Jake Neade has a lot of fond memories of Ballarat from his time at St Patrick’s College and in the TAC Cup program.
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And the 23-year-old added another highlight on Saturday afternoon when his Port Adelaide side clinched a 17-point win against the Western Bulldogs at Mars Stadium.
Neade, a North Ballarat Rebels draftee, didn’t set the world on fire with his performance, but played a hand in the team’s success.
The small forward had 18 disposals and made five tackles in a serviceable display.
Neade told The Courier that plenty had changed since he last played on the ground.
“I was happy to be back here. I haven’t been back here in nearly five years, I think,” Neade said.
The Bulldogs’ two players with strong Ballarat ties are Jordan Roughead and Liam Picken.
Roughead had a tough battle with Port Adelaide big man Paddy Ryder and finished the day with 14 disposals and 31 hit-outs, while Picken started strongly, but only finished the day with 19 touches.
