Better than even Stevens

By Paul Pickering
GIPPSLAND Power skipper Koby Stevens strengthened his claim on All-Australian honours by leading Vic Country to a comeback victory over Tasmania on Sunday.
Stevens produced a best-on-ground performance as the Country boys overcame a 33- point third quarter deficit to win by 14 points in round two of the National Under-18 Championships.
The Bairnsdale resident and AIS-AFL Academy skipper further proved his leadership credentials by assuming the captaincy duties from Bendigo’s Andrew Hooper on Sunday, and he didn’t disappoint.
Stevens, Hooper and Dandenong co-captain Ryan Bastinac were the instigators of the stunning turnaround, gritting their teeth in the cold and greasy conditions to will their side over the line.
Gippsland big man John Butcher – the skipper’s best mate – battled bravely under close attention from the Tassie defence to provide a strong target all afternoon. His goal-kicking radar was off in a return of 2.5, but his commitment to the cause could not be questioned.
Butcher provided some relief for Power team-mate Nathan Vardy in the ruck, with Vardy finding the going tough against 19-year-old Tasmanian giant Cameron Milne.
Gippslanders Edward Carr and Russell Lehman started on the bench alongside bottom-age Stingray Mitch Hallahan – a late inclusion – and all made handy contributions.
Dandenong defender Corey Millard also acquitted himself well in his first outing at the championships.
Vic Country assistant coach – and Stingrays region manager – Darren Flanigan said the visitors did just enough to avoid a major upset.
“(Tasmania) played very well, but we looked flat and we certainly wasted a lot of opportunities,” he reflected. “If we’d been a bit smarter with the footy going forward early in the game it might have been a different result. As it was we had to work pretty hard for a win.”
Meanwhile, Berwick teenager Tom Scully skippered Vic Metro to an emphatic 111-point win over NSW/ACT in country New South Wales on Saturday.
The likely number-one draft pick was quiet – by his own lofty standards – in gathering 17 possessions as the Metro boys bounced back from their first-round loss to Vic Country.
Vic Metro plays Western Australia at Subiaco on Saturday, while Vic Country will travel to Adelaide’s AAMI Stadium to play South Australia on Sunday.