Gridiron Victoria Players of the Week

Ballarat Falcons – Nigel Rowe, Safety

8 solo tackles, 3 assists, 2 pass def, 1 INT

Rowe backs up his great performance from last week with another huge effort in the Falcons win over Melton. Playing as well as anyone at defensive back in Division 2 this year, Rowe had 11 total tackles to go with an interception in the MudBowl at Victoria Park

Bendigo Dragons – Bruce Fu, Defensive Back

8 total tackles, 2 INT

Fu makes his first appearance in this segment, despite having an already productive season in the Dragons secondary. Number 5 picked up eight tackles and two key interceptions in the tie game against the Northern Raiders. Should be a Division 2 All-Star this year.

Berwick Miners – Shane Lee, Runningback/Linebacker

Playing both offence and defence is a pre-requisite at Berwick this year, and Lee has been doing it with aplomb. He provided the bulk of the inside running on Sunday and was also a leading tackler in another tough loss for the boys in orange and black. Gallant once again in defeat.

Croydon Rangers – John Tanuvasa, Wide Receiver

144 total yards, 3 TD

GV Rookie of the Year favourite “Johnny T” continued his brilliant debut season, doing pretty much everything in Croydon’s 54-0 thrashing of the Miners. His three scores consisted of a receiving, rushing and punt return touchdown, underlying his versatility and importance to the league leaders.

Geelong Buccaneers – Daniel Barnett, Runningback

100 total yards, 2 TD

Leading the way again for the Buccaneers ground and pound was Barnett, who cracked the ton in rushing as usual. He also found the endzone twice in Geelong’s come from behind win over Melbourne Uni, and a third VGOA Best and Fairest could be on the cards.

Melbourne Uni Royals – Niva Letoga, Defensive End

12 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss

Letoga was a dominating force in the trenches for the Royals on Saturday, causing problems in the backfield for the entire game against a determined rushing attack in Geelong. A dozen tackles are huge numbers for a defensive lineman, and his motor is non-stop.

Melton Wolves – Kaua Fungavaka, Linebacker

8 solo tackles, 4 assists, 2 sacks

Young Linebacker Fungavaka has been having a great season at Melton in 2016, and has stepped up his game even further over the last two weeks. His defensive playmaking ability and penchant for strips sacks are a joy to watch.

Monash Barbarians – Peter Lemalu, Safety

4 total tackles, 2 INT

Lemalu’s range at the safety position was the catalyst for the Barbarians comeback against the division leading Silverbacks. Although the late surge ultimately fell short, his two interceptions and sideline to sideline coverage ability brought them back into the game.

Northern Raiders – Ryan Camilleri, Cornerback

8 total tackles, 5 pass def

In difficult conditions at Victoria Park, Camilleri produced a brilliant shutdown corner effort on Saturday. Contributing both as a pass defender and run stopper, he was the best player on a defence that came up with a shutout against the Dragons.

Pakenham Silverbacks – Kevin Russell, Quarterback

247 passing yards, 67 rushing yards, 2 TD

The Washington native and Supersonics tragic was awesome again, both through the air and on the ground, in the Silverbacks tight win over Monash. Russell has been the driving force behind Pakenham’s undefeated season and is a huge favourite for MVP honours in Division 2.

South Eastern Predators – Ty Henry, Linebacker

15 total tackles, 15 receiving yards

As the Predators start to struggle with numbers, their imports are holding fort on both sides of the ball. This week it was Henry stepping up big time, producing a herculean effort with 15 tackles at linebacker, while also providing output on offence. A huge game from a huge talent.

The rookie offensive lineman continued his solid 2016 form, moving from guard to tackle in their contest against the South Eastern Predators to anchor the Cru attack. The 300 yards plus in rushing that the Crusaders racked up was largely the result of this man’s hard work.