by Murray Silby
NT Thunder has made its first away trip for the season a successful one by winning its traditional NEAFL Anzac Day round clash against Redland by 39 points, 15.7 (107) to 10.8 (68).
It wasn’t until the third quarter of their Round 4 match on Saturday that Thunder managed to exert its authority over the Brisbane side and only then after two-and-a-half quarters of tough, tightly contested football.
Wayward kicking didn’t help, but much of that could be put down to the constant pressure of the Bombers during that first half.
Four goals to two in the third term gave Thunder an edge as well as a 26-point lead at the final change.
NT then went to work in the last term, adding the first three goals of the quarter to push the margin out to 43 points. It got as much as 57 before a flurry of late goals by Redland brought it back to the relatively respectable 39 at the finish.
Earlier, an often-congested game had sometimes meant it wasn’t pretty football to watch skill-wise but was still entertaining in the closeness of the match.
Redland had its chances in the first half with former Brisbane forward Jackson Paine playing a traditional lead-up role, but missing opportunities he should have goaled from. He finished the day goalless, but with five behinds to his name.
Another former AFL-listed player, ex-Gold Coast Sun Clay Cameron notched up 18 kicks and six handballs roaming all over the field and also contributed two goals, while fellow onballer Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds (14 and nine) was another to get his hands on the ball frequently for the losers.
The pair had benefitted from a massive hit-out advantage of 77 to 29, thanks mostly to big ruckman Craig Malone, but despite the lopsided statistic in the ruck contest, Thunder’s ruckmen, Neil Vea Vea and Ryan Smith, worked hard at ground level around the field, particularly Vea Vea.
The Bombers’ Aaron Christensen popped up with three goals in the final term, but the match had already been decided by then.
Ironically, reading the statistics, you could be excused for thinking Redland had won the match, given its lead in kicks (192-170), handballs (111-94), marks (86-54), tackles (54-53), free kicks for (24-16) and frees against (14-22).
In spite of the statistics though, the Bombers were unable to counter Thunder’s quick switch of play from the turnover, which meant NT was regularly able to record quick goals when stalemate seemed to be the order of play.
As is so often the case, veteran Cameron Ilett was one of the main instigators of NT’s supremacy, firstly in defence early in the match and later on the ball.
Inclusions for the match, Matt Rosier and Sam Talbot, were also good performers for Thunder, Rosier burrowing in at clearances and Talbot contributing a goal while also helping out in defence.
First-year player Adam Sambono had the NEAFL community abuzz after his first-round haul of six goals and a rising star nomination before a quieter match in the second.
He bounced back in Saturday’s game though with four goals and 14 kicks in all to be awarded the Anzac Medal for best on ground.
“I played forward pocket with Darren Ewing and I reckon I went alright kicking four goals,” Sambono said.
Ewing was irrepressible as usual and contributed four goals himself.
Sambono added that winning the medal will ensure his first “road trip” with Thunder will be a memorable one.
“That’s something special for me in my first away game for Thunder. It was actually fun travelling with the boys and everyone did well today.”
Sambono’s coach, Andrew Hodges, said the mercurial forward did more than create scoring chances for himself.
“He played a great game and deserves the medal,” Hodges said.
“He’s very dangerous, his defensive pressure in the forward line was fantastic and created opportunities for himself and his team-mates, which was great.
“We had contributors right across the board. Cameron Ilett was fantastic. Ryan Smith and Neil Vea Vea in the ruck were very good as well and Matt Rosier playing his first game back was also great.
“The back six were very good, they played very tight and didn’t give Redland much opportunity to score, but I think our team defence across the board was a really strong focus for us today and to get the win on the back of some really good defensive efforts was great.”
Hodges said he was pleased his players held their nerve when the match was tight in the first half.
“Very pleasing,” he said. “Obviously it was a bit of a grind early on but to grind out a win, the game opened up late, which was fantastic, but it was a grind for two-and-a-half quarters, but we just stayed patient and to come home with the win was really great.”
RESULT
Redland 2.3, 4.4, 6.6, 10.8 (68)
NT Thunder 4.4, 5.8, 9.15, 15.17 (107)
GOALS
NT Thunder: Darren Ewing 4, Adam Sambono 4, Damian Williams 3, Michael Coombes, Ben Rioli, Sam Talbot, Braedon McLean.
Redland: Aaron Christensen 3, Clay Cameron 2, Isaiah Edwards, Matt Thomson, Boyd Bailey, Damian Steven, Kyle Walsh.
BEST
NT Thunder: Cameron Ilett, Adam Sambono, Tom Davies, Sam Talbot, Nick Yarran, Matt Rosier, Neil Vea Vea.
Redland: Clay Cameron, Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds, Soul Cormick, Stephen Mills, Luke Rogerson, Peter Yagmoor, Damian Steven.