Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Central District vs North Adelaide

Scoreboard | Match report

GF   Venue: Football Park   Date: Sun, 07-10-2007 2:10 pm   Crowd: 30,493  
Central District 5.2.328.4.5211.6.7216.11.107  
North Adelaide 2.3.153.6.244.9.335.12.42  
  CENT by 17CENT by 28CENT by 39CENT by 65  

Match Report

The Grand Final. Where dreams are realised or shattered, where a select few have the chance to carve themselves a place in South Australian football history as a premiership player and to paint their club colours on the chimney at SA Breweries. In some cases, this would add to an already existing list of accolades... state league representation, best and fairests, Magarey Medals. In others, how better to start a gold collection than a premiership medallion? Two teams eventually proved themselves good enough to contest this match, only one would leave the headquarters of SA football as the champion of 2007.

Central District. What more to be said about this mob? Seven years, seven grand finals, five flags. From the final year of the 20th century to now, the Bulldogs have established themselves as the new power of South Australian football with their continuous September/October presence. Last year their consistency was called into question after a devastating loss to the Eagles. The critics were soon eating their words, an aggressive recruiting campaign the likes of which have not been seen for years at Elizabeth brought just two losses during the regular season and flung them into their eighth straight Grand Final.

North Adelaide. Its been a long time between drinks for the Roosters, the bloodbath Grand Final of 1991 was their last flag win and since then, have not appeared in the premiership decider. They came close last year, but were denied by the eventual 2006 premiers, the Eagles. Revenge for that came last weekend. Their record for 2007 was 12 wins and seven losses and a draw, one of those wins coming against the Bulldogs at Menzies Crescent late in the season but were brought back to Earth with a thud by the Eagles and Glenelg in following rounds.

FIRST QUARTER
The umpire didn't need too much time to give a free kick after the bounce, Dean Howard caught holding the ball by James Gowans. The Roosters didn't trouble the Dogs too much early on here despite the wind being in their favour. the first score being a behind to North after two minutes. Two minutes later, Bulldog Alan Obst put through the first goal of the day, to which Centrals fans lit a flare. Five minutes later and Centrals almost had another goal, but Obst was caught out by Ben Hart after Matthew Slade failed to watch his back. This was a temporary set-back though, just 30 seconds afterwards Daniel Havelberg scored. The Roosters finally landed a goal home in the 16th minute through Scott Bamford, a 50 metre punt just getting home. Obst answered quickly with his second goal, then a James Gowans bouncer from 35 metres out. A high tackle on Howard following the bounce allowed Clint Alleway to bag himself a goal from 60 metres after the free to bring the margin back to eight points at 21 minutes. Some trickery from Scott Dutschke saw the Dogs back out to a three goal buffer, but reduced to 17 points by the first siren. Centrals 5.2 (32) North 2.3 (15).

SECOND QUARTER
Just before this term, several Centrals players could be seen arguing amongst themselves, you could be forgiven for thinking there was a little disharmony in the Dogs camp between the veterans and a couple of the newbies. The goals continued to be a problem for the Roosters, three behinds in four minutes of footy and two of them within a minute of each other, frustrating the Red & Whites. At the ninth minute mark, Shannon Motlop brought the margin back to nine points with a checkside goal, giving many Rooster fans some hope to cling to. But that evaporated later on, Centrals runner and gunner Ian Callinan booting his first goal at the 17th minute mark. Five minutes afterwards, Magarey Medal winner James Allan embarrassingly sprayed a shot on goal out on the full, to which the Dogs crossed the length of the ground to eventually find a sneaking Callinan who booted his second major. He then went on to fire another goal 20 seconds after the restart, beating two Roosters to put a checkside punt from 25 metres through the big sticks. At half-time, it was Centrals 8.4 (52) to North 3.6 (24).

