• A guide to the NAB Cup/Match Preview

    A GUIDE TO THE NAB CUP


    THE RULES

    What you need to know?

    The NAB Cup is an intriguing concept ? particularly this year ? as trial rules are added to a new three-team round robin opening round.

    Each set of three teams will play each other once, at the same venue, on the same night, in 20 minute halves. Half time is eight minutes with 20 minutes between each match.

    Each team has named 29 players (GC named 28 ? a mystery!) and clubs are required to identify on the team sheet up to six interchange players and two substitutes. There will also be three emergencies named.

    Substitutes can be introduced at any time of the match and for any reason but a substituted player cannot return to the field for the remainder of the match. (The same guidelines for the season proper)

    The team who plays the first and third match with the break in between will be able to make as many team changes between the match as they please. The other two teams who play their matches back to back can make up to three team changes.

    Rule Changes:

    • Goals kicked from outside 50m are worth nine points.

    • Boundary umpires can award free kicks for holding or high contact infringements.

    • Players will be penalised if they drag the ball under or hold the ball under an opponent who is attempting to hit the ball clear.

    • Video referrals ? Umpires can refer to a video umpire to clarify contentious decisions, including calls on whether the ball was kicked inside or outside of 50m. The referrals are based on whatever footage is immediately available. The video umpire can trigger consultation if they see an error. Players are not able to refer decisions and consultations cannot interrupt play. If play has continued, no referral is allowed.

    • A free kick will be awarded against the last player to have touched the ball before it goes out of bounds, except when: the umpires are unable to determine who touched the ball last, the ball goes out of bounds following a spoiled marking contest or the ball goes out of bounds as a result of a smothered kick or handball. Then a throw in will result.
    Points

    The winner of each match is awarded four points. In the event of a draw, each team receives two points. The team with the most points goes through to the second round of the competition (which reverts to usual match formats but includes the same rules changes). If there are two teams with the same amount of points then percentage will determine the winner.

    Six teams will progress automatically while the 12 remaining teams will be ranked on accumulated points, percentage and accumulated game scores. The top two ranked teams will also progress through to the second round of the NAB Cup while the remaining 10 teams will play NAB Challenge games.


    THE MATCH


    Sydney Swans v. Gold Coast Suns v GWS Giants

    Saturday, February 19, 2011
    Blacktown Olympic Park

    Gates open: 5.00pm

    Match 1: Greater Western Sydney Giants v Sydney Swans. 7.15pm
    Match 2: Sydney Swans v Gold Coast Suns, 8.20pm
    Match 3: Greater Western Sydney Giants v Gold Coast Suns, 9.25pm


    THE TEAMS

    The Sydney Swans

    Squad:

    1 Mark Seaby, 2 Rhyce Shaw, 3 Jarrad McVeigh, 4 Dan Hannebery, 7 Brett Meredith, 8 Trent Dennis-Lane, 9 Nick Malceski, 10 Dan Currie, 11 Jed Lamb, 12 Josh Kennedy, 13 Andrejs Everitt, 14 Craig Bird, 15 Kieren Jack, 16 Gary Rohan, 20 Sam Reid, 21 Ben McGlynn, 22 Byron Sumner, 23 Lewis Johnston, 24 Jude Bolton, 25 Ted Richards, 26 Luke Parker, 28 Dylan McNeil, 29 Marty Mattner, 32 Lewis Jetta, 33 Jarred Moore, 37 Adam Goodes, 38 Mike Pyke, 39 Heath Grundy, 42 Paul Bevan

    The Coach

    This match marks the debut of John Longmire as coach after a seamless handover from Paul Roos at the end of last season. Don?t expect a lot of changes and Longmire has said he will continue with the defensive style of football that wins premierships.

    The Oldies (kind of ?)

