Glenorchy star ‘got off the chain’ before Clarence ran over the top of Pies to open its 2021 TSL account
A Glenorchy star who single-handedly erased Clarence’s four-goal halftime lead in a breathtaking third term has been adjudged best afield for his efforts. SEE THE ROUND 2 TSL VOTES>>
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Glenorchy co-captain sidelined for five months in big blow for Pies
- Tigers lament a cricket season of missed opportunities
HIS heroics weren’t quite enough to drag the Magpies over the line against Clarence, but Glenorchy star Ben Kamaric is just happy to be back contributing to the team after injuries derailed his 2020 campaign.
Kamaric booted five goals, including four in the third term as the Magpies erased a 24-point deficit at the main break to level the scores at the final change at KGV on Saturday.
Clarence ended up kicking the last five goals to record a 33-point win, but Kamaric was awarded the three votes in the TSL Player of the Year count.
He said the Magpies, who had a bye in round one, were frustratingly slow out of the blocks in the seesawing match against the Roos, but showed “unreal” spirit to fight back into the contest.
Conceding the first couple goals in the final quarter after missing early chances of their own was “deflating” for Glenorchy.
“We just didn’t recover from that,” Kamaric said.
Kamaric was playing just his fourth senior game since 2019 after hamstring and ankle injuries last year.
“It’s just really good to be back out there and obviously playing footy and enjoying doing what I love the most,” he said.
“It just makes me feel happy.
“I want to give back to the club, because they’ve obviously done so much for me over this past year and a half trying to get me back.”
Glenorchy’s next match is against Lauderdale at KGV. Kamaric said the Magpies hoped to welcome co-captain Brayden Webb — who hasn’t played since 2019 — back for the clash after he was a late withdrawal against the Roos.
“I honestly couldn’t tell you for sure, but I know he got through a running program on Saturday morning and he’s pulled up OK I think, so I expect him to play,” Kamaric said.
Meanwhile, Tigers’ Lachie Clifford was awarded three votes in his team’s 29-point win over Lauderdale, while North Launceston’s Daniel Withers was adjudged best afield in his side’s 113-point demolition of North Hobart.
Kamaric, Clifford, and Withers are part of a six-way logjam at the top of the leaderboard after two rounds.
Round 2 votes:
Tigers v Lauderdale
3. Lachie Clifford (Tigers)
2. Elijah Reardon (Tigers)
1. Josh McGuinness (Lauderdale)
Glenorchy v Clarence
3. Ben Kamaric (Glenorchy)
2. Baxter Norton (Clarence)
1. Jeromey Webberley (Clarence)
North Launceston v North Hobart
3. Daniel Withers (North Launceston)
2. Jack Avent (North Launceston)
1. Tom Bennett (North Launceston)
TSL Player of the Year Leaderboard:
Zach Adams (Tigers) 3
Nat Franklin (Lauderdale) 3
Jake Hinds (Launceston) 3
Lachlan Clifford (Tigers) 3
Daniel Withers (North Launceston) 3
Ben Kamaric (Glenorchy) 3
Roos repel Pies despite Kamaric’s heroics
CLARENCE has survived a herculean effort from Glenorchy star Ben Kamaric to prevail in a fluctuating contest at KGV and open its 2021 State League account.
Kamaric booted four of his five goals in a blistering third term and set up the Pies’ other major for the stanza, as the hosts erased a 24-point deficit at the main break to lock the scores at the final change.
However, the 2019 best and fairest missed a set shot 25m out directly in front early in the last quarter — after Callen Daly had also twice missed reasonably simple set shots — before the Roos slammed home the last five goals of the match to record a 13.9 (87) to 8.7 (55) victory.
Saved from falling behind further than three points after Kamaric and Daly were unable to convert, Clarence landed a psychological blow at the five-minute mark when Josh Green slotted his third goal as the visitors regained the lead — and never relinquished it.
Jacques Barwick extended the lead shortly after and when Oliver Preshaw (three goals) outmarked his opponent at the point of the square and kicked truly entering time on, the Pies’ spirit had been crushed.
The end result was arguably a fair reflection of Clarence’s early dominance, where they were cleaner and quicker with their ball use.
“I thought we controlled the game for the first half, we had our game going and then Kamaric got off the chain, didn’t h,e anda round the contest they just started getting numbers,” Roos coach Jeromey Webberley said.
“Kamaric was dangerous and kicked a few goals and got them back into it, they probably missed a couple at the start of the last quarter that could have really put the pressure on, but I thought the boys’ response was really good.
“We questioned them during the week [after the round one loss to Lauderdale] and asked how bad did they want it, and I thought for large parts of the day they answered that question pretty well.
“They were always going to come at some stage but they got centre bounce dominance and Kamaric got a few pure one-on-ones, he got off the leash and we couldn’t stop him.
“Take him out of the game and we controlled nearly all the game.”
Preshaw’s presence as a marking target was crucial for Clarence, which also saw the best of recruit Baxter Norton in his second match since crossing from North Hobart.
Glenorchy co-captain Brayden Webb was a late withdrawal after pulling up sore on Thursday night, with his long-awaited comeback now set for round three.
Baby-faced Demons to enter TSL cauldron
NORTH Hobart will unveil five baby-faced debutants Saturday afternoon and throw them immediately into the cauldron against the best TSL side of the modern era.
With the Demons losing eight talented juniors to the Devils for their NAB League season opener, the coaching staff have been forced to make nine changes from a tight round one defeat to the Tigers.
It has left nearly a quarter of the team — 17-year-olds Lachlan Rowlands, Bill Griggs and Sam Banks-Smith, as well as Jack Colgrave and Connor Smith, both 19 — walking onto UTAS Stadium for their first senior appearances in a daunting showdown against North Launceston
“We’d like to keep our list together each week but I guess that’s just how it’s going to be for the year for us,” assistant coach Oli Di Venuto said.
“We’ve got nine blokes in that program and they’ve taken eight of them for round one, I’m super stoked for those guys and I hope they put their best foot forward.
“Ideally, we’d be hoping to have four or five a week, but they’ve taken eight of them. We’re in a position at the moment that we’re young and we’ve got quite a lot of depth in the Devils program.
“[Nine changes] isn’t ideal but it’s just how it is unfortunately and it just creates opportunities for more guys.
“[Five] guys debut this week, which is again exciting for the club.”
Having dominated the competition since 2014 — winning five premierships from seven successive grand final appearances — the northern Bombers were dethroned last year by cross-town rivals Launceston.
And while the loss of some top-level talent has some tipping the side may slip back to the pack, Di Venuto is refusing to buy into any talk that North is more vulnerable.
“I’m not going to write them off. Absolutely not,” he said.
“North Launnie seem every year to lose blokes but hasn’t really affected them that much.
“They’ve still got class in their group, it’s going be a huge challenge for us but I think over the last few years that ground is suited to us.
“We are youthful, we’ve got run. They haven’t smacked us up there so we’re going up hopeful that, if we implement the way we want to play, it’s going to be successful.”
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.