A week on from his own big-league debut, Mooroopna's Laitham Vandermeer helped his Western Bulldogs claim victory against Greater Western Sydney Giants in a heated rivalry clash.
Vandermeer chipped in with 10 disposals and three tackles, and teammates Alex Keath (Kialla) and Sam Lloyd (Deniliquin) had 14 and seven touches respectively, with Keath kicking his first goal for the Dogs, the second goal of his 32-game career.
Meanwhile, Ash excited many with his electrifying pace, finishing the game with seven disposals.
Giants coach Leon Cameron was full of praise for the teenager.
“The thing about Lachie is he’s so eager to learn,” Cameron said.
“Even in the last three or four minutes of the game where he had some great pieces of play out on the far wing, he doubled up and laced out someone inside 50.
“I was rapt with him. He’s going to be a long-term player for our footy club. Rapt that he made his debut tonight, I mean disappointed that we couldn’t find a win for him, but he wants to learn and be a really good half-back flanker.”
Elsewhere, Cobram's Esava Ratugolea made headlines in Geelong's two-point loss to Carlton, although not necessarily for good reasons.
Ratugolea, who finished the game with 12 disposals, six tackles and five hit-outs, inexplicably spoiled a Tom Hawkins set-shot from going over the line for a goal, a play Port Adelaide legend Kane Cornes described as the dumbest thing he'd ever seen on the football field.
Hawkins was impressive for the Cats, with 11 touches, four marks and 2.1.
And Mooroopna's Jy Simpkin continued his exceptional form despite North Melbourne falling to Sydney by 11 points.
Simpkin led the Kangaroos with 26 disposals, four tackles and a goal, racking up 140 SuperCoach points in yet another dominant performance.
Rochester's Shaun Atley had 12 disposals and three tackles in his 200th game.
Meanwhile, Kyabram's Nick Holman helped Gold Coast seal consecutive wins this season after the Suns thrashed Adelaide.
Holman finished with nine touches, four marks and four tackles in the 53-point victory.
Lastly, a quartet of GV exports — Benalla's Tom Rockliff, Echuca's Ollie Wines, Katamatite's Tom Clurey and Deniliquin's Todd Marshall — helped Port Adelaide salute against Fremantle.
Wines (25 disposals, one goal) and Rockliff (19 disposals, five clearances) stood tall in the midfield, while Marshall popped up with one major in the 29-point win.
Clurey had six touches, three marks and two inside 50s in the Sunday night contest.
Seymour's David Mundy (13 disposals) and Moama's Lachie Schultz (10) battled hard for the Dockers.
