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Venue: SuperSports Arena, Pretoria South Africa | Date: 2 February 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: Loss | Umpires: | Crowd: 5222 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: Hartlett 3, Bannister, Betts, Cloke, Kreuzer, Russell, Stevens | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: Nil | Injuries: Nil | |||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
Many Carlton fans were eagerly waiting for the first bounce of this game. It promised to unveil the new recruits, the new game plan; a whole bevy of packages. The result was not in Blue favour, but the winner was football in a new territory for the game.The first quarter was a lacklustre affair, with both teams only managing three goals between them, both teams fielded 32 players without star players Brendan Fevola, Chris Judd, Richard Hadley, and Jeff Farmer for the Dockers. But it was the collision between Shaun Hampson and Kepler Bradley which was both the highlight of the first half and a blight on the game.
Hampson and Bradley simply went into a contest but it was Shaun's timing which caused the accident. An ambulance was called for Kepler and the game was held up for ten minutes, but he was back on the ground at three-quarter time.
The accident seemed to spark Freo to the eventual win, but the Blues came back in the last to claw back a deficit which had during the third blown out to six-goals.
Team
| B: | 16 Shaun Grigg | 40 Michael Jamison | 32 Bret Thornton |
| HB: | 29 Heath Scotland | 30 Jarrad Waite | 27 Dennis Armfield |
| C: | 6 Kade Simpson | 24 Nick Stevens | 33 Ryan Houlihan |
| HF: | 2 Jordan Russell | 23 Adam Hartlett | 4 Bryce Gibbs |
| F: | 19 Eddie Betts | 28 Cameron Cloke | 37 Jake Edwards |
| Ruck: | 22 Shaun Hampson | 44 Andrew Carrazzo (c) | 3 Marc Murphy |
| Interchange: | Mark Austin | Jordan Bannister | Paul Bower |
| Steven Browne | David Ellard | Lachie Hill | |
| Ryan Jackson | Sam Jacobs | Matthew Kreuzer | |
| Setanta o’hAilpin | Darren Pfeiffer | Jason Saddington | |
| Michael Shields | Simon Wiggins | ||
| Coach: | Brett Ratten | ||
Milestones
First viewing: This was the first official Carlton game for the highlighted players aboveCaptain: Andrew Carrazzo captained the Blues in this fixture
Mike and Dan
Mike & Dan talk with David Ellard
There’s nothing better in life than being given an opportunity, and David Ellard did something with his 15 minutes of fame from the Carlton v Fremantle Exhibition Match in South Africa – he got noticed by the Coach. And he was noticed for good reasons too, which made him an ideal candidate to have a chat to about the upcoming Season.
Congratulations on making your NAB Cup debut last week.
Thanks, it was great to get out there – I started on the bench, but was happy to get a chance and I now just have to keep on improving. I’d never been to Adelaide before so it was also a god experience.
Looking ahead, where on the field do you believe you'll play the majority of your football and in what role?
I think I’ll work through midfield a little bit but play up forward. In today’s game you have to ready to play anywhere. As a junior I’ve played mainly in midfield and then moving up forward.
How have you handled moving away from home for the first time?
I’d been out of home for a little bit before coming over, which helped a little bit, but I’ve moved in with 2 WA boys in Pauly Bower and Scott Gumbleton at Essendon which is working really well.
Melbourne is a little different to Perth – everyone in Perth is recognised. There’s so many teams here and so many sports, that you can walk down the street and see players and think you recognise them but they’re just walking around.
How does it feel to walk into an AFL club for the first time? How were you introduced to your new teammates, your coaches and the broader Carlton community?
Let me tell you, it was a big thrill. I walked into the door for my first training session and there’s Juddy and Fevola just in front of me – blokes you’ve looked up to as players and then suddenly you’re along side of them. All the players were around, and the Coaches with Ratts and Bradley and it was a great thrill.
The training sessions have been good as well. Getting used to the daily routine of train-eat-sleep has taken a while and you get a little knackered!
Are you aiming to make your AFL debut in 2008?
It’s a definite aim of mine to play a senior game this year. Carlton this year, as it doesn’t have any Veterans, has space for 2 nominated rookies who can play in the seniors. Jamison is one of them but there is another spot up for grabs.
Being elevated by the end of the year would be another aim.
