BY DAN

Winning a footy game usually leads people to take pretty obvious positions. The winners were good, and the losers bad, and all analysis flows in binary directions. But when both teams give up fourteen point leads in the same game, it can confuse analysis, even more so when one of those teams is meant to be a contender, and the other an also-ran. Plenty will be frustrated, plenty will be relieved. Canberra, as unfortunately is too common, managed to be both.

But in the cold light of day it’s important to reflect on the forward steps taken. Canberra were not perfect. They still faced problems in discipline, and nearly got fully-Vlando’d (and we all know what Robert Downey Junior says about that). They still faced challenges in red zone attack, and on occasion in defence. But they showed improvements that could elevate their ceiling for September.

The most obvious was Ethan Sanders calmly slotting his first ‘closer’ (pronounced with a ‘z’) situation. Canberra have struggled with that in so many forms over recent years. Even before the game it had been a problem. For a team that has won more than its fair share of close games, it was a strange situation. They were covering the gap with chaos rather than intelligent footy in hot situations. That obviously came back to bite them at a really bad time last year.

In this game their set to win the game was simple, authoritative and moved them into a position to take a shot at field goal that didn’t seem likely at the start of it. A Hudson Young offload was critical to create the extra 15 metres to put them in range. A 4th tackle run from Tommy Starling, playing as a middle forward alongside Jayden Brailey was important to set up the spot. Then Sanders stepped up like he’d been waiting for the opportunity his whole life. He came forward, not set back, metaphorically into the light and sent the ball sailing from 35 out. As far as field goals go it was as straight as a good drive off the tee, just curling towards the middle of the posts.

I don’t want to make too much of this. One swallow doesn’t make a good relationship. Sanders did his job in defence, and the team seemed to be well-directed around the park. He and Ethan Strange looked comfortable connecting but the side was perhaps too patient in attack, and initially struggled with the pace of the Manly jam. But on this one measure Sanders has already given us a marker to note, and an improvement to appreciate.

But in a team that hadn’t found a way to do this very simple task, it stands out as an important step that can elevate the Milk come September.

A second revelation from Saturday was the play of Noah Martin. We’re not surprised, we’ve been banging this drum for a while. Sticky took the leap ahead of time, and no one was disappointed. Two tries were highlights, one pure brute strength, the other a thoroughbred unleashed. 70 odd metres understated the power of his running, but 48 tackles without a miss also impressed. That was always going to be the test of his capacity to stay in the game.

Martin’s defensive involvement showcased his capacity in the face of an attack entirely geared towards attacking his position. Given the volume of traffic aimed at that edge, the relative sophistication of the attack and the fact it will be the one game that Tommy T is healthy for this year, his first major outing was impressive. Also, he seems like such a nice boy. And also perhaps a centaur. It’s unclear.

Before the season we had hoped that Matty Muffins would be the stalwart on the edge. This would allow the Milk to play some mixture of Mariota, Hosking, Sasagi and Martin off the bench in a rotation more invasion than interchange. But it’s hard to argue with the current makeup. Matty Nicholson’s re-injury of his shoulder in NSW Cup will only make that situation clearer. Hosking and Mariota may well be on their own on that bench.

And that’s because of our final revelation – the play of Simi Sasagi. He impressed at right centre, getting through all the yardage work that his predecessor Matty Timoko and providing a constant threat on the right. His passing was perfect on Xavier Savage’s first try, taking Strange’s dig into the line and making it worthwhile by moving the ball on with soft hands and a pure heart. His defensive reads were broadly strong – though I do wonder why it was Ethan Strange trying to bring down Koula with no Sasagi in sight.

I wonder if Timoko comes back into the side immediately. I am a massive fan of Matty Mokes, but many a position has been given up by a minor injury and a run of form. Simi would prefer a starting role, but Stick may value having a jack of nearly all trades on his bench. It may not ever be a permanent resolution. Having three capable centres instead of two is a great place to be.

There is much to build in this side. Their redzone attack is a work in progress, inconsistent in its attack of a jamming defence. Their own defence was seemingly fine (maybe good? definitely enthusiastic) but hampered by having to compensate for handling errors, ill-discipline and the unaccountable variance of Vlandoball.

But there has been improvement in this side. Is it enough to offset all that would drag them down? We’ve got twenty-three more games to work that out.

The Sportress is transitioning away from Facebook and Twitter for distribution so sign up to the email below before we disappear from your feed altogether. Don’t hesitate to send us feedback (dan@sportress.org) or comment below if you think we are stupid. Or if we’re not.