The Allies have their first win of the 2019 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships on the board and Vic Country remains undefeated following two thrilling contests on Friday at GMHBA Stadium.
Head coach Luke Power’s Allies have shown vast improvement across their three games so far, rebounding from a 97-point loss to Country to push Western Australia in a 25-point defeat last week and then roll Vic Metro by two points in Geelong today.
In the first leg of a double-header, the Allies led by 23 points at three-quarter time but conceded four straight goals to hand Metro a three-point advantage with eight minutes to play. However, a set-shot goal to Joshua Gore (Gold Coast Academy) 20 minutes into the final term gave them back the lead for good.
The loss was Metro’s third from its four Championships outings. Head coach Brett Allison’s outfit finishes its 2019 campaign with a 17-point defeat of title-holder South Australia and losses to Country by 13 points, WA by 17 points and now the Allies. Key defender Fischer McAsey (Sandringham Dragons) was subsequently named Metro’s MVP of the Championships.
Well done to #VicMetro @NAB #AFLU18s MVP - @Sandy_Dragons Fischer McAsey.
— #NABLeagueBoys / #NABLeagueGirls (@NABLeague) June 28, 2019
Full Round 4 match report here: https://t.co/rAjSwZdGGU pic.twitter.com/8bxh479uTD
In the second contest, Country prevailed over SA thanks to a goal from Brodie Kemp (Bendigo Pioneers) with the last kick of the match. Kemp’s clutch set shot with little more than 30 seconds remaining was a fitting conclusion to a see-sawing game in which neither team led by more 10 points at any stage.
Head coach Leigh Brown’s Country group has also beaten Metro by 13 points as well as the Allies by 97, and only needs to defeat WA (2-1 record) at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday from 2.10pm to complete a perfect campaign and secure its first Championships title since 2015.
The Allies will face SA (1-2 record) in the final match of the 2019 carnival at the Docklands venue from 4.40pm on Wednesday.
VIC METRO 2.0 5.1 6.4 10.8 (68)
ALLIES 4.0 5.2 10.3 11.4 (70)
Goals
Vic Metro: J. Mahony (Sandringham) 3, M. Rowell (Oakleigh), H. Jones (Calder), M. Bergman (Sandringham), D. Williams (Oakleigh), E. Jeka (Western), J. Rossiter (Eastern), R. Sturgess (Northern)
Allies: J. Gore (Gold Coast Academy) 3, M. Rosas (Northern Territory) 2, H. Ellem (Sydney Academy) 2, E. Gulden (Sydney Academy) 2, H. Oea (Gold Coast Academy), T. Green (GWS Academy)
Best players
Vic Metro: F. Maginness (Sandringham), M. Rowell, J. Mahony, F. McAsey (Sandringham), N. Anderson (Oakleigh), M. Bergman
Allies: T. Green, E. Gulden, J. Gore, L. Parks (Sydney Academy), N. Cumberland (Brisbane Academy), J. Peatling (GWS Academy)
Key stats-getters
Vic Metro:
- F. Maginness: 27 disposals, nine tackles, seven clearances, six inside-50s
- N. Anderson: 24 disposals, seven clearances, five inside-50s
- M. Rowell: 22 disposals, 12 tackles, six clearances
- F. McAsey: 19 disposals, seven marks, six rebound-50s
- J. Mahony: 19 disposals, five tackles
- T. Bianco (Oakleigh): 18 disposals, five marks, seven inside-50s
- D. Mott (Calder): 18 disposals, four clearances
- R. Byrnes (Sandringham): 14 disposals, four clearances
- B. Newman (Calder): 13 disposals, nine marks
- L. Butler (Sandringham): 12 disposals, four rebound-50s
- E. Jeka: 11 disposals, six marks
- N. Bryan (Oakleigh): four disposals, 29 hitouts
Allies:
- T. Green: 33 disposals, five marks, nine clearances, four inside-50s
- E. Gulden: 17 disposals, four inside-50s
- B. Jungfer (Northern Territory): 16 disposals, six clearances, four tackles
- L. Parks: 15 disposals, four rebound-50s
- J. Peatling: 15 disposals, four marks
- M. O’Neill (Tasmania): 14 disposals, seven marks, four rebound-50s
- N. Cumberland: 13 disposals, four tackles
- H. Oea: 12 disposals, four clearances
- S. Thorne (Sydney Academy): 11 disposals, five tackles
- M. Rosas: nine disposals, four inside-50s
- C. Budarick (Gold Coast Academy): nine disposals, 11 tackles
- B. Kelly (Murray): nine disposals, 28 hitouts
VIC COUNTRY 2.2 5.3 6.6 9.9 (63)
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1.3 3.6 6.7 9.8 (62)
Goals
Vic Country: C. Weightman (Dandenong) 4, E. Hollands (Murray), N. Cahill (Dandenong), J. Smith (Gippsland), S. Flanders (Gippsland), B. Kemp (Bendigo)
Best players
Vic Country: S. Flanders, C. Serong (Gippsland), S. De Koning (Dandenong), C. Weightman, L. Ash (Murray), B. Kemp
Key stats-getters
Vic Country:
- C. Serong: 33 disposals, nine marks, nine tackles, 10 clearances, five inside-50s
- S. Flanders: 28 disposals, seven marks, 10 inside-50s
- B. Kemp: 27 disposals, seven marks, five clearances
- L. Ash: 19 disposals, six inside-50s
- H. Young (Dandenong): 18 disposals, seven rebound-50s
- J. Rantall (GWV): 18 disposals, five inside-50s
- R. Baldi (Gippsland): 17 disposals, six tackles, four clearances
- L. Herbert (GWV): 16 disposals
- J. Smith (Gippsland): 15 disposals, five tackles, four rebound-50s
- N. Cahill: 12 disposals, five tackles
- J. Smith: 11 disposals, 11 hitouts, five marks
- C. Comben (Gippsland): 11 disposals, 22 hitouts, nine tackles