South’s triple threat
A SKILFUL teen, a midfield bull and a selfless leader will help reignite the rivalry between southern and northern Queensland today.
Bond University men’s coach Sam Whish-Wilson has detailed the influential roles trio Oliver Smart, Rhys King and Ben Merrett have played in a season that has the team at third on the QFA Division 2 ladder with a record of 7-2.
The group will join Burleigh QFA Division 1 player Jasper Schoenmaker in the South Queensland side to play North Queensland in the annual intrastate clash (4.30m) at Riverway Stadium, Townsville.
It will be held as a twilight curtain-closer to the AFL home and away match between the Gold Coast and St Kilda.
Whish-Wilson said his men could prove the difference in enemy territory.
“We have been playing Oliver Smart out on a wing this year and he has gone to another level,” Whish-Wilson said.
“He can use both sides of his body, uses the ball really well and is a really good finisher.
“We played him on-ball last year but we wanted him to use his skills and play him a little wider.
“He has probably been in the best every game except one. He’s really smart with the footy so we are using him less around the contest so he doesn’t get beat up as much.”
King has headed north from southern NSW after winning a grand final with Albury.
“He is a in-and-under midfielder,” Whish-Wilson said.
“I have never seen someone go so hard and tackle so hard who I have played or coached. He is an absolute bull.
“Then there is Ben who is in his fourth year at Bond.
“We started him in the midfield this year to give him a little
HE HAS PROBABLY BEEN IN THE BEST EVERY GAME EXCEPT ONE
WHISH-WILSON ON OLIVER SMART
bit of a different role and then pushed him back up forward so we could find some other avenues to goal which we did.
“He has been really selfless, really positive with the group, sharing the workload I and really generating some positivity in the forward line.”