NT Thunder has made six changes to its team; welcoming back a mix of experience, youth and flair, to take on the GWS Giants on Saturday evening in Darwin.
Sure to be spurred on by wearing a special 10-year commemorative guernsey emblazoned with the names of all Thunder players over the past decade, the Round 9 team consists of players in their first season with the club and those in their tenth.
After a successful Academy Series campaign with the Thunder Under 18s where he picked up the most valuable player for the NT, Rodney Baird comes back into the side for his first game since Round 1.
Also returning to the side after missing last weekend for work is flashy, small forward, Matt Campbell and reliable, big ruckman, Ryan Smith, who along with Jack Monigatti, will be tasked with taking on the competition’s dominant ruck pairing from the Giants.
Braedon McLean will add plenty of outside run down the wing, while exciting duo Jarrod Stokes and Ross Tungatalum will excite with their hard work on-ball and their usual bag of tricks.
One of last week’s debut players, Tylah Saunders is unavailable, while Tom Davies, Patrick Heenan, Scott McLeod, Patrick White and Shaun Wilson have all been omitted as the selection panel look for the team most evenly-matched for the opposition.
NT Thunder Head Coach Andrew Hodges said the team was still working on putting in a full four-quarter effort and tomorrow’s game against the Giants would prove the perfect opportunity to test their mettle.
“We’ve spoken about it a couple of times this season, but small lapses in concentration and effort have cost us dearly. One lousy quarter can quickly undo our hard work, and this weekend against the Giants there’s no room for that.
“They were dominant from start to end in their win last weekend and even though we’ve had the wood over them in recent years, as last year’s game shows, it took until after the siren for us to grind out that win, so we’re expecting another tough one,” he said.
On the commemorative guernsey, Hodges said there was a buzz amongst the group in getting to wear it.
“Before training last night the boys were all checking it out trying to spot their name on it. But in doing so they saw laid out in front of them the other 220 plus players who have given something to the club and got us to where we are today, so this weekend we aim to put in a performance worthy of Thunder both past and present.”
NEAFL Round 9
NT Thunder vs GWS Giants
6:30pm ACST
Saturday 2 June
TIO Stadium, Darwin
B: Ben Rioli, Sam Dyke, Rodney Baird*
HB: Cameron Ilett, Kaine Riley, Sam Smith
C: Braedon McLean, Abraham Ankers, Dion Munkara
HF: Shannon Rioli, Hugo Drogemuller, Chris Williams
F: Adam Sambono, Darren Ewing, Matt Campbell
FOLL: Ryan Smith, Joe Anderson, Patrick Boles
INT: Ross Tungatalum, Jack Monigatti, Sam Talbot, Jarrod Stokes, Richard Tambling
EMERGENCIES: Patrick Heenan, Tom Davies, Patrick White
IN: Rodney Baird, Matt Campbell, Braedon McLean, Ryan Smith, Jarrod Stokes, Ross Tungatalum
OUT: Tylah Saunders (unavailable), Tom Davies, Patrick Heenan, Scott McLeod, Patrick White and Shaun Wilson (all omitted)
* Indicates 23rd player
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