NEAFL 2015 Round 16

NT Thunder v Sydney Swans Reserves

Saturday 25th July 2015
6.30pm
TIO Stadium

Note: Match being streamed live on neafl.com.au

The Reserves will make the long trip to Darwin hoping to breakthrough for their first ever win in the NT. While the Swans have defeated them in Sydney, including knocking the Thunder out of last year's NEAFL finals series, we have struggled to adapt to the conditions including a dramatic last quarter collapse in the first meeting between the two sides in 2012. The Thunder are in red hot form and will be looking to secure their 6th consecutive win.

However, the Thunder have been shown to be vulnerable at home this season with 2 of their 3 losses occurring at TIO Stadium along with a couple of single figure margin victories. The Swans will be looking for the 4 points to keep their Top 2 hopes alive and the double chance in the finals.

NEAFL Ladder
PositionTeamPlayedWinsLossesDrawsFFForAgainstPercentagePoints
1UWS Giants13121001709796214.70%48
2Aspley131030012921012127.67%40
3NT Thunder131030012661006125.84%40
4Sydney Swans1394001066922115.62%36
5Sydney University1385001211886136.68%32
6Redland12570084198785.21%20
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7Gold Coast Suns1358001013131477.09%20
8Ainslie1348101104128386.05%18
9Southport1248001007110990.80%16
10Eastlake1211010695136750.84%6
11Brisbane Lions1311200832135461.45%4

Recent Form
Reserves
RoundTeamVenueResultFA
R1AinslieAwayWin10851
R2UWS GiantsHomeLoss58121
R3Gold Coast SunsAwayWin11042
R4Sydney UniversityAwayWin6928
R5UWS GiantsAwayLoss8188
R6SouthportHomeWin9745
R7BYEBYEBYEBYEBYE
R8Brisbane LionsHomeWin11036
R9Gold Coast SunsAwayWin8959
R10EastlakeAwayWin10136
R11BYEBYEBYEBYEBYE
R12Sydney UniversityHomeLoss41116
R13UWS GiantsHomeLoss14198
R14Brisbane LionsAwayWin8353
R15RedlandHomeWin10550

NT Thunder
RoundTeamVenueResultFA
R1BYEBYEBYEBYEBYE
R2SouthportHomeWin116107
R3RedlandAwayWin9189
R4UWS GiantsHomeWin9484
R5AspleyAwayWin9885
R6Sydney UniversityHomeLoss7990
R7SouthportAwayLoss6772
R8Gold Coast SunsHomeWin10733
R9BYEBYEBYEBYEBYE
R10AspleyHomeLoss98101
R11Sydney UniversityAwayWin9890
R12EastlakeHomeWin13063
R13Brisbane LionsHomeWin11769
R14AinslieHomeWin10372
R15AspleyAwayWin6851

Past Meetings
2014
Preliminary Final @ Blacktown International Sports Park
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Reserves2.34.59.916.11107
NT Thunder3.25.45.76.945
TypePlayers
GoalsJ.Hiscox 3, D.Towers 3, T.Membrey 2, T.Nankervis 2, T.Mitchell 2, I.Heeney 2, R.O'Keefe, B.Jack
BestD.Robinson, T.Mitchell, J.Laidler, S.Naismith, T.Walsh, D.Towers

Round 17 @ TIO Stadium
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
NT Thunder0.53.58.913.1492
Reserves0.60.82.98.1159
TypePlayers
GoalsT.Nankervis 3, R.O'Keefe 2, T.Walsh, D.Hadden, S.Biggs
BestT.Nankervis, R.O'Keefe, S.Biggs, M.Dick, H.Marsh

Round 10 @ Drummoyne Oval
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Reserves6.112.618.823.12150
NT Thunder2.35.68.812.1183
TypePlayers
GoalsT.Membrey 4, B.Jack 3, S.Naismith 3, T.Nankervis 3, A.Davis 2, G.Hewett 2, T.Mitchell 2, D.Robinson 2, I.Heeney, P.Mitchell
BestD.Robinson, T.Membrey, J.Lockyer, B.Jack, Z.Jones, G.Hewett

Last Round
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Reserves6.19.312.816.9105
Redland1.14.55.67.850
TypePlayers
GoalsD.Baron-Hay 3, L.Behagg 2, I.Heeney 2, S.McLaren 2, J.Hiscox 2, A.Davis 2, A.Aliir, B.McGlynn, N.Newman
BestN.Newman, I.Heeney, G.Hewett, D.Robinson, S.McLaren, A.Davis

TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Aspley3.35.75.146.1551
NT Thunder1.02.05.210.868
TypePlayers
GoalsD.Ewing 6, J.Lockwood, C.Ilett, G.Turner, M.Hagan
BestJ.Miles, R.Tambling, D.Ewing, L.Bath, S.Talbot

Team List
Listed players
#NameGamesGoalsVotesNotes
1James ROSE11176 
9Abe DAVIS12520 
17Jack HISCOX101210 
19Tom DERICKX1035 
21Ben McGLYNN320 
22Dean TOWERS6913Senior emergency
28Nic NEWMAN1047 
30Sean McLAREN12126 
31Harrison MARSH11225 
36Aliir ALIIR1013 
41Lloyd PERRIS200 
45Jordan FOOTE11411 

Changes
In: Marsh
Out: Isaac HEENEY (seniors), Dan ROBINSON (seniors), George HEWETT (injury?), Xavier RICHARDS (seniors)

Richards out will require a re-structure of the side. The two options seem to be to play either Abe Davis or Sean McLaren back in his stead, or go with a smaller defender like Marsh who could mark their dangerous (but not tall) full forward Darren Ewing, who is 20 goals in the clear at the top of the NEAFL goalkicking charts.

