Eedy sets tone off the bench
SOMETIMES to emerge triumphant it is not courtesy of the man making 50 tackles or scoring the freakish tries.
It is the player who picks their moments and makes an impact with each touch.
That was the case for Burleigh utility Nathan Eedy, whose man of the match performance inspired his side to a 36-16 victory over Helensvale in the under-20s grand final.
Once injected into the contest from the pine, Eedy brought plenty of energy and enthusiasm, making significant yardage with every hit up and applying a plethora of defensive pressure.
Despite beginning the year on the wing, Bears coach Jason Bradfield sensed there was an opportunity for the youngster to do a job in the middle of the field throughout the closing stages of the campaign.
It proved a masterstroke, with Eedy’s decider heroics his second MVP honour on the trot.
“To be honest he brings impact off the bench and sometimes impact off the bench is just as important as the bloke who plays 80 minutes because if you put him on at the right time he can change the game,” Bradfield said.
“He just puts his hand up constantly to run the ball, tackle and be in everything. He might not have been in there for big minutes, but he doubles up with hit ups in each set of six and he works hard.”
While the Hornets scored with the final play of the firsthalf to keep the score in check at 14-10, edge forward Aston Bai kept the maroon and white army on the front foot – scoring a try of his own in a performance that typified why he earned his A-grade stripes.