A banner year could hardly come at a better time for the towering key-position prospect, surely etching his name into more and more potential draft boards by the week.
Shepparton tall Whitlock was initially swung forward for Mark Brown’s side to help cover the absences of brother Jack and fellow tall target Joshua Murphy.
Hasn’t Matt taken his chance in spades, though.
In meeting the Calder Cannons Saturday at Wangaratta Showgrounds, we saw the formation of the Whitlock twin towers as the Bushrangers’ offensive threats.
Matt wasted no time making the big impression, answering a quick pair of Cannons goals with two of his own heading into the first change.
Joe Berry found his touch in adding to the lead early in the second before Matt and Jack went back-to-back to extend the Bushrangers’ buffer to a game-high 16 points shortly before the main break.
On went the tussle, however, as the visitors went about a late flurry in the third term to eat into what had once been a 22-point lead after Matt’s fourth of the day.
His fifth and final contribution between the big sticks was by far the most meaningful after the Cannons briefly surged into the lead, providing the go-ahead major that ultimately helped seal the deal by the barest of margins, the Bushrangers prevailing 9.7 (61) to 8.12 (60).
Brown was happy to see the game plan evolve as planned.
“We made the focus around our contest work in the first block of the season,” Brown said.
“We expanded our areas of focus and spent the last two or three weeks looking at what we do away from the contest.
“Calder beat us in the contested ball, but we were able to win because of what we did around that.
“To have a win by being better in the spread alludes to a bit of learning in that area and we’ll just keep adding to that.
“I thought we controlled the game and the boys are improving and getting better.”
It figures to be a busy time for the nation’s upper echelon of junior talent with the under-18 national championships now under way, and it’s expected that — at minimum — the Whitlock boys will be absent featuring for Vic Country when called upon.
Brown is optimistic about the opportunities that may arise for others at either end of the ground.
“We expect those boys to turn out for Vic Country and we’ve already had Josh Murphy captain the Allies and kick three goals in his first game there,” Brown said.
“This just gives opportunities to the rest of our squad to come in and experience Talent League football.
“It’s an exciting time for our program.”
Before the boys took the park up north, the girls had their turn to tangle with the Calder contingent.
In a clash between two sides without a win, the Murray girls came as close as at any point this season to a maiden set of points, leading at every change.
The Bushrangers fell agonisingly short despite two goals to Majella Day as the Cannons escaped with a first win of the year, 5.9 (39) to 4.5 (29).
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