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2017 YORKE PENINSULA FOOTBALL & NETBALL PREVIEW
TOP
YPFL players to watch this season “Half-back Flanker” REPORT BY
2 Brad Mercer, Moonta.
17 Matt Carey, CY Cougars. 10 Craig Taylor, Moonta.
The rich get richer, as the premiers add a bloke who’s kicked 100 goals every year for Gawler Central — and bags for the state country side too.
Won a Mail Medal in the Adelaide Plains before moving to the peninsula where he was Kadina’s best player in a stacked team. Now he’s hoping to join the Demons premiership party.
3 Joel Palmer, Kadina. Won the Mail Medal in his debut season last year. Best used in the guts where he can scramble on his hands and knees quicker than Mrs Flanker can say, “Get off me!”
11 Adam Pitt, CMS Crows. If this bloke is still alive at age 80 just wheel him out onto a wing and let him rack up 30 touches.
4 Jared Redden, Southern Eagles.
12 Sam Lodge, Ardrossan. He’s done the hard yards on the extremely deep Woodville-West Torrens list without nailing down a senior spot. Played a bit of league and is just entering his prime.
Poor bastard’s knee fell apart before he could have a real crack in the AFL, so he went back to Woodville-West Torrens. Now he’s home and should instantly be the top ruckman around.
13 Aleksander Kangur,
Led the Magpies to two flags as soon as he rocked up. Thank God he didn’t come any earlier, I don’t think I could have stomached Pasky winning a third.
Has been overseas and the rest of the comp hopes he’s packed on the kilos, but he’ll be fit again by finals. Pure midfield class.
7 Chris Langford,
CY Cougars.
1 Luke Harder, Wallaroo.
HUGE PICK-UP... Wallaroo recruit Luke Harder, in his Port Adelaide days, should instantly be one of the top players on Yorke Peninsula.
I don’t want to know what the recruiters at Wallaroo did to get this bloke to the club, that is unless you’ve got photos. Captained the state country team last year and is smackbang in his prime.
Finished runner-up in the Mail Medal last year. Could be one of the best key forwards or backmen in the game but will probably play in the middle.
8 Josh Ramsey, Moonta. Blew last year’s grand final wide open, gobbling up everything that came his way like Mrs Flanker at Christmas dinner.
This lad has been living on the streets all summer long, begging passersby for change. That is how badly he was robbed by the umpires last year when he received about two Mail Medal votes. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made the poor bugger pay for his party pies at the count.
14 Christian Bock, Wallaroo. His brother Nathan kicked ass for the Crows then fleeced the Gold Coast for a couple of million bucks before retiring. Wallaroo’s hoping the former AFL-listed Christian is half as talented, or at least half as smart.
15 Giles Ellis, Kadina. Played in an SANFL grand final only two years ago, but couldn’t get a consistent run with the Woodville-West Torrens firsts (sound familiar?). I can’t say a bad word about the lad — especially if I want to keep my job as the YP Country Times tipster.
16 Tyler Andrews, Moonta. 9 Jono Lee, Kadina. Word out of the Bloodhound bar is he’s dropped 20 kilos and is ready to get back to his damaging best around the ground.
18 Abraham Helfand, Paskeville. Every year he gets stronger, slimmer and seemingly angrier. Helped lead the Magpies to a couple of flags and will be the key cog in an otherwise depleted side this year.
19 Kieren Smith, CMS Crows. Hasn’t always set the YPFL on fire but has SANFL experience and blinding pace.
20 Jake Stoll, Moonta. Probably the best tap ruckman in the game last year and gets around the ground with ease.
CY Cougars.
5 Tyson Wait, Paskeville.
6 Dylan Mansell, Moonta.
Carrying a whole team is hard, especially on one leg. But young Carey managed it for an entire grand final last year and I think that was just the beginning.
Zippy little bugger and can smell a sausage roll from a mile away. He’s been consistently receiving the most Mail Medal votes of any player under 21 for roughly 10 years.
21 Zack Edwards, Kadina. Oozes football ability and has secured his financial future through marriage, very smart.
22 Brett Ellis, Wallaroo. Last was a standout player for — that’s right — the Woodville-West Torrens reserves. That club is providing half this list.
23 Chad Norsworthy, Moonta. Was brilliant for the Dees last year after dumping Wallaroo like I wish Mrs Flanker dumped me before our wedding day.
24 Brendan Papps, Kadina. Kicked six goals to help PAC into the div I grand final last year. His team went on to win the flag.
25 Steven Wellington, Ardrossan. Wellington arrives from Broadview’s division SEVEN. He led his team to a flag but the final score was 29-21. You can’t make this up. So how is this bloke in my top 25? Well, he didn’t belong in div VII. In fact, when not playing against scrubs he was in the Adelaide Crows development squad.
PHOTO: Peter Argent
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16 Yorke Peninsula Country Times Tuesday, March 28, 2017
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