Mid-season analysis of William Buck Premier

Nick Armistead – @NickArmistead

The mid-point of the season is a time for reflection as each team re-evaluates their situation and how best to attack the second half of the year.

As it stands, St Kevin’s sit number one after reclaiming their position atop the William Buck Premier ladder with a 62-point win over St Bedes/Mentone Tigers at Brindisi St Oval. While we await the VAFA Board’s decision regarding the result of the Collegians/Old Xaverians abandoned match, the outcome will either be four premiership points to Xavs or split down the line; neither of which will affect SKOB’s position.

There would be few in the Amateur community surprised at SKOB’s position after nine rounds of football. They boast the most lethal all-round attack of all 10 clubs with Jay Schulz (22) and Henry Parkes (16) their only two goal kickers in the top 20. Their average of 97ppg is 11 more than their nearest rival, while their defence stacks up against any opponents, averaging 68.5 points against which is equal-second strongest alongside De La Salle. Their proficiency across all three zones (fwd, mid, back) is ranked number one in the competition, with their forward line averaging the least inside 50s per goal (3.5). Schulz has kicked 15 goals in his past three outings, including two bags of six, while their midfield of Ben Dowd, Gerard Gleeson and the returning Nick Wood is operating at an elite level.

The Tigers would have hoped to defend Brindisi a lot better over the weekend but, as previously mentioned, SKOB’s attack is at another level right now. Despite two wins and a tie, the Tigers have impressed with victories against De La Salle and Uni Blues. They’ve won just one of their five home games which will be a concern but play Old Trinity (7^th), Uni Blacks(9^th), Uni Blues (4^th) and Beaumaris (10^th) at Brindisi on the stretch home, giving them every chance to avoid relegation should they reclaim their home ground advantage. One of the main points of interest will be their scoring ability moving forward as they are currently ranked 10^th with 62.4ppg and Michael Barnes (15) is their sole double digit goal kicker. James Tyquin, Josh Cowan and the Richards brothers have been standouts through the midfield and are a large reason for the Tigers ranking fifth for overall ball use efficiency, while Dan Garside and Jarryd Robertson were the reason the Sharks couldn’t score late in their Round 8 tie.

Collegians and Old Xaverians sit two and three, respectively, with the Lions ahead on percentage at the moment. After what was a tight contest for three quarters, albeit slightly unattractive game skills-wise due to the defensive prowess of both sides, the match was abandoned with 6.22m remaining in the fourth quarter when Xavs defender Jarryd Skene suffered a horrific compound fracture in his leg. While the ambulance attended to Jarryd, both sides agreed to end the match with 59m gone on the clock. It is now up to the VAFA Board to decide the distribution of premiership points. For Xavs, it was their strongest all-round performance since their Round 5 loss to SKOB, with Dan Noonan commanding the back 50 and repelling several errant Lions’ forward thrusts. Unsurprisingly, the Xavs’ midfield is the most proficient in the competition, with Tomi Johnston, Denis Symeopoulos and Ben Kennedy feeding off John Shaw’s elite ruck work. While their overall kicking efficiency is ranked 10^th, Xavs are disposing of the ball on average 46 more times than their opposition, showcasing their midfield’s dominance.

The growth and development of the Lions has been exceptional to watch as they’ve added an offensive game to their elite defence. While still ranking number one for points against (58.6) and allowing an opposition goal just every 5.8 inside 50s (also number one), the Lions have built an outstanding offensive skillset through Lachie Ferguson (20), Kenny Ong (13), Billy Riddle (12) and Corey Cassidy (11), while Alexander Croft has kicked nine and plays the role of the main target perfectly. They now average 88ppg (second to only SKOB) and kick a goal every 3.5 forward entries. Viv Michie improves every week and has been a top five player of the past month, while Kalem Post provides the ideal second ruck to reining Coaches MVP, Tom Penberthy.

