Eastern league: Jai Neal does well on debut but Vermont trounces Noble Park

Bulls coach Mick Fogarty poured praise on the ladder-leading Eagles after they stitched up Noble by 11 goals at the Pat Wright Senior Oval.

Dandenong Stingrays bottom-ager Jai Neal made an encouraging debut for Noble Park, kicking two goals against Vermont.

Seventeen-year-old Jai Neal made an encouraging senior debut for Noble Park on Saturday, and as he did he saw the standard-setter of the Eastern league, Vermont, go about its football with typical flourish.

Neal, a tall forward and a bottom-age player with the Dandenong Stingrays, kicked two goals.

Vermont kicked quite a few more than the Bulls as they won 18.18 (126) to 9.6 (60) at the Pat Wright Senior Oval to take their season record to 13-1.

“It was a massive learning curve for young Jai against the best team I’ve seen in the EFL,’’ Noble Park coach Mick Fogarty said this morning.

“Kicked a couple, gave us an option, ran to the right spaces. He’s a real talent. He’s athletic, he’s tall and he kicks a nice ball.

“It’s great for our kids to go up against such a great side and enjoy the experience. Yesterday for us was a lot about the learnings, about what’s required to be at the best level.

“Yeah, you’re disappointed to lose by 10 or 11 goals, but we tried hard. I can’t fault the effort. The boys tried hard to stick to what we wanted to do to stay with them.’’

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Fogarty quickly qualified his comment about Vermont being the best team he had seen in Eastern.

He said he had watched Balwyn win four premierships.

“They (Vermont) have won one flag in 10 years so they’ve got work to do to catch Balwyn,’’ he said.

Jake Best kicked four goals for Vermont.

“But the way they’re going, they’re going to be right up there with what Balwyn was able to achieve. They’re cherry ripe for it (this year’s flag).

“They’ve just got great ability on every line. (Joe) Fisher down back, (Matthew) Willcocks. They’ve got (Ryan) Mullett on one wing and (Alex) Greenwood on the other. Then you go to their midfield and there’s (Lachie) Johns, (Tom) Schneider, (Adam) Parker. Then you look forward and straight away you see (Brett) Eddy, (Jake) Best and (Andrew) Ainger. Then you throw in (Kirby) McConnon, (Robbie) (McComb), (Cameron) Purdy … it just goes on. Don’t forget Robbie Ross in the ruck. There are no soldiers there. They’re all generals!’’

Former Western Bulldog Mitch Honeychurch was absent from the list of players Fogarty rattled off. He kicked two goals and was named third-best. Great mates Eddy (five) and Best (four) shared nine goals.

Top Eagle Mitch Honeychurch.

Noble again had to make five changes, with Lachie McDonnell, Bailey Lambert and Joel Cusack being selected in the AFL Victoria Young Guns game, Liam Scott returning to school football and Luke Nelson on standby for Richmond VFL today.

Captain Kyle Martin was again the Bulls’ best player, kicking four goals.

Fogarty said he never tired of praising his champion.

“I’ve been so lucky to coach him. I get to see him play every week,’’ he said.

“His ability to try to keep us in the game … he didn’t play forward, he was a midfielder and he kicked four, from outside 50 on the run … just tried his heart out. He’s carrying the side on his shoulders. He’s had an enormous year again. People think ‘Martin, Martin’ when you hand our your best and fairest but I see how he does it.’’

Ruckman Kieren Byers was also exceptional and young Lachie Quaife showed promise for the Bulls, who are now eight points away from fifth-placed Norwood.