No-fuss Tarrant lets boot do talking - Herald Sun

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By Mark Stevens

CHRIS Tarrant is still just a Mildura lad bewildered by a big city's obsession with footy.

After kicking seven goals at the 'G in front of 65,000, many players would gleefully get front and square amid the microphones, but "Tazza" had to have his arm twisted to talk at all.

Asked about beating his personal best of five in a match, Tarrant simply replied: "It was good to get a couple more."

Forget the fuss. Tarrant's motto is "keep it low key and enjoy it".

Don't dare call him the king of Queen's Birthday, even though he is fast becoming a candidate for the title.

Tarrant was bemused why anyone would make a link between yesterday's heroics and that soaring early contender for mark of the year in the corresponding game last season.

"It still gets talked about a year on. It's a bit weird like that. That's football for you," he said.

"I honestly didn't think about it too much."

Tarrant hardly looked pumped. In fact he looked like a bloke who hadn't got a kick in a 10-goal loss.

People forget he is still 21 and finding his way. But don't bank on Eddie McGuire transforming him into a regular Footy Show panellist. He's just not that type.

Despite appearances, Tarrant is adamant he is enjoying his time at the office more than ever.

He famously walked out on the club in early 2000, but why would you want to pack your gear when Josh Fraser and Anthony Rocca are your partners in crime?

When Rocca was down in the first half, Tarrant and Fraser were superb. When Fraser and Tarrant went a little quiet in the second half, Rocca bobbed up.

The Magpies' forward line is loaded with tall goalkicking options. Against the modern trend of masses of midfielders kicking goals, the trio kicked 13 of the Pies' 19 goals for the day.

And, true to form, Tarrant is enjoying not being the sole focus.

"It takes a bit of the pressure off you when the team's going well," Tarrant said.

Tarrant kicked four in the last quarter a week earlier against the Swans and had five to halftime yesterday. That's nine in three quarters; he is hotter than ever.

The Demons gave Troy Broadbridge first crack, but he was gone by quarter-time. Craig Ellis stepped in, doing well to keep Tarrant goalless in the third, but two late ones sealed best-on-ground honours.

Not far behind was Fraser, who was never too far from Tarrant as the Pies set up a lethal double dose inside 50.

"He's a bit of an enigma, Tazza," was Fraser's description of his cult-figure buddy. "He's just one of those players who can just turn it on at the drop of a hat.

"You never know if he's going to kick two or three or come out and try and kick 10 or 12."

Fraser had a routine rub-down after the game, but you'd swear he would have needed heavy work to the neck region.

The 20-year-old's head was spinning for most of the first half to keep up with just who the hell was standing next to him.

Fraser was so good he had five (yes, five) different opponents to halftime.

It went like this: Clint Bizzell-Ellis-Broadbridge-Bizzell-David Neitz-Alistair Nicholson.

Demons coach Neale Daniher must have been getting dizzy himself because he stuck with Broadbridge for the entire second half.

But that amazing revolving door sums up just how pivotal Fraser was yesterday. He kicked four, including a superb curling right-foot snap from 45m, and had a hand in plenty more.

"You could see today that no one could match up on him," Tarrant said of Fraser.

It was clearly Fraser's best game of the year. After a pre-season interrupted by osteitis pubis, he was back big time.

"I wouldn't say I'm completely out of the woods (with osteitis pubis). It is something I have to constantly manage, but to be able to get four quarters under my belt is a huge asset," he said.

Fraser has now crossed into double figures on the goals tally for the year, but Tarrant, with 25 in eight games, is a bolter in the wide-open Coleman Medal betting.

Tarrant joins unusual suspect Kent Kingsley, Barry Hall and Matthew Lloyd as the only players averaging more than three goals a game this year.

The goalkicking medal would be a fitting reward. Just don't expect him to enjoy all the fuss.



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