A LEGION of south-west AFL draft hopefuls are pressing their case to recruiters through stellar NAB League performances.
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Several Hampden league exports featured prominently in Greater Western Victoria Rebels' triumph over Gippsland Power on Saturday, with three in particular leaving a mark.
South Warrnambool's Fraser Marris (38 disposals, five marks, four tackles and five inside 50s) was a heavy contributor in the Rebels' 16.20 (116) to 6.1 (37) victory, while Portland's Jamieson Ballantyne (28 disposals, five marks, four inside 50s) and Hamilton Kangaroos' Vincent Huf (five goals, eight marks) also stood up.
Huf booted his bag of five on debut after being called up to the under 19 side from the under 17s.
Sam Butler, one of the Rebels best, slotted two goals in five minutes to hand them a 14-point lead midway through the first term.
They were important goals as the Rebels couldn't manage to kick the ball between the big sticks to start the game.
Penshurst's Josh Rentsch couldn't buy a goal, hitting the post three times in the first quarter while Jake Drever added a poster also.
Wayward goalkicking remained an issue throughout the game and was the only blight on an otherwise strong Rebels performance which featured multiple scorers.
Backmen Angus Bade, from Warrnambool, and Sam Breuer kicked a goal each in the second term.
They were part of five straight goals by the Rebels in the quarter after the Power kicked the opening two majors to bring the margin back to four points. It helped the side to a 35-point lead at half-time, a lead that only grew in the second half.
The dominance on the scoreboard in the final two quarters was thanks mostly to the Rebels defence, keeping Gippsland to just two goals.