Anglesea coach Jordan Keras breaks clearance record despite being sick with gastro

Two Anglesea midfielders will hit the BFNL finals in prime form as a Drysdale star continues his season-shifting run after returning from injury. See the Round 18 and season stats.

Anglesea will face Drysdale in a qualifying final this Saturday at Portarlington. Picture: Mark Wilson

Anglesea will go into another BFNL finals series with its midfield in tremendous form, including a league-shattering 21 clearances last round from its playing coach despite battling gastro.

Although the Roos lost to the Grubbers in ultimately a dead rubber on Saturday with several players rested, Anglesea finished the home and away season with key onballer Lachlan Smith leading the competition for groundball gets, second for inside 50s and third for ranking points, disposals, tackles and contested possessions and fifth for centre clearances.

The Roos, who will face Dyrsdale in the qualifying final on Saturday at Portarlington, is in the top two for contested possessions, disposals, groundball gets, ball up clearances, centre clearances and clearances from a team perspective in 2024.

Anglesea coach Jordan Keras has been a league standout in numerous areas this year. Picture: Mark Wilson

Meanwhile, Anglesea coach Jordan Keras was number one in the BFNL for centre clearances and clearances, second for ball up clearances and contested possessions and third for groundball gets and fourth for disposals this season.

And in Round 18, Smith led the disposals with 47 – just behind the season-record of 50 from Drysdale’s Mitch McGuire and Portarlington’s Teia Miles ¬ and inside 50s (13) against Ocean Grove while Keras was number one in the comp for contested possessions (25) and clearances (21).

It breaks the record held by Geelong Amateur’s Blake Sutterby who had 20 in Round 15 against Ocean Grove, followed by Drsydale gun James Breust’s 19 in Round 5 against Portarlington.

The performance was extra special when you consider this masthead understands he was sick with gastro.

For reigning premier Torquay, Matt Boag unsurprisingly looms as the main man: number one in the BFNL for contested possessions, second for disposals and groundball gets, third for centre clearances, goal involvements and throw in clearances, fourth for clearances and fifth for tackles.

Tom Ruggles has booted 16 goals from his past five games for Dyrsdale, according to PlayHQ. Picture: Alan Barber

Premiership Tiger Baxter Mensch led the league for inside 50s with 111, eight clear of his closest rival in Anglesea’s Smith.

However, Miles would finish the BFNL home and away season with a league-leading 619 touches, 52 more than Boag, and number one for goal assists, ahead of Torquay’s Nathan Mifsud in second place.

In Round 18, Boag had a league-high 16 groundball gets as the Tigers pushed Barwon Heads aside after half time.

Also on Saturday, the return of Riley Ferguson and Oscar Brownless for Geelong Amateur proved crucial in a big win over Newcomb, with the son of Billy recording a league-high nine goal involvements and Ferguson second with eight.

Ben Fennell, alongside Drysdale teammate Mitch McGuire, has been one of the most in-form players in the BFNL the past month. Picture: Alan Barber

The Ammos’ Tom Zeitz had a standout round in the air, pouching league-high numbers for uncontested (13), general marks (15) and intercept marks (eight).

In fact the top two for uncontested marks were all Ammos players, with Zeitz, Luke Hillier and Harry Kershaw all taking 13, while Brownless and Max Hungerford had 11 and 10 respectively.

Hungerford also led the league for marks inside 50 (10), ahead of teammate Patrick Dowling (five), as the Ammos picked up 32 to the Power’s nine last Saturday.

In fact, the Ammos are the only team in the BFNL who have been able to match the Tigers for inside 50s this year, who just 23 ahead.

From a Drysdale perspective, key players Ben Fennell and Flinn Chisholm had strong matches against Modewarre to book a place in the qualifying final.

Modewarre's Seb Hutley celebrates a goal against Drysdale. Picture: Alan Barber

Chisholm was ranked second for centre clearances and Fennell second for clearances in Round 18.

Fennell has been named in his side’s best every match since his return in Round 15 from injury and has kicked 16 goals in that time, according to PlayHQ.

Incredibly, Fennell finished the home and away season fourth for inside 50s despite missing seven games this year.

Young Hawks defender Luke Preece led the competition for intercept, contested marks and one percenters in 2024, while ruckman Matthew Pigott had 64 more hit outs to advantage than his nearest rival, Barwon Heads’ Luke Davis.

And Modewarre’s Tom Hornsey was fourth for contested marks in 2024 while teammate Matty McKim was second for pressure acts.

The Warriors face the Ammos on Sunday at Portarlington in an elimination final.

Originally published as Anglesea coach Jordan Keras breaks clearance record despite being sick with gastro