NO NEXT WEEK AS HISTORY BECKONS

27th August 2010

Our Round 18 performance had an impressive score line but most satisfying was the way we went about the game.  For me and the other coaches the most pleasing fact was the improvement in the group and how every player was focussed on playing their role and sticking to our structures.

On reflecting on our home and away season, from Round 1 to Round 18, from where I sit I'd say we've come along way as a TEAM.  In Round 1 we totally outplayed the Brisbane Lions and at 3 quarter time had 25 goals on the board and led the Lions by 119 points, in that last quarter we were outscored by our opponents as they kicked 6 goals to our 2.  We'd gone away from the things we'd previously done so well that night for 3 quarters.  Fast forward to Round 18 and at 3 quarter time we had 23 goals on the board and led Broadbeach by a similar margin of 122 points.  The maturity shown by the group to not get selfish, and not stray away from our game plan allowed us to outscore Broadbeach 6 goals to 3.  In doing so we registered our highest score for season 2010 of 193 points and the biggest winning margin in the clubs history, of 142 points.  Even the character shown by the group in Round 17 when we led all game against top placed Labrador only to have them skip clear with 5 minutes to play, to fight our way in front at the final siren it showed that we have learnt a lot about ourselves this year and the mental side of the game.

To be involved in a competition for 18 rounds of football and survive the final cut gives us all a sense of relief.  There is some small satisfaction as well, as we achieved what we set out to do when all the planning started to take place in October last year.  We are now in a position with 4 other teams to extend our season beyond week one of the finals and that certainly is our aim.  The further you go the more there is at stake and with this in mind it's sure to be a tough and fiercely contested Elimination Final this week in Brisbane.

Our opposition Mt Gravatt are the form team of the competition having won their past 7 games and defeating all of those above them in that period.  Whilst we respect what they're capable of as a club, we by no means fear them.  It's these types of experiences that are so valuable for our development in the competition.  To have 13 of our players 21 years or younger playing finals football the future of the Club looks exciting.

Right from our recovery session on Sunday morning after the Broadbeach game, to our training sessions through the week, there has been an air of excitement amongst the group.  The home and away season is now over and a new season begins.  It's a season that has no next week, players are judged on their performances in big games and for the 23 players that are selected to represent NT Thunder on Saturday there is no bigger game in the Club's short history.

Thank you to everyone who helped get us here, now its up to us!

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis

PLAYING THE GAME NOT ONLY THE OCCASSION

20th August 2010

The statement “A week is a long time in football” is one of the oldest clichés going around. It’s still one of the most relevant and as coaches we have to live by it. One of my former coaches, who I worked with as an assistant, said that “as a coach you live a lot in hope” and how true he was.

If I was to think back to the build up for Round 16 v Aspley and then  Round 17 v Labrador, we as a coaching group felt that both build ups had been positive yet the performances were worlds apart. 

So what clicked for Round 17’s winning performance against top placed Labrador, to possibly be one of the clubs greatest wins?

There a number of  factors that you take into account, home ground & home crowd advantage, travel factor, conditions, opposition and personnel. The big one for me though was, the attitude and effort put in by the 23 players selected that day to wear the heritage Guernsey so proudly. To have NT legends Mark Motlop, John Stokes and Russell Jeffrey come and speak to the players about what it meant to represent the NT, to have legends of the game form a guard of honour as the players ran out and to have so many people support the players as the game swung into action was a real motivating factor.

It was a big occasion for the club and my message to the players was that is was important to play the game not only the occasion. We still needed to get our hands on the footy and make the right decisions, we still needed to ride the bumps and bruises and there were plenty of them. Most importantly though we needed every player playing their role. The fight and character shown by the group to be in front when that final siren went was typified by Matthew Rosier’s chase down tackle and an injured Cameron Roberts slotting a goal with 10 seconds to go.

So where does the emotion come from for this weekends game against Broadbeach. Throughout the week it’s come in the form of 3 simple questions

1. Do we want to be a part of creating our own history and playing finals for the first time?

2. Do we want to keep Darwin the fortress it’s been all year for us?

3. Would we like to reward our members, supporters and family with a win in our last game in Darwin for season 2010?

All questions that we hope to answer with a yes.

