The NT Thunder Under 18s team to take on Tasmania in Round 2 of the Academy Series this weekend has been named with four changes from the team that went down to the GWS Academy in Round 1.
Deacon Braun, who is originally from Alice Springs but schooling in Adelaide, will bring with him his aggression and fight in a contested ball situation.
He will be joined by Katherine’s Robert Campbell, who is known to coaches for his football smarts and tireless work rate.
Another remote player, Barrindi Ngurruruthun will make the long trip from Yirrkala to Melbourne this weekend to line up for his first game of the 2018 series. His athleticism and strong marking power will be welcome traits for the team. (*LATE CHANGE Barrindi Ngurruwuthun has been replaced in the team by James Bell. Ngurruwuthun was unable to make it into Darwin from Yirrkala.)
Another athletic player in Southern Districts’ Izaak Wyatt has been brought into the line-up in the hope of delivering the “x factor” he is touted for.
Missing this week will be Domonic ‘Junior’ Grant who was a consistent performer for the NT in Round 1 until he sustained a shoulder injury in the last quarter. Further assessments on the shoulder are required before a final prognosis is known.
Also sidelined for the game this Sunday are Jackson Cole, Louis Kossack and Shawn Foster who were all omitted.
Academy Coach Jimmy Driscoll said there was a lot to like about the team’s performance in Round 1 and minor adjustments could reap the rewards.
“Round 2 against Tasmania is a really good opportunity for our boys to continually improve.
“We were very competitive in Round 1 but lacked the finish. We had more inside 50s and more tackles than our opposition, so our defensive pressure was a real feature.
“Once we can finish our hard work that will allow us to get into winnable positions, so that’s what we’ll be looking to do this weekend,” he said.
Under 18 Academy Series – ROUND 2
NT Thunder vs Tasmania
10am AEST
Sunday 22 April
Shepley Oval, Dandenong, VIC
B: Dominic Forbes, Coen Hutt, Joel Budarick
HB: Rodney Baird, Matthew Cumming, Mitchell Pemberton
C: Joel Stevens, Michael Mummery, Malcolm Rosas Jnr
HF: Liam Holt-Fitz, James Bell, Beau Schwarze
F: Dillen Brown, Jeremiah Scrutton, Leonard Ferreira
FOLL: Stephen Cumming, Ben Jungfer, Matthew Green
INT: Tyson Kidney, Deacon Braun, Robert Campbell, Izaak Wyatt, Jeffrey Simon
*LATE CHANGE Barrindi Ngurruwuthun has been replaced in the team by James Bell. Ngurruwuthun was unable to make it into Darwin from Yirrkala.