NTFA top teams do battle - Pressbox episode 96 - video Dailymotion

The Examiner

The Examiner's sports experts Ben Hann, Josh Partridge and Ryan Bentley unpack the weekend's efforts. North Launceston and Launceston played off in the NTFA premier league as the Bombers celebrated their 1995 premiership reunion and spent their last official day in their clubrooms.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to my ultimate episode of the Press Box, episode 96. My name is Ben

00:11Han. Joined alongside me once again is Josh Partridge and Ryan Bentley, here for another

00:16big episode of Northern Tasmanian Sport. But first of all, it is everyone's favourite segment,

00:22numerology. Boys, it was obviously a big weekend, very footy-focused weekend, not just at the

00:30local level, but obviously at the AFL level, it looked like it was going to be a bit of

00:34a dreary Sunday, didn't it, Ryan? Two pretty one-sided games. But in fact, 96 has become

00:40the all-important number of Northern Tasmanian Sport, specifically for the man sitting to

00:46the right of me. St Kilda's score against the Dees was, in fact, 96 when Nassai Wangani

00:53Malera kicked that goal to complete the largest comeback in VFL-AFL history, trailing by 46

01:00points at three-quarter time. No team has ever come back to win from a greater margin than

01:05that. And it also made our lovely Joshua very happy. So that's why the number is a big number

01:11in Northern Tasmanian Sport. And now that you're off on that fly, Josh, we'll hand it over to

01:15you. You were at your own big game, big day at UTAS Stadium. Take us through what occurred

01:22there on Saturday. We'll continue the 46 link because that is the same amount of points that

01:26North Launceston defeated Launceston by at UTAS Stadium. It was an incredibly, 46 points,

01:33it sounds funny, but it was an incredibly close game. Lonnie were winning at both quarter and

01:38half-time, and that's something North Launceston haven't really been in that position all year.

01:42They had Bradcox Goodgett out. Brandon Leary got injured. By the end of the game, they were

01:47down to minimal rotations on the bench. It would be easy for North to roll over and lose

01:52that. But no, they kicked eight goals in a row and came back and won. So it was a really

01:57good game of footy, and North have to be commended for what they do best, and that's

02:01just win.

02:02Yeah, exactly right. And obviously they remain undefeated at 31 games in a row. But there

02:07was also an extra element to the day. It's been well covered by us and by pretty much all

02:14of media in Tasmania that UTAS Stadium's redevelopment will mean the end of their 50-year club room's

02:23tenure. Maybe a slight knock on the ultimate celebrations for the day. Josh, take us through,

02:28I suppose, what the mood was like there on the day. Yeah, it was interesting because they

02:32were celebrating their 95 Premiership Union as well. So it was a mix. They couldn't be

02:37too up and about because of everything else that was going on, but they couldn't be too

02:40sad because of everything else that was going on. So it sat nicely in the middle, as weird

02:45as that sounds. Yeah, there was a group of people there that were saddened by things going

02:50on, but they were also celebrating being the last time in their club rooms before it gets

02:54knocked over. Roughly about the 4th of August, I think, is the timeline. There's currently

03:00professional removalists in there as we speak, fixing things up. So yeah, it was an interesting

03:06vibe to say the least. There were several different groups of people in several different rooms

03:11and it was interesting to see, I guess, how that all took place. Yeah, absolutely. And

03:16to keep on that theme of the highest level in non-Tasmanian football, we're going to be

03:21introducing the segment that has made one of the greatest comebacks in recent memory,

03:25and as, of course, Ryan's incredibly difficult sports quiz. Yes, it is back for another week.

03:31We've stripped it back down to regional level after going international last week. We are

03:35on Lonnie, North Lonnie, and the question is very simple. How many days since Launceston last

03:39beat North Launceston? How many days? Wow. And to just jog the memory here front, it was

03:4614-11, 95 to 14-7, 91 for Lonnie. Close game too. I'm going to guess that it was 750 days ago.

04:02Right. And Josh? I think I could tell you the game, but the days is going to be interesting.

04:10Math is the question. I'm going to go 830. Jeez. That's a fantastic guest, Josh. It was 844 days.

04:20Wow. Well done, Josh. That's a better man. Unbelievable. Take a 2-1 lead, I believe, now.

04:26I'm not even that upset with my guest. No. I was going to go 751 just to be that bloke

04:32that I thought I had. That's the competitive spirit. Now, I shouldn't say the opposite end

04:39of the table with NTFA. These are really competitive divisions full of a lot of very high quality

04:45players, but Ryan, you've also been covering Division 2 all year this year. It's been a really

04:49interesting season, seeing how each club has shaped out. Take us through, I suppose, how

04:56you have seen the season pan out, and I suppose what finals looks like now for Division 2.

