Southport Sharks produce list management masterstroke to put the club on cusp of VFL finals
A list management masterstroke has put Southport on the path to the finals in its first VFL season helped the Sharks avoid a costly hit to its playing stocks in a key area.
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A LIST management masterstroke has put Southport on the path to the finals in its first VFL season helped the Sharks avoid a costly hit to its playing stocks in a key area.
Southport sit atop of the VFL ladder, with games in hand over closest rivals Footscray and Casey Demons, after starting the season 7-1.
The latest victory came on Saturday when the Sharks toppled Brisbane 24.13 (157) to 7.8 (50) at Fankhauser Reserve.
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The Sharks entered the 2021 season with one spare spot on the list, choosing to hold it in their back pocket in case of emergency after Sherwood ruckman Samson Ryan, who had agreed to play for the club, was drafted by Richmond at the end of last year.
Southport broke the glass leading into the weekend after ruckman Fraser Thurlow injured his quad playing against Sydney in Round 8 a fortnight ago, ruling him out for up to five weeks, while midfielder Lucas Webb hurt his ankle in the same game.
Coach Stephen Daniel called upon former Sharks NEAFL premiership player Jed Turner who answered the SOS, going from playing for the Ballina Bombers in the Division 2 South competition to playing against Brisbane in the VFL.
It was a genius move and critical moving forward given the fact Brayden Crossley injured his knee against the Lions, meaning Turner will be the no.1 ruckman for the coming weeks, ensuring Southport aren’t hampered at the bounce and at stoppages.
The Lions were the powerhouse side of the NEAFL in recent years, going through the 2019 season undefeated and blowing away the likes of Southport in the grand final while having a healthy list that enabled Brisbane to roll out around 20 AFL listed players routinely.
Thirteen listed players featured in the Lions team on the weekend and Southport took them to task in all areas of the ground while sharpening up its goal kicking accuracy that has wavered in recent times. The Sharks booted 8.1 in the second term and 7.4 in the third and fourth quarters.
Jacob Dawson (40 disposals, 10 tackles), Michael Manteit (34 disposals), Andrew Boston (33 disposals, two goals), Billy Gowers (eight goals), Mitch Johnson (three goals), Connor Nutting (three goals) all made a big impact.
“I was really impressed from the way we stuck to our task,” Daniel said.
“What I mean by that is the opportunity for us was to go 7-1 in the VFL which we felt was really important and we kept to the basics.
“We have been doing the basics all year and it’s all right to keep saying that but a lot of teams fall away from that and lose their way.
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“For us it’s about the contest, inside 50s (72-33), stoppages, and shape behind the ball.
“If we win those and we are pretty happy. We are really happy with the way we are going at the moment.”
Club were originally scheduled to play 16 fixtures in the 22 team competition but with COVID breaks some believe only 15 regular season games will be played out.
Clubs may only need eight to 10 wins to make the finals, meaning Southport are well on track to surprise many south of the border and make the top eight.
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