SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 2016 SPORT 61 Dominant Guilhaus sees off St Mary’s

MARC McGOWAN

NIGHTCLIFF man mountain Seb Guilhaus backed up his impassioned speech at last month’s NT Thunder club champion night with a domi- nant first-up showing in the NTFL yesterday. The 198cm ruckman had little competition in the big man stakes, with St Mary’s missing spring-heeled pair Tony Olango and Daniel Lewis and instead relying on athletic ex-AFL utility Rapha- NIGHTCLIFF V ST el Clarke. MARY’S Guilhaus was one of Night- cliff’s best players as they NIGHTCLIFF 4.3 5.5 12.8 14.13 97 upset the reigning premiers. “We couldn’t ask for a bet- ST MARY’S ter start to the season. They 3.1 6.3 7.6 10.8 68 had a few players out, so take GOALS it with a pinch of salt, but we’re Nightcliff: I Farrell-Nelson 3 R ecstatic,” Guilhaus said. Althouse-Cooper 2 B Filo K Kossack D “I know Raph from playing Shannon T Coates K Emery A Baird P Kossack F Thurlow B Miles with him at Thunder and he’s St Mary’s: F Kinthari 2 P Puautjimi 2 P a clever player – as he showed MacFarlane J Cullen J Williams A Wilson – but he’s not a ruckman, so I J Hutt R Clarke knew we’d get ascendancy BEST Nightcliff: S Guilhaus P Taban A Baird with the taps. K Emery I Farrell-Nelson R Althouse- “But I needed to be smart Cooper with it and a few times I St Mary’s: K Lohde F Kinthari J Anstess I Vallejo R Clarke H Labastida wasn’t. Next time they’ll have some big meat in there.” Guilhaus arrived in the Top End at the end of 2013 after Nightcliff ruckman Seb Guilhaus puts the clamps on St Mary's opponent Picture: IVAN RACHMAN making the SANFL Team of the Year with Central District. He impressed for the NTFL Tigers and went on to Thun- der from there, but that was where his problems began. Guilhaus managed 10 Nightcliff flex muscles NEAFL games that year, but admitted he “disappeared” and struggled mentally as severe knee tendonitis wore him down. He referred to that time in his acceptance speech three with dynamic display weeks ago as Thunder’s best clubman, at the end of a sea- son where he was also a huge- MARC McGOWAN Coates era in ideal fashion. of them Daly Shannon’s won- rius Clarke and Pio Puautjimi ly valuable on-field presence. “I’m really proud of the derfully taken set shot from among the culprits. “When I came to (Thunder A SIZZLING six-goal Night- boys today – super proud – and near the boundary. Saints coach Rick Nolan coach) Xavier Clarke at the cliff burst ripped the heart out the effort was the most pleas- “I’m really Seb Guilhaus won the ma- rued his side’s inefficiency im- beginning of 2016, I felt like I of St Mary’s yesterday and an- ing thing,” Coates said. jority of the hit-outs, with ex- mediately after halftime. was begging him to give me a nounced Troy Coates’ Tigers “We had about five run- proud of the Essendon rookie Fraser “We turned the footy over a go,” Guilhaus said. as a threat to their vanquished down tackles in that first quar- Thurlow spelling him, against few times and they got us,” “I wanted to see if I could opponents’ flag defence. ter, so I knew from the start the boys today” undersized Raphael Clarke. Nolan. “If we had put on a bit use their resources and rebuild You won’t hear Coates boys were on and the biggest Clarke was influential in the more scoreboard pressure in my body ... it ended up being a making statements like that – focus was it was a four-quarter first half, but faded after the the first seven minutes of the fantastic year and I felt like and he warned his players effort, too. TROY COATES main break as his big-bodied third quarter, the momentum I’ve redeemed my footy and against it, too – but the Night- “We didn’t have any lapses rival went forward to take a could have gone our way. it’s such a big part of my life. cliff faithful could be in for an throughout the game, so that’s game-breaking seven-goal-to- towering grab and set up one “But then we got murdered “It’s not just the mateship enjoyable season. the pleasing thing, and that’s one third term proved they are of 16-year-old Ryan Althouse- in a 10-minute period and it (at a footy club) ... in sport you The Saints led by five points against a quality side, which is ready to fire from the outset. Cooper’s two majors. was game over.” can really show yourself who early in the third quarter of even more pleasing.” They traded majors before Some of the Nightcliff fin- The Tigers will monitor you are and I just needed it. their NTFL season-opener be- The two clubs are expected that patch, after Nightcliff ishing in that period was Brodie Filo (ankle) and Daly When that was gone, I did feel fore the Tiger fireworks began, to feature strongly when the jumped out of the gates well. superb, whereas St Mary’s frit- Shannon (calf), while St lost and didn’t regard myself providing the impetus for a 29- whips are cracking post- The Tigers kicked three of tered away their own chances Mary’s veteran Mark McLean very highly and lost my self- point triumph to start the Christmas, but Nightcliff’s the first four goals – the third – with Peter MacFarlane, Ma- (ankle) looks set to miss weeks. confidence and self-belief.” Mitchell takes home fifth Crimmins Boomer bows out a one-club star SAM Mitchell’s Hawthorn 1982 — has won more . last month’s straight-sets exit RECORD-BREAKING North Harvey scored 518 goals and campaigns in his four seasons, crown received another jewel Mitchell’s honour capped at the hands of premier West- Melbourne midfielder Brent played in 24 finals matches including two preliminary- last night with the midfielder another brilliant season in ern Bulldogs. Harvey has officially an- during a stellar career that saw final appearances. taking home his fifth Peter which he celebrated playing Matthews said Mitchell was nounced his retirement from him named an All-Australian The Kangaroos have yet to Crimmins Medal. his 300th game. now in the ilk of modern greats the AFL at the Kangaroos’ Syd five times. appoint their new captain and Mitchell, 33, moved past It was an experienced po- , and Baker club champion dinner. North Melbourne skipper leadership group for next year. four-time winners Jason Dun- dium at Crown Palladium . The 38-year-old, who made Andrew Swallow also an- The club also paid tribute to stall, and count last night with Jordan And former Hawks coach his debut against Richmond in nounced he’ll hand over the Drew Petrie, John Kennedy Sr. Lewis and said Mitchell 1996, hangs up his boots after captaincy. and , who along Only Leigh Matthews — rounding out the top three. was “a phenomenal player playing a AFL/VFL record 432 The 29-year-old was first with Harvey, weren’t offered who collected eight Hawthorn Burgoyne was named Haw- whose influence doesn’t seem games for the club he helped to appointed captain in 2012, new contracts at the end of the best-and-fairests from 1971 and thorn’s best finals player after to be diminishing”. win the 1999 premiership. leading North to three finals 2016 season.

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