BUPA TSL Round 17 Preview
Round 17 is set to ask some big questions of the competition’s premiership hopefuls, with ladder leader North Launceston travelling to KGV, the Blues hosting the southern Bombers and Clarence coming off the bye with a tricky assignment against North Hobart.
Check out all the team selections here.
Saturday 21st July
Launceston v Lauderdale – Windsor Park (2:00pm)
Last Time They Met: Lauderdale 17.9 (111) def. Launceston 12.9 (81) – Round 10, 2018 at Lauderdale Oval
Form Guide (most recent first): Launceston – WLLBL | Lauderdale – WWLWW
We are set to learn a little more about the Bombers and Blues when the two sides meet at Windsor Park.
The Bombers are the form team of the competition with six wins from the past seven games, while the Blues will be full of confidence after getting back on the winners’ list last week.
Lauderdale’s stars look to be reaching peak form in recent times with Ben McGuinness, Rhys Sutton, Nat Franklin and Phil Bellchambers all in red-hot form.
The returns of Thor Boscott and Toutai Havea have been enormous, while the lockdown roles played by Josh McGuinness in recent weeks have also been crucial.
Keep your eyes peeled for who McGuinness goes to this week, with the absence of injured utility Alex Hill opening the door for a match-up with Launceston spearhead Mitch Thorp.
Brodie Palfreyman, Jake Hinds and Chayce Jones will be integral in the midfield and due to their form expect young Lauderdale tagger Leo Harrison to pay close attention to one of these stars.
The Bombers will also need to look at negating the influence of Jamieson House and Rulla Kelly-Mansell, both of whom enter this match in sparkling touch, while Launceston will need to lock down on Jacob Gillbee, Tim Mosquito and Ed Stanley in defence.
A win to the Blues in Jake Smith’s 100th game will once again shake up the make-up of the final five, while a Bomber win will make the Blues’ top four aspirations even trickier.
The Bombers have a dynamic forward group and a balanced midfield capable of hitting the scoreboard, and with so many X-Factors, it is hard to go past the red-hot Bombers. This promises to be a genuine cracker, however, and one that could go either way.
Tip: Bombers by 12 points
Players to watch:
Rulla Kelly-Mansell (Launceston): After battling injury issues earlier this season, Kelly-Mansell delivered his best performance of the season against the Demons. Finding plenty of the football across half back, his ability to run and use the ball cleanly makes him a dangerous asset.
Thor Boscott (Lauderdale): Two games back after breaking his foot in the preseason and Boscott looks to have not missed a beat. Capable of competing aerially and at ground level, Boscott will ask the Blues plenty of questions.
LIVE Stream of the match via Facebook and YouTube from 6.55pm with commentary from the team at City Park Radio
City Park Radio live broadcast also available on 103.7 FM and 96.5 FM and online
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: Clarence 16.12 (108) def. North Hobart 7.4 (46) – Round 10, 2018 at Blundstone Arena
Form Guide (most recent first): Clarence – BLWLW | North Hobart – LLBLL
Clarence will come off the bye to face the Demons at Blundstone Arena in round 17.
The ‘Roos will be eager to atone for a three-week stretch prior to the bye that saw two losses to North Launceston and Lauderdale.
Still well and truly in the hunt for top spot or a place in the top two, Clarence simply must win this game to entrench a spot at the top of the table.
Fraser Turner’s senior debut will provide the ‘Roos with a boost, as will the return of coach Jeromey Webberley, but the absence of Jackson O’Brien will be a loss.
North Hobart will continue to give senior experience to its young guns, with the Demons likely to welcome back several under-16 stars from the national championships including Jake Steele and Tasmania MVP Sam Collins.
This influx of young talent will test the ‘Roos, with Bear Robinson claiming that the North Hobart team that will take to Blundstone Arena on Saturday will be the “quickest of the season”.
Expect the Demons to be competitive, but for the hosts to be far too strong with the race towards finals football heating up.
Tip: ‘Roos by 42 points
Players to watch:
Fraser Turner (Clarence): After a sparkling campaign for the Mariners and the Allies, Fraser Turner is set to make his senior TSL debut against the Demons. An elite runner and good user, Turner’s work on the outside could create some headaches for the Dees.
Baxter Norton (North Hobart): Another star from the Mariners and Allies, Norton has slotted seamlessly back into life as a Demon. A classy player with the ability to play in multiple positions, Norton is clearly one of the state’s most exciting prospects.
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: Glenorchy 5.2 (32) def. by North Launceston 13.16 (94) – Round 10, 2018 at KGV Oval
Form Guide (most recent first): Glenorchy – LBWWW | North Launceston – WWWBL
Two of the competition’s top sides will meet at KGV Oval on Saturday when the Northern Bombers travel to face the Magpies.
Glenorchy will be itching to make a statement after going down to Lauderdale last weekend, while the Northern Bombers will be looking to continue a sparkling campaign that has seen the side gather some breathing room atop the ladder.
Glenorchy’s defence will be under immense pressure against the Bombers, who are far and away the competition’s biggest scorer.
Harrison Gunther, Josh Arnold, Josh Grant and Daniel Joseph are all among the best in the business, however, and will look to lock-down on the likes of Bart McCulloch, Tom Bennett, Dakota Bannister and Zach Burt, if he plays inside 50.
The midfield battle will be a cracker, as will the ruck duel between Alex Lee and Cameron Duffy.
Ben Kamaric and Rhys Mott will have their work cut out at the foot of this duel against the likes of Mark Walsh and Josh Ponting, making the playing status of skipper Brayden Webb all the more critical.
If the Magpies can lock the Bombers down and play the game on their terms, as they did in the opening half last time the sides met at KGV Oval, an upset could very well be on the cards.
With superstars across every line and the finals race heating up expect this game to be an entertaining spectacle.
Tip: Bombers by 18 points
Players to watch:
Rhys Mott (Glenorchy): An established star of the competition, Mott can break a game open with his elite kicking and knack for finding the football. Expect Mott to deliver a big game against the high-flying premiers.
Bart McCulloch (North Launceston): The tall Bomber looks to be finding some of his best form and will be a handful for the Glenorchy defence. An excellent kick and superb mark, few can dominate inside 50 when on song like McCulloch.
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
