Australian Football

Match Report

Heading to the inner northern suburbs, the Roosters hosted the Double Blues at the Prospect Oval. This would be the other dead rubber match for the weekend, with both sides out of reach of the top five. Sturt avoided the wooden spoon with relative ease due to North's horrible year, whose season started with a victory but ended up the cellar dwellers for 2015. These sides last clashed in Round 5, the Blues hammering the Roosters to the gap of 62 points, a third win in succession which included last year's two matches which were won by a combined total of 80 points. This was to be the last appearance for the Blues' coach Seamus Maloney as well as veterans Michael Coad and Matt Duldig, plus Roosters captain Greg Gallman who was also calling time on his SANFL career.

The opening half was rather spirited by both sides, the Blues would find themselves ahead by 11 points at quarter-time after they scored 5.1 to North's 3.2. Sturt would have a case of the wobbles in front of goals in the second term, but the Roosters couldn't draw any points back by the break, the visitors kicked 1.9 to 1.1 as they extended their advantage to 19 points by half-time. When play resumed for the second half, the Blues started their breakaway and outscored the Roosters 4.3 to 2.3 to take their lead out to 31 points by three quarter-time. They'd put it well and truly beyond doubt in the final quarter, adding a further 5.4 to North's 3.1 to finish 2015 on a winning note, a 46-point victory.

James Battersby was voted best for Sturt, while the Roosters named Michael Virgin as their standout.