We hope to see the same support if not more at Gardens on Saturday at 3:30pm. It means a lot to the players and  will go a long way to helping them  create history. So get involved, be part  of it and come and see some exciting territory football for the last time in 2010.

Hope to see you there.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis

INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Dean Staunton
2 votes Zephi Skinner
1 vote Darren Ewing

Progressive votes: Ewing 18, Skinner 14, Dignan 13, Chaplin 9, Palipuaminni 9, Rosier 9, Tapp 8, Taylor 5, Staunton 4, Remfrey 3, McLean 2, Munkara 2, Carusi 1, Cunningham 1, Hart 1, Roe 1.

FOCUS ON MAINTAINING WORKRATE

6th August 2010
   
Round 16 didn't go according to plan on a few fronts. Not only did we fall 10 points short of perhaps the Brisbane Lions strongest side of the season, we also found ourselves giving up 4th spot with Mt Gravatt winning against Morningside. Redlands also defeated  Southport for the first time in 10 years and now are pushing hard for 5th spot with only our superior percentage seeing us remain in the 5. It just goes to show what sides are capable of when they put their mind and body into 2 hours of combat and their season is on the line.

Whilst we didn't come away with the points against the Lions we were still able to take plenty out of the game. For periods of the game our ability to tackle and move the ball quickly on the back of the pressure we were applying was first class. Cameron Ilett was outstanding as he worked his way through being heavily tagged by quality opponents in Sam Sheldon, Troy Selwood and Jed Adcock. Kenrick Tyrrell battled all day as our sole ruckman and Brett Goodes who was assigned a defensive half forward to curve his attacking skills from half back stood tall and provided great rebound.

On the flip side our young players learnt what playing on AFL listed players was all about and how a need to sustain the workrate for 4 quarters is critical.

Anything short of that will not be enough against an Aspley side that last week defeated Broadbeach away from home. With the inclusion of leaders Jarred Ilett and Shannon Rusca back into the side we'll be ensuring that responsibily is not just left to our leaders and that only a 4 quarter effort by 23 players will see us get the job done and keep our season alive.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis

OPPORTUNITY AWAITS AS SEASON HOTS UP

30th July 2010

As we enter our final stages of the season and move into the end phase of planning, the importance of getting it right on and off the field now becomes imperative. These last four weeks of the home and away season will see a balancing act that ensures we manage the players over the next month of football. We also need to continue to focus on our intensity  at  training and games, as we  build towards taking a place in the final 5.

Whilst one eye must remain focused on the job at hand there is also one eye that needs to ensure if we are to play in finals we’ve prepared well enough to not only be competitive but also carry some momentum through to September action.

The most noticeable thing for any player and supporter of the game when watching finals or the final games of a home and away season is the increase in intensity and hard running by both sides. There is no place for the faint hearted and we’ve spoken about there being no magical switch that we can turn on over the next few weeks, it all comes down to attitude and hard work. Not only must we be mentally tough over this part of the season, but a strong focus on every player playing their role and lifting their work rate, will see us win enough games along the way.

We will get no better gauge as to where we are at when we face the Brisbane Lions in Brisbane this weekend. Despite their positioning in 8th on the QAFL ladder they are a side that is filled with hard running players like Troy Selwood, Cheynee Stiller, Justin Sherman, Xavier Clark and Jed Adcock who is returning from injury. All our players will get the opportunity to match it with professional players like the above and it creates a fantastic opportunity for every player selected to pit themselves against the best.

Any NT Thunder player that may harbour ambitions of playing at the next level will get their chance to showcase their talent against listed AFL players. History shows that a solid performance against quality opposition, can go a long way towards securing a players rating in the pool of talent throughout Australia.

Our Round 15 side will have a number of young talented players that will be out to impress along with some mature age players that are showing they’ve got plenty to offer. I’m sure we’ll see a committed 23 that match it with the elite and also bring the intensity required to be competitive in these final 4 rounds and beyond.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis


INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Bradley Palipuaminni
2 votes Darren Ewing
1 vote Josh Chaplin

Progressive votes: Ewing 14, Dignan 13, Skinner 10, Chaplin 9, Palipuaminni 8, Tapp 8, Rosier 6, Taylor 5, Remfrey 3, Kruse 2,  McLean 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Hart 1, Roe 1.

