NEAFL
Brisbane 14.17 (100) def. Sydney 4.10 (34)
Brisbane handed Sydney their first loss of the season whilst they continue their reign at the top of the ladder, undefeated.
Allen Christensen responded to his omission from the senior side with a strong performance in the NEAFL. Christensen finished the game with 34 disposals and eight marks.
In the middle of the ground, Jacob Allison and Toby Wooller both performed consistently. Of Allison’s 24 touches, 22 of them were kicks, he also took five marks. Wooller played another best on ground game with 34 disposals and 14 marks.
Down forward, Ben Keays increased his season tally to 16 goals in just four games, after bagging another four goals in Brisbane’s 67-point thrashing over Sydney. At the other end, Matt Eagles was named in the side’s best after a strong performance in defence, finishing with 16 disposals and eight marks.
Brisbane pushes for another win against Canberra this week, as they look to remain undefeated.
Former Roo Ryan Clarke shined in the Swans loss to the Lions. The midfielder was omitted from the senior side and responded with class. Finishing with a massive 47 disposals, Clarke makes the senior selectors second guess their decision. James Rowbottom was also omitted from the senior side, finishing with 27 disposals and eight tackles in the NEAFL game.
Defender Colin O’Riordan produced a best on field performance after gathering 41 disposals himself, as well as eight marks. James Rose gathered 28 disposals and kicked two of Sydney’s four goals for the day.
Round six will see Sydney host Sydney University at Henson Park this Saturday.
NT Thunder 7.9 (51) def. by Gold Coast 18.13 (121)
Gold Coast secured its first win of the season with a convincing 70-point victory over NT Thunder.
Sean Lemmens continues his comeback from a serious ankle injury he sustained during the JLT Community Series. The star forward slotted four goals as he continues to push his case for senior side contention. Also scoring four goals was draftee Ben King who dominated the forward line.
Big ruckman Michael Rischitelli and experienced rookie Tom Nicholls were also standout players this week.
Gold Coast look to use the same momentum they had this week when they face Aspley in round seven.
Canberra 9.10 (64) def. by GWS Giants 11.12 (78)
GWS redeemed themselves after losing to Sydney last week. The Giants led at every quarter before ultimately winning by 14 points.
The ball was shared amongst all the players this week, with the second highest disposal count coming from AFL-listed Aiden Bonar with 16 possessions. Jake Stein earned a spot in the Giants best with 10 touches and five marks.
Ian Hill and Zac Longdon played dynamically up forward, scoring five goals between them. Langdon is still yet to play a game in the senior side this season despite playing 21 games in his debut season. His consistency efforts up forward against Canberra last week have certainly gained him some attention some selectors.
Harry Perryman was without a doubt the best on field against Canberra. Playing in his first game since puncturing a lung in round one, the defender led the way with a team-high 19 disposals, seven marks and six tackles.
The Giants will enjoy some extra recovery time with a bye this weekend. They look to prepare themselves for a tough clash against the undefeated Southport when they return in round seven.
