Australian Football

Match Report

At City Mazda Stadium in Richmond, the Bloods geared up to face the Roosters in the ABC television match. The last three years have not been kind to the West Adelaide faithful, especially when the Roosters have come calling. The last seven matches have been all red and white, which include a 104 point demolition in 2007. 

But the Bloods have been playing a far better brand of football lately than what we have seen for the past few years, they started proceedings with a 4.2 to 0.4 first term to take a 22 point lead at the first change. The Roosters finally found the big sticks in the second term, drawing the margin back to 13 points by the long break in a term where they could have overtaken the hosts after kicking 3.5 to 2.2. But as has been the case for most of the time, the Bloods couldn't keep it up in the third quarter, the Roosters conceding just one behind while kicking three goals straight to lead by four points going into the final term. To their credit, West didn't lie down but North just wouldn't let them back in, the visitors kicking 5.3 to 3.3 to end up winning by 16 points. 

James Allan's first match back after state duty saw him back best afield votes for the Roosters, while Salim Hassan won best on ground honours for West.