Shane Mumford has pushed his case for a round three return with the ruckman impressing during the GIANTS’ NEAFL practice match loss to the Swans on Saturday.
Despite Mumford and former defender Jake Stein putting in impressive performances, the GIANTS were no match for the Swans, losing by 43 points - 5.6 (36) to 11.13 (79) - in wet conditions.
“The conditions were pretty wet, particularly early in the game,” GIANTS development coach Damian Truslove said.
“It was very contested, there weren’t many chain handballs, it was more of a surging game style, but despite the loss it was good preparation for our boys ahead of round one.”
The game saw delisted free agent Tommy Sheridan and draftee Xavier O’Halloran play their first games for the GIANTS with the midfield duo returning from minor injuries.
The GIANTS play the Swans again in round one of the NEAFL premiership season on Saturday, April 6 at GIANTS Stadium with first bounce at 12:55pm.
Damian Truslove on the GIANTS AFL List Players:
Shane Mumford
“Mummy was good, he had a good battle against Darcy Cameron in the ruck and probably just got on top. He was very good in the centre bounce with some good hit outs to advantage and his follow up work, and work to help out defenders was impressive. He’s covering the ground very well at the moment.”
Connor Idun
“He played deep back and made some really good spoils. He’s going pretty well; his body work is good and he’s really working on his defensive craft. He’ll get better with every week he plays.”
Matt Flynn
“Matt played predominantly forward and also spent about 30 per cent of game time in the ruck. He took some great contested marks. In the first half he was looking very dangerous but in the second half he spent more time in the ruck. His ruck craft was good and he’s looking very dangerous, but he’s got to finish off by kicking some goals.”
Zach Sproule
“He played the first half on the wing and found plenty of the ball, so he looked a natural player on the wing. He’s got some work to do on his stoppage craft as a wingman, but he showed a bit of promise there. In the second half he played as a forward but got limited opportunities, our entries weren’t great coming inside 50 but he competed pretty well.”
Dylan Buckley
“Dylan was a little bit quiet on the day but the thing about him is he continued competing, he kept trying to tackle and harass, and put pressure on the opposition. But he’ll need to work on his forward craft to have more impact on the game.”
Jack Buckley
“He played the first half forward and the second half on the wing. He worked really hard up and down the ground, his running patterns were really good as a winger but it’s all new to him. He’ll need to work on his stoppage craft as a winger.”
Kieren Briggs
“He took a couple of good marks and laid some really good run-down tackles so he’s getting better as all first-year players do. He’s getting better each game and if he continues to work hard, he’ll get the rewards.”
Nick Shipley
“He had a dual role, we wanted to put him to put a bit of pressure on Kieren Jack, so it was a bit of education for Nick to play on someone of that quality. He struggled a little bit with his defensive side of the game but offensively he was very good.”
Aiden Bonar
“He continues to improve. His spread from stoppage was really good this week and he’s been working hard on that. His body work and his hunt at the contest continues to be good.”
Xavier O’Halloran
“Xavier O’Halloran had a really good first game for the club after a stint in the rehab group. His work ethic and running patterns were really good. He’s tough on the inside and it was a really impressive first game from one of our draftees.”
Isaac Cumming
“Isaac gave us some run off half-back and he’s working on the balance of offense and defence off half back. He’s starting to get it right with his defensive craft and spoiling, and providing us with that run.”
Jake Stein
“He played really well. He had about a dozen spoils on the day and defended really well. His form on the back end of last year and the start of pre-season this year has been outstanding. He continues to beat his opponent and use the ball well by foot. I’m sure he’ll be knocking on the door of the AFL team.”
Tommy Sheridan
“Tommy had a good first game after coming back from the rehab group. He played predominantly on the wing and a bit as an inside mid. He found plenty of the ball and got better and better as the game went on. It’s exciting to see what he’s going to bring in the next couple of weeks, his work ethic and running patterns were very good.”
