On the back of Friday’s intra-club match, we take a look at some of the standout performers and which players to keep an eye out for in the upcoming NAB Challenge.
1.David Zaharakis:
A few weeks ago, Zaharakis stated that he was having one of the best pre-seasons and that was evident during today’s game.Although he drifted forward occasionally, Zaharakis spent the majority of his time playing in the midfield. His seniority on the field shone through as he not only won his own ball, but directed traffic and helped his younger teammates get into better positions. His running was also elite as he worked well right around the ground, showing no signs of the injuries that hampered him throughout the 2015 season.
2. Zach Merrett:
Merrett has worked hard to regain fitness after injuring his foot at the end of the 2015 season. Merrett used the ball cleanly and was able to get himself into good positions around the ground. He was also quite vocal in directing his fellow teammates. Merrett continued to demonstrate great first and second efforts, putting pressure on his opposition with his tackling a huge feature of his impressive game.
Click here to see Zach Merrett in action during Friday's intra-club.
3. James Kelly:
The veteran ex-Cat was all class across the half backline in today’s game. Kelly played a smart game, hanging around the fringes of the pack giving him the ability to read the play downfield and clear the ball with great efficiency and effectiveness once he received it. The 32-year-old did not seem to have any issues with fitness, running out the whole game and maintaining his impact throughout.
4. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti:
‘Walla' was clearly a crowd favourite on the day with a massive cheer going up every time he got his hands on the ball (which was plenty). ‘Walla’ started slowly but found his groove in the second half. His pace was almost noticeable off the half-back line and he was damaging with his disposals, showing great efficiency and ability to move the ball quickly.
5. Sam Grimley
The ex-Hawk showed signs of his goal kicking ability working well in partnership with Joe Daniher in the forward line. Well held by Aaron Francis in the first half, Grimley worked hard to get into the game and finished with three goals. He proved to be a good target deep in the forward line able to break free from his man and make himself open. Grimley was also rotated through the ruck as the coaches seek to add more depth to his game.