Sacrifices the key over the break

23rd July 2010

As we head into a well earned break the week off will mean different things for different players. We find ourselves in a unique position and given this we’ll be taking a case by case scenario with the players on our list.

Compared to all other clubs in the QAFL most have done a pre-season that started in November and have a core group that have played between 10 and 14 games since the start of the year. Rival QAFL clubs will see the week as an opportunity to work on increasing fitness and conditioning, some will see it as an opportunity to have the players do some high impact training that whilst taxing on the players doesn’t run the risk of injury and some will see the break as a chance to freshen players up towards the race to the finals.

For us we’ll manage those that are coming off the back of an NTFL season differently to those that have played between 15 and 20 games and different to those again, that have played less. There is a need to make sure we understand where each of the players are at mentally and physically and hence monitoring game time, player weights and also a feel for how the individuals are performing. All of these key components will govern our direction in setting guidelines for the players through the week and over the weekend.

There is a certain amount of responsibility that is given to each player and they understand the importance of what we can achieve as a club in the coming weeks.

All year we’ve spoken about a need to build our season and finish off the year strongly and now it’s only our actions that will back up what we’ve been working towards. There is a lot of planning that goes into every season and throughout the year a lot of our planning can be influenced by injuries, opposition performances and the management of the players.

With 4 games remaining in the home and away season and with us currently holding 4th position it will be an intriguing month as we head towards creating history and playing in our first final series. The message to all the players has been directed towards making some sacrifices and reaping the rewards of these sacrifices when the season goes up another gear. Each week we’ll be playing for a chance to secure a spot in the finals which will be great preparation for what we aim to do in 2010.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis


INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Bradley Palipuaminni
2 votes Darren Ewing
1 vote Josh Chaplin

Progressive votes: Ewing 14, Dignan 13, Skinner 10, Chaplin 9, Palipuaminni 8, Tapp 8, Rosier 6, Taylor 5, Remfrey 3, Kruse 2,  McLean 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Hart 1, Roe 1.

TALENT PLUS EFFORT = THE WINNING FORMULA

16th July 2010

In last weeks column I indicated it would be interesting to see how far we’d come as a group after our round 12 loss to Redlands. In the week leading up to our round 13 game against Morningside, we focused heavily on controlling what we could control, and that despite having enough talent within our group it would take more than that to register an upset win against last years premiers. Internally I’ve used the phrase  “With talent you may excel but with effort you will always triumph” and this is what we saw last Saturday night. The effort of all 23 players that took the field was enough to show that a week in football is a long time, and that with every player playing their role we could record a triumphant win.

It was our first win in the competition against the powerhouse club and ensured we retained 4th spot in what is proving to be a very congested ladder. The performance of our leaders was inspiring and the effect this had on our younger players really showed.

Congratulations must go to Josh Chaplin who was a worthy recipient of the Round 13 Rising Star Nomination. He has been a solid performer over the past few weeks. Josh typifies what we’re about by being accountable and playing his role each week. The more our players do this the more damaging we become.

As we move onto our round 14 clash against the Western Magpies we’ve spoken about the need to approach every game from here on in with the same mindset and same preparation as we have all our big games. This year we’ve been guilty of being able to get ourselves up for the big games and not approaching teams below us with the same type of intensity and manner which has seen us drop games we may have been expected to win. If our discussions through the week and our approach to training is any indication we’ll see a group that are determined towards edging closer to securing a chance of playing finals football.

We are yet to win in Alice Springs this season and whilst this statistic on the surface doesn’t look good upon review our performances have all been around the mark. In round 3 we lost to Morningside by 22 points who had won 21 games straight, round 7 we lost to grand finalists Mt Gravatt by 4 points and our most recent loss to Redlands in round 12 was by 10 points. The Western Magpies are a young team that like to move the ball on quickly at every opportunity and we’ll have a strong focus on sticking to our structures and ensuring we give all our supporters in Central Australia the win they’ve been looking for.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis


INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Josh Chaplin
2 votes David Kruse
1 vote Jake Dignan

Progressive votes: Dignan 13, Ewing 12, Skinner 10, Chaplin 8, Tapp 8, Rosier 6, Palipuaminni 5, Taylor 5, Remfrey 3, Kruse 2,  McLean 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Hart 1, Roe 1.

