Blue skies at Windsor Park

The centre square of Windsor Park may have been muddy on Saturday afternoon, but their are blue skies over Riverside at the moment. 

The Blues have been in red-hot form with four wins on the trot rocketing the side into serious premiership calculations.

Saturday’s win over ladder leaders Lauderdale announced that Mitch Thorp’s side means business.

A blistering six-goal to none third stanza broke the game open, with Launceston kicking 10 consecutive goals from the 25-minute mark of the second term to 15 minutes into the last.

This result was eerily similar to the second-half onslaught the Blues delivered at KGV a week earlier, with the visitors kicking eight goals to one in the third term of that clash.

Midfield bull Fletcher Seymour credits these onslaughts to positive ball movement.

“We have had bursts of five to ten minute patches where we just kick goals over the last few weeks.

“I think the way we are starting to move the footy is pretty positive. If we can get the ball moving through the middle of the ground and get the ball in deep to Mitch Thorp, Dylan Riley, Jay Blackberry and James Gillow, they’re pretty dangerous.”

Much has been made of the personnel changes the Blues had after the 2018 season, but now with a settled new-look side at Mitch Thorp’s disposal, the Blues look to be in a strong position.

Players like Jack Tuthill, Jacob Boyd, Alec Wright, Grant Holt and Toby Lucas have all taken their opportunity at the senior level this year to make the Blues a far more daunting proposition for opposition sides.

“Just getting the experience into the young players has been so important,” Seymour said.

“At the start of the year we had 10-12 debutants. They’ve all played 15 games now and are getting more experience week to week as they continue to become better players at this TSL level.

“If you looked at our Development League team last year, they didn’t lose a game. There were a lot of really good players going through there and now they’re getting their opportunity and being able to show that they are well and truly good enough to play senior footy.”

Seymour, much like Thorp, says any discussions surrounding a potential premiership are a way off.

“We still have a long way to go. There is still five weeks of the season to go as well as finals, so we know it is important to not peak too early. On the other side, though, we also know if we keep playing footy that we are right in it this year.

“You don’t want to talk about it (flag chances) at this stage. The group is confident and we know that if we keep playing good footy that anything is possible this year.”

Seymour has been a crucial component in Launceston’s red-hot form, emerging as one of the competition’s very best midfielders.

With six RACT Insurance Player of the Year votes across his last three matches, Seymour now has 16 votes for the year, two clear of next-best Brad Cox-Goodyer and Haydn Smith.

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Combining with experienced duo Jobi Harper and Tim Bristow, Seymour is part of a midfield contingent labelled by Lauderdale coach Darren Winter as the best in the competition.

The depth of this midfield group backs up Winter’s argument, with midfield gun Brodie Palfreyman playing as a wingman in recent weeks.

Throw star duo Jay Blackberry and Dylan Riley into the mix, plus the ever-improving Casey Brown and Brendan Taylor, and you have one of the deepest midfield contingents in the competition.

Seymour is keen to play down his own form, however, insisting his focus remains on the team’s form.

“I’m, pretty happy with the way I’m going at the moment, but I also know that I need to continue playing good footy and play my role to help the team keep winning.”

The third-placed Blues will meet North Hobart at North Hobart Oval in round 17 before a hotly anticipated cross-town derby with North Launceston.