Ethan Liddle and Joel Jeffrey are in line to be the latest NT youngsters to debut for the NT Thunder senior side when it takes on Redland in the AFL curtain-raiser in Darwin on Saturday afternoon.
Liddle, who turns 22 the day after his debut game on Sunday, will be the fourth Alice Springs-based player to join the team of 23 after Nigel Lockyer put in a solid performance on debut last weekend, and Abe Ankers and Dylan Barry have been consistent performers all season.
At only 17-years-of-age, Jeffrey will be the youngest player in the team this weekend and follows in his famous family’s footsteps by pulling on an NT representative jumper at senior level.
After an impressing showing with the NT Thunder Under 18s, playing mostly as a defender, and by backing it up at Allies camp last week, Jeffrey has earned his call up to the NEAFL.
Joining him in this weekend’s side is his Allies and NAB AFL Academy companion, Malcolm Rosas, who is in for his first game for 2019.
Rosas, who has been slowly building up his capacity after suffering a back injury, last played for the senior side in Round 21 last year.
He set the field alight in 2018 with his pace, and Head Coach Darren Reeves expects he will do the same this weekend.
“Mally is an extremely gifted player who has shown great commitment on and off the field to get his body right to go again this weekend, so we look forward to seeing him use his pace and silky skills to set up and link through in our attacking moves.”
On his newest players, Reeves described both Liddle and Jeffrey as highly capable youngsters.
“We have been keen on Ethan after he impressed us in a Redtails game earlier in the year, and then how he has gone about his training and his form in the first few rounds of the CAFL has been excellent.
“He plays with high energy, and we have no doubt he will be able to step up to NEAFL level with minimal fuss.
“As for Joel, well he is one of the most naturally gifted youngsters I have seen and his versatility to play either end of the ground and be equally as effective gives him an edge.”
Also coming back into the team to face the Bombers is co-captain Shannon Rioli, who was a late withdrawal last week, and Joe Anderson who has missed the previous two rounds with a virus.
Hugo Drogemuller and Daniel Weetra round out the changes after completing work commitments last weekend.
In all, NT Thunder will have 15 of the same players who last played Redland in Round 4, kicking nine goals to five to take its first win of the season.
Reeves said the occasion of wearing the club’s specially designed Indigenous guernsey in an AFL curtain-raiser was spurring his side on.
“During the week at training, a couple of our leaders got up and spoke to the whole group about what the significance of the Indigenous guernsey is.
“What really stuck with me was the bit about the turtle shell design on the back, that it is there to signify that we are unbreakable. Though we’ve had a couple of tough weeks we are pleased with how well the team has stuck together and that they get back up and go again.
“We are all getting a buzz out of the AFL being in town and knowing we’ll have a few extra people catching the end of our game, or with any luck more of it, is very exciting.
“We know we can beat Redland, but we also know they are a very capable team who have had a few unlucky losses, so no doubt they’ll be coming for us and we’ll have to be up to the task if we want to get that win,” he said.
NEAFL Round 9
NT Thunder vs Redland
3:30pm ACST, Saturday 1 June
TIO Stadium, Darwin
B: Nigel Lockyer, David Johnston, Kieren Parnell
HB: Joe Anderson, Joel Jeffrey*, Daniel Weetra
C: Brodie Carroll, Nathaniel Paredes, Ethan Liddle
HF: Abraham Ankers (c), Dean Staunton, Kieran Delahunty
F: Adam Tipungwuti, Trent Melville, Dylan Barry
FOLL: Jack Hannath, Cohen Thiele, Ben Rioli
INT: Jacob Templeton, Clinton Gallio, Hugo Drogemuller, Malcom Rosas, Shannon Rioli (c)
EMERGENCIES: Joel Stevens, Jack Monigatti, Chris Williams
IN: Joe Anderson, Hugo Drogemuller, Joel Jeffrey, Ethan Liddle, Shannon Rioli, Malcolm Rosas, Daniel Weetra
OUT: Tom Davies (omitted), Jack Monigatti (omitted), Brandon Rusca (omitted), Joel Stevens (omitted), Richard Tambling (managed), Ben Taylor (corky), Chris Williams (omitted)
NEW: Ethan Liddle, Joel Jeffrey
* Indicates 23rd player
Please note a valid AFL game entry ticket is required to attend this curtain-raiser. Qualified members have been contacted, everyone else can purchase a ticket online at NTix: https://www.ntix.com.au/#!/events/-LbVi2UlDTGNh4VYeC4-/
You can live stream this game on ThunderVision if you’re unable to make it: https://www.youtube.com/TerritoryThunder