A footy season is a marathon... not a sprint

9th July 2010

If the above statement reads true, our loss on the weekend has us losing touch with the top 3 and remaining in the middle of the pack. The pack is now heavily congested and has 6 teams all vying for a chance to finish off the 18 round marathon. Coming up to the finish line there could possibly be 6 teams jostling for the remaining 2 spots. There will be some heartache for four of those teams who will miss out on completing the marathon that began for a lot of us back in November.

The loss to Redlands on the weekend doesn’t mean our season is over, sure it makes the marathon a little harder, but good sides will see this as a challenge and rise above it. Like a marathon our season has some tough stages and we need to ensure we remain mentally tough in overcoming these. Internally we’ve spoken about winners not seeing the obstacles just the end result and this statement rings so true with our playing group. We must focus on what we can control. The things we do through the week and in the 2 hours of game time, this is where we all need to take ownership of what we’re doing and ensure we give ourselves every opportunity to win enough games.

We’ll face a good test of how far we’ve come in a week since our loss to Redlands.  We face last years premiers and in my opinion the best balanced side in the competition in Morningside. They have great experience and some fantastic young players that despite their age have had the opportunity to be part of a well drilled team that play tough and hard running football.

Saturday night will not be a place for the faint hearted as we look to improve on winning more of the contested ball along with maintaining pressure and sticking our tackles and blocks. In our round 12 loss to Redlands we had a season low 5 blocks for the game. Every game we’ve won this year we’ve made no less than 64 tackles and 17 blocks, in all our losses we’ve been well down in these areas. All our players must stand up and be counted, we can’t afford to sit back and let 5 or 6 players shoulder the workload. We’ll be looking for a team effort and for  everyone  to  play their role.

There is no doubt it will be a terrific contest, as Morningside will be running hot, after demolishing the Brisbane Lions by 102 points last week.

TIO Stadium has been a fortress for us in season 2010 and our intentions are to keep it that way.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis


INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Josh Chaplin
2 votes Jake Dignan
1 vote Darren Ewing

Progressive votes: Dignan 12, Ewing 12, Skinner 10, Tapp 8, Rosier 6, Chaplin 5, Palipuaminni 5, Taylor 5, Remfrey 3, McLean 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Roe 1, Hart 1.

Youth & experience good for now & the future

2nd July 2010

With 8 games remaining in the home and away season I believe we are about to see what effect having a good blend of youth and experience in our playing list can have. After round 12 we will have played a total of  53 players. 20 of those  have played or been eligible for the Under 18 championships, that’s 37% of our group under 19. We have one of the youngest lists in the competition and to give 20 of our up and coming players the experience of playing senior state league football is only a positive thing. The exposure and the learning these players get from not only playing but also from training and playing with some of our experienced players has us as a club heading in the right direction.

Our experienced players and leaders have a fantastic opportunity to make an impact on our younger players. The decision is then up to these younger players to follow their good example and excel. On the flip side our younger players have the drive and the enthusiasm to keep motivating our experienced players as we head towards achieving one common goal.

One more season of QAFL football and younger players like Darren Ewing, Bradley Palipuaminni and Cameron Ilett will be registering 50 senior QAFL games. This will not only be an outstanding achievement but also give those players great experience from playing in the competition as they become the core of our future. To have so many young guys getting a taste of the competition and what we’re about as a club will hold the club in good stead down the track. We are lucky to have great leaders amongst a good blend of youth and the group is really starting to unite as we find our way in the competition.

We will need all our experienced players to stand up along with those younger guys to tackle Redlands in Alice Springs this weekend. After the Aspley win our captain Jarred Ilett spoke with the playing group about a need to quickly turn our focus onto Redlands. I’ve been impressed with the players attitude on the training track and this was evident in our post match meeting during the week. To have the players initiate and drive the conversations, tells me as a group we are ready to take on our opposition this week. Redlands have been a team we’ve always had close contests with (despite our past 3 outings all returning in losses) I’m confident the playing group have taken a massive step forward in the past couple of weeks.