05:01Yes. I was at East Coast and Evendale on the weekend, and that pretty much locked in the

05:05top two for East Coast. A little 20-point win over Evendale. Competitive game, but I think

05:10just East Coast were far too good in the end. But what it means for finals is now that Cambertown

05:15Bridgeport is a big game this week coming up. 4th v 5th. If Bridgeport get the job done

05:21this week, it brings them leveling points with Campbelltown. So, game's very much still on,

05:26and obviously Perth at the top, undefeated. Hard to see them losing, to be honest. But, yeah,

05:31Campbelltown, Bridgeport, one to watch this weekend. Do you feel like Perth can, I'm obviously

05:36covering Division 1, where Roachalee looked pretty imperious, and you don't really see a way

05:40any team can get over them. Can you see a way, say, an East Coast could beat them?

05:45I think so. Like, Perth have been down a couple of times at half-time to, I think,

05:50Campbelltown were over them at half-time, and Evendale were in the mix at half-time,

05:54and obviously East Coast as well. So, I think all three of those teams are plenty capable of beating

05:58Perth. It's just, you need to put four quarters together against them, and that's really hard to do

06:03with guys like Josiah Berlin, Rocky Barrett, Ben Elba. It's, yeah, possible, but very hard.

06:09And, of course, you've got the 100 goal watch as well.

06:11100 goal watch. Yes.

06:12Now, that's going to bring us on to what is, you know, the landmark segment one.

06:16That was the very first segment ever to be introduced into the press box,

06:21and one that has survived the test of time, and, of course, Kenny's hard hitters.

06:26I just want to sort of, it's almost across the ground, we obviously cover the three different

06:36NTFA divisions. Josiah obviously covered in Premier League, I'm Division 1, you're Division 2.

06:40So, I've gone and asked the boys as well as myself to, what is the favourite player that

06:47you have watched so far this year? Doesn't necessarily be the best player you've watched this year,

06:51but what's someone you've just really enjoyed watching develop, show their stuff?

06:55And, Josiah, what we'll start off with you.

06:58Yes, mine, South Launceston Hunter Farrelly is someone who I love watching.

07:02He's just, he's just electric. He just gets things done, he kicks these goals from obscene angles,

07:08and he's just a spark, an absolute live wire. And, I suppose, I'll go into the women's comp as well.

07:13It's hard to go past Jan Kruska for Scott Stale. She just gets the ball and she just goes.

07:18She's a commanding force for Scott Stale, who, and she pushes forward when they needed to,

07:24and can rebound off half-back, and she's just, she's brilliant.

07:27And for you, Rob?

07:29Yeah, Div 2, I'm going the opposite end of the ground, into defence.

07:32Saxon Anderson, I love how he plays. You watch him behind the ball,

07:36and he's always getting into some sort of stink with the leading forward.

07:38It's fantastic. Last week, he kept Nick Childer, just a pair of goals.

07:42He takes on the best board every week, and I think, yeah, it's awesome to watch every single time.

07:46Yeah, absolutely. And, I suppose, for Div 1, for me, it would be Nathan Kingsley.

07:53He's just 19 years old. He's really burst onto the scene for St Pats this year.

07:57Just plays the game in such an entertaining way.

07:59Often, getting involved with the opposition crowd.

08:02But, he also backs up with his player on the field,

08:05has kicked a number of really big, important goals for St Pats this year,

08:08and got them over the line, and just really plays so well alongside Dylan Riley.

08:14I've really enjoyed everything about him this year.

08:18And that, of course, now follows onto something that Josh has really enjoyed,

08:24being at the centre stage, and that is, of course, his Local Hero of the Week.

08:29Well, this guy is incredibly stiff, not to have been the answer to my last question,

08:33and I think this is kind of why I didn't answer him.

08:36But, the Local Hero of the Week this week is Sam Husband, from North Launceston.

08:40He's obviously just come off the under-16 Tasmania Devils,

08:43where they won the national championships.

08:45But, on the weekend for North Laun, he kicked two goals.

08:48The second of which, which we'll get playing over the top of us here, is electric.

08:52He received the ball off half-back, gouged off a handball, and just kept going,

08:56and kicked an absolute beautiful goal.

08:58So, at only 15 years of age, he's doing things at senior level

09:02that most 30-year-olds would love to be doing.

09:04So, Sam, you've obviously done a fair bit over the last couple of weeks,

09:07but congratulations, this is the best honour you will receive.

09:10Absolutely.

09:11Absolute stamp of approval from yours truly over here.

09:14And that is all the time we have for this week.

09:16We'll catch you guys for the next one.

NTFA top teams do battle - Pressbox episode 96

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