Bupa TSL Round 10 Preview
Round 10 of the Bupa Tasmanian State League season looms as a blockbuster, with the southern Bombers looking to mark a club stalwart’s milestone with a win, the ‘Roos eager to regain momentum after the bye and a showdown between two of the competition’s very best at KGV.
Saturday 2nd June
Lauderdale v Launceston (Lauderdale Oval) – 2:00pm
Last Time They Met: Lauderdale 9.8 (62) def. by Launceston 18.16 (124) – Round 3, 2017 at Lauderdale Oval
Form Guide (most recent first): Lauderdale – W L L W B | Launceston – W L W W W
Lauderdale’s stirring round nine win over Launceston makes this game a tantalising prospect. The Bombers enter the clash full of confidence, but will need to be at their best to take down one of the competition’s pacesetters.
Josh McGuinness, Ben McGuinness and Nicholas Raglione are all set to play key roles in restricting the output of Mitch Thorp and the raft of other players that drift inside 50, while the ruck duel between Haydn Smith and Hamish Leedham will also be integral.
It is hard to topple the Blues’ midfield group of Jobi Harper, Brodie Palfreyman and Sam Rundle, but after doing a stellar job on Rhys Mott last week, expect Leo Harrison to pay close attention to one of them.
It’s hard to tip against the rampant Blues in 2018, and they are likely to win this weekend, but expect the Bombers to push Sam Lonergan’s side to the very brink – particularly with this being Alex Hevey’s 200th.
Keep your eyes out for Launceston’s commemorative Sir Doug Nicholls round guernsey, modelled proudly by Rulla Kelly-Mansell and Dylan Riley during the week, while also expect the likes of Tim Mosquito, Henry Kerinaiua, Josh McGuinness and Ben McGuinness to stand tall for the Bombers in the weekend coinciding with National Reconciliation Week, a terrific opportunity to acknowledge the historical, current and future influence of Indigenous Australians on our great game.
Players to watch:
Alex Hevey (Lauderdale): A stalwart of the Lauderdale football club, Alex Hevey’s 200th game is a significant milestone for the utility and for the club. A workhorse around the ground, Hevey is the type of footballer coaches would love to have and teammates would love to play alongside. Expect Hevey to have a big day against the Blues.
Jimmy Aganas (Launceston): A daring defender capable of providing dangerous rebound and locking down an opposing forward, Aganas is a crucial cog in this Launceston outfit. Lauderdale have several utilities that can shift between attack and defence but expect Aganas to work off the likes of Ryan Wiggins, Jacob Gillbee and Ben McGuinness.
Score updates via the official TSL App for Android and Apple.
Updates on the TSL Facebook page, TSL Twitter account
Photos and vision on the official TSL Instagram account
Clarence v. North Hobart (Blundstone Arena) – 2:00pm
Last Time They Met: North Hobart 4.8 (32) def. by Clarence 13.18 (96) – Round 3, 2017 at North Hobart Oval
Form Guide (most recent first): Clarence – B W W W L | North Hobart – L W B L L
North Hobart came crashing back to earth after round eight’s historic win, going down to the Blues by over 100 points.
Things won’t get much easier when the Demons take on Clarence, who off the bye, will be looking to continue an impressive patch of form that has seen the Roos jump into third.
Ryan Bailey is putting together an exceptional campaign in the ruck, while Troy Cunliffe, Jeromey Webberley and Jake Cox also loom as danger men for the Demons.
Clarence’s mobile forward line is a different beast to that of Launceston’s last weekend, but expect this young North Hobart backline to try and match the ground level pressure of Ashton Dickenson and the like.
The Demons will come into this clash with a point to prove, but it is tough to go past the Roos, who will be eager to stamp their authority after the round nine bye.
Players to watch:
Chris Nield (Clarence): One of the recruits of the season, Nield has slotted into life as a Roo with ease, using his bigger frame and impressive skills to hit the scoreboard as a high pressure half forward.
Bailey Walker (North Hobart): After being moved to the rampant Mitch Thorp in the second term on Saturday, Walker kept the Launceston star, who had already booted five goals early into the second term, goalless for the remainder of the match. Likely to play a critical role again this week.
Score updates via the official TSL App for Android and Apple.
Updates on the TSL Facebook page, TSL Twitter account
Photos and vision on the official TSL Instagram account
Glenorchy v. North Launceston (KGV Oval) – 2:00pm
Last Time They Met: North Launceston 7.9 (51) def. by Glenorchy 16.7 (103) – Round 3, 2017 at UTAS Stadium
Form Guide (most recent first): North Launceston – W W B W W | Glenorchy – L B L L W
A depleted North Launceston side was overrun by the rampant Magpies back in round three and will head into this clash with plenty of plans in place.
Glenorchy may not have come up against a full-strength North Launceston outfit last time, but they would have taken plenty of confidence out of the result and will head into this clash with the belief that lightning can strike twice.
The Magpies have dropped their last three games after winning four straight to start the season, making this clash against the Northern Bombers a highly important one.
Although Glenorchy will be without suspended key Josh Grant, the Magpies possess the firepower to trouble the Bombers with the midfield battle of Brayden Webb, Rhys Mott and Jaye Bowden against Taylor Whitford, Mark Walsh and Josh Ponting set to be fascinating.
Glenorchy’s defensive group of Harrison Gunther, Josh Arnold and Daniel Joseph is one of the few in the competition that could shut down the Bombers’ potent forward line, but even so, it is tough to past the reigning premiers in this one.
This promises to be essential viewing.
Players to watch:
Josh Arnold (Glenorchy): The general of the Glenorchy back six, Arnold has been an integral part of the Magpies’ impressive start to 2018. A standout against the Bombers last weekend, expect him to again play a key role for the ‘Pies.
Arion Richter-Salter (North Launceston): After a consistent 2017 season saw him claim a premiership medallion, Richter-Salter has been in terrific touch to start 2018, finding his niche at half back. Expect the 19-year-old to generate plenty of drive out of the back half.
LIVE Stream of the match via Facebook and YouTube with commentary from Damian Gill, Brent Costelloe and Cam Brown
Score updates via the official TSL App for Android and Apple.
Updates on the TSL Facebook page, TSL Twitter account
Photos and vision on the official TSL Instagram account
