Despite having lost ten players (and key players at that!) from last year’s premiership side, the new look Nomads under the leadership of head coach Tom Hunt and Assistant Coaches Paddy Tobias and Phill Mitchell had a solid win in their first outing of the season against a much improved Gunnedah Bulldogs. It was a pleasing result. James Treweeke scored 4 goals while Clarrie Barker and David Rampaging Richards kicked three apiece. Standout for the Nomads were captain Modra, Clarrie and new-boys, Jeremy Ratcliffe, Steve Wilson and Ethan Karpany. The final scores were 16.11.107 to 7.6.48.

The Nomads came to the Bellevue Cathedral missing some of the players from last year’s team and who have been key to the series of premierships won over the past 5 years including coaches Zac Economou, Jed Ellis-Cluff and players of the calibre of Hamish Pearce, Harry Freund, Matt Foley and Mitch Darton. It was very much a new look team with Big Dawg, James Treweeke at full forward and a new midfield squad. Noticeably the new coaches have thus far avoided the recent tradition of the coach positioning himself in the square. Thus far…..

The Nomads won the toss and kicked to the Uralla end. The contest in the middle was fierce. The Bulldogs have an exceptionally talented midfield, however, Jesse Petrascu, Jez Ratcliffe, Phill Mitchell and everyone’s favourite albino, Rambo, were up for the contest. The backline also did very well in this first quarter with Tom Hunt and Steve Wilson calling the shots. Shannon Macdonlad, in a welcome return to the Nomads, was getting a lot of the ball and delivering it forward. At the end of the first quarter the scores were 5.0.30 to 1.1.7.

The second quarter saw the Nomads starting to gell together and using each other much more. Modra was hither and thither on the forward line (which is to say he was everywhere) and Big Dawg was taking some very strong leading marks (if he had kicked straighter he could well have had a real bag). However, the Dogs made good use of the quarter kicking three goals and were back in the game. At half time the scores were 10.3.63 to 4.5.29.

After the break, and a strong word from Coach Hunt that they had given the Dogs too much freedom, the Nomads came out determined to make amends. Wulu Hall was in fine form during this quarter and Rambo was carving up in the centre. By the end of the quarter the Nomads had “extended” their lead to 34 points.

In the final quarter the Nomads put their collective feet down and kicked three goals and kept the Dogs scoreless. Jez and Karps were hitting the ball hard in the middle and providing the forwards with lots of opportunities. The backline led by Steve Wilson, Snowy Snowden and Liam Cudmore were impregnable.

Overall it was a pleasing effort. But there is a lot of work to do, especially in terms of the structure and ball movement, unsurprisingly for a team still getting to know one another.

Next week we play the Roos at home and this will be another big challenge.

Round 1 2017

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