The other shuffle that will have to be done is to replace the 3 inside midfielders Hewett, Robinson and Heeney who took the majority of the centre bounces last week against Redland. McGlynn played there when he came on at quarter time and should join the likes of Foote, Perris, Rose and Hiscox in a new look midfield.

Up forward the Swans will continue to miss the two talls Nankervis and Naismith who are 2nd and 3rd on the Swans NEAFL goalkickers list respectively and will be relying on McLaren, Dean Towers and Hiscox for the majority of their goals.

Academy Players/Topups
#NameGamesGoalsVotesNotes
46Jarrod WACHMAN000Debut
47Jackson KELLY000 
50Jake BROWN200 
51Will TAYLOR620 
52Nick FOSTER410 
53Zac FYFFE810 
54Lachlan MAPLES200 
58Jack CAMPBELL320 
59Sam WILSON000Debut
60Spencer KROCHMAL100 

In: Brown, Campbell, Foster, Fyffe, Kelly, Krochmal, Maples, Taylor, Wachman, Wilson
Out: Darcy BARON-HAY, Lachlan BEHAGG, Nathan COOPER, Ryan HEBRON, Callum MILLS, Eli PRESCOTT, Ned REINHARD, Jake VEALE, Mitch WRIGHT

A whole new set of topups with Mills, Hebron, Veale, Prescott, Cooper, Baron-Hay and Reinhard called up by the NSW/ACT RAMS for their TAC Cup clash with Sandringham.

Statistics

Disposals
PlayerGamesAvg. Disposals
Tom MITCHELL333.3
Craig BIRD627.0
Adam GOODES226.0
George HEWETT1225.4
Harry CUNNINGHAM223.5

Kicks
PlayerGamesAvg. Kicks
Harry CUNNINGHAM218.0
Nic NEWMAN1015.8
Isaac HEENEY315.7
Tom MITCHELL315.7
Craig BIRD614.7

Handballs
PlayerGamesAvg. Handballs
Tom MITCHELL317.7
George HEWETT1212.8
Adam GOODES212.5
Craig BIRD612.3
Daniel ROBINSON911.6

Marks
PlayerGamesAvg. Marks
Dean TOWERS68.0
Aliir ALIIR105.4
Craig BIRD65.3
Toby NANKERVIS105.3
Abe DAVIS125.0

Tackles
PlayerGamesAvg. Tackles
Harry CUNNINGHAM28.0
Isaac HEENEY37.7
Tom MITCHELL37.3
Ben McGLYNN36.7
Jordan FOOTE116.1

Hitouts
PlayerGamesAvg. Hitouts
Sam NAISMITH524.4
Tom DERICKX1024.2
Toby NANKERVIS1020.3
Daniel ROBINSON92.1
Sean McLAREN121.8

Clearances
PlayerGamesAvg. Clearances
Craig BIRD67.7
George HEWETT127.7
Adam GOODES27.0
Tom MITCHELL37.0
Daniel ROBINSON96.6

Inside 50s
PlayerGamesAvg. Inside 50s
Adam GOODES26.0
Dean TOWERS65.8
Brandon JACK115.1
Harry CUNNINGHAM25.0
Daniel ROBINSON94.7

Rebound 50s
PlayerGamesAvg. Rebound 50s
Nic NEWMAN105.2
Xavier RICHARDS123.4
Aliir ALIIR103.3
Zak JONES82.6
Tom MITCHELL32.3

Goals
PlayerGamesTotal Goals
James ROSE1117
Toby NANKERVIS1015
Sam NAISMITH714
Brandon JACK1112
Sean McLAREN1212

Coaches Votes
PlayerGamesTotal Votes
Harrison MARSH1125
George HEWETT1221
Abaina DAVIS1220
Brandon JACK1018
Craig BIRD617

NEAFL MVP Votes
PlayerGamesTotal Votes
Harrison MARSH1127
George HEWETT1225
Craig BIRD620
Jordan FOOTE1117
Brandon JACK1115

NT Thunder
    
B:33. Ben RIOLI29. Justin BEUGELAAR32. Ryan NYHUIS
HB:17. Luke BATH12. Jonathon PERIS9. Thomas MOTLOP
C:4. Aaron MOTLOP15. Matthew ROSIER38. Timothy ELRIDGE
HF:18. Cameron ILETT6. Julian LOCKWOOD24. Chris DUNNE
F:27. Michael HAGAN2. Darren EWING37. Liam PATRICK
Foll:11. Jonathon MILES23. Richard TAMBLING1. Phillip WILLS
Int:28. Jack WILLIAMS45. Neil VEA VEA19. Aaron LONERGAN
 25. Justin EMERY13. Michael BOWDEN 
Emg:3. Guy ORTON18. Mitch TAYLOR14. Jack LONG

In: Patrick, Emery
Out: Sam TALBOT, Gibson TURNER

Former Richmond player Richard Tambling signed on with the Thunder this year and has been a huge success in their midfield. He's averaging 26.4 disposals per game and is the leading Thunder player in the NEAFL MVP votes. He may have taken over from Cam Ilett as their main midfielder, but Ilett continues to produce week in and week out for the Thunder and will also have to be closely watched.

As mentioned earlier, goalkicking ace Darren Ewing (an accurate 61 goals 25 behinds) is leading the NEAFL goalkickers list by a whopping 20 goals and will be a tough task for whichever Swans defender is assigned the task of playing on him. Chris Dunne has been an able foil for Ewing and has kicked 31 goals himself (6th in NEAFL goalkicking)

Dependable fullback Justin Beugelaar and running defender Ben Rioli lead the Thunder's charge from their back half.