University Blues and De La Salle are currently on par, with the Blues edging past by 11 points in their Round 9 clash and re-taking fourth spot. After an unconvincing start to the year where they lost three of their first five games, the Blues have hit their straps for three wins in their past four outings; including, demolition jobs of Xavs and Trinity. Their only loss during the past month has been to Collegians by 10 points, but after failing to fire a shot in the first half, the Blues kicked seven goals to four in the last two terms. Kieran Harper has been a standout and leads the goal kicking with 27, eight of which have come against the Lions and De La.  Ross Young’s return has been nothing short of sensational, while Connor Lappin is the form defender of William Buck Premier. The strength of the Blues lies within their even spread of talent as they rank second overall for proficiency through each of the three zones. They are the most efficient ball users which is incredible given they rank highest for kicks per match (211).

De La were five wins from their past six before their loss to the Blues, with their Round 7 victory against Collegians the most impressive. Their defence is where they continue to set themselves up, with Tom Humphrey, Brendan Close, Jason Tutt, Sam Williams and Sam Haslem each playing significant roles at various times. Tutt has been a sensational inclusion and will battle Jake Williams for Woodrow votes and their offence is operating reasonably well with Adrian Indovino (21) the star of the forward 50. At this point, De la will be fighting Blues and OMs for the fourth spot come finals and both of those blockbusters will be Round 17 and 18.

Old Melburnians and Old Trinity were both desperate to stay in touch with the four and it was OMs who claimed victory via a five-goal to one final term at Sportscover Arena. After the split points decision following the abandoned Round 1 match against Beaumaris, OMs have gone down in four matches with their only blowout a 45-point loss to the Lions at Wesley College. Excluding that, the Redlegs’ average losing margin has been just a tick over 10, with a three-point loss to Xavs and six-point loss to SKOB showcasing their ability to take it up to the top teams. Josh Freezer and Al Armstrong appeared of VAFA Tragics this week (below) and admitted the playing group believes they can play finals and with a top echelon consisting of Tom Paule, Matt Thomas, Gus Borthwick, Nick De Steiger, Freezer and Armstrong, it is a definite possibility. They rank equal-second for ball use efficiency and have the largest kick-to-handball discrepancy at 66%.

The T’s have surprised many with their form in the first nine rounds, winning just three games and averaging 69ppg compared to 75 last year. Their most pressing issue is their forward efficiency as they goal just every 4.9 entries (9^th overall) and they continue to work out ways to score without a key target. However, the T’s midfield is outstanding and the form of Brendan Iezzi, Anthony Scott, Ben Howell and Harry Tinney will certainly turn the tide in the second half of the year. Harry Thompson has impressed all in the ruck, while Luke Pacconi does the job week in, week out down back. They now have two games against Blacks and the Tigers, with the small Brindisi St Oval sure to test the hard-running T’s.

The final match of Round 9 was easily the most entertaining, with Blacks defeating Beaumaris by three points in a 39-goal affair at Uni Oval. With both sides situated nine and 10 on the ladder, the offensive onslaught was a sensational surprise. The Blacks, who have been rocked by injury as much as anyone, have won two for the season but should welcome back players the ilk of Alastair Robbins, Jordan Quaile, Charlie Richardson, Angus Locke, Simon Hogan and Matt O’Brien in the second half of the season. Lachie Huntington is the ultimate swingman of William Buck Premier, kicking six goals when forward on the weekend but more than capable of taking a key forward in defence.

The Sharks have been building in the past month and were agonisingly close to their first win of the year on the weekend. It wouldn’t be often a side kicks 20 goals, one more than their opponent, 128 points in total and loses the match. The Sharks’ proficiency through all three zones ranks the lowest of all sides and they are currently the most inefficient ball users, but they’ve improved to kick their two highest scores in the past three matches while keeping the Tigers to 58 points in Round 8 – the second-lowest points against the Sharks this year. Scott Gower, Rob Cathcart, Scott Braithwaite and Tim Cumming have been standouts, while Stephen Milne (20) and Sam Gibbins lead the way in front of goal. It is simply a matter of time before the Sharks enter the winners’ column.