Eltham v Sunshine practice match wrap-up

 It was pleasing to see a few players had real impact in their first hit out in the reserves, Brendan Ryan and Chase Caulfield had their first runs of the season today, and both had a real influence on the contest with not only their disciplined defensive work, but their ability to run and create drive form the defensive half was just as important.

PLAYER WATCH PRCM 2:

Anton Woods: Toni gave us a real insight as to what he is capable of and what he has to offer our club in terms of infield performance and education. When we were at our best, he certainly was having an influence on the contest. His tackling and running pressure were at a premium and allowed us to impart the necessary tension on the opposition to give us repeat opportunities. Not only was he creating for others, but he was also setting up space and run with his running patterns on the inside and the outside of the play.

Matthew Evans: Evo buit on his game from the previous week and has started to get himself in prime shape physically and mentally for round 1. He was a major offensive force for us from HB, continually repelling opposition forward thrusts and creating them for us. He is a smart and physical footballer who has already shown that he can and will provide us with a very raw and exciting new dimension.

Josh Merkel: Merks  (4 goals) was very impressive today, not only the way he impacted the scoreboard, but in the way he continually presented himself and worked hard at creating F50 pressure. Merks and I had a chat as too how he should best use his attributes to achieve more positive outcomes, and the evidence was on display today, it simply allowed him to hit the spots we needed to
and it also allowed his team mates to use him with ease.

Matthew Williamson: Great to see Willow reaping the rewards from a massive pre-season, not only did attend 95% of the sessions , but he was also hitting the gym and doing extra sessions at Titans Academy in Diamond Creek. He rucked on his own for 98% of the game and after finding his he feet he never looked back and just burnt the opposition with smart positional play. The signs for Willow in 2015 are already looking promising, today as a Ruck he was smart and hard but also influential, however it will be his forward play that will determine where we are at from this point on.

Lewis Glasgow: Lewie was a very solid contributor in the 1st half of today’s game, creating plenty of pressure on the opposition defenders and thus opening the door for our team to have repeat opportunities. It wasn’t until we rolled him into the midfield rotation that he really shone. His ability to win contested footy was unmatched on the ground, he knocked up winning the ball, and then accompanied them with some really poised decision making and skill execution.

Jye Lorey: Jye did a great job today playing in two unfamiliar roles, he is and will be a definite player to watch for in the future. We started him off in a wing rotation and he looked to have again found his feet early. He was smart at the stoppages and began to find space in general play. It was his move to the forward pocket in the last quarter that maybe changed his and our line of thinking as his suitability for various role. As a small forward he was not only hard working at ground level and in general play, but he  lifted for the second half and got hischance to try something different. He lead up well at times and presented with both smart leads and double across leads,  to allow him to get the ball into his hands and for him to move it quick and long when he is doubt.

Lachie Richardson: Lachie doesn’t need much written about himself, as his standing within the club and among the group is continually immeasurable. However I feel today’s performance needs to be highlighted. In defence he as usual played taller and ran deeper, but it was his move to FF that really changed the balance within our F50 unit and our overall performance on the day. He provided us with constant F50 pressure, and his repeat running and leading opened up space for both our key and small forwards to lead into and hit the scoreboard. For him to also kick goals was a nice way to complete his performance on the day.

Supa