AIC First XVIII footy round 3 Players of the Day as premiership race hots up
AIC First XVIII footy: St Laurence’s and Ashgrove debut boys broke into the big league while Villanova have lauded the sportsmanship of a Padua player during round 3 action.
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Villanova College coach Brian Pascoe has lauded Padua’s Noah Cameron for a tremendous display of sportsmanship during round 3 of footy.
It was a wonderful round which saw St Patrick’s College give Ashgrove a fright while Villanova also drew high praise in defeat.
And Year 10 debut boys from St Laurence’s, AJ Pickering and George Dart, made their mark while Ashgrove’s Harvey Laughton also made his debut.
But it was Cameron’s show of sportsmanship against Villanova which drew some focus. A Level 3 Lions Academy player from the Wilston-Grange club, Cameron ignored the scoreboard and attended to an injured player despite the match being in the balance.
“On behalf of Villanova I would like to thank him from Padua for the empathy and respect shown to his opponent,’’ praised Villa coach Pascoe.
Padua defeated Villanova
In a high quality match, both teams went fiercely at the ball and in the tackle.
Padua started well but had to man the pumps as Villanova fought back in the third quarter to draw level entering the final term.
An enthralling final term unfolded, with Padua’s superior ball use a decisive factor in the end as the side created more opportunities.
“It was the ability to use the ball well on the outside under extreme pressure that proved the difference,’’ explained Padua coach Matt Waters.
High praise for Villa
Padua coach Matt Waters had high praise for Villanova after watching his team have to fight off their rivals during a third term slug fest.
“Villanova are a far better side than a team who’ve lost two games, albeit to St Laurences and Padua,’’ Waters said.
“They will find a big scalp before season’s end, and that opportunity will arise next Friday against Iona.’’
“For Padua, we are still alive in the premiership race as we aim to chase down St Laurence’s and Iona in the coming weeks.’’
PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Kyle Murphy (Padua): The key forward provided some big moments when the game was in the balance, and also had a number of score involvements.
Jake Walker (Villanova): Walker played half forward flank and was very effective after debuting the week before, and he made plenty of leads which offered options up forward. He was an effective crumber, playing deep to support the mids and backs when under pressure from Padua.
Max Collins (Padua): A Year 10 student, Collins had a breakout game on the wing where his ball use and positioning was eye-catching.
Mitch Honeyman (Villanova): A student with a basketball background who is in his first season in the code, Honeyman was able to find the ball a lot and was very clean off the ground.
He has improved immensely through the season with his level of intent, effort and enthusiasm, making him highly effective off the wing.
Billy Atchison (Padua): An underrated, athletic defender from a rugby background, Atchison was rarely beaten in the contest.
Zac Joyce (Villanova): A third year player in Firsts, Joyce is a mature player who plays a positive role supporting his teammates. He is clean with the ball and due to his versatility, Joyce is often asked to play multiple roles and positions to support his Villa teammates.
Mario Arena (Padua): Arena was a midfielder who was able to hit the scoreboard and provide a crucial defensive cut-off mark late in the game.
Iona 74 defeated Ambrose Treacy College 19
Iona started well with four early goals and proved too strong and well organised for Ambrose Treacy, but the ATC had their moments in an improving season.
Iona’s ability to link and carry from half back quickly swung momentum their way as they scorched ATC on the rebound.
But ATC were able to compete on level terms for the first part of each quarter and could easily have added to their 19 points. It is all a learning experience for the boys from Indooroopilly.
“The game was played in good spirits,’’ said Iona Leigh Harding, Assistant Head of Sport - High Performance.
PLAYERS OF THE DAY:
Liam Middleton (ATC): Middleton was pushed into the backline during the second half where his speed and kicking was exactly what his side needed. He was able to shut down a number of the Iona forward entries.
Ben Butko (Iona): A versatile type who plays across the half back line, Butko did his job down back again.
Ted Challenor (ATC): “He brings a smile to your face when you watch him play as he just spins out of trouble time and time again,’’ said ATC assistance coach and teacher Brett Cashmere. “His agility is incredible and always manages to find himself in space.’’
Charlie Abell (Iona): Abell has a knack of being able to play on the opposition’s stronger players, and he again did the job for his side as a defender.
Jarvis Czarkowski (ATC): An undersized ruckman, Czarkowski somehow manages to still win a high percentage of the contests. In addition, his work rate around the ground is outstanding. “He always gives a 100 per cent in every game and every contest,’’ praised Cashmere.
Harry Egan (Iona): Playing as a forward, Egan gave his side a target in the attacking third of the field.
St Laurence’s 12-21-93 defeated St Edmund’s 2-0-12
As was expected, premiers St Laurence’s dictated proceedings from the outset with aggressive defensive positioning and highly attacking football.
PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Benji Kessler (St Laurence’s): Kessler was pivotal in defence, setting up well behind the footy taking multiple intercept marks.
Jack Mahoney (St Laurence’s): Mahoney impressed with his contested work, smooth skills and perfect positioning.
AJ Pickering and George Dart (St Laurence’s): Playing on debut, the Year 10 students displayed plenty of promise and looked comfortable at the First XVIII level. The experience of pre-game and match conditions would have done wonders for the pair’s development.
Ben Gomersall and Lachie Witham (St Laurence’s): Renowned pillar players, they were excellent upfront with clean hands. Both snagged multiple majors.
Marist College Ashgrove 5-6-23 defeated St Patrick’s College 3-5-23
After a round one thriller against ATC, and being level pegging with the standard setters St Laurence’s in round two, St Patrick’s College continued to display development by giving Marist a huge fright.
Ashgrove were never safe as Paddies’ dragged them into a four quarter arm wrestle that saw momentum swing about.
St Pat’s started strongly and jumped ahead of Ash early, and it took a strong third quarter by the blue and gold outfit to shake off Paddies.
During this period Ashgrove was able to win more contested balls and started shading their rivals at the stoppages, allowing them to keep scoreboard pressure on St Patrick’s.
Ashgrove co-coach Matt Beattie paid “full credit to a well organised St Pat’s.’’
The game featured the debut of Marist student Harvey Laughton.
PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Kian Dickman and Lucas Cottam (Ashgrove): The key forwards turned around a quiet first half to be a strong presence up forward in the third and fourth terms.
Ben Rowan (St Patrick’s): Rowan was solid again in defence while also providing rebound from the defensive 50m area of the field.
Van Sanders (Ashgrove): Sanders was again huge for his side in the midfield.
Noah Polinski (St Patrick’s): Polinski won plenty of footy at the contest as he continued his great start to the season.
Nick Watson (St Patrick’s): Watson worked tirelessly through the midfield and provided SPC with speed around the contest.
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