We are under no illusions that it’s a big game for them as well. They must  fight to keep their season alive and in the end it will be a result that will shape the finals no matter which way it goes. We’ll be making sure we leave no stone unturned as we work towards registering our first win against Redlands and our first win in Alice Springs for the season.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis – Head Coach


INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Matthew Rosier
2 votes Jake Dignan
1 vote Bradley Palipuaminni

Progressive votes: Ewing 11, Dignan 10, Skinner 10, Tapp 8, Rosier 6, Palipuaminni 5, Taylor 5, Remfrey 3, Chaplin 2, McLean 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Roe 1, Hart 1.

Team Focused Play - The Key to Success

25th June 2010

To register our first win away from home in season 2010 was a very pleasing and proud moment. The fact that it was against last years Grand Finalists, Mt Gravatt, and a game that was so crucial for both clubs meant a lot to all of us. The other results also fell our way meaning that instead of falling from 6th place to 8th we moved up to 4th spot based on percentage.

The win was built on the back of some inspirational acts. It was quite evident from the outset that our leaders wanted to ensure that returning minus the 4 points wasn’t an option this time around. Statistics can so often dominate the football world but on a day where the focus was on playing as a team, the players showed just how high on the priority list it was. It was very pleasing to see some of our often unrewarded acts contribute in getting us over the line. Externally they may not be featured on the highlight reels or be recorded on the statistics sheet but internally I can tell you they are what make us tick as a football team.

To see Jarred and Cameron Ilett along with Brett Goodes and Jake Dignan burst through packs and opposition players and put their bodies on the line is an inspiring sight.  Hamish Simpson and Cameron Roberts two of our let’s say “experienced campaigners” running back with the flight of the ball just to create a contest is a real lesson for all of our younger players. Watching the  players celebrate after a goal or pick a team mate up off the bottom of a pack sends a pretty strong message to not only the opposition but to each other that we are in this together.

Upon review of the game there are some brilliant individual efforts, Gareth Remfrey in only his 3rd game for the club kicked 4 of his 5 goals in the second quarter. Kenrick Tyrrell dominated the ruck position with 33 hit outs for the game and a number of players stood out with our defensive pressure. These are all standards that we now need to carry through for the rest of the season.

As we head into our Round 11 clash with 9th placed Aspley there will be a strong focus on maintaining these standards. The beauty of the 23 players that took the field last Saturday was that they showed what they can do when everyone is committed and has a focus on playing their role. This weekend will be no different and I’m sure we won’t have to go far in finding ways to be inspired.  

Charlie Maher will make his debut and long awaited return after knee surgery in 2009. One of the most talented footballers to come out of Central Australia we are all looking forward to Charlie taking his place in the side. Our 23rd player this week has made the 650km trip into Darwin from Groote Eylandt and is one of the up and coming talents to emerge since the formation of the Groote Eylandt Football League in 2009.  Basil Bara at 21 years of age is Captain of the Angurugu Tigers on Groote Eylandt and also won the League best and fairest in 2009.

It should be a terrific contest and one we look forward to playing in front of our vocal home crowd supporters.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis – Head Coach


INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Gareth Remfrey
2 votes Josh Chaplin
1 vote Shaun Tapp

Progressive votes: Ewing 11, Skinner 10, Dignan 8, Tapp 8, M Taylor 5, Palipuaminni 4, Remfrey 3, Rosier 3, Chaplin 2, McLean 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Roe 1, Hart 1.

Football Clubs - The Ultimate Learning Environment

18th June 2010

One of the things I enjoy most about coaching and being involved in football clubs, is the ability to continue learning new things and being around committed and loyal people. I firmly believe these ingredients are what successful football clubs are built on. The ability to learn from one another lends itself to a football club being the ultimate learning environment.

As a coach I find myself constantly looking for ways in which to improve and ways in which we can make the best of some of the challenges that face us. Be they challenges during the course of a game, in selecting a team to get the job done or managing a playing list. There is never a dull moment and it’s these challenges that only make us stronger.

