St Kilda midfielder David Armitage has put his name up for an immediate recall to the AFL side following a standout performance in Sandringham’s two-point win over Geelong on Sunday.
Omitted from the senior side that faced the Cats, the 29-year-old was outstanding in the curtain-raiser to the main fixture, finishing with 34 disposals (22 contested), nine clearances and seven tackles.
Nathan Wright kicked two goals in what was a low-scoring affair in windy conditions, the Zebras casting aside a poor start to grab victory in the final minutes.
It was a late goal from experienced Saint Mav Weller that landed the killer blow, giving the Zebras an eight-point buffer before holding on for a thrilling finish. Weller finished with 25 disposals and five tackles, while Billy Longer posted 53 hit-outs to win the battle over Geelong’s Zac Smith.
Young spearhead Josh Battle provided one of the highlights of the day, launching a monster goal from well beyond the arc to keep the Zebras in touch during the third quarter.
Bailey Rice and Darragh Joyce impressed, the later showing enormous improvement as a hard-nosed defender.
Sandringham returns home to Trevor Barker Oval next Sunday to tackle Port Melbourne, with the Zebras aiming at a third consecutive win to start the season.
Young gun Hunter Clark sat out the match as the carry over emergency for the senior side.