First game up and you played Freo. As a WA boy was that a particular thrill?
Well as a kid I barracked for Collingwood, but playing against Fremantle was good as I knew some of the guys there, like Palmer.
You haven’t made much press - have you considered punching-on at training like an Essendon or Geelong player to lift your profile?
Nah, I don’t like the limelight too much so I’m happy to not be in the press.
You're a Guildford Grammar boy David, but the school must have been sad earlier this month with the passing of one of it's favourite sons in Heath Ledger.
Yeah it really hit home a bit – I know the Ledger family and my sister went out with his cousin would you believe it! But yeah – it was very sad, he was such a good actor and to die so young…
Do you look around at training and think 'geez, I've got some competition here...'
You do, but you also look at players who are doing all the right things to get themselves right for game. Marc Murphy and Nick Stevens just do everything so professionally – on the track, with the weights – so it’s worthwhile following them and learning what they do to help you get ahead and maybe get to that debut game.
Here's your chance to get a pre-emptive strike in against some of your teammates... anyone pay too much attention to their grooming, or think they are a hit with the ladies? Anyone with a particularly bad sense of humour?
Jacko always scrubs up well, and Hartlett, well, he’s the type that jokes around a bit…
All you can do is take your opportunity, and from 15 minutes on the ground Ellard has been able to keep his name at the forefront of the selector’s minds.
Congratulations on making your NAB Cup debut last week.
Thanks, it was great to get out there – I started on the bench, but was happy to get a chance and I now just have to keep on improving. I’d never been to Adelaide before so it was also a god experience.
Looking ahead, where on the field do you believe you'll play the majority of your football and in what role?
I think I’ll work through midfield a little bit but play up forward. In today’s game you have to ready to play anywhere. As a junior I’ve played mainly in midfield and then moving up forward.
How have you handled moving away from home for the first time?
I’d been out of home for a little bit before coming over, which helped a little bit, but I’ve moved in with 2 WA boys in Pauly Bower and Scott Gumbleton at Essendon which is working really well.
Melbourne is a little different to Perth – everyone in Perth is recognised. There’s so many teams here and so many sports, that you can walk down the street and see players and think you recognise them but they’re just walking around.
How does it feel to walk into an AFL club for the first time? How were you introduced to your new teammates, your coaches and the broader Carlton community?
Let me tell you, it was a big thrill. I walked into the door for my first training session and there’s Juddy and Fevola just in front of me – blokes you’ve looked up to as players and then suddenly you’re along side of them. All the players were around, and the Coaches with Ratts and Bradley and it was a great thrill.
The training sessions have been good as well. Getting used to the daily routine of train-eat-sleep has taken a while and you get a little knackered!
Are you aiming to make your AFL debut in 2008?
It’s a definite aim of mine to play a senior game this year. Carlton this year, as it doesn’t have any Veterans, has space for 2 nominated rookies who can play in the seniors. Jamison is one of them but there is another spot up for grabs.
Being elevated by the end of the year would be another aim.
First game up and you played Freo. As a WA boy was that a particular thrill?
Well as a kid I barracked for Collingwood, but playing against Fremantle was good as I knew some of the guys there, like Palmer.
You haven’t made much press - have you considered punching-on at training like an Essendon or Geelong player to lift your profile?
Nah, I don’t like the limelight too much so I’m happy to not be in the press.
You're a Guildford Grammar boy David, but the school must have been sad earlier this month with the passing of one of it's favourite sons in Heath Ledger.
Yeah it really hit home a bit – I know the Ledger family and my sister went out with his cousin would you believe it! But yeah – it was very sad, he was such a good actor and to die so young…
Do you look around at training and think 'geez, I've got some competition here...'
You do, but you also look at players who are doing all the right things to get themselves right for game. Marc Murphy and Nick Stevens just do everything so professionally – on the track, with the weights – so it’s worthwhile following them and learning what they do to help you get ahead and maybe get to that debut game.
Here's your chance to get a pre-emptive strike in against some of your teammates... anyone pay too much attention to their grooming, or think they are a hit with the ladies? Anyone with a particularly bad sense of humour?
Jacko always scrubs up well, and Hartlett, well, he’s the type that jokes around a bit…
All you can do is take your opportunity, and from 15 minutes on the ground Ellard has been able to keep his name at the forefront of the selector’s minds.