Terrific game in gloomy conditions on a heavy surface - closely fought to the end (WA's 12 point HT lead was the biggest of the game) with a pulsating finish with WA winning by a solitary point.
Player Review
WA
Lewis Jetta
Stats: 15K, 1H, 4M, 4T, 8I50, 1FF, 3.2
Starting at HFF and rotating onto a wing, Jetta was prolific in the first quarter with only the 4 disposals (3/1), but also 2 mark, 2I50s and 2 goals (the first after running onto to mark uncontested on the HFF then receiveing a 50m penalty which put him 30m out slight angle, the second more spectacular, swooping on a stray handball cleanly picking up and snapping around his body brilliantly from 35-40m out near the boundary.
He continued to have good impact in the 2nd too with 5 kicks, 1 mark, 3i50s, 1 behind (receiving a HB from Bell I50 near the 50 arc tight on the boundary just missing to the right), 1 goal assist and 2 other scoring assists (HBR strolling I50 and drilled an accurate short low pass to a leading Richardson at close range, intercepting a short pass from an SA player I50 and passing off diagonally backwards to a team mate with a better angle, receiving a HB OTT on the wing which he ran onto, controlled and spotted Charters inside who he screwed the kick to excellently to I50) .
His 3rd quarter was quieter in terms of impact with 4 kicks, 1 marks, 2 tackles, 1I50 and 0.1 (a HBR on the wing/HFF border selling some candy to an opponent then stepping around and burning him off and running to the 50 arc with a couple of bounces tight on the boundary line, with the RF kick drifting just across the face and being rushed through)
He was quietish in the last quarter in terms of possessions, but his efforts, involvement and impact were all very good. He had 3 kicks, 2 tackles, 2I50, was involved in 1 scoring chain ( a HBR on the wing and a long ‘highish’, but well weighted RF kick to a teammate just I50 ) and kicked the sealer after gathering a loose ball (tap out from a stoppage) shimmying and turning to kick it from 70m out on the bounce with the ball being shepherded through.
He showed terrific lateral movement and pace on a heavy, wet track, very good defensive pressure in the 2nd half, particularly when the intensity of the game rose , clean ball handling, precise and creative ball use by foot and the ability to kick over long distances (albeit with added height), outstanding scoreboard impact with 3 goals, 2 behinds, 3 SA (inc 1GA) and involvement in 1 other scoring chain.
Overall it was an outstanding game for Jetta - absolutely pivotal in a 1 point ball game and unlucky not to win the Simpson medal - if he wasn’t on anyone’s radar before he certainly would be now!
Video:
Trevor Oliver
Stats: 13K 13H 9M 3T 1I50 2FF 1FA
Starting and spending most the game on a HBF in a 'loose' rebound role, Oliver was WA's leading disposal winner to quarter time with 9 (4/5), 4 marks, 1 spoil, 1 tackle, involved in 1 scoring chain with a short right foot pass on the HFF to Richardson and 1I50 - and although he used the ball well (however without significant HF) his opponent Gum also had 12 of his own (he was moved onto Treeby and Allen at other stages during the game although in 'loose' roles).
He had 7 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles in the 2nd and was involved in 1 scoring chain (handballing to a running Jetta who had a long shot on goal for a behind) - working further up the ground into the midfield region more often for his possessions.
He continued to plough along in the 3rd with 8 disposals (4/4), but despite using the ball well he again had a fairly low impact for the amount of ball he was getting.
His last quarter was very quiet with only 2 disposals (2/0) and 2 marks (1 contested).
During the game he showed he is a genuine ball magnet with smarts to run to the right spots and get his hands on the ball, while also having close to elite reliability by foot with a high %KE and minimal errors (only one I can recall was an OOF - and that was on the left inside heavy traffic). His pace and run and carry wasn't as good as I've usually seen from him except for one nice sidestep and dash off HB followed by a well weighted short pass through the corridor in the 3rd, but the game was played on a wet and heavy track. He let a couple of tackles slip and his defensive game was fairly non-existent but it seemed his role was to be loose in defence most the time and provide an exit option for his team mates which he did.
Overall it was a solid performance by Oliver but certainly not a standout one despite a very healthy looking stat sheet – he played loose in defence and sat off his opponent for the large majority of the game and while he racked up possessions his impact wasn't as big as the final tally said.
Video:
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