Bupa TSL Round 16 Forward of the Week
Round 16 Bupa Tasmanian State League action has come and gone, and we now want to know who you considered to be the standout players from the weekend.
We now look at the forward line, where a Lauderdale utility and a Launceston star impressed.
Ben McGuinness (Lauderdale)
The ‘Flying Mullet’ was a strong contributor across the first three quarters on Saturday, kicking a goal in each, but took his game to another level entirely in the final term to ensure the Bombers accelerated away to a big win.
McGuinness kicked four goals in the final term, one from a diving one-armed mark, two from strong contested clunks and one from a free-kick.
McGuinness was lively in the air, with his ability to mark in contested situations a key feature, but his capacity to hunt at ground level and finish in front goal were crucial aspects of this dominant performance.
Having spent considerable time at both ends of the ground this season, McGuinness might have kept his spot as a key forward for the coming weeks after this performance.
Mitch Thorp (Launceston)
The competition’s leading goal-kicker extended his buffer atop the leaderboard with five majors against North Hobart at Windsor Park.
After being well-held for the majority of the match, Thorp further cemented his status as the competition’s premier full forward, working his way into the contest to finish with a haul of five.
Receiving silver service from the likes of Brodie Palfreyman and Chayce Jones, Thorp proved to be a handful, particularly late, filling his boots with three final quarter majors to boost his season tally to 48 – 14 clear of next best Jaye Bowden.
After not kicking more than two goals since round 10, Thorp’s strong goal-kicking form late against the Demons indicates that he will be a difficult proposition for the remainder of the season.
