Jackson Hately has pushed his claim for an AFL debut with a near best-on-ground performance for the GIANTS’ NEAFL side on Saturday.
The GIANTS’ second pick (14th overall) in the 2018 NAB AFL Draft was impressive in the midfield as the GIANTS lost to the Brisbane Lions by 95 points at Burpengary.
Hately has been a strong performer in both of the GIANTS’ NEAFL matches this season, with his 30 disposals, seven marks and four tackles against the Lions following a 28-disposal and six-tackle performance in round one against the Swans.
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In further good news for the GIANTS, key defender Aidan Corr took another successful step in his return from a groin injury, with the 24-year-old playing out the entire game.
The GIANTS were no match for the Lions in the 5.5 (35) to 18.22 (130) loss, with injuries to Dylan Buckley and Isaac Cumming adding to the disappointing result.
Meanwhile former GIANTS’ AFL-listed player and 2016 NEAFL premiership player Jake Barrett was in orange and charcoal again, collecting 21 disposals in the loss.
Development Coach Damian Truslove on the GIANTS’ AFL-listed players:
Zach Sproule – 16 disposals, six marks and two goals
“He played three different roles on the day; forward, on the wing and also as an inside midfielder. He won a bit of the ball on the outside of the contest and his running and work ethic was quite good. It wasn’t a day for forwards, so he didn’t get much of an opportunity.”
Jack Buckley – 18 disposals, four marks, one goal
“Jack played on the wing for us and his work rate to get back and support our defenders was really good, and his work around the contest was quite good.”
Dylan Buckley – seven disposals and one goal
“Dylan got an injury to his back in the second quarter and played no further part in the game. Prior to that, he was lively up forward without many opportunities.”
Kieren Briggs – 14 disposals, seven marks, one goal
“He took seven marks and took a few big contested marks, so he continues to improve as a young forward. He attacks the contest with vigour and aggression. He’s showing some really exciting signs, but as a forward he didn’t get many opportunities.”
Jake Stein – nine disposals, two marks and three tackles
“Jake played a number of roles down back; he played on some quick players and some taller players. He was solid but some of his defensive craft needs a bit of work. With 72 entries into the defensive 50, he was under a lot of pressure on the day.”
Aidan Corr – 15 disposals, two marks and two tackles
“Aidan put in a really good performance, he attacked the ball and the man with vigour and laid some really good tackles. He won or halved most of his contests in the back half and showed some great leadership down there too. The positive was that his body held up and he’ll now be knocking on the door for an AFL call-up.”
Connor Idun – 16 disposals, five marks, four tackles
“Another solid performance down back, Connor was particularly good in the second half, restricting his opponent to just one touch. His ability to win and halve contests is really, really good. He continues to improve each week; it was an impressive performance.”
Lachie Keeffe – 12 disposals, one mark, one tackle
“Another defender who had to deal with a lot of ball coming inside defensive 50, he won and halved most of his contests. His leadership was excellent on the day and he continues to be a reliable player for us down back.”
Jackson Hately – 30 disposals, seven marks and four tackles
“Jacko was arguably our best player on the day. He found plenty of the ball and his ability to gut run and cover the ground was really good. He’s still continuing to work on his stoppage craft and his defensive running patterns, but overall his work offensively was really good.”
Dawson Simpson – 12 disposals, one mark, three tackles, 30 hit outs
“Dawson won 30 hit outs and he was up against Archie Smith, who only won 12, so he won the battle there. Around the ground he was particularly good and gave our midfielders first use; we actually won the clearances on the day, which had a lot to do with his ruck work. He can improve on his contested marking long down the line, but his ruck work was quite good on the day.
Aiden Bonar – 15 disposals and five tackles
“Aiden didn’t find a lot of the ball on the day, but his stoppage work with his hunt and aggression around the contest was good. He just didn’t have a day where he had a lot of the ball.”
Matt Flynn – 19 disposals, five marks and two tackles
“Matty played most of his game forward but spent a third of each quarter in the ruck. When in the ruck he had an even tussle against Archie Smith. His centre bounce ruck work was good, around the ground it was fairly even. He had eight clearances on the day, so his follow-up work was much improved. He just needs to continue to work on his contested marking.”
Isaac Cumming – two disposals
“Halfway through the first quarter he got knocked out, so he couldn’t play any further part. It was a shame because prior to that he was on the wing and he showed some confidence there with it being a new position for him.”
Xavier O’Halloran – 21 disposals, five marks, three tackles
“He was good around the contest, his ability to attack and hunt the ball was really good. He’s just got to work on his spread, running defensively and offensively which will help him get more disposals. For his second game for the club, he’s heading in the right direction and showing a lot of promise.”
Callum Brown – three disposals, two tackles, one mark
“He’s still learning his forward craft, but when he has the ball in hand he’s really exciting. He has a great turn of speed but he’s a work in progress with his forward craft and game sense. He took a really nice contested mark on the wing.”
