Huonville Lions start their premiership defence in style against Dodges Ferry
The Huonville Lions have started their premiership defence in confident form against the Sharks in their Good Friday opener.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
REIGNING champion Huonville Lions got their premiership defence started in style with a well-earned five-goal Good Friday win over Dodges Ferry in their first-round clash at Huonville Oval.
The Sharks got away fast but the Lions hunted them down and eventually took control in the final term to take it 13.16 (94) to 9.10 (64).
Huonville coach Tim Lamprill said his boys were rusty after breaking the club’s 12-year premiership drought in October, but he was pleased to get the new season started on a positive note.
“It’s better to start with a ‘W’ that an ‘L’, that’s for sure,” Lamprill said.
“Dodges came with a plan and really took it up to us.
“We didn’t adjust quickly enough. We didn’t use the ball well and turned it over and they made us pay going the other way.
“It was really good to get away with a win and in the end a five-goal win is really good against quality opposition.”
Huonville injected about six new players into the team, including teenage defender Johnny Thorp for his senior debut and former Clarence and state captain Brady Jones into its onball crew.
“Johnny played in the back half and didn’t look out of place and ‘Budge’ [Jones] was solid all day, even though they put a bit of time into him, playing in the middle and up forward,” Lamprill said.
New Norfolk kicked a cricket score against Claremont at Boyer Oval, entertaining the home crowd with a 39.27 (261) to 0.1 (1) scoreline.
Hobart held on in a nail-biter against Cygnet at the TCA ground to win by eight points – 13.14 (92) to 12.12 (84) – and Sorell kicked off its season with a thumping win over Brighton at Pembroke Park.
Former TSL star relaxed in Lions den
AFTER nearly a decade bashing and crashing his way through the TSL — seven as captain of Clarence — Brady Jones is enjoying the more relaxed atmosphere of the SFL.
But expect him to still be at the bottom of a pack when the whips are cracking as the Huonville Lions begin their premiership defence against Dodges Ferry on Good Friday.
Jones, who joined the Roos in the State League in 2012 and was skipper from 2014 until announcing his retirement last year, has returned to his roots at the Lions, adding to an already impressive onball brigade.
Stepping back a level was always on the agenda for the midfield warrior, and he hopes to still be able to lead the way in 2021.
“I love footy too much to not play at all or not be involved in some capacity and having the family connection down the Huon, I was always going to head back down that way at some stage,” Jones said.
“I’ll see how many years I can hold on for now, I’m feeling really good at the moment.
“I don’t know how that’ll go in another six or eight weeks once we get into it but I have had a pretty light pre-season and done a bit of other stuff like CrossFit and things, which has been good to keep fit.
“I’m just enjoying my role, a bit more relaxed compared to what it was at Clarence in terms of leading a club and I suppose being there at every session.”
The Sharks missed senior finals in last year’s abbreviated season, but won the reserves competition in defeating the Lions.
Skipper Cam Hooker is hoping a core young group can take the next step and push the side back into top five calculations.
“There’s always a big build-up for round one, I think everyone is looking forward to kicking the season off in a normal way,” Hooker said.
“We are still a very young team, we’ve got a few of the old heads hanging around but we’ve come together to play a team brand of footy.”
In other round one matches Hobart hosts Cygnet, Claremont makes the trip to Boyer to clash with New Norfolk and Sorell welcomes Brighton to Pembroke Park.
Tassie draft hopeful’s massive shoes to fill
There are literally no footy shoes in his home state big enough for gun young ruckman Oliver Dean but, despite that, he is ready to take the big step into the AFL at next month’s draft.
The support network driving Clark’s AFLW dream
Tasmania’s Georgia Clark has taken the first footsteps into her AFLW career in recent weeks including a debut. She reveals what’s been key in the journey.