WITH talented youngsters Jake Greiser and James Sicily running around for Vic Metro in the under-18 national championships on Friday afternoon, the question for the Western Jets was who would step up to fill the void against an equally decimated Eastern Ranges in the TAC Cup on Saturday?
Corey Ellis answered the call, re-joining the Jets from Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School on a school football-free week and turning in an eye catching performance to lead his side to a 105-point annihilation of the second-placed Ranges at Box Hill City Oval.
Ellis racked up 31 possessions, nine marks and eight tackles in a Greiser-like showing in the midfield to earn the best-on-ground honours.
“He’s a guy we want getting on the end of it because he’s such a good user of the ball,” Jets coach Torin Baker told the Weekly.
“At the same time, in the midfield, you need to have a high workrate and good defensive pressure, and he was one of our leading tacklers on the day.
“It was a really good all-round game from him.”
The Jets came out with all guns blazing to open up a five-goal break at quarter time.
They stretched the lead out to 51 points by half-time and the result was beyond doubt when it extended to 72 by the last change.
The merciless Jets sought about improving their percentage and finished with a nine-goals-to-three last term.
“We covered the losses of our two key players really well,” Baker said.
The Jets spread the load in attack with 13 individual goalkickers.
Jake McKenzie booted four, while there were three each to Liam Duggan and Matthew Singleton.
McKenzie, brought back to the club under the 19-year-old rule, has changed up his role under Baker after spending his early years as a running defender.
“He was more of a defender last year, whereas now we’re playing him as a mid-forward, so we’re hoping he shows his best abilities to clubs,” Baker said.
“There’s certainly a lot of clubs monitoring how Jake’s going this year.
“He was probably unlucky not to get drafted last year after having a really good national championships.”
The Jets have moved up to fifth on the ladder, still a game and a half outside the top four.
They are making a late push for a double chance, showing in the past two weeks they can match it against sides ranked in the top four.
The Jets play Gippsland Power at Preston City Oval on Sunday, another side considered a premiership threat.
“We’ve been competitive in all our games, which is the most pleasing thing,” Baker said.
