Happy Tuesday everybody! And Tuesday at Gridiron Downunder means it’s time for the GV Players of the Week. Week 8 brought us some close games, a couple of dominating victories and no ties for the Northern Raiders! Truly a weekend of contrast. The following performances offer up some contrast as well, although the one thing they all have in common is excellence.
(Editor’s note: The South Eastern Predators and Monash Barbarians had the respective byes in each division this week, and are not featured)
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114 passing yards, 87 rushing yards, 2 TD The dual threat signal caller was at his best on Sunday, leading the Falcons back from a 12-0 halftime deficit to pinch a 13-12 win over the Gippsland Gladiators. His big play ability and leadership shined through for all to see in the second half rally. |
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74 receiving yards, 50 rushing yards, 1 TD Prentice once again proved he is one of the fastest receivers in Division 2, stretching the field and providing a constant big play threat for the Dragon offence in their close loss to the Division leading Silverbacks. His fifty rushing yards all came on reverses. |
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60 receiving yards, 11 total tackles A few Ironman performances of note this past weekend, but this one is probably the most impressive. The Miners played with 12 on Saturday and Harawa’s effort with the numbers above is simply awe-inspiring. 5 catches and 11 tackles is a hard day’s work. |
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6 tackles, 1 FF, 117 return yards, 1 TD In a tough game for the Rangers, Johnston stood tall with a command performance as a shutdown corner and returner. He was excellent in run support against a bruising attack and was rewarded for his consistent effort with an 81 yard kick return touchdown. |
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110 rushing yards, 13 receiving yards, 3 TD Former Linebacker turned runningback, Webb had a breakout game in Geelong’s 33-6 victory over the Miners. Getting it done both on the ground and in the air, he found the endzone three times and added a new dimension to the Buccaneer Offence. |
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6 total tackles, 4 sacks The Pride of Krakow and another one of the tough group of players forced to pull double duty, Klisiewicz stayed on the field all day and gave brilliant effort in the Glads fighting loss to the Falcons. It was on defence where he did most of his damage, picking up four sacks. |
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123 passing yards, 73 rushing yards, 3 TD The change to Franklin at quarterback by the Royals coaching staff has been a revelation, with their offence being a far more dangerous outfit over the last month. When it comes to dual threat quarterbacks in Division 1 right now, there are none better than the man they call “Sticks”. |
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90 rushing yards, 1 TD, 5 tackles, 1 sack Krul put in an outstanding Ironman performance in Melton’s loss to the Northern Raiders, appearing all over the box score with plays both under centre and at the safety spot. He finally scored his first rushing TD of the season, and also picked up a sack on defence. |
 Monash Warriors – Jonathon Tostevin, Centre
Tostevin was a rock for the Warriors in their nail biting win over the Royals. He made countless key blocks in the Monash run game as a pulling centre and had complete control making adjustments in pass protection. He also won the game on defence with a sack of Alex Franklin on a conversion attempt that would have tied the game. |
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8 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF Along with the rest of the Raiders defensive line, Nouue put on an awesome display of power in a 24-6 victory on Saturday. He was a constant presence in the Wolves backfield, wreaking havoc on an overmatched offensive line and being almost impossible to block. |
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98 rushing yards, 13 receiving yards An Outstanding junior player who has made the jump to the Men’s Competition, Avia averaged 10 yards a carry in the Silverbacks win over Bendigo. A prodigious talent, Avia can play a variety of positions and will only get better at this level with his combination of size, speed and agility. |
 Western Crusaders – Tyson Garnham, Wingback
Huge effort again from the Cru’s go to man, dominating the game on the ground from the Wingback spot. The orbit motion lead plays were too much to handle for the Ranger defence, with his effort on third down conversions especially impressive when the game was still alive. |
Did you miss any of the results, photos or standings from last week?
You can also check out the Week 7 Wrap Up
The Crusaders seem to have 11 Tysons and JNalas with a few extra players thrown in for rotation. Actually, that would be a pretty amazing team to play for.
Disappointed that there was no mention of Duncan playing both ways and making tackles and pass breakups at key game moments.