Australian Football

Match Report

Welcome to this special edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up, the 2023 clash for the Haydn Bunton Junior Trophy between South Australia and Western Australia.

The all-time ledger between the SANFL and the WAFL after 97 games has the Croweaters ahead by just a single match, that coming from last year's belter at Optus Stadium in Perth. SA came away with a four-point win, the Croweaters capitalising on WA's first half goal-shooting troubles. The Sandgropers could easily have stolen it in the dying seconds with one last chance on goal, but after hitting the post the ball would be cleared away from their attack zone. There was another close encounter at the jewel in WA's sporting crown in 2019 with the SANFL winning by seven points, before inflicting a near nine-goal hiding at Adelaide Oval in 2021. The last time the WAFL held the Bunton Cup was back in 2018 in one of their best outings for a few seasons, overcoming a slow start to turn a 22-point quarter-time deficit into a four-goal half-time lead. They ran out 26-point winners, closing out the game with five goals to SA's two in the final term. That victory was the end of their hot period that started in 2013, over those six seasons they toppled everything in front of them including South Australia in 2015 and Victoria in 2013 and 2017. The Vics of '17 were given a bit of a bake by the visiting WA media that day at North Port Oval, while the WAFL side turned up to post-match in team uniforms, the VFL team were not nearly as respectful. This day perhaps, was the end of the Big V guernsey and WA put the last nail in its coffin.

For this year's outing, the South Australian panel would yet again have some new blood. Stephen Rowe would vacate his spot as chairman of selectors, with seven-time Port Adelaide premiership player Tim Ginever stepping in. In the coaches' box, Norwood premiership coach Jade Rawlings would replace Jade Sheedy at the helm, with assistants and current league coaches Jacob Surjan (North Adelaide) and Darren Reeves (Glenelg), as well as the brothers of destruction James and Chris Gowans. Surprisingly, the initial training squad was selected only two weeks ago. From the survivors to make the final cut, there was 12 debutants such as Sturt's Marty Frederick, Central's Jez McLennan, the Eagles' James Rowe as well as Glenelg duo Brett Turner and Darcy Bailey. 2019 Ken Farmer Medallist Liam McBean fronted up at full-forward for another stint in the red jumper, this time as vice-captain with Eagles 2020 & 2021 premiership player Joseph Sinor named as skipper. In the middle would be Norwood ruckman Harry Boyd, providing scoring support for McBean would be South Adelaide pair Eamon Wilkinson and Keegan Brooksby, while down the back would be Blues boys Will Coomlas and last year's Fos Williams Medallist Casey Voss. The Western Australians were on the track weeks before anything went on publicly in Adelaide, selecting their initial squad over four weeks ago compared to the SANFL's fortnight. In the WA camp, Cam Shepherd is still at the wheel, the dual premiership winning coach for Peel Thunder selecting a side that had 10 first-timers including East Fremantle on-baller Milan Murdock, West Perth 2022 premiership forward Mitch Dobson and Peel captain Ben Hancock who after playing almost 140 games finally lands a state guernsey. Experience wise, once again the forward line would have Subiaco gun Ben Sokol in his fourth appearance, the defenders would be three-timers Noah Perogaro (West Perth), Chad Pearson (South Fremantle) and Cam Eardley (East Fremantle). Claremont's Oliver Eastland would mark his first state match contest in the centre, and leading the side would be Sharks captain Matthew Jupp and his deputy Jesse Turner of Swan Districts. This would be Luke Meadows' fifth appearance in the black and gold, last season his most memorable with both a Simpson Medal for WA and a flag with the Falcons.

Much to the anger of many SANFL fans, the game was put well and truly out of reach for the average working person with a 3pm start at Adelaide Oval on a Friday and being a curtain raiser to the Port Adelaide vs. Melbourne AFL game later on in the day. Many an SA footy-head would make their displeasure known on social media in the lead up, criticising the league for not staging the game at an SANFL ground instead. The overcast conditions threatened to unleash on whatever assembled crew did manage to front up, but thankfully the rain did stay away. It was comfortable conditions for football and while the Sandgropers did have more chances, they blew a good deal of them. The Croweaters did better on the board thanks to McBean and Ramsey with three goals between them in the opening term. Sokol and former Redleg Stefan Giro got WA's two goals as the lead changed hands a few times with behinds making most of the difference. McBean's second goal late in the term put SA in front at the first change, the scores reading 3.2 to 2.6. The second quarter was easily South Australia's best showing, McBean and Ballenden finding the sticks for individual goals while James Rowe announced himself to the Sandgropers with a goal of his own to end the half. He was also a source of pain for the visitors around the mid-field as well, against some slightly taller opponents they couldn't take a trick at times, winning key frees. For the Sandgropers, the influence of Bulldog Angus Schumacher was cruicial, providing several avenues to goal which was something they were doing quite well but unable to put on some serious scoreboard pressure on the slippery Adelaide Oval deck.

While the second term was the South Australian's best, their third term effort was well below par to say the least. For over 40 minutes of gameplay, they were well and truly ground to a halt by the sudden boost in vitality for the Sandgropers. The Croweaters were held to three behinds in the third quarter, while Sokol would add a further two goals to his tally and Jack Buller added one of his own. The game was back on as the deficit was back to just one point in favour of the home side, only due to one of those missed chances from Rowe near the siren. WA kept putting on the pressure in the final term and even took the lead after four minutes through a Mitch Dobson major after SA scuffed a couple of early chances. But that's where the goals stopped for the visitors, managing just one further behind as the Croweaters got a pair of goals on the board through Frederick and Ballenden. Rowe had a hand in the final term attacking entries, winning a those previously mentioned free kicks close to the 50-metre arc. In the end it was a rather low-scoring and scrappy encounter, but not without some nail biting going on in the crowd from those SA footy-heads that did turn up for their SANFL heroes. South Australia would finish up 13-point winners, if not for their earlier inaccuracy the Sandgropers could well have taken the game and the prize but the Haydn Bunton Junior Trophy would be staying at Adelaide Oval for another season. In the best afield department, the Croweaters would name James Rowe as the Fos Williams Medallist with 26 disposals, 11 marks and eight inside-50's, one of which got him a goal. The WAFL best on ground was Angus Schumacher, taking out the Simpson Medal with 19 disposals, eight marks and four tackles. Other honourable mentions for SA include Darcy Bailey who got 28 disposals and 10 marks, Joe Sinor, Tom Lewis and Mitch Hardie laid 23 tackles between them and McBean kicked three goals. For Western Australia, Murdock and Mitch Crowden were the pressure men with 15 tackles between them, Toby McQuilkin, Teia Miles and Stefan Giro were the ball magnets with more than 60 disposals combined, McQuilkin and Miles were also very active attackers along with Cam Eardley with 20 inside-50's combined.