Australian Football

Round 15

Premiership season 2011 - Round 15 Review

Total Crowd 12,042 (Avg 3,011)

The top three clubs in the league have been put on notice! A couple came out unscathed but the warnings were loud and clear. The signs of revival are rife among the teams in the lower end of the final five and also by those just outside it. Hopefully these improvements continue, because many SA footy-heads are sick of seeing the same teams year after year at the bottom end of the table... and probably just as much for those at the top! It was also a good round of crowds for this past weekend, so far the league hasn't dropped below 10,000 per round, with the notable exception of the three-team bye round of course. In the meantime, crowds at AAMI are still falling.

With that said... welcome to the Round 15 edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up

We start off the wrap in the north-eastern side of town, over to the ABC TV match at Coopers Stadium where the Redlegs hosted the Roosters. The last time these two sides met, the Redlegs left Prospect as 27-point winners in Round 7, sealing a hat-trick of wins going back to Round 8 in 2010. Many of the Norwood faithful would be forgiven for thinking that this would be a walk-over, but instead of being up by a sizeable margin at quarter-time the Roosters would only be a point behind with the scores at 3.3 to 3.2. North wouldn't find the goals for a whole quarter as they managed just two behinds, but Norwood didn't fare too much better as they kicked just 2.6 to extend their lead to 17 points by the half-time break. When play resumed the two teams traded blows on the scoreboard, the Redlegs stretching their lead to four goals after kicking 5.3 to 4.2 in the third quarter. The final term turned into a shootout, although the Roosters kicked eight goals without a miss, the Redlegs had already banked the points with their 6.2 to win by 14 points. Sam Rowe was named best for the Redlegs, while Cohen Thiele was named best afield for North.

While all this was going on, over on the eastern side of the city at Unley's Commander Centre Oval was the match the Double Blues faced the Magpies. Like the Redlegs against North, the Magpies took out a hat-trick of victories after their last encounter with the Blues at AAMI Stadium in Round 10. This was Port's big opportunity to lift themselves into the top five and they didn't waste it. In fact, instead of wasting the opportunity... they laid waste to Sturt. A first quarter scoring blitz saw the Magpies kick 6.5 to Sturt's lowly two behinds to tak a quarter-time lead of 39 points. The inaccuracy continued for the 'Pies in the second quarter, but still extended the gap to eight goals after kicking 3.5 to the Blues' 2.2. The embarrassment would only get worse for the home side when play restarted, it wasn't enough that the Magpies kept them to a solitary behind but they also kicked 4.5 to put the gap out to 76 points. The Blues would outscore the Pies in the final quarter, but 3.3 to 2.5 would hardly make an impression on an already big deficit. The Magpies would run out 72-point winners, sending an ominous warning to their Western Australian opponents Claremont ahead of this coming Saturday. Jacob Surjan was named best afield for Port, while Adam Thomson was one of Sturt's few shining lights.

The other two matches were played out on Sunday afternoon, starting with the bayside encounter between the Tigers and the Eagles at Gliderol Stadium. The last nine matches between these clubs see Glenelg ahead 5-4, but the Eagles have the last two victories including a Round 9 win at Glenelg and the elimination semi-final of 2010. But the Tigers would start off best this time around, keeping the Eagles to just 1.1 whilst kicking 3.2 for themselves, a 13-point deficit separating the two teams at quarter-time. The Tigers would extend that gap to 20 points by half-time, adding 3.4 to the Eagles' 2.3. The visitors would get a dose of the inaccuracy bug in the third quarter, kicking a wasteful 2.5 to Glenelg's 3.3. At the final change, the Tigers held a four-goal lead. The Eagles would make one last ditch run at the Bays in the final quarter, restricting the Tigers to a goal during regular time to kick 5.4. They had a four-point lead in time-on, but a free-kick to Glenelg in the goal-square would cruelly deny the visitors a win as they scored the match-winner. The Tigers won by two points and promptly celebrated with their fans with a club song sing-a-long with supporters. Ben Kane was voted best afield for Glenelg, while the Eagles named Mark McKenzie as their best on ground.

In the final game for the Round 15 weekend, the Bulldogs took on the long trek south to face the Panthers at Hickinbotham Oval in Noarlunga. The Doggies have not been heavily troubled by the Panthers for the longest time, although there have been times that South had asked some questions of the reigning premiers. From the last 26 games, the Panthers have taken just one win. This year, Souths have shown considerable fight. This was shown early on as the blue and whites held a one-point lead over the Dogs at quarter-time, 3.3 to 3.2. But true to form, the Dogs would bag 8.1 to South's 4.2 in the second term to take over control, going into the long break with a 22-point lead. Don't let that quarter fool you though... the Panthers were showing a lot of fight. When play resumed, the Dogs only just managed to maintain that lead after two early third-term goals to South brought them to within two kicks of the lead. But an eventual 4.3 to 4.1 quarter would see the Dogs leading by four goals at the final change. The goals were far less plentiful in the final quarter, South's goal at the death along with 1.1 to Central's lone major would see the visitors leave Noarlunga 17-point winners. Chris Gowans was named best for the Bulldogs, while Joel Cross was named best for South. Underestimate the Panthers of 2011 if you dare.

INJURIES Norwood - Jericho (chest) Sturt - Crane (knee), Kurtze (back) Central - Obst (knee) South - Horne (ankle), Gotch (corked thigh)

REPORTS Norwood - Walker (sling tackling)

CROWEATERS VICTORY NOT ENOUGH FOR U-18 TITLE

The South Australian U-18's defeated Western Australia in the final match of the 2011 NAB AFL National Championships, but rivals Victoria Metro claimed the title after going through the series undefeated to leave SA in second spot for a third year in a row. The SA Most Valuable Player award went to Norwood's Mitchell Grigg, who took the captain's role for the final game after the concussion sustained by Chad Wingard.

South Australia 14.10 (94)d Western Australia 11.10 (76), Etihad Stadium, Melbourne

R-15, Ladder