STATS CENTRAL Bushies back it up - NAB League

STATS CENTRAL: Bushies back it up

For the beaten 2016 Grand Final team, the Murray Bushrangers have quietly gone about building a 5-1 record to sit second on the TAC Cup ladder.

Murray produced a competition-high 10 players added to AFL lists last year, including NAB AFL Draft pick no.12 Jy Simpkin who has impressed in five senior games for North Melbourne so far in 2017.

Second-year Bushrangers head coach Leon Higgins admitted earlier this year that it’d be difficult for his 2017 group to match the deeds of last year’s, but that they’ll “be more than competitive throughout the season”.

When asked about potential 2017 draftees, Higgins pointed firstly to Charlie Spargo – but the classy 175cm midfielder/forward hasn’t played a TAC Cup game this year due to commitments with the NAB AFL Academy and GWS Academy (of which he’s no longer a part).

Instead, a collection of unheralded players is emerging to record impressive numbers through the first six rounds.

Over-age defender Ben Paton (pictured) has been one of Murray’s most consistent players averaging 23 disposals and six marks per game running off half back, and was in his team’s best players for its Round 6 victory over the Calder Cannons with 19 disposals and five rebound-50s.

Jessy Wilson was also crucial against the Cannons with three goals and the 184cm top-ager now leads the Bushrangers goalkicking table with 11, ahead of 196cm Daniel Johnston (10 majors) and livewire indigenous prospect David Smith (nine).

On a wet day at Rams Arena, the grunt of co-captain Harry Jones (averaging 23 disposals and six tackles per game) and over-agers Isaac Wallace (17 and six) and Nick Richards (21 and three) was important, while Doulton Langlands – a bottom-ager in Murray’s Grand Final team – stood out with 21 disposals and six inside-50s.

Add in the ball-winning ability of 170cm Angus Hicks (ave. 24 disposals and six tackles) and marking power of 195cm Jordon Butts (ave. 17 disposals and eight marks) and suddenly the Bushrangers seem to have enviable depth of talent.

They may not be as well known as Simpkin and Will Brodie may have been in 2016, but they’re proving just as effective for their team.

Round 6 keys to victory:

23: The Eastern Ranges had 11 fewer inside-50s and three fewer scoring shots than the Gippsland Power in their two-point victory but clearly made their forward thrusts count. Rowville product Trent Mynott’s damaging boot was a key factor for the Ranges, sending the ball inside 50 six times from his round-high 23 kicks.

19: The Bendigo Pioneers reaped the rewards of going direct in a 21-point win against the Sandringham Dragons. The Pioneers had 31 fewer disposals than the Dragons but recorded 13 more kicks, with Echuca product Darby Henderson and Strathfieldsaye junior Angus Schumacher racking up 19 disposals each by foot.

25: The Oakleigh Chargers relished the tough conditions during their 40-point defeat of the GWV Rebels, winning the clearance count by 25. 19-year-old Marcellin Old Collegians product Louis Cunningham starred in Oakleigh’s engine room, winning a clear game-high 10 clearances.

Round 6 stats leaders:

KICKS
Trent Mynott	Eastern Ranges	23
Hamish Brayshaw	Sandringham Dragons	23
Mitchell Andrews	Northern Knights	22
Judah Dundon	Western Jets	21
Nicholas Stuhldreier	Western Jets	20
Darby Henderson	Bendigo Pioneers	19
Angus Schumacher	Bendigo Pioneers	19
Mitchell Podhajski	Calder Cannons	19
Josh Bateman	Dandenong Stingrays	19
Hunter Clark	Dandenong Stingrays	19
Tom Murphy	Dandenong Stingrays	19
James Worpel	Geelong Falcons	19
Ben Caluzzi	Calder Cannons	18
Dylan Moore	Eastern Ranges	18
Will Stephenson	Gippsland Power	18

HANDBALLS
Jaden Rice	Western Jets	20
Samuel Walsh	Geelong Falcons	19
Bayley Cockerill	Geelong Falcons	18
Dylan Moore	Eastern Ranges	17
Darby Henderson	Bendigo Pioneers	16
Hunter Clark	Dandenong Stingrays	15
Ali Zijai	Dandenong Stingrays	15
Nicholas Richards	Murray Bushrangers	15
Lachlan Harris	Sandringham Dragons	15
Nicholas Stuhldreier	Western Jets	14
Ari Sakeson	Sandringham Dragons	14
Quintin Montanaro	Sandringham Dragons	14
James Worpel	Geelong Falcons	13
Sam Harte	Oakleigh Chargers	13
Angus Styles	Sandringham Dragons	13

MARKS
Mitchell Andrews	Northern Knights	12
Aidan Tilley	Calder Cannons	12
Ari Sakeson	Sandringham Dragons	11
Quintin Montanaro	Sandringham Dragons	9
Mitchell Podhajski	Calder Cannons	9
Darby Henderson	Bendigo Pioneers	8
Angus Schumacher	Bendigo Pioneers	8
Kye Quirk	Eastern Ranges	8
Sam Binion	Northern Knights	8
Geordie Nagle	Sandringham Dragons	7
Thomas North	Eastern Ranges	7
Buku Khamis	Western Jets	7
Matt Harvey	Bendigo Pioneers	7
Angus Paterson	Dandenong Stingrays	7
Bailey Henderson	Bendigo Pioneers	7

HITOUTS
Matthew Volkanovski	Western Jets	40
Jasper Rouget	Eastern Ranges	23
Joel Grace	Northern Knights	21
Lloyd Meek	GWV Rebels	21
Julian Patterson	Gippsland Power	21
Daniel Hanna	Calder Cannons	20
Bailey Williams	Dandenong Stingrays	19
Noah Balta	Calder Cannons	19
Jobee Warde	Bendigo Pioneers	19
Sam Hayes	Eastern Ranges	18
Patrick Bohan	Oakleigh Chargers	18
Lachlan Harry	Oakleigh Chargers	18
Cody Henness	Gippsland Power	17
Brock McGregor	Western Jets	16
Jacob McNicol	Calder Cannons	16

TACKLES
Callum Porter	Gippsland Power	13
Dylan Moore	Eastern Ranges	13
Joel Burleigh	Eastern Ranges	13
Jaden Rice	Western Jets	12
Will Stephenson	Gippsland Power	12
Nick Lowden	Gippsland Power	11
Oliver Wilson	Northern Knights	11
Jamison Shea	Northern Knights	10
Louis Cunningham	Oakleigh Chargers	10
Braedyn Gillard	Northern Knights	10
Kim Drew	Gippsland Power	10
James Worpel	Geelong Falcons	9
Connor Thar	Western Jets	9
Lachlan Noble	Geelong Falcons	9
Adrian Kalcovski	Eastern Ranges	9

2017 LEADING GOALKICKERS		Last Rnd	Total
Gryan Miers	Geelong Falcons	4	19
David Handley	Geelong Falcons	2	15
Toby Wooller	Oakleigh Chargers	2	14
Aaron Trusler	Sandringham Dragons	2	14
Will Stephenson	Gippsland Power	2	12
Riley D'Arcy	Dandenong Stingrays	_	12
Jamison Shea	Northern Knights	4	11
Jessy Wilson	Murray Bushrangers	3	11
Daniel Johnston	Murray Bushrangers	2	10
Jordon Reid	Geelong Falcons	1	10

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STATS CENTRAL: Bushies back it up

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