by Murray Silby
NT Thunder and the Southport Sharks have completed significant turnarounds in their fortunes in just one week.
Southport put last week’s 150-point thrashing at the hands of Brisbane behind it by defeating NT Thunder in its Round 13 NEAFL game in Alice Springs by 53 points, 19.9 (123) to 10.10 (70).
The fourth-placed Thunder was hosting the ninth-placed Southport at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs and entered the game as favourites.
Thunder coach Andrew Hodges has often said there are no easy games in the NEAFL and if you’re off your game slightly then you’ll suffer the consequences and this result added weight to his argument.
Hodges said after the match that a combination of his side being off its game and Southport’s fine performance had led to the loss.
“Absolutely disappointing,” he said. “Our effort and attitude wasn’t great today. We didn’t use the ball very well, but full credit to Southport, they didn’t let us play our brand of footy and they played really well.”
Southport indicated its intentions for the match with a solid first quarter that resulted in a 22-point quarter-time lead and the Sharks were led by the ample frame and hands of Hamish Shepheard.
Thunder struggled to counter Shepheard’s size and marking ability as the former Fremantle-listed forward proved irresistible with three goals from marks and set shots.
With Joshua Baxter chimed in with a goal after a free kick was granted downfield and when Mitchell Johnson added one on the run the Sharks looked nothing like the side that was thumped last week.
Meanwhile, Thunder’s sole goal came from a Sam Talbot shot on the run from 55 metres.
The home side lifted its intensity in the second quarter, taking just 22 seconds to hit back through a snap by Ewing.
Hometown hero Matt Rosier then added another four minutes later to bring the margin back to 12 points and it was game on, but Southport was determined to maintain its lead and banged on the next three goals.
They came off the boots of Blake Erickson on the run, Baxter on the goal line after Thunder gave away a 50-metre penalty and then Shepheard kicked his fourth for the match after outmuscling Thomas Davies in a marking duel.
Playing his second game for Thunder, Francis Kinthari showed some flare by running around an opponent and goaling on the run and Ewing added a late one in the 30th minute, but a Mitchell Johnson goal between those two meant the quarter-time margin remained static on 22 points at half-time.
Some real intent was shown by Thunder in the third quarter and it was its veterans who lit the flame.
Two goals to Cameron Ilett and another to Ewing either side of a James Holland goal for Southport had narrowed the margin to just nine points by the 12-minute-mark, but the comeback was short-lived.
The two Dylans – Mutu and Lancaster – chimed in with goals and then Shepheard added another two, his fifth and sixth for the match, the sixth coming after the siren from a free kick awarded moments before the siren.
That pushed the margin out to 35 points by three-quarter-time and set off a melee in a game that had seen its fair share of niggle between players.
If the flame of a hopeful Thunder comeback had deteriorated to just a flicker, it was given a slight puff of breath by a Michael Hagan goal five minutes into the final quarter, but a couple of minutes later Baxter added his third and what felt a lot like the sealer, expanding the margin to 36 points.
Hugo Drogemuller managed another for Thunder on the run, but by that stage, it was the Sharks running away with the match.
Baxter kicked his fourth, Johnson his third and Lancaster his second and Thunder’s fate was sealed.
The visitors’ victory was orchestrated by its on-ball division with Jordan Keras and captain Seb Tape leading the way.
Keras started the match equal leader of the NEAFL’s MVP award, sharing it with Thunder’s Ilett, who was also his side’s best.
The home side couldn’t counter the size, marking ability or mobility of Shepheard up forward, who received fine delivery from his team-mates up the field.
“He was really good,” Hodges admitted. “We tried a few different matchups on him and he still seemed to get off the leash. We needed to do a better job of stopping the supply into him and we didn’t put enough pressure on their midfield or their defenders going forward.
“They seemed able to find targets pretty easily and our defensive game wasn’t great today.”
A positive note for Thunder was the performance of young ruckman Tony Olango, who used his leap and mobility to hold his own around the ground against much stronger opponents Fraser Thurlow and Jonathan Croad.
“Tony showed some positive signs,” Hodges said. “We thought Cameron Ilett was probably our best and tried really hard. Abe Ankers had a lot of attention from the opposition, they went after him tonight and I thought he tried hard at times in the game and Matt Rosier tried hard as well.
“It’s very disappointing and we’ll go back and do a full review of the game and make sure that we bounce back for next week,” Hodges said.
Thunder plays the bottom-placed GWS Giants in Round 14.
RESULT
NT Thunder 1.4, 5.7, 8.8, 10.10 (70)
Southport Sharks 5.2, 9.5, 14.7, 19.9 (123)
GOALS
NT Thunder: Darren Ewing 3, Cameron Ilett 2, Sam Talbot, Matt Rosier, Francis Kinthari, Michael Hagan, Hugo Drogemuller.
Southport Sharks: Hamish Shepheard 6, Joshua Baxter 4, Mitchell Johnson 3, Dylan Lancaster 2, Blake Erickson, James Holland, Dylan Mutu, Wade Hancock.
BEST
NT Thunder: Cameron Ilett, Tony Olango, Shannon Rioli, Abraham Ankers, Matt Rosier, Sam Smith.
Southport Sharks: Jordan Keras, Heath Shepheard, Mitchell Johnson, Todd Grayson, Seb Tape, Nick Crowley.