Match Result: Werribee 10.6.66 defeated by Geelong 12.12.84
Venue: Simonds Stadium
Conditions: Greasy, cold, wet
In action:
- Daniel Currie (9 disposals, 4 tackles, 25 hit-outs)
- Majak Daw (17 disposals, 8 marks, 5 tackles, 10 hit-outs)
- Will Fordham (7 disposals, 4 tackles)
- Scott McMahon (10 disposals)
- Ed Vickers Willis (10 disposals)
NMFC.com.au's best: Majak Daw
Match-ups:
- Daw & Currie v Dawson Simpson/Hamish Mcintosh/Jared Rivers
When either Daw or Currie was forward, they had Rivers as their opponent, while Simpson and McIntosh were Geelong's ruckman.
- McMahon v Shane Kersten
- Vickers-Willis v Michael Luxford
Story of the game:
Greeted with wet conditions at Simonds Stadium, Werribee and Geelong played out a tight, absorbing battle. It was back and forth all evening, with the margin rarely stretching past two goals during the first three quarters.
However as the rain fell more heavily in the last term, Geelong kicked away and earned a valuable late lead. Despite Werribee's best efforts to fight back, it fell to an 18-point loss in its season opener.
Points of interest
1. In tough conditions for the key-position players, Majak Daw impressed both forward and in the ruck.
Matched up against quality AFL-listed opponents, Daw took eight marks and provided a strong presence throughout the night.
"I really liked his (Daw's) game tonight," Development Manager Ben Dyer told NMFC.com.au.
"He was on Rivers a fair bit, and he doesn't mind zoning off an opponent. So that meant Maj had the chance to hit-up a fair bit and to his credit he did that pretty well.
"Maj was also conscious of moving Rivers around as much as possible, because he doesn't mind a wrestle. He played the conditions and the opponent really well.
"Around the ground defensively (when playing in the ruck against McIntosh), Hamish likes to swing forward but Maj was able to stop that for the most part.
2. Ed Vickers Willis was in more familiar surroundings, spending the evening playing off half-back after most of his pre-season involved midfield time.
"We were happy to give him a taste inside (during the pre-season). It's a step up in pace in Round 1 so we got him back to what he's comfortable in doing.
"I loved the way he exerted himself against his opponent tonight. He made himself hard to play on and a nuisance even though they were bigger, stronger opponents.
"He wasn't afraid to make it hard for them and that's a really good trait for a defender to have."
3. With North Melbourne's defensive stocks not in the healthiest of states at the moment, Scott McMahon's form becomes important.
Playing against Shane Kersten, the Kangaroos' veteran continued working on the aspects of his game that will allow him to make a senior return.
"Even though Kersten kicked three, you could argue none were directly against him," Dyer explained.
"He (McMahon) had a focus on working up really close to his opponent this week. It looked better this week.
"He knows that if he's going to push for an AFL return he has to be able to play on all types of forwards and being super conscious of not being led to the ball. Tonight Geelong was dangerous when they left space behind the forwards and Loose was able to get back and provide cover to stop that."
Most likely call up: Majak Daw
Next week: v North Ballarat, April 25, Avalon Airport Oval