I had the privilege of being involved in representative football last weekend and saw first hand what learning from a loss can do. 12 months ago the QLD team travelled down to Hobart to take on Tasmania in what was a rematch of the 2008 game which QLD won by 9 points. In 2009 in Hobart we were comprehensively beaten by 49 points and were left to lick our wounds for 12 months.  During that 12 months everyone involved in the representative program worked towards learning from that loss and ensuring that the 2010 match would be played on our terms. Right from the outset the attention to detail and mindset to select a side capable of turning around the loss was evident and to have 23 players committed on seeking redemption was an awesome sight. It was an emphatic performance and it showed sometimes you learn more from your losses than you do your wins.

What have we learnt from our round 7 clash against Mt Gravatt where we went down by 4 points? To the players credit I thought they showed they’d learnt a fair bit in a week as we inflicted Southport’s only loss for the season thus far the following week. With half the season gone our Round 10 clash with Mt Gravatt in QLD will be a pivotal game for both clubs. The result will have a large bearing on our ladder positioning. Win and we move into 4th spot (if Southport takes care of the Brisbane Lions), Lose and we could move to as low as 8th if Redlands and Broadbeach win.

There is a lot to play for and I’m confident that those players selected will show that we’ve learnt a lot from our losses and our actions on the field will reflect this.

GO THUNDER!!!

Murray Davis – Head Coach


INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Shaun Tapp
2 votes Bradley Palipuaminni
1 vote Caleb Hart

Progressive votes: Ewing 11, Skinner 10, Dignan 8, Tapp 7, M Taylor 5, Palipuaminni 4, Rosier 3, McLean 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Roe 1, Hart 1.

The Halfway Mark

11th June 2010

As we reach the halfway mark of the season we find ourselves in 6th position on the ladder. We are one win away from jumping back into 4th spot yet also one loss away from losing touch with the top 5. The QAFL competition is such a tight contest for spots in the final 5 with ourselves, Redlands, Broadbeach, Mt Gravatt and the Brisbane Lions all vying for a chance to play in September. Based on what we saw on the weekend Labrador will be very hard to beat and they deserve their spot in the top 3 alongside Southport and Morningside.

9 rounds in and we’ve had 48 players thus far represent NT Thunder, this is a very high number considering we used 51 players last season which was also extraordinarily high for any club in the competition. Of these 48 players 33 of them are 23 or under which just goes to show how young the side is each week, Not to mention that 13 of the 23 are still eligible for the Under 18 national championships. It’s a great pathway for players to get a taste of senior state league football and also showcase their talent at the national championships. We certainly wish all the players selected in the championships the very best for the next 3 games and we look forward to them pushing for senior selection for the remainder of the QAFL season.

The second half of the season is when we need to make our move up the ladder and secure a spot in a push to play finals. We’ll start the second half with an away game against Mt Gravatt after this weekends State game. We then have 4 games at home (2 in Darwin, 2 in Alice Springs) followed by a week off before we finish with 2 away games and 2 home games (both in Darwin). Our planning and focus has always been around finishing the year off strongly and with the U18 players being available for the remainder of the season (round 12 onwards)  and some key players due back from injury we look forward to finding some consistency in our form.

With the competition being so even we can’t afford to be off 5 or 10% when we play, this also includes being down on personal so the management of the players along with pressure on each player to perform will be closely monitored. We play a game style that relies heavily on every player playing their role and when individuals can’t sustain this it makes it very difficult for us to perform to our potential. We have to close the gap in regards to our best and worst and when we do that I’ve got no doubt we’ve got the potential to play finals and be successful.

Congratulations to Kenrick Tyrrell, Shaun Tapp and Cameron Ilett who have been selected in the state team to play Tasmania on the Gold Coast on Saturday. Bradley Palipuaminni has also been selected to play in the Under 21 side against the Victorian Amateurs Football Association. I’ll also be heading down with the boys in my role as an assistant coach and am looking forward to what should be a terrific contest. Being involved in representative football is a terrific honour and it’s some reward for the way these players have started the season, I’m sure they’ll represent NT Thunder in a very proud and positive manner.


INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Shaun Tapp
2 votes Bradley Palipuaminni
1 vote Caleb Hart

Progressive votes: Ewing 11, Skinner 10, Dignan 8, Tapp 7, M Taylor 5, Palipuaminni 4, Rosier 3, McLean 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Roe 1, Hart 1.

