Jye Menzie pushes for Essendon Debut, Aaron Hall sets AFL record with North Melbourne

The North Hobart product, who was claimed by Essendon in the mid-season rookie draft with pick 18, starred in the VFL over the weekend.

The small forward kicked four goals from 11 disposals to lead all scorers in the Bombers' 38-point win over Willamstown.

The haul gives Menzie a record of eight goals in his past three games and could be enough to see him debut at AFL level.

The 19-year-old from Bridgewater would join a procession of Tasmanians who suited up in AFL action in the last round including Aaron Hall, Isaac Chugg, Jeremy Howe, Hugh Greenwood, Chayce Jones, Mitch Robinson, Tarryn Thomas, Toby Nankervis, Jack Riewoldt, Ben Brown, Jake Kolodjashnij, Alex Pearce, Brody Miochek, Ryan Gardner, Robbie Fox and Jimmy Webster.

Jones marked his 50^th AFL game with seven touches as Adelaide conquered a Tasmanian-laden North Melbourne side by 57 points.

Hall topped the stat sheet with 38 touches while Greenwood haunted his old side with 25 touches. Thomas, who North Melbourne premiership player David King criticised for looking "disinterested" at half-time, collected three touches.

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Hall managed a new AFL record for metres gained in one game with 1169, managed to beat Joel Bowden's 1153 metres despite six fewer possessions.

Chugg made his debut at AFL level as the Launceston premiership player took his high-flying exploits to the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 20-year-old made a modest start to AFL with five touches as more renowned high-flyer Howe (10 touches) and Mihocek (two goals) had an impact on the win.

Launceston's Kolodjashnij was opposed to Clarence's Riewoldt for stages of Geelong's thrilling three-point win over Richmond. The Richmond spearhead found himself in the ruck at times as George Town's Nankervis rested forward after a bout of leather poisoning from the 22 touches he collected across the game.

Gardner entered rarefied air as the 12,732nd player to appear in the AFL/VFL notched 20 touches from defence against Hawthorn which set a new career-best for the Smithton stopper.

A day later and more than 800 kilometres away, Fox and Webster battled away for the Sydney Swans and St Kilda respectively. The 12,515th player to appear in the VFL/AFL (Fox) and the 12,194th player to appear in the competition (Webster) did nothing to move up from being the players with the 5401st (Fox) and 6831st most goals kicked (Webster) in the VFL/AFL but Fox found a season-high 22 disposals.

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There was another Tasmanian showdown as Brisbane and Melbourne, and by extension Lauderdale's Robinson and Devonport-raised Brown, battled for top spot.

Robinson could have provided a goal-kicking lesson to his fellow Tasmanian as Brown delivered an inaccurate one goal and three behinds while the former Carlton enforcer added two goals straight.

Meanwhile in the VFL, Jay Lockhart had his radar on in front of goal as the former Melbourne Demon and North Launceston premiership player kicked two goals for the Southport Sharks.

Matthew McGuinness collected 21 disposals and nine marks for North Melbourne's VFL side while Patrick Walker recorded 19 touches and two behinds in the 52-point win over the Northern Bullants.

Sam Banks found plenty of the ball for Richmond's VFL side to be their equal-second highest possession-getter with 22 disposals and four tackles against Geelong as the Tigers won by 14 points. Rhyan Mansell picked up 17 touches for the Tigers.

Jackson Callow had 21 hit-outs and six touches while Brady Grey had 13 touches and kicked a goal as Box Hill went down to Footscray in the VFL.

Matthew Hanson brought his own football to the Werribee and Port Melbourne fixture with 36 touches but fellow Tasmanian Eli Templeton had the last laugh with a crucial goal for Borough in the three-point win.

Elsewhere, South Adelaide resembled a mini-Tasmanian state side as North Hobart's Mitch O'Neill, Glenorchy's Harrison Gunther and Clarence's Oliver Davis and Fraser Turner all featured.

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