pack in the third quarter.
Noted for his aerial presence, Grant’s performance on Sunday was much more productive than his first of the championships.
Bottom-aged Dandenong tall Noah Mraz also played and finished with nine disposals, five marks and seven hitouts and showed a good skillset for a player of his size.
Meanwhile, in the back half, Stingray Harry DeMattia’s ball use and Power player Wil Dawson’s read of the play were on show, while Billy Wilson (halfback), Kobe Shipp (wing), Lachie Smith (ruck) also played.
Cooper Simpson was again absent on-field but helped out off it as a cautious approach is taken with his return from injury.
Vic Country coach Paul Corrigan gave an insight into the top local prospects.
Zane Duursma
In a sentence: Star playmaker forward got exposure in the midfield, but saved his best until the last game, kicking four goals in his more familiar forward role.
Paul Corrigan: “I thought it was good early on for ‘Duurs’ to spend time early on (playing) both mid and forward. It gave the opportunity for people to see what he could do in both positions. His intensity around the ball, marking ability, and ability to find the ball was really impressive as well.”
Harry DeMattia (Vic Country co-captain)
In a sentence: A vocal on-field leader who had about a 70-30 midfield-defender split, with his speed from the contest eyecatching.
Paul Corrigan: “He’s got a knack of bringing the group together. Harry is that efficacious type of person who will get around the group and individuals and make them feel comfortable. On the ground, his talk and communication when he was playing through the midfield or across halfback was exceptional as well. I thought his carnival was super consistent. We used him early through the midfield and pushed him back late in the Allies game and (he was) back again against Metro and I thought his kicking out of the defensive end was exceptional for us as well. Being able to hit short and longer targets was important; he became a 60-70 metre player for us.”
Billy Wilson
In a sentence: Well built player showed his acceleration in parts with his glimpses off halfback. His best makes highlights reels.
Paul Corrigan: “He’s a metres-gained player. When he gets ball in hand, he’s able to carry it and makes bold decisions. He has good, electric speed, so we always encouraged him to showcase his weapons off the halfback line which he did.”
Kade De La Rue
In a sentence: Efficient and played his role off half-forward, showing all elements of his skillset, particularly in the second game, against Western Australia.
Paul Corrigan: “I really liked Kade through the whole carnival. His game and what he gives to us is important, he sees the game really well and makes really good decisions with ball in hand. I like him across half-forward because he reads the game well getting up the ground and going back towards goal and when he gets ball in hand, he lowers his eyes and is composed. He has a knack of finding the footy across half forward which is impressive as well.”
Kobe Shipp
In a sentence: found plenty of the ball in the first game, against South Australia, and was solid playing predominantly in his secondary wing position.
Paul Corrigan: “He adjusted to the wing position really well for us and we were able to have versatility with him going across halfback and the wings for us. We know he’s strong at the ball, we know he’s strong overhead and we tried to use that asset on the wing and across halfback.”
Wil Dawson
In a sentence: Usually a ruck/forward, he did his best work in defence, where he was thrown in the last two games.
Paul Corrigan: “We wanted to show his versatility to play forward or back, and I think when he went down back for us in the last two games, he was exceptional – not just in being able to defend, but also with his intercept marking. He became quite a valuable commodity down there. Against the Allies, he was able to read the cues and ball up field really well, and I think it really started with his positioning on his opponent and taking that advantage side where he could, and getting into positions where he could get an advantage through intercept marks and spoils.”
Lachie Smith
In a sentence: The big country ruck played the last three games and used his size to impose himself.
Paul Corrigan: “He was very impressive, I love his combativeness and his competitiveness in the centre bounce and around the ground. His physicality set the scene for us. I love the way he gets after the ball at ground level, and he’s uncanny in the way he can attract the ball through the midfield at times. I thought he kept getting stronger for us and was a real presence against WA.”
Archer Reid
In a sentence: Grew as the championships went on, looming for large periods in the third game against the Allies before generating four of his own shots on goal in a complete showing against Vic Metro, playing on likely first rounder Ollie Murphy.
Paul Corrigan: “His effort to compete in the air kept getting better. In the WA game he showed real glimpses of what he can do, and he worked into it against the Allies, and he saw the rewards of it (against Vic Metro) where he kept working and providing a target for us in the front half.”
