The Wrap – Round 14

By Joseph Vasquez

Round 14 of the 2022 TSL Season this past weekend was an intriguing one, with margins of victory big and small across the state.

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All you need to do is pick your Round 14 Goal of the Week between these Keren Howlett, Fergus Kenny and Jake Hinds crackers.

Vote now to enter 👉 https://t.co/4XKT8cZTdc pic.twitter.com/9Z2L2UMbV6

— TSL (@TasStateLeague) July 4, 2022

First, it was an utterly textbook victory by Launceston over the hapless Glenorchy at KGV Oval. The match began in an earlier timeslot, commencing at noon rather than the conventional 2pm fixture for senior matches in the TSL.

The travelling Blues made their intent known early, kicking 6.4 to the Magpies’ solitary point in the first quarter. In the second term, Launceston took their score into triple figures before half-time, kicking 10.4 to lead by 103 points after keeping Glenorchy for the quarter.

Things only got better for the Blues from there, kicking 7.4 in the third term and a mammoth 14.3 in the fourth term. Glenorchy finally managed a major in the dying moments of the game thanks to Joshua Meredith, a consolation goal in a very bitter defeat of 228 points. (Launceston won 37.15.237 to Glenorchy’s 1.3.9.)

Forward Jake Hinds was the star of the Blues forward line, kicking a superb 10.3 and accumulating 19 disposals and nine marks. Hinds was bolstered by fellow forwards Zachary Morris (7.1, 19 disposals, eight marks), Brendan Taylor (4.2, 18 disposals), Ryan Tyrrell (3.2, 23 disposals, eight marks), Jackson Thurlow (3.2, 10 disposals) and Jay Blackberry (3.1, 18 disposals, seven marks).

Additionally, Launceston midfielders Fletcher Seymour (42 disposals, nine clearances), Jobi Harper (two goals, 38 disposals, 18 clearances), Brodie Palfreyman (two goals, 34 disposals, 10 clearances), and Joe Groenewegen (22 disposals, 48 hit-outs, nine clearances) were all brilliant out the middle in the navy blue.

Despite the grim reading for the hosts, Glenorchy’s Ben Kamaric (24 disposals, seven one-percenters, eight rebound inside-50s), Matthew Joseph (21 disposals), and Josh Arnold (21 disposals) stood their ground against strong opposition.

Later in the afternoon, it was the Battle of the Bombers at UTAS Stadium between North Launceston and Lauderdale. It was an arm-wrestle of an opening term, with the Northern Bombers kicking 2.4 to Lauderdale’s 2.2 to lead by two points.

The arm-wrestle continued in the second quarter, but North Launceston retained a five-point lead at the half. However, their southern counterparts bounced back following the break, kicking 3.6 to 1.4 in the third quarter to take a nine-point lead into the last.

In a hugely important clash and with the game in the balance, Allen Christensen stepped up and delivered 💥💥

The Lauderdale star’s back-to-back goals late in the third term gave his side the lead and set up a big win.

He earns the Cripps Fresh Play of the Week for round 14! 🍞 pic.twitter.com/C9dMeuIIBE

— TSL (@TasStateLeague) July 5, 2022

Both sides sprayed their shots in the last quarter, but Lauderdale kept North Launceston to just 0.2 and after kicking 2.6 themselves ran out 8.16.64 to 4.15.39 winners.

Allen Christensen (3.2, 25 disposals) and Sam Siggins (2.4, 11 clearances, 32 disposals) were Lauderdale’s best up forward, and the likes of Josh McGuinness (23 disposals, eight rebound inside-50s), Rhys Sutton (0.1, 21 disposals, 10 marks), and Will Poland (20 disposals, 10 marks) were excellent in an important victory for Lauderdale.

In the North Launceston camp, Fletcher Bennett (34 disposals, seven marks), Brad Cox-Goodyer (0.2, 30 disposals, 12 clearances), and Jack Avent (22 disposals, six clearances) were dominant on the afternoon for the North.

Finally, it was a blockbuster fixture at Blundstone Arena between Clarence at the Tigers. The first term was a shootout, with Kingborough managing 6.1 and the Roos four goals straight.

The second term was more sparing in terms of scoring, with Clarence kicking 2.2 to the Tigers’ one goal to close the gap to only a goal at half-time.

Kingborough took their lead back out to 13 points at three quarter-time with a 2.2 to 1.1 third term, and despite the Roos’ best efforts to take the lead late, the Tigers held them off to win 11.5.71 to 8.6.54.

Jordan Lane (2.1, 12 disposals) and Marcus Gardner (two goals, 10 hit-outs, 11 disposals) were Kingborough’s best in terms of scoring, and stars like Kieran Lovell (one goal, 12 clearances, 35 disposals), Eddie Cole (one goal, nine clearances, 26 disposals), and Lachlan Clifford (24 disposals, eight clearances) were dominant through the middle.

For the Roos, it was Sam Green (two goals, 12 hit-outs, 18 disposals) and Keren Howlett (two goals, 10 disposals) who carried the load up forward, and the likes of Baxter Norton (24 disposals, seven marks, eight clearances) and James Holmes (20 disposals) contended strongly.

This weekend, Glenorchy takes on Clarence at KGV Oval, Launceston and Kingborough contend in a top-of-the-table clash at Windsor Park, and North Hobart returns from their week off to host North Launceston at North Hobart Oval.