Team Oriented Acts the Key!

4th June 2010

After our winning performance against the previously undefeated Southport Sharks a number of people have asked me how we orchestrated the win. The common question seems to be directed at how we were able to win a game on the back of the competitions leading goal kicker being restricted to just 2 behinds.

For me it’s a number of factors that contributed towards the winning performance last weekend. It’s quite obvious that most opposition teams think if they can restrict “Boof” Ewing that they go a long way towards restricting our avenues to goal. Opposition teams will often double and sometimes triple team Ewing which in theory should allow other team members to be unmarked.

This alone was the most pleasing factor in last weeks win, I felt all the players contributed when “Boof” often found himself double teamed, every player played their role. We had such a spread of the work load and with a focus to use our leg speed across half forward we were able to get a return with 10 goals coming from our quick and very elusive players in Dion Munkara, Bradley Palipuaminni, Zephi Skinner and Best on Ground Aaron Motlop. Add in a couple of goals from our midfield group and in the end it was enough to see us come out in front on the scoreboard.

I thought it really relevant that in Round 7 when we went down to Mt Gravatt by 4 points we had 367 disposals in total. Fast forward a week and we have exactly the same amount of disposals against Southport, yet a much improved effort. It says a lot about what you do with your 367 disposals and the improvement in our decision making was far superior from one week to the next.

We have a big focus on the team orientated things and when we weigh up the numbers from Round 7 to Round 8 they answer a lot of questions. Round 7 against Mt Gravatt we had 2 smothers, 48 tackles, 11 blocks and 15 spoils. In round 8 against Southport we had 6 smothers, 72 tackles, 18 blocks and 33 spoils. The increase in  the team orientated acts for me says it all. We had such a desire to make sure when the opposition had the ball we did everything we could to win it back. Combine this with better decision making and ball usage when in control of the ball and you start to control the game.

For the above to happen we needed everyone to contribute and that’s where the win came from. That’s what is needed this weekend against Labrador and irrespective of names that we bring in or have out of our side it’s a desire to do the team orientated things that will see us come away with our first win on the road for season 2010.

It’s the final game before the final state squad is announced and I’d like to wish all 9 of the players still in contention for selection in the Seniors or in the Under 21’s all the best. Also best wishes to Wally Gallio and all the players and support staff of the U18’s in their second round match of the national championships this Saturday night in Darwin.

GO THUNDER!!!
Murray Davis 

INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Jake Dignan
2 votes Zephi Skinner
1 vote Mitchell Taylor

Progressive votes: Ewing 11, Skinner 10, Dignan 8, M Taylor 5, Tapp 4, Rosier 3, McLean 2, Palipuaminni 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Roe 1.

Hard work before success!

28th May 2010

A quote I’ve always enjoyed reading is “The only place you’ll find success before work is in the dictionary”.

Being successful in football is largely built on the work you’ve done, sure there is a certain amount of talent involved in having the ability to get a job done but combine it with hard work and you’ve got a pretty lethal weapon.  I really enjoyed reading an article by Adam Goodes (dual Brownlow medallist & older brother of NT Thunder play Brett), to give everyone an insight into the article I’d like to refer to some of the key messages Adam spoke about.

“You've all heard the descriptions that are used for indigenous players when they do something brilliant on the football field. When Cyril Rioli dances around one opponent, sidesteps another and then burns off, runs and bounces to kick a goal, the commentators get excited about his so-called magical skills and freakish pace. "You can't coach that, it's instinct,'' said the commentators.

I disagree. What Rioli displayed in that pivotal moment on football's biggest stage was a result of hard work, second effort, dogged determination and competitive spirit. According to those in the know at Hawthorn, Cyril is the hardest trainer at the Hawks, but he gets little recognition for that. It's as if he just has to turn up, cast a spell and pick up 20 possessions. There's nothing magical about indigenous footballers. They are not born with any special powers. Their skills are not bestowed from birth, just waiting to bear fruit on an AFL field 20 years later. Like any other footballer, to get drafted they've had to sacrifice things along the way, such as time with family and friends, and put years of effort into improving their game and their fitness.

