The Mustangs ventured up the hills to take on Upwey at their picturesque ground last Saturday in their second practice match for the pre-season.
The under 19s started proceedings on a cold, drizzly morning and put on a good display. New coach Neil Wells should have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season with a fair bit of talent at his disposal. The boys recorded a solid 43-point win with Josh McConnell booting three goals and Sam Downie two. Some of the boys to show out were Jon Egan, Jack Craig-Smith, Josh McConnell, Austin Sutherland and Kane Noonan.
The reserves took to the field with a few new faces and some older ones making an appearance. Player numbers are on the improve, which is a good sign. Playing coach Scott Dimitriou led by example slotting through six goals in a great display down forward. James Cutting played a much improved game in the ruck and also chipped in with two goals of his own, while Josh Hammen had his first hitout after a limited pre-season due to work commitments. Joel Treeby also had a limited pre-season but did a lot of good solid work from half back. Josh Clavant got plenty of the ball and Nathan Neil is showing improvement after coming up from the Colts. All in all it was an encouraging display with the final score being Mooroolbark 12.6.79 to Upwey 7.6.48.
By the time the seniors took to the field the weather had cleared which allowed us to play fast, skillful football. Trent Tesoriero had a great game, getting plenty of the ball and providing drive from half back. Cal Hirvonen also played good, strong footy down back while youngster, Matt Hassan, was lively up forward with strong tackles and a couple of goals. Jai Jordan provided a target at half forward with strong marks and two goals. Another youngster in Kane Noonan also showed that he’ll be playing a fair bit of senior footy this year with good skills and balance. Big Trent Piribauer continues to improve with his ruckwork and Mitch Bonuda was solid at centre half back. Adam Miles showed that he’ll be in for a big season and Jaydan Bishop has also stepped up a level from last season. Another of last year’s under 19s, Peter Wall, had his first run at senior level and improved as the game went on. The final score was Mooroolbark 14.12.96 to Upwey 4.8.32.
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Last Modified on 01/04/2015 08:32