Australian Football

Round 22

Premiership season 2013 - Round 22 Review

Total Crowd 10,888 (Avg 2,722)

Every SA footy-head's worst fears are practically confirmed and yet another big change is likely to be made ahead of the 2014 SANFL premiership season. The Port Adelaide Football Club as many have known them at state league level may have had its Alberton swansong. The Magpies, a full-on SANFL entity intent on winning the Thomas Seymour-Hill Trophy, is extremely likely be replaced with AFL-listed Power players that many feel will render a Port team in the league irrelevant. A team that fields players who have only one interest and it doesn't involve a flag under the Magpies banner. Many long-time and hardcore Magpies fans that have no interest in the Power are in a state of limbo, stating that they will lay their flags to rest for good when that occurs. There are two points of view on this from the fans of the other eight clubs. On one hand there are those who are citing that justice has finally been