I know myself that I didn't make it into the AFL because I was the most talented kid going round at under-18 level - far from it. But what I had was a real desire to succeed, and a willingness to take criticism and learn from it. And make no mistake, I got a lot of it in my first few years”.

Whilst we all marvel at the job players do in their 120 minutes of game time it’s the hours of work done away from the actual game, that in my opinion, underly the performances week in and week out.  Last week I touched on opportunities lost or taken and as a team we didn’t grab our opportunities in last weekend's loss against Mt Gravatt.

For us to be able to do what no other team has done this season and that is defeat Southport, we not only need to make the most of our opportunities, but have done the hard work that’s required for success!!

It’s a question that the playing and coaching group get the chance to answer on Saturday night. Hope to see everyone out there for what should be a terrific contest.

GO THUNDER!!!
Murray Davis

INPEX BEST U23 PLAYER AWARD
Each week Head Coach Murray Davis awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to the best U23 player. A cash award of $500 will be presented to the player with the most votes at the end of the season.

3 votes Jake Dignan
2 votes Darren Ewing
1 vote Zephi Skinner

Progressive votes: Ewing 11, Skinner 8, Dignan 5, M Taylor 4, Tapp 4, Rosier 3, McLean 2, Palipuaminni 2, Cunningham 1, Carusi 1, Roe 1.

Opportunities lost or taken?

20th May 2010

Opportunities present themselves in funny ways sometimes. Generally though those that have worked hard are the one’s that make the most of an opportunity when it presents itself. This weekend we face last years Grand Finalists Mt Gravatt in Alice Springs. It’s a crucial game for both sides with whoever wins this game advancing up the ladder and remaining in the race for a spot in the top 5. It’s going to be a win that will require a lot of character and mental toughness to come out on top.

With our Under 18’s in Sydney playing the first game of the national championships, opportunities will present for players that have yet been able to secure a regular spot in the senior side. It will be an opportunity for players coming into the side to put their best foot forward and show to the coaching staff and their team mates they want to be part of this side moving forward. With at least 8 changes having to be made it will be a challenge to our depth to ensure that players coming in are ready to make the most of their opportunity.

Shaun Wilson has been a standout in the way that he’s grabbed his opportunity. On the back of a solid season with Darwin Buffs in the NTFL he was invited down to train with NT Thunder. He’s worked hard on the training track and equally as hard on his deficiencies  and is a player that takes responsibility for his actions on the football field. Shaun had to wait until round 4  to make his debut and there is no tougher assignment than running our for your first senior game of QAFL than playing Southport at Southport. Shaun along with a few others that day gave it their all and although we fell short as a team I thought individually Shaun had showed he was more than capable of playing at the level. He kicked 2 goals on debut and had 22 possessions. He backed that up with 18 possessions and 1 goal against Broadbeach and put in his best performance to date with 35 possessions and 1 goal against the Western Magpies last weekend. All of a sudden Shaun has now worked his way into our NT Thunder Under 18’s team as 1 of 6 over age players and he deserves his spot. Shaun fully understands he’s got areas of his game to work on and to his credit he’s worked hard on them so that when the opportunity presented itself he grabbed it with both hands.

My question to the playing group before round 7 will be of a similar train of thought. Which player in a time of challenge is going to make the most of the opportunity ? will it be a player that will relish the chance for more game time? will it be a player that will show true leadership qualities that we may have not seen before ? will it be a player that given an opportunity to take his place in the side do everything possible to ensure he remains in the side or will it be a player that despite not being 100% he pushes through the pain to show that he’s made of a quality that see’s us come out on top?

Every game presents itself with a unique opportunity and we find ourselves this week in a unique situation. To have 8 players come out of our senior side from Round 6 show’s how young we are as a side but also shows the talent within our group. It’s a fantastic opportunity for this talent to be on show in the national championships and we certainly wish them all the best. It’s now time for the selected 23 senior players that take the field on Saturday against Mt Gravatt to make the most of their opportunity. It’s an opportunity for all of us to be part of a special win that despite our ins and outs is built on character and a willingness to take every opportunity.

GO THUNDER!!!
Murray Davis