Wednesday morning saw the Kangaroos conduct a more structured, four 15-minute quarter match simulation, again under the searing sun.

Fielding the more experienced line-up of the two was the 'Blue' team which was headed up by Jy Simpkin, Ben Cunnington, Luke Davies-Uniacke and bookends Ben McKay and Nick Larkey, while the 'Yellow' side was led by Todd Goldstein, Hugh Greenwood and Tarryn Thomas and featured several VFL-listed players.

Paul Curtis set the tone right from the first bounce with a sweeping handball clearance out wide to Charlie Lazzaro who used his pace to get the ball forward for 'Yellow'.

With a focus on drawing the man and releasing a player into space, it was Lazzaro and Miller Bergman for 'Yellow' who were often able to penetrate their opposition's defence.

Stepping up for 'Blue' early on was Eddie Ford who kicked the first goal of the morning. He was ably supported by a lively Kayne Turner on the forward flank who was getting into good positions and using the ball effectively.

In the absence of Aaron Hall and Luke McDonald, who were both running laps, Jack Ziebell claimed kick-out duties for 'Blue'. The former skipper spent the entire match sim in the backline, reuniting with the position he shone in back in 2021.

Jamie Hope (VFL) opened the account for 'Yellow' in the second term, but key forward Larkey answered with back-to-back majors, the first of which was set up by a long, deep ball from Harry Sheezel.

The prized draft pick managed to hit the scoreboard in the following quarter, converting a set shot from distance after claiming a contested mark. Goals from Simpkin and Cam Zurhaar for 'Blue' ensued, while Tristan Xerri used his size and mobility to take some strong grabs around the ground. As did Callum Coleman-Jones for 'Yellow' who added a goal later in the contest.

One of the more exciting plays of the morning came courtesy of ruckman Hamish Free (Yellow). While being checked closely by Jackson Archer deep in the pocket, Free used his speed to keep the ball in play before gathering it and finding the VFL-listed Jack Watkins with a dribbling handball into the goalsquare, resulting in Watkins' second major. His cleverness and execution earned praise from the coaches and teammates that surrounded the area.

Simpkin, Cunnington and Davies-Uniacke showed their class throughout the match as the more experienced midfield trio, and were complemented by Will Phillips who was able to slice up 'Yellow' with his disposal as well.

Aside from Sheezel impressing with ball in hand, it was his workrate that perhaps stood out even more. With energy levels among players approaching depletion in the dying stages, Sheezel tore down the ground from the back pocket to the goalsquare at the opposite end, gathering disposals and hitting targets along the way.

He closed out the simulation with some midfield minutes, while Phillips made the switch from 'Blue' to 'Yellow' as the fourth quarter kicked off. The 2020 No.3 draft selection was used off half-back as Thomas, who had been playing as a defender, shifted into the 'Yellow' midfield where he made an immediate impact.

Despite 'Blue' leading on the scoreboard as the session neared its end, senior coach Alastair Clarkson announced that the final two minutes would be dedicated to 'Blue' attempting to chase down a spontaneous four-point 'Yellow' advantage, encouraging both sides to adapt to the sudden change of situation.

Aidan Corr was running at a notable pace on the boundary line as he continues his calf recovery, while Griffin Logue progressed closer to a full return to training.

YELLOW     4.5 (29)
BLUE     7.11 (53) 

GOALS
Yellow: Watkins (VFL) 2, Coleman-Jones, Hope (VFL)
Blue: Larkey 3, Sheezel, Simpkin, Zurhaar, Ford

TEAMS
Yellow: Greenwood, Goldstein, Thomas, Bergman, Lazzaro, Coleman-Jones, Powell, Curtis, Edwards, Harvey, Drury, Dawson, Free.
Blue: Simpkin, Davies-Uniacke, Cunnington, Phillips, Xerri, Goater, Archer, Perez, Bonar, Sheezel, Scott, Ziebell, Shiels, Young, Larkey, Comben, McKay, Turner, Ford, Zurhaar.

Absent from match sim: Mahony, Stephenson, Tucker, Hall, McDonald, Taylor, Corr, Spicer, Wardlaw, Howe, George.