The NT Thunder Under 18 Academy team will resume its 2019 NAB League campaign after the Easter break, making the trip to Melbourne to play the Greater Western Victoria Rebels at Windy Hill with four debutants.
Sandy Brock, Mitch Musgrove, Malcolm Rosas Jnr and Stanley Tipiloura will all make their 2019 debut for the NT Thunder Under 18 team at the famous football ground in Essendon.
Jacob Long, Wade Derksen, James Box, Michael Cooper, Dominic Forbes and Joseph Salmon all go out of the team who went down to the Western Jets in Round 4, while Jonty Patrick and Maurice Rioli Jnr are unavailable due to school football commitments.
Sandy Brock comes in for his first game after impressing selectors at training with his work ethic and skills. Brock played nine senior games for the Palmerston Magpies in the NTFL in the 2018/19 season and kicked four goals. He is described as a tall, athletic utility who can play wing, midfield or forward.
Mitch Musgrove will also debut and will line up in the midfield where his hardness at the contest and attack on the football and body will be displayed. Musgrove had a consistent season for St Mary’s in the NTFL where he played 13 out of a possible 18 Men’s Premier League games in the 2018/19 season.
Outstanding junior talent Malcolm Rosas Jnr will also join the team for the first time this series after returning from injury and All Australian duties. Rosas showed his talent in the recent All Australian game playing as a small defensive forward, having over 45 per cent game time after overcoming a hamstring/hip flexor injury. He was injected into the game after quarter time and won most of his contested ball, applying great pressure on the opposition with his chasing, and evasive skills and finished the game with two goals.
A product of the Darwin Buffaloes Football Club, Rosas has had an outstanding 12 months including being awarded the 2018/19 NT News Rising Star at the Nichols Medal in March. An impressive junior talent, he made his Men’s Premier League debut in the NTFL at the age of 15 and has racked up 29 games in three seasons.
Stanley Tipiloura is the fourth debutant this weekend and is another who impressed at senior level in the 2018/19 NTFL season. He kicked six goals on debut for Wanderers which resulted in a Rising Star nomination before going on to play three more games and finish the season as a member of the Under 18 Premiership team. A medium deep forward, he is smart and uses his body well with good goal awareness.
NT Thunder Under 18s Head Coach, Jason Roe said the players coming in all had the ability to make an impact in the team this weekend.
“Our four inclusions have all played a large amount of senior football at NTFL level and can play on bigger bodies.
“They have all shown their resilience and persistence to break into the team and the challenge for them will be to grab the opportunity with both hands and show themselves in the best light possible.
Roe said the squad will take the positives out of the Round 4 game and work to improve on them this week.
“Our last game before Easter we had a fantastic start where we kicked four goals and led at quarter time before being challenged. Braxton Ah Mat was great for us in that game and he will again line up in the forward line while Ben Jungfer, Marley McGregor and Tyrone Woods were also in the best in that game and we retain them this week.
“The Greater Western Victoria Rebels have had one win and two losses in this series including a 7-point defeat in their last game and they will be a good challenge for us.
“Consistent effort and maintaining concentration for four quarters is a key focus for us this week,” Roe said.
Fans interested in following the team on Sunday can do so through the NAB League app.
The app will include a live stream of the NT Thunder game and Champion Data stats for all our players. Download HERE for iPhone/Apple devices or HERE for Android/Google Play devices.
NAB League Round 5
Greater Western Victoria Rebels vs NT Thunder
2:00pm AEST
Sunday 28 April
Windy Hill, Essendon
B: Brodie Lake, Matthew Green, Brendan Minkulk
HB: Leonard Ferreira, Joel Jeffrey, Brandon Rusca
C: Mitch Musgrove, Ben Jungfer, Jamal Lynch
HF: Simon Richardson, Matthew Cumming, Malcolm Rosas
F: Tyson Woods, Braxton Ah Mat, Stanley Tipiloura
FOLL: Stephen Cumming, Joel Stevens, Beau O’Connell
INT: Braith Hodges, Isaac Seden-Kurnoth, Joel Budarick, Sandy Brock, Marley McGregor
EMERGENCIES: Dominic Forbes, Shawn Foster, Brendan Minkulk, Kynan Kenny, John Tipiloura
IN: Sandy Brock, Leonard Ferreira, Brodie Lake, Joel Jeffrey, Mitch Musgrove, Simon Richardson, Malcolm Rosas, Stanley Tipiloura,
OUT: James, Box, Michael Cooper, Wade Derksen, Jacob Long, Jonty Patrick, Maurice Rioli, Dominic Forbes, Joseph Salmon