Dale Tonkin
West v Central
I OBVIOUSLY wasn’t at this game, however the Maggies took care of the Robins with a 50-point flogging.
From what I’m hearing, Central have finally got those missing pieces of the puzzle: outside speed.
This is now going to make them extremely dangerous, Maggies.
Here now four wins on the trot and there’s more coming, with this outside speed I have been banging on about making them a serious contender and there’s more coming momentum is with the Maggies.
Can they dare to dream?
It’s a bit early yet, I know, but the possibility is there and you know what they say, if it’s going to be it’s up to me; now they have the weapons to make it happen.
West on the other hand, I don’t know where their first win is going to come from. Their effort is there and they have a lot of potential with their juniors it’s just going to take time.
Consistent messaging and locking the coach in for several years might be the key. They don’t need another coach change; they need security and trust and I think Chris gives them that.
Opportunity is there, the players just have to grab it and earn their games, not handing them to them which I don’t think is the current status so keep positing Robins.
The Maggies were the winners on the day and I can’t wait to have another look at them with this outside speed which complements their ball winners.
The season is starting to take shape.
Good luck, everybody in.
North v South
PROBABLY the most unorganised I have seen South in the first five rounds.
North kicked the first three goals in succession due to South, in my opinion, over-possessing the ball.
They kept coming off the line trying to hit short passes instead of staying in their lanes.
There was a time early on where I don’t think any South player knew where the ball was going.
However to their credit, they regrouped and settled things down.
I know North lost the game by about five to six goals, but to me North looked back on track.
They went more direct and looked really good in patches.
South continued to roll numbers up to the stoppages and North were a little late to react.
For the players North had out, I thought they’d done a pretty good job overall, but credit goes to South; they settled and counter attacked when they could.
South’s ability to re-focus after half time and really play the second half on their terms would have pleased the coaching staff, no doubt.
In the end, South ran away winners 34 points, I’m pretty sure.
