Round 20 Q&A with colts coach Brad Dodd

The Peel Thunder Colts were back in action last Saturday, taking on Claremont at Claremont Oval. After the game we spoke with Head Coach, Brad Dodd.

Two fresh faces into the team this week with Jonathon Letto and Tyler Nesbitt making their debuts. Tell us a little about them?

BD: Both players are out of our Under 16s program. Tyler joined the Colts straight after and has been really impressive on the training track. He’s a medium defender with a good vertical jump and raking left foot kick. Jono is one of our South West kids. He’s still quite small but has a high work rate and is quite neat with his ball use. This was our youngest team for the year by far, with 16 of the 23 being 17 years old or younger. It was going to be a great challenge for the players but certainly exciting from a development point of view. 

Sunny but slippery conditions early, with the Thunder taking a five-point lead into the quarter time break. How’d you see the quarter?

BD: The scoreboard didn’t reflect the way the game was being played. We started brightly but didn’t get reward for effort early and Claremont controlled the middle part of the quarter and missed some easy chances themselves. Jono Ietto started brightly, kicking two first quarter goals.  

Claremont dominated the 2nd quarter, kicking 5.1 to 0.1 to open a significant lead at half time. It must’ve been disappointing?

BD: Totally out worked. All across the ground. Defensively, we made sloppy mistakes, basic errors and Claremont took advantage. We were smashed around the ball, out worked, which was disappointing as our senior players were all playing through there. The challenge in the second half was to respond. 

Claremont kept the pressure on in the 3rd quarter, winning the quarter by a goal to hold a 31-point lead at the last change. How’d you see the 3rd quarter?

BD: We were trying to get ourselves back into the game but Claremont continued to pressure strongly around the ball and we really struggled to generate scoring opportunities. Even though the tigers had a big lead, the group have shown through the season that we can score quickly and the door wasn’t shut. 

At the 12 minute mark of the last, Peel had reeled the margin back to 13 points but couldn’t quite go on with it, going down by 20 points. What got you back into the game?

BD: We started to be bolder with our ball use and we started see a greater work rate. At the half way mark of the quarter, we looked like we were in with a chance to pinch it but we weren’t clinical enough under pressure and half opportunities or opportunities to attack our goals went begging. Claremont, who had been the better team all day, shut the game down and closed out the result. 

Who were the better performers on the day?

BD: Lachie Riley had been really close to a league debut and he kept the pressure on with another workman like performance. His ball use wasn’t as damaging as it could’ve been but he was pretty consistent from quarter to quarter. Cam Gavin worked hard through the midfield but they were our only two serviceable performers through there. Down back, Rob Hutson and James Ewing were excellent under pressure. Deon Welhan worked hard but there weren’t many solid contributors across the whole game. We thought the two debutants in Jono Ietto and Tyler Nesbitt were pretty impressive at times. 

The last game of the regular season this week, with second spot locked away- how do you attack the game against East Perth?

BD: We have a few up playing reserves, with Lachlan Cullen going up and getting a taste this week. Some of those players will stay up, while a couple may come back. James Sturrock has been pretty solid for the league team. So we’ll look for a response from the playing group. The game is played at Domain Stadium as part of a Colts Super Round, which will be a great experience for the players. 

The Thudner colts will take on East Perth  in the final round of the home and away season, this Saturday 25th August at Bendigo Bank Stadium.