By Jonty Ralphsmith
Kobe Shipp has used Vic Country’s first national championships match to enhance his draft prospects.
The Beaconsfield junior was one of five Stingrays in action, alongside Harry DeMattia, Kade De La Rue, Billy Wilson and Cooper Simpson.
Zane Duursma, Wil Dawson and Archer Reid were in action from the Gippsland Power.
Shipp played with smarts to get plenty of the footy and made good decisions, with his ball use improving across the course of the match.
Having established a reputation as a dangerous interceptor and rebounder off halfback, the 187cm player went into defence in the last quarter.
With Vic Country under some duress and lacking height behind the ball, he provided composure and played with instinct.
Rays teammate DeMattia was a co-captain for the day, with probable number-one pick Harley Reid.
DeMattia was a starting midfielder and finished with seven clearances, including three where he accelerated from the centre and sent it inside 50.
His speed and ability to cleanly get first hands on it was eye-catching, but the natural leader will rue his lack of finishing polish at times.
De La Rue played on the wing and was typically clean, kicking a late goal and setting up a teammate with a low dart in the third as he used it well when he got his hands on it.
Wilson showed his pizzazz off half-back and was one of his team’s better performers on the day.
Although he turned the footy over at times, he showed that his skillset stacks up against the best to continue his meteoric rise.
Simpson, meanwhile, copped a bad corkie in the second quarter so took no part after the main break.
He had played exclusively in the midfield, and played his role perfectly with the ball pinging off his fluorescent green boot more efficiently than any of his teammates.
Zane Duursma was the best of the Gippslanders, showing promise in racking up 20 touches as a midfielder who started the game well.
Dawson was competitive in the ruck, while Reid also ran through the ruck as he struggled to insert himself into the contest given Vic Country was starved of forward opportunities.
Vic Country scored the first three goals of the game via Harley Reid and South Australia dominated after that, exposing their lack of cohesion and quality key defenders.
