Lessons Learned… Glenorchy v Clarence

Written by Ryan Rosendale

Traditional rivals locked horns on Friday night at KGV when Glenorchy hosted Clarence on the eve of their centennial dinner and it was the Pies that walked away with a comprehensive 70-point win.

Here’s five things we learned from the Round 10 clash:

1. JAYE BOWDEN WAS THE DIFFERENCE

There’s never been any doubt about the credentials of Glenorchy superstar Jaye Bowden but that didn’t stop him from reminding fans just how good he is.

Bowden stood up when the game was on the line – the Roos had brought the margin back to 10-points early in the third-term before Bowden kicked his second of the game and assisted fellow tall Sam Reeves in kicking his third moments later.

From here, Bowden turned the game on its head, booting another six goals to finish with a bag of eight majors and give the 1999 premiership winning Magpies watching on something to smile about.

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2. CLARENCE’S STATESMEN CONTINUE TO STAND UP

It’s been clear from the beginning of this season that 2019 has been about investing in the youth at the Roos and while they continue to develop and show strong signs, it’s the elder brigade of Roos that continue to play consist football.

Once again captain Brady Jones led from the front while Bailey brothers Jason and Ryan, Clint Riley and coach Jeromey Webberley kept their side in the game throughout the second and third terms until Glenorchy put the foot on the gas and in doing so showed that the bottom-age talent in this side have some quality players to learn from.

3. GLENORCHY REAFFIRMED THEIR AUTHORITY AS PREMIERSHIP CONTENDERS

It’s not often that Glenorchy get beaten on home soil in recent years so when they were defeated by Launceston at KGV last week, you knew the Magpies would be out seeking vengeance from the first bounce.

They did exactly that, kicking six goals to one in the first term and answering every challenge thrown at them in the middle patch of the game by Clarence.

They repeated their first quarter antics again in the last-term and in doing so, reaffirmed themselves as serious premiership contenders.

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4. THE PIES FORWARD HALF IS AS GOOD AS ANY IN THE COMPETITION

While it was Jaye Bowden who took the majority of the spoils on Friday night, the game showed that Paul Kennedy has found an extremely good mix of marking talls and lively smalls in the forward-half of the ground.

Key targets Sam Reeves (three) and Aiden Grace (two) were lively throughout the night alongside Bowden while small forwards Callen Daly (three) and Clinton French (two) applied plenty of forward half pressure on the Clarence defenders to go along with hitting the scoreboard.

If the Pies forward half can continue to function this well for the remainder of the season, the other six club’s defensive lines will be very wary when shaping up with Glenorchy.

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5. THE ROOS ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Despite heavy losses in back-to-back weeks against North Launceston and Glenorchy – two serious premiership contenders – Clarence has shown glimpses of what their young talent can bring to the table. When the Roos required someone to take a mark inside 50 and get them back into the game, key tall Chris Nield clunked two contested grabs and finished truly and while he wasn’t able to have a greater impact on the game, he showed he could be the Roos answer to a key forward over the next few seasons.

Fellow youngsters James Bealey, Jack Preshaw and Oscar Paprotny (two goals) were also lively throughout the night, giving clear evidence that Clarence’s investment in youth is on the right track, despite the 70-point deficit.