Northern Blues coach Josh Fraser rates the performances of every Carlton-listed player in the 21-point win over Williamstown at Preston City Oval:
Dennis Armfield
Stats: 12 disposals (6 contested), 5 handball receives, 4 hard-ball gets
From the coach: Dennis’ leadership was first-class: he rallied the boys and applied great pressure in our front half. He also assisted with a number of scoring opportunities. It was an important game from him.
Blaine Boekhorst
Stats: 24 disposals (14 kicks), 3 inside 50s, 8 tackles, 1 goal
From the coach: Blaine provided really good run for us where he broke the lines on a number of occasions and also showed some good signs in contest to apply pressure. His game is building in the right direction.
Dylan Buckley
Stats: 22 disposals, 6 marks 8 handball receives, 5 rebound 50s
From the coach: I thought ‘Bucks’ defended really well and at the right times got involved offensively. He played to his strengths with his running game and also defended hard when required.
David Cuningham
Stats: 26 disposals (15 contested), 9 clearances, 5 tackles, 1 goal
From the coach: He showed some AFL signs, with his ability to power and burst away from stoppages: it was really pleasing to see. He kicked 1.3 so he should’ve kicked at least three. I thought his game was really encouraging.
David Cuningham recorded big numbers against Williamstown. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
Andrew Gallucci
Stats: 12 disposals (8 contested), 5 tackles
From the coach: He worked hard as a small forward but didn’t get reward for effort as he had in previous weeks. He had opportunities to hit the scoreboard which he didn’t take, but we also saw some examples of his relentless pressure.
Jesse Glass-McCasker
Stats: 8 disposals, 3 tackles, 3 rebound 50s
From the coach: Jesse keeps working really hard and has shown good improvement in his positioning as a defender. He had a few moments where he didn’t adjust enough but late in the game showed good signs of growth. The next step is doing more for longer but he’s going in the right direction.
Nick Graham
Stats: 31 disposals, 7 tackles, 9 clearances, 9 inside 50s, 1 goal
From the coach: Again, his game was terrific. He accumulated a lot of the ball but his running patterns have been really important for us, in both getting out of the stoppage and running both ways. His use by foot was special.
Nick Graham was outstanding against Williamstown. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
Kristian Jaksch
Stats: 9 disposals, 4 marks, 2 goals
From the coach: He performed well in our front half with our other key talls, where he took a few great contested marks and led up the ground well. He needs to keep capitalising on the scoreboard to make the most of his game and take it to the next level.
Liam Jones
Stats: 10 disposals, 25 hitouts, 7 tackles, 5 inside 50s
From the coach: I thought he was our best player on the day, especially given we had a job to do on the VFL’s best ruckman in Nick Meese which he more than accomplished. He competed his socks off and his follow-up was like an on-baller.
Liam Jones was the best performer for the Northern Blues in the eyes of coach Josh Fraser. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
Patrick Kerr
Stats: 11 disposals, 5 marks, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal
From the coach: It was his best game for the club. His movement and running were as good as we’ve seen, while he hit up at the ball and showed clean hands. He started to add pressure to his game too, where he managed to halve a number of contests aerially.
Patrick Kerr made his presence felt on Saturday. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
Sam Kerridge
Stats: 29 disposals (17 contested), 5 clearances, 7 tackles, 1 goal
From the coach: He was a workhorse, both inside and outside the contest. He used the ball pretty well for most of the day: he gave us great service playing both on a wing and as an inside midfielder.
Harry McKay
Stats: 9 disposals, 4 marks, 3 inside 50s, 3 goals
From the coach: Harry is progressing really well. It was a pretty special first quarter with his three goals. He continued to work hard, and had a few more opportunities to hit the scoreboard in the other three quarters. He keeps launching for marks. It won’t be long I think before he puts four quarters together.
Alex Silvagni
Stats: 13 disposals, 6 marks, 5 rebound 50s
From the coach: Physical, aggressive, strong in the contest: he gave great stability and leadership for our back six. I thought his game was really good.
Billie Smedts
Stats: 28 disposals, 5 marks, 11 handball receives, 6 inside 50s
From the coach: I liked his game a lot. His running of the lines was important and his ball use in our front half was really good. His ability in a number of contests where he kept his feet was important, and he played a number of roles for us.
