VFL Match Report: Practice Match vs Tasmania
05/05/2025
The Zebras took on Tasmania in a practice game down in Launceston on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Photography by AFL Photos
The contest started tight with multiple stoppages to open the game, but it would eventually break our way with Charlie Richardson taking a solid mark on the half forward line.
We couldn’t capitalise on the scoreboard, but with the ball living between the arcs, neither could Tassie.
A free kick on the wing in our favour saw Josh Hutchings bomb the ball forward finding open space, leaving Zac Greeves to chase it down.
Unfortunately, the ball took an awkward high bounce, but a soccer like volley in mid-air by Greeves sent the ball flying through the middle for the first goal of the game.
The Devils got the next centre clearance, but some high pressure by our midfielders forced them to fumble the ball, leading to a poor entry that was cut off by Ben Seers with an intercept mark, who then slingshot the ball on the rebound.
A few plays later saw the footy spill out onto the wing. Sam Latreille snapped it up, put on the jets, took three bounces and launched the ball into the 50, finding Oliver Moodie who pulled it in and snapped home a goal.
Not allowing the Devils to get an inch of free space around the ground, Flynn Gregor forced a holding the ball free in the centre square. He kicked the ball in deep to Ned Maginness who received a free kick for a high tackle 30 metres out in front of goal.
Maginness calmly slotted the set shot for our third goal of the quarter.
He wasn’t done for the period though as Tasmania went racing down the wing, but a full speed Maginness caught him for a chase down tackle.
At the end of the first quarter, the accuracy of both teams saw the scores tied at 18 apiece.
The Devils started out the second quarter on the attack, but thanks to a great intercept mark by Liam Purcell, we were able to put a stop to it.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t too long before the ball was back in the defensive 50 as Tassie managed to have a set shot on goal, but as the Devils forward went to run around the corner, Aaron Taylor ran off the mark to smother the ball away.
Another deep attack saw our defenders under fire, but yet again, they stayed calm under pressure and thanks to a big mark by Leon Alao, we cleared the danger.
Greeves took a mark out the back after he smartly elected to say out of the contest. He then sent the ball flying into the forward 50 finding Richardson for the mark.
The set shot missed, but after Tasmania kicked the ball back into play, Moodie was breathing down his opponent’s neck, forcing a turnover, leading to Gregor cutting off the wayward handball, taking one step and sending the ball flying back over the defender’s head for a goal.
At half time Tasmania had the lead by 13 points.
The second half started with Ben Stephenson getting a centre clearance, followed by Jet Peckett being absolutely everywhere in the midfield for multiple possessions in only a matter of minutes.
With the midfielders starting the period on top, it meant the Devils defenders were under immense pressure, something that Robert Amendola took advantage of as he laid a huge tackle, giving the umpires no choice but to call a holding the ball free.
From 40 metres out, Amendola didn’t waste his chance as his set shot went straight through the middle.
Once more Amendola was involved, this time on the other end of the ground as his diving smoother denied the Devils a forward entry.
In a sense of Déjà vu, once more from 40 metres out in front of goal, we forced a holding the ball free again, this time at the hands of Richardson.
His set shot went through the goals, but after Tasmania were able to get a few goals of their own, going into the fourth, the deficit was 29 points in favour of the Devils.
Looking to get back into the game, we dialled up the heat which resultedin a turnover, sending Latreille running into the forward line, but the ball ended up going out of bounds.
A few minutes later, the pressure hadn’t died down as Taylor caught his opponent trying to be too clever as he tried his best to duck and weave through the our players, ending up in him slipping over and Taylor pinning him for holding the ball.
Cam Saultry then got a nice intercept mark on the half forward line, where he wasted no time sending the ball back into the forward 50.
It ended up in a contested shot on goal which would go through for the Zebras’ first behind of the day.
Tassie started to get their hands on the ball, but Liam Purcell took two intercept marks in back-to-back plays to ensure they didn’t score.
One last attack saw Moodie pin his opponent in the forward pocket about 45 metres out from goal.
It looked like an impossible set shot, but Moodie made no mistake as the pinpoint kick crossed the line and after a quick consultation, the four umpires agreed it was a goal.
With the game only being set 25-minute quarters, there wasn’t enough time to launch a comeback, and, in the end, Tasmania won by 28 points.
Sandringham Zebras: 3.0 4.0 6.0 7.2 (82)
Tasmania Devils: 3.0 6.1 10.5 12.10 (44)
The Zebras will next be in action against Carlton on Saturday night at IKON Park!
Written by Thomas Dev Sandringham FC Media