By Jonty Ralphsmith
Over the Christmas period, the Star News’ sports team will be re-sharing some of the most popular stories from over the course of 2023.
Thank you for supporting our newspapers over the course of the year. We hope you enjoy the selection and have a wonderful holiday period, however you choose to celebrate.
Cranbourne star Zak Roscoe brought up his 100th senior game for Cranbourne in its 110-point demolition of St Kilda City on Saturday.
The midfielder has been a revelation for the Eagles this season, winning clearances, bringing explosiveness, running games out and kicking 40 goals in 2023.
Roscoe started with a bang against Cheltenham on Good Friday, amassing 37 possessions to go with four goals five in an announcement to the competition.
He played with the confidence of a player who went big with a best afield medal in Cranbourne’s grand final win last year.
“Growing up I was the smaller frame and not getting contested touches,” Roscoe said.
“The grand final was wet, physical, there was no free ball, so to be able to stand up and hold my own in those conditions said to me that I can do it any week and can be an inside midfielder rather than an outside midfielder.”
Having a preseason at Casey further strengthened the physicality and fitness he was able to bring.
It has resulted in most teams choosing to put attention into him on-field after he backed up his outing against the Rosellas with excellent performances against Chelsea, Dingley and Bentleigh.
Even when he has been well held, such as Cranbourne’s away clash with Dingley, his fitness means it’s so difficult for a side to contain him for a full match.
In that one, he got off the chain in the fourth quarter, which helped the Eagles kick 12 goals.
“It brings out an extra bit of competitiveness if their coaches think that much of me and want to stop me,” Roscoe said.
“It makes me want to prove them wrong and say ‘it doesn’t really matter what you do, I’ll do whatever I can to get involved’.
“Earlier in the year, it got to me, people being overly physical, but now I expect it and I find ways to battle through it.
“Particularly going forward, games I haven’t been tagged, I get more ball in the back half of the ground and accumulate a little bit more, but when I’m being tagged it puts me in more dangerous spots.
“I’m working forward and my touches are coming inside 50, so I can hit the scoreboard more with less touches because I have to work forward so hard.”
A Cranbourne junior, Roscoe left the club and played some footy at Noble Park and learned tips and tricks off local footy household names Kyle Martin and Jackson Sketcher.
While he wasn’t able to establish himself in the Bulls midfield, he was able to bring that knowledge back to Cranbourne, grasping an opportunity to cement his spot in the engine room.
During his time training at Casey, former Cranbourne player and Dees skipper Mitch White is one who assisted his stoppage craft, which has seen him become more damaging and mobile in traffic.
“I remember we did match (simulation) one day, he came up and gave me advice about stoppage work and that has stuck with me a lot,” Roscoe said.
“He said I was moving through the stoppage too early and he said ‘you’re better off getting there late than early because the ball is still in front of you that way’ and that has been a massive learning for me.”
