Vic Metro romped Vic Country on Sunday afternoon at Mars Stadium, Ballarat, to stay undefeated at the Under-18s National Championships and take out the title.
It took just 10 minutes for Vic Metro to take a commanding lead, with the final score reading 20.11 (131) to 5.9 (39).
Tyson Bradley was awarded Vic Metro's MVP post-game, while Ethan Drever claimed the award for Vic Country.
Western Bulldogs-tied Khaled El Souki was impressive in his return game, top-five prospect Harry Van Hattum played his best match of the carnival and the tall forwards for Vic Metro ran amok.
Vic Metro
Khaled El Souki: In his only game of the Under-18s Championships, El Souki showed the traits that have him viewed among the upper rungs of forwards in the crop. A clean groundball gather and dish got him involved in the game early and he was a constant threat, capitalising from the swarm of entries Vic Metro had throughout the game. His unselfish decision-making and vision to set teammates up was a feature throughout the day as he finished with three goal assists. His only goal was a perfect crumb at the foot of a marking contest which has become a trademark of his. Detractors will point to his athletic flaws but when you have innate craft and smarts, you can certainly compensate – Jack Ginnivan is living proof.
Zac Antonellos: Had a busy first quarter as Vic Metro established a match-winning lead, franking the decision to include him in the team after a hamstring injury sidelined him for much of the first half of the season. Laid a strong tackle on Cody Walker inside 50 early which was symbolic of Vic Metro's pressure and was creative with his kicking going forward even if it did not always come off. Was able to cut through traffic confidently and played with a great intensity even once the result was a foregone conclusion. Won a centre clearance in the third quarter where he burst out the front of stoppage and hit his inside 50 target.
Albert MacGowan: One of Vic Metro's best, he chained possession beautifully across the course of the day and assessed his options with great maturity. Used the width of the ground well to shape the ball going forward but was equally confident to take the corridor kick and direct path to goals. Pushed forward and kicked a classy goal in the second term.
Harry Chapman: Like MacGowan, Chapman was an important connector between the arc, providing speed between the arcs allowing Metro to turn defence into offence quickly. Kicked a goal on the run in the first quarter and found El Souki inside 50 which underlined his class with ball in hand. Continued to kickstart offence throughout the afternoon and his defensive work rate was also noticeable. Having the composure to find Angus Tippett inside 50 after a rare fumble invited pressure was also a highlight.
Harrison Leeder: Kicked two first quarter goals and three overall in a productive return after missing the middle two matches. He leads well but two of his goals came from dynamic moments at ground level. He also connected well going forward on a couple of occasions, setting up scores in both the first and fourth quarters. A rangy type who can overwork his direct opponent, escape them on the lead and has the athleticism to damage at ground level.
Sam Gayfer: Was the barometer in the first quarter, kicking three goals and setting another one up to put the game out of reach for Vic Country. He did much of his best work on Clancy Snell too, albeit was assisted by excellent delivery. Hits up at the ball with force and asserted himself physically on the contest while also showing his excellent kicking penetration by roosting a couple of set shots. Reads the ball early and outbodies his direct opponent regularly.
Flynn Woolhouse: After being sensationally overlooked for Vic Metro's first three games, Woolhouse made a statement to finish the championships with a bag of five goals. Two of those, in particular, were excellent conversions in a windy last quarter. Took some strong marks, both by gaining separation on the lead and holding his ground and standing under the high ball, to be Vic Metro's most consistent forward threat across the afternoon.
Tyson Bradley: Vic Country's struggles meant he did not have as much to do as he did earlier in the Under-18s National Championships but he was still impenetrable. Just never, ever gets outmarked or bodied under the ball. Laid a huge tackle early in the third quarter which was a sign that Vic Metro would continue to keep the foot on the throttle. His stats don't jump off the page and he took just two intercept marks but would have provided the rest of his side with so much confidence as a brick wall on the last line of defence.
Lewis Houndsome: Kicked two goals including a classy snap from 45 in a promising display from the Northern Knights behemoth. Of his 16 disposals, just two came from marks as his follow-up and work rate was a highlight, while his physicality also caused issues for Vic Country when he spent time in the ruck.
Harry Van Hattum: Van Hattum's first quarter laid the foundation for the big win. Won two centre clearances and took a big contested mark which complemented his ruck work and allowed Vic Metro to dictate terms in the midfield. The highlight was a chiselling dart inside 50 that hit his teammate's chest after winning the centre clearance. Maintained his ruck ascendancy throughout the afternoon and was ultra-competitive and played with a ruthlessness across four quarters as he proved too strong and powerful, using his size to his advantage.
Vic Country
Gus Kennedy: Has an innate ability to get his arms high and keep his hands free as he drives through physical contact and mopped up plenty of groundballs in defensive 50 for Vic Country. His effort could not be faulted and he continued to back himself even if he didn't execute as well as he could have.
Cody Templeton: Briefly went into the midfield late in the third quarter and had an impact including a centre clearance. Looked dangerous on a couple of occasions going forward but little errors cost him and Vic Country throughout the day and he did not get the opportunity he would have liked to assert himself on the contest. Still showed on a couple of occasions that he could find a way to dispose of the footy while being tackled and clearly has traits which make him a dangerous forward matchup.
Keenan Boi: Kicked a late goal which showed his potency when he gets the ball inside 50, but much of his disposal came higher up the ground. Set up a pair of strong counterattacks for Vic Country with his run and kicking forward of centre and was busy but had limited opportunity. A team-high six score involvements highlighted his potency.
Xavier Ladbrook: Had a big first quarter against the grain, taking a big intercept mark and laying an important holding the ball tackle on Gus Teixeira and kept his opponent honest. It became harder to defend as the game went on and he was a victim of that struggle but still had some strong aerial efforts.
Wil Malady: Like Gippsland teammate Keenan Boi, it was hard to read too much into Malady's performance given just how limited his opportunity was but a couple of moments stood out in a hard-working day. He crashed a pack, leaped and took a big contested mark and kicked the ensuing set shot in the third quarter. In the last quarter, he had a dynamic ground level moment, gathering a groundball, turning and finding Marlon Neocleous. Was a presence who needed more opportunity.
Ethan Drever: His moments were perhaps the most classy but he was a part of an on-ball brigade that was considerably beaten. A few trademark efforts bursting out the front of stoppage and gaining metres by taking grass in front of him were impressive, while a holding the ball tackle on Gus Teixeira in the second quarter was a good show of his aggression.