THIRD QUARTER
The Dogs weren't going to be denied this year and everyone knew it. The momentum was going the way of Centrals, the army of supporters bellowing the all too familiar chant of "U DOGS". It wasn't exactly raining goals, but the Bulldogs again put a clamp on the Roosters' forwards for the rest of the match. Bamford put through their only major for the term after five minutes, bringing the margin back to 22 points but then it was just behinds for North Adelaide. Centrals were lucky that some of their unrelenting pressure didn't cough up any majors, Heath Lawry was guilty of one such incident in the ninth minute but the free kicks just didn't pay dividends on the scoreboard. In the 11th minute, the Dogs started to toy with the Roosters a little, going backward and then forward around the members wing. Eventually the ball found itself in the hands of Callinan who sunk his fourth goal for the afternoon and stretching the lead to 26 points. After a throw in within Centrals' 50 at 13 minutes, Luke Ivens was probably a little hard done by to have a ball-holding charge made against him to see Chris Gowans bag a goal. It almost happened again later, but the result was a poster. Andrew Hayes put a goal through at the 24 minute mark, then a point to the Roosters was all there was for the third quarter. Centrals 11.6 (72) to North 4.9 (33).

FOURTH QUARTER
The journey was pretty much complete for the Bulldogs by this time, but they weren't finished tearing into the Roosters yet. Roy Laird sent his charges on a mission to destroy what was left of the opposition, Andrew Jarman was busy trying to fire up his men to spend whatever fuel was left... but whatever was left wasn't much. The Bulldog army continued to utter that dirge-like chant as their heroes proceeded to pound the Roosters into submission, starting with a Chris Gowans "assist" -- a failed mark attempt allowing Havelberg to collect and score. Inaccuracy by the Dogs was the only thing stopping the margin being larger, they collected five behinds for the term. Hart continued to pop up here and there and even found himself face to face with Chris Gowans, but his team-mates just couldn't muster enough power to put a goal in until late in the term. It took the Dogs a while to bag a sausage roll too, captain Paul Thomas finally stood up in the 16th minute to put through a goal. Andrew Jarman would have been getting into 2008 planning already by now, Dutschke again reared his head in the 20th minute to stretch it out to 58 points. Nick Gill finally broke his duck two minutes later, that was the last Rooster score. Richard Cochrane bagged a great day to celebrate his 100th match, getting himself a goal at the 23rd minute and then the final nail in the coffin coming via James Gowans three minutes after. A bit of back and forth aggression afterwards saw him sporting a fat and bloodied lip, but his retaliation resulted in Shane Schubert spilling red from his eye socket and a report. But that was all she wrote, the Bulldogs were home and hosed to the tune of 65 points.

In the other two finals preceeding the main event, the Magpies took out the Under-19 crown after defeating the Double Blues by 21 points, whilst the Tigers took care of the Panthers in the Reserves Grand Final to win its first reserves premiership in 25 years.

FINAL SCORE FOR WEEK FOUR OF THE SANFL FINALS

Sunday October 7
2007 SANFL GRAND FINAL
Central District 16.11 (107)
North Adelaide 5.12 (42)
30,493 @ AAMI Stadium


INJURIES
Central -- C. Gowans (cut lip).
North -- Schubert (cut head).

REPORTS
Central -- J. Gowans (striking).

JACK OATEY MEDAL
Maybe it was the report that swayed the judges, but more history was made this day because for the first time ever, the Jack Oatey Medal has found its way into familiar hands. Chris Gowans now has two, after collecting one in 2003.


So that's it, people! The Bulldogs taking out their sixth SANFL title in eight years... can they continue their decade of dominance? We'll see next year when the league kicks off again. Also next year, there's a mouth watering encounter with the Vics at the Adelaide Oval already slated in the schedule, maybe more country games, definitely more night footy at the three night-lit venues. Lots to look forward to, can't wait.

So until next season... its goodbye from me.

CENTRAL DISTRICT -- 2007 SANFL PREMIERS

Source

Match report by RA Boyle

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.