    Seaby returns from the ankle injury that sidelined him for much of last year. It?s likely he will carry the bulk of the ruck work with Currie and Pyke. Expect Seaby to go forward as he has been training for over the off season. This is a good chance for Currie to make his mark here ? needs to have a big year with the ruck stocks we?ve got at the moment.

    Rhyce Shaw will do his usual work off the back line but by all reports he was rusty last week so hopefully he improves his disposal. McVeigh will lead the Swans out for the first time as Captain and Blacktown gives you the close proximity to hear why he was picked.

    Hannebery has been flying in the pre season time trials but didn?t play in the intra-club match last week so this will be his first big hit out for the year. Meredith looked good in the intra-club and should get some solid game time while TDL?s six goals from last week will hopefully continue into this game.

    You would assume the experienced likes of Malceski, Kennedy, McGlynn, J Bolton, Richards, Mattner, Moore, Goodes, Grundy and Bevan will all cruise through and use this as a true warm up for the season. The best thing about all of these guys playing is that they?re all fit and raring to go at this time of the year. Goodes looks in great nick and if he lines up on the GWS or GC youngsters ? look out!

    This will be a great look at the pre-season progression of last year?s kids - Rohan, Jetta and Reid. Jetta has apparently put on quite a bit of muscle (not that you?d notice much!) and Rohan was lively in last week?s scratch match. Reid was recovering from shoulder surgery but the fact that he?s playing this match is great for his upcoming season.

    Jack didn?t play last week either so he may be a little rusty but everyone will expect him to continue on with his stellar form from last year. Bird is back and it looks like he is over the foot injuries which plagued him last year which is great news.

    The New Faces

    This game will see seven new faces for the Swans ? some new draftees and some Swans who have been on the list for a while but are yet to make their senior debut. As mentioned, this is a big game for Currie who needs to make his mark if he is any hope of playing seniors this year.

    Draftees Lamb and Parker will pull on the red and white for the first time ? look for Lamb?s exciting style, especially around goals. Parker?s body is AFL ready so if he can impress here (like he did in the intra-club last week) then he could be in line for a Round 1 debut.

    Everitt will play his first game for the Swans and it will be interesting how the change of scenery has affected him. It will also be good to see where he is used by Longmire. Johnston has been fit for the first pre season in a while and is a big hope for this year, as is Sumner who went missing for much of last year. McNeill is the last new face and by all accounts is raring to go.

    Who?s Missing?

    The official injury list reports C Bolton, Bradshaw, Heath, Kennelly, Mumford, LRT, Smith, Spangher and White all out with various ailments with O?Keefe also seemingly still recovering from last year?s groin problems. That leaves youngsters Johnson, McKaigue, Kruger, Otten, Gordon and Haren as those that missed the cut for this match.

    The Other Teams:

    (Note ? I?m not even going to pretend I know enough about these teams to write a proper run down but I?ll give you their numbers so you can check them out for yourselves!)

    Greater Western Sydney Giants

    Squad:

    2 Curtly Hampton, 5 Dylan Shiel, 6 Josh Bruce, 7 Kurt Aylett, 8 Jeremy Cameron, 9 Tomas Bugg, 10 Anthony Miles, 11 Jack Hombsch, 12 Sam Schulz, 13 Gerald Ugle, 14 Sam Darley, 18 Jarrod Harding, 19 Simon Tunbridge, 20 Alex Carey, 21 Joshua Growden, 24 Stephen Clifton, 25 Jimmi Savage, 26 Jonathon Giles, 27 Andrew Phillips, 28 Rhys Cooyou, 30 Damian Williams, 31 Jacob Townsend, 32 Adam Flagg, 34 Isiah Stevens, 35 Mitch Daniher (Queanbeyan Tigers), 36 Marcus Crook (Ainslie FC) 37 Ben Hughes (Ainslie FC), 38 Tim Barton (Sydney University), 39 Rohan Bates (Balmain FC)

    This is a team of virtually unknowns and as they don?t have a full list yet, the Kevin Sheedy coached team are able to pull top up players from Sydney and ACT AFL Teams.

    Look out for Curtly Hampton ? he was one of the first players signed by GWS and the 17-year old from the Northern Territory lacks experience but has skill, agility and speed to burn.

    Sam Darley played senior football for North Hobart and was named MVP for Tasmania during the Under-16 national championships in 2009.

    Josh Bruce is the younger brother of former Swans rookie Aaron Bruce so it will be interesting to see how he is going.

    They are a team of youngsters but will be out to prove they are no pushovers and the top ups should have some experience and be able to put in a solid effort.

    That being said, there is little hope of any victories for this side as they are playing much much more experiences opponents and their recent results haven?t been promising ? last week they went down to an ACT Representative team 12.7 (79) to 8.19 (67).

    Gold Coast Suns

    Squad:

    1 Marc Lock, 4 Maverick Weller, 5 Jarrod Harbrow, 6 Alik Magin, 7 Karmichael Hunt, 8 Luke Russell, 13 Hayden Jolly, 14 Nathan Krakouer, 16 Rory Thompson, 17 Josh Fraser, 19 Joseph Daye, 20 Joshua Toy, 21 Daniel Harris, 22 Tom Nicholls, 23 Charlie Dixon, 24 David Swallow, 25 Danny Stanley, 26 Matt Shaw, 27 Michael Coad, 30 Campbell Brown, 32 Brandon Matera, 34 Jack Hutchins, 35 Michael Rischitelli, 37 Harley, Bennell, 4. Dion Prestia, 47 Daniel Gorringe, 48 Sebastian Tape, 51 Jake Crawford

    The Gold Coast Suns are far more experienced team than GWS but they still fall a long way short of the Sydney Swans. They will be out to make a splash though and the combination of established AFL players and the brightest young talent from last year?s draft should see some competition for the Swans.

    Harbrow, Brown, Rischitelli, Krakouer, Fraser, Harris and Stanley all have AFL experience while Swallow, Bennell, Prestia and Gorringe are all top 10 draft picks.

    Brown will captain the side with Ablett out with injury. After his defection from Hawthorn, citing he wanted more time across the backline, it?s assumed he will be the one trying to keep the games? dangerous forwards quiet.

    The Suns have the top two draft picks from last year in Swallow and Bennell and by all reports they are awesome talents.

    Swallow trained with GC all last year and is a highly skilled midfielder with pace and endurance. He has had two full seasons of senior football in Perth as well as last year with GC in the VFL so he should be senior-football ready.

    Look out for Bennell to go forward when not in the midfield ? he has extreme pace, a brilliant sidestep and the X-factor to make things happen.

    Then there is the first look most of us will have of Rugby League import Hunt. He has about half a season of AFL under his belt and a few VFL games but this will be a big test of where he?s at and if he can make is as an AFL player.

    In any case, it will be unbelievably intriguing to see what the AFL?s newest team can dish up in their first hit out as an established team.

    So ? GAME ON FOR SEASON 2011!
    Comments 6 Comments
    1. ScottH's Avatar
      ScottH -
      What a great little article Alison.
      Well written.

      Appreciate you writing it!!
    1. ShockOfHair's Avatar
      ShockOfHair -
      Great stuff, Alison - much appreciated.
    1. Jewels's Avatar
      Jewels -
      Excellent article Alison, thanks for that. I've printed off your team lists to take tomorrow night to help identify who's who in GWS and GC.
    1. Jesse Richards's Avatar
      Jesse Richards -
      Thanks Alison. Excellent. Much appreciated.
    1. nomae's Avatar
      nomae -
      Great article!
    1. Primmy's Avatar
      Primmy -
      Printing this and taking it with me so I can follow what's going on and provide interesting and superior coverage for my flock. Ta Alison.

      PS: Ah, printing not an option. Copy and paste to blank page, and THEN print is the go.
  • #goswans Feed

Single Sign On provided by vBSSO