NAB League 2019: Beau Tennant named in the best for Eastern Ranges

Beau Tennant has played with EFL Premier Division club Montrose this year but received plaudits for his debut appearance for Eastern Ranges in the NAB League.

Jack Hourihan was in Eastern’s best players. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Eastern Ranges had four debutants on Saturday and found room for one of their first-gamers in the best players.

Beau Tennant has played with EFL Premier Division club Montrose this year but was called up for Eastern’s Round 14 NAB League fixture against Oakleigh Chargers.

Tennant, who turns 18 in December, kicked three goals and impressed in his first showing as Eastern suffered an eight-point defeat.

Rory Bailey, Tyler Sonsie and Tyreece Leiu were also called in for their maiden appearances.

“He showed some really promising signs up forward, presented well, took his opportunities when he got them,” Eastern talent manager Sean Toohey said of Tennant.

“He did everything he had to do to show that he wanted to play at this level and he can play at this level.

“Hopefully he gets another opportunity and continues on.”

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Tennant trialled as a bottom-age player and was one of the last player cut.

“We gave him some feedback and he has kept in contact with us and he has been proactive in that and seeking more feedback,” Toohey said.

“I’ve been monitoring him pretty closely myself, so he’s shown he’s really invested in his own development and improving.

“He took the setback of not making the list really well and just saw it as an opportunity to get better. He’s done that so it’s good reward for him.”

Sonsie was recently named in the under-16 All Australian team and received Vic Metro’s MVP.

Toohey said midfielder Lachlan Stapleton produced another blue-collar performance.

“He provided a really good work at the coalface for us and also got on the outside a little bit,” he said.

“He was really clean with what he did.”

Midfielder Mihaele Zalac also won plaudits for his role on dangerous forward Dylan Williams.

“I thought he did really well to curb his influence for most of the day,” Toohey said.

“He’s a very good player (Williams) … but I thought Mihaele played him really smartly. He’s starting positions were excellent and he ran off when he could as well.”

Oakleigh kicked four goals in the final quarter with the wind to score a 12.11 (83) to 11.9 (75) win at Box Hill City Oval.

“It was a tight game all day but we probably didn’t take our opportunities when it mattered and maybe let them play it a bit on their terms, particularly around stoppages. They really smashed us in the clearances,” Toohey said.

“Oakleigh played well and took their opportunities at the other end and we didn’t take ours going into the wind.

“That was probably the difference in an eight-point ball-game.”

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