By JARROD POTTER
AFL NATIONAL UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS – ROUND 2
IT WAS a tale of two directions on Monday as Vic Metro fought back against Vic Country in a home-state thriller.
In the age-old battle between the big smoke and the bush – this time held on a perfect winter’s day at Simonds Stadium, Geelong – Vic Metro managed to turn around a 20-point, three-quarter-time deficit to snare the miraculous two-point triumph.
It started well enough for the Country boys. Tommy Jok – featuring in his second Vic Country campaign – stole the show in the first quarter alongside Dandenong team-mate Myles Poholke.
Jok would have his match hampered by a collarbone injury though, leaving the side another rotation down at the death.
North Ballarat’s Hugh McCluggage (three goals) alongside familiar faces Josh Battle and Ben Ainsworth – back in the mix after serving his four-week suspension – set the stage in the first term as they reaped the rewards of lace-out reception.
Will Brodie had an assisting hand in the last three Vic Country goals of the term – with the Murray ball magnet racking it up across half-forward, slotting it onto the chest of Jarrod Berry, who dished off to Braidon Blake for the third of the term, as well as giving Willem Drew and Poholke a chance in front of the sticks.
From a 22-point buffer at the first break, Vic Country started to fade away. The best efforts of Vic Country started to recede in the second stanza.
Reece Piper and Oscar Clavarino provided a one-two Berwick punch through the back half in the first two terms, but there was too few adhering to the team tasks as Vic Metro responded in a massive fashion.
The third term belonged to Morwell’s finest, Ainsworth (four goals) – who slotted four majors in an extraordinary display.
Showing the form that earned him All Australian honours in 2015, Ainsworth was electric in the forward half – whether on the lead, taking contested grabs or doing it himself at ground level. Vic Metro had no answers to his ironclad attack and in tandem with Brodie, Battle and Jarrod Korewha, really dictated terms.
Vic Metro booted two against traffic, but by and large its third-quarter impact was nowhere to be found.
Metro booted the first three of the last, with easy handballs out the back giving Tim Taranto and Jordan Lynch a chance to slash the margin, before a massive pack grab in the square from Dylan Clarke put it back to four.
It left Vic Country to fight it out to the line in the final 15 minutes with the lead going back and forth.
Metro’s Callum Brown got the snap out of the back of the pack to take the slender lead, before Mitch McCarthy and Poholke combined at the other end to regain a five-point margin.
One last roll of the dice fell Vic Metro’s way in the last 70 seconds. Jaidyn Stephenson booted it long to the square where Daniel Venables floated across to pluck it out of thin air and seal the match winner.
“Probably was just a game of chances – but we really focused on our chances after the match against WA last week,” Vic Country coach Paul Henriksen said.
“For three quarters we were OK then they kicked nine or 10 goals last week and we didn’t give a whimper.
“So really the emphasis this week was on effort and bringing it to the table – so in a funny way I was happy we brought that but you can’t be happy losing games of footy as it’s not that sort of business.”
Henriksen praised Brodie’s in and under efforts and was impressed with Ainsworth’s second half in particular.
Vic Country’s chances to retain the national championship have all but faded away following the loss. The Country side has a bye in the third round before it hosts South Australia on Friday 24 June at Etihad Stadium from 12.35pm.
U18 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS SCOREBOARD
VIC COUNTRY 5.2 6.3 12.4 14.8 (92)
VIC METRO 1.4 6.6 8.8 14.10 (94)
Vic Country goals: Ainsworth 4, McCluggage 3, Poholke 2, Hayes, Blake, Drew, Battle, Worpel.
Best: Brodie, Ainsworth, Poholke,
Vic Metro goals: Taranto 3, Larkey 2, Clarke 2, K. Brown, Bunker, Duman, Gallucci, Venables, Lynch, C. Brown.
