Australian Football

Round 12

Premiership season 2006 - Round 12 Review

Total Crowd 12,951 (Avg 3,238)

South Adelaide have become the new pioneers of the SANFL competition. Their experiment with letting cars into the Noarlunga Oval's dirt terraces was, for all intents and purposes, a big success. Utes were quite the novelty, motorists using their rear trays as their own 'corporate box'. It was something that was suddenly made popular as supporters from both sides labelling the move as a great step forward for the club and the league. A shame the ensuing contest was not more hotly contested. With no AFL football on this week, Crows and Power fans had a choice between sitting on their bums at home, or coming out to the league that spawned their precious teams. I myself reckon 95% of them stuck up their noses at the latter option.

Welcome to this week's edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up.

We begin the spiel with the match between the Redlegs and the Eagles, which was one half of the SANFL's Friday Night Lights double. The Eagles, looking to extend their Coopers Stadium winning streak, took the initiative in the first term, putting away 7.1 to Norwood's 4.2 to be up by 17 points at the first change. Scores were less plentiful in the second term, both sides managing 2.3 a piece allowing the Eagles to keep their quarter time buffer. The pendulum swung in the other direction in the third term, the Redlegs reeling the Eagles back in to be behind by one goal. The home side keeping the visitors to just five behinds for that quarter while adding 2.4 to their score. But in the final term, a three goal run in four minutes, including a first time goal by long serving defender Joe Pedler put the game out of reach of the Redlegs. A 5.4 to 3.1 final term saw the Eagles home by 21 points, bringing their streak at Norwood to nine in a row. Paul Lindsay was at his typical best for the Eagles, Heath Culpitt again taking best on ground honours for Norwood.

Across town at the Adelaide Oval, more Friday night mayhem as the Roosters came to face the Double Blues. Unbelievably, it was the Blues who blasted out of the blocks, getting out to a 30 point lead at quarter time after booting 7.3 to 2.3. In the second term, the Blues extended that margin to 33 by the long break. It looked like the Roosters were again facing a debacle similar to what they suffered at the hands of Central at Adelaide back in Round 6. But just as unbelievably as Sturt's first term effort, the Roosters came storming back into the game. They held the Blues to 2.2 while ramming home 9.7 for themselves, they went into the final term 14 points up. But they weren't done smashing the Blues, they did it again in the final term by kicking another 6.5 to Sturt's 2.2. Again, just unbelievable. Daniel Motlop was magical in the third term, along with Luke Ivens he was named best in North's 41 point win. Luke Jarjoura was named best for Sturt.

The next day, as the only match on Saturday afternoon the ABC Match of the Round ended up being the game between the Tigers and the Bulldogs. Earlier in the season, the Bays smashed the hell out of Centrals. They weren't going to get away with that again, at the end of the first term the Tigers were in front by only eight points. But that was where the Tigers lost their bite, as the Bulldogs took over control of the game. Keeping the home side to just one point in the second term thanks to the efforts of Quinton Graham, the Doggies went up by 17 points at the long break. Glenelg's slow ball movement tactic backfired on them, the visitors breaking through often enough to be up by 28 points at three-quarter time. There was not going to be a magical comeback by Glenelg, the Bulldogs stepping on the accelerator and booting a further 7.6 to 1.2 to win by 68 points. Adam Switala's efforts throughout the game, especially in the first term, earned him best afield votes while Glenelg named Ben Moore as their best.

Finally down at Noarlunga Oval, supporters brought in their cars for the first time to see the Panthers take on the Magpies. A nice sized crowd of almost 4000 showed up for this, and the Panthers boys weren't about to disappoint their fans on their home patch and started on the right note, going to a 31 point lead at quarter time. The lead could have been worse in the second term had South been more accurate, eight out of 16 shots finding its way through the big sticks. But the 'Pies were not doing anything to threaten this continually widening gap. At the long break the Panthers were up by 50 points. The Panthers were about to set a huge record in their history against the Magpies, another 14.1 in the third term to a pathetic 1.2. 14 goals in one quarter! The Panthers pretty much took it easy in the final term, saving enough energy for after match celebration. They kicked 4.1 to the Magpies' 5.3, taking out a 107 point win and in the process smashing South Adelaide's last record win against the Port. Scott McGlone was best for the home side, while Corey AhChee was Port's single best fighter.

FINAL SCORES IN THE SANFL FOR ROUND 12...

Friday June 23
Woodville-West Torrens 14.13 (97)
Norwood 11.10 (76)
2,903 @ Coopers Stadium, Norwood—Night match

North Adelaide 19.20 (134)
Sturt 14.9 (93)
2,985 @ Adelaide Oval—Night match

Saturday June 24
Central District 19.13 (127)
Glenelg 8.11 (59)
3,256 @ Glenelg Oval

Sunday June 25
South Adelaide 24.18 (162)
Port Adelaide 8.7 (55)
3,807 @ Noarlunga Oval

West Adelaide had the bye.


Injuries
Norwood -- Meesen (hamstring), Hughes (knee)
Sturt -- Nelson (hamstring)
Glenelg -- Willits (cork)

Lists from South and Port I haven't come by yet.


Next week in Round 13...

Saturday July 1
Central District vs. West Adelaide; Hamra Homes Oval, Elizabeth
North Adelaide vs. Glenelg; Prospect Oval
South Adelaide vs. Sturt; Noarlunga Oval

Sunday July 2
Port Adelaide vs. Norwood; Alberton Oval

Woodville-West Torrens have the bye.

So until next weekend... see you at the Footy!

R-12, Ladder