The Eastern Ranges have steadied their season in the last two weeks with no-nonsense, direct ball movement.
Last year’s grand finallists held a record of 4-3 before dropping their next five games to be in danger of missing a place in September. But victories over the Western Jets in Round 13 and Northern Knights in Round 14 has seventh-placed Eastern primed to secure a finals spot.
In their 18-point triumph over the Knights, the Ranges had much less of the ball but moved it directly and with purpose. Northern had 99 more disposals – including seven players with 20 or more disposals compared to Eastern’s one – but the Ranges recorded a kick-to-handball ratio of 1.91-to-1 compared with Northern’s 0.95-to-1.
During the crucial final quarter when Eastern rallied from six points down to overrun the Knights, the Ranges had 42 kicks and 17 handballs while Northern had 31 and 38 respectively. In a 90-point win against the Jets the previous week, their ratio was 1.47-to-1 compared to Western’s 0.99-to-1.
Boasting a dangerous forward line consisting of tall goalkickers Sam Hayes and Nathan Mullenger-McHugh, and mid-sizers such as Jaidyn Stephenson and Josh Begley, clearly Eastern wants to get the ball inside 50 as fast as possible to let them do what they do best.
Other key stats from Round 14:
9: For a 198cm ruckman, Josh Patullo gave the Gippsland Power a surprising amount of drive in their victory over the Geelong Falcons. The over-ager had a clear game-high nine inside-50s to go along with 19 disposals, five marks and 27 hitouts. Patullo was also able to demonstrate his mobility in two games for the VFL’s Casey Scorpions in June.
Round 14 stats leaders:
KICKS |
|
|
|
Harrison Burt |
Sandringham Dragons |
23 |
|
Matt Perry |
Northern Knights |
22 |
|
Kobe Mutch |
Bendigo Pioneers |
21 |
|
Zach Guthrie |
Calder Cannons |
21 |
|
Hamish Brayshaw |
Sandringham Dragons |
20 |
|
Mitchell Andrews |
Northern Knights |
20 |
|
Reuben Hayward |
Sandringham Dragons |
20 |
|
Kane Keppel |
Eastern Ranges |
20 |
|
Taylin Duman |
Eastern Ranges |
19 |
|
William Donaghey |
Murray Bushrangers |
18 |
|
Corey Lyons |
Sandringham Dragons |
18 |
|
Hugh McCluggage |
North Ballarat Rebels |
17 |
|
Zachary Zdybel |
Geelong Falcons |
17 |
|
Marcus Lentini |
Northern Knights |
17 |
|
Callan Wellings |
North Ballarat Rebels |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
HANDBALLS |
|
|
|
Kye Beveridge |
Sandringham Dragons |
18 |
|
Mason Blakey |
Northern Knights |
18 |
|
Ethan Penrith |
Northern Knights |
17 |
|
Marcus Lentini |
Northern Knights |
16 |
|
Taylin Duman |
Eastern Ranges |
15 |
|
Oliver Stapleton |
Northern Knights |
14 |
|
Xavier Jordan |
Oakleigh Chargers |
14 |
|
Thomas Glen |
Dandenong Stingrays |
14 |
|
William Donaghey |
Murray Bushrangers |
13 |
|
Jake Page |
Murray Bushrangers |
13 |
|
Lachlan Walker |
Oakleigh Chargers |
13 |
|
Bobby Lamanna |
Northern Knights |
13 |
|
Nicholas Stuhldreier |
Western Jets |
13 |
|
Paddy Dow |
Bendigo Pioneers |
13 |
|
Brodie Romensky |
Western Jets |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
MARKS |
|
|
|
Harrison Burt |
Sandringham Dragons |
9 |
|
Hamish Brayshaw |
Sandringham Dragons |
9 |
|
Tom Williamson |
North Ballarat Rebels |
9 |
|
Kane Keppel |
Eastern Ranges |
9 |
|
Nathan Mullenger-McHugh |
Eastern Ranges |
9 |
|
Laine Fitzgerald |
Bendigo Pioneers |
8 |
|
Jaidyn Stephenson |
Eastern Ranges |
8 |
|
Jarrod Brander |
Bendigo Pioneers |
8 |
|
Kye Beveridge |
Sandringham Dragons |
7 |
|
Taylin Duman |
Eastern Ranges |
7 |
|
Reuben Hayward |
Sandringham Dragons |
7 |
|
Riley Taylor |
North Ballarat Rebels |
7 |
|
Jamison Shea |
Northern Knights |
7 |
|
Marcus Lentini |
Northern Knights |
6 |
|
James Gow |
North Ballarat Rebels |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
HITOUTS |
|
|
|
Lachlan Filipovic |
Sandringham Dragons |
40 |
|
Josh Patullo |
Gippsland Power |
27 |
|
Chas Roberts |
Northern Knights |
25 |
|
Joshua Boehm |
Oakleigh Chargers |
25 |
|
Lloyd Meek |
North Ballarat Rebels |
24 |
|
Zachary Zdybel |
Geelong Falcons |
19 |
|
Sam Hayes |
Eastern Ranges |
19 |
|
Noah Balta |
Calder Cannons |
16 |
|
Trent McMullan |
Murray Bushrangers |
15 |
|
Dylan Atkins |
Dandenong Stingrays |
15 |
|
Nathan Twigg |
Bendigo Pioneers |
14 |
|
Darren Walters |
Western Jets |
14 |
|
Nathan Mullenger-McHugh |
Eastern Ranges |
13 |
|
Joel Grace |
Northern Knights |
13 |
|
Nick Larkey |
Oakleigh Chargers |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
TACKLES |
|
|
|
Brodie Romensky |
Western Jets |
13 |
|
Josh Formosa |
Bendigo Pioneers |
11 |
|
Jordan Haynes |
Eastern Ranges |
11 |
|
James Worpel |
Geelong Falcons |
11 |
|
Oliver Stapleton |
Northern Knights |
10 |
|
Gryan Miers |
Geelong Falcons |
10 |
|
Nathan Twigg |
Bendigo Pioneers |
9 |
|
Brad Bernacki |
Calder Cannons |
9 |
|
Austin Hodge |
Gippsland Power |
9 |
|
Will Stephenson |
Gippsland Power |
9 |
|
Jordan Gallucci |
Eastern Ranges |
9 |
|
Jack Heathcote |
Geelong Falcons |
9 |
|
Xavier Jordan |
Oakleigh Chargers |
9 |
|
Daniel Sharrock |
Murray Bushrangers |
9 |
|
Callum Porter |
Gippsland Power |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
2016 LEADING GOALKICKERS |
|
|
|
|
Goals |
Total |
Karl Brown |
Calder Cannons |
2 |
43 |
Sam Fowler |
Dandenong Stingrays |
1 |
31 |
Brett Blair |
Geelong Falcons |
VFL |
31 |
Lachlan Tiziani |
Murray Bushrangers |
3 |
29 |
Kayle Kirby |
Bendigo Pioneers |
4 |
27 |
Jordan Johnston |
North Ballarat Rebels |
2 |
24 |
Dan Allsop |
Dandenong Stingrays |
2 |
24 |
Joshua Begley |
Eastern Ranges |
_ |
23 |
Corey McKay |
Northern Knights |
3 |
22 |
Hayden McLean |
Sandringham Dragons |
2 |
22 |
Related content:
Stats Central Rd 13: Pios bring heat on cold day
Stats Central Rd 12: Sandy seizes chances
Stats Central Rd 11: Oakleigh charges at Geelong
Stats Central Rd 10: Jets jolt the Chargers
Stats Central Rd 9: Knights charge forward
Last Modified on 27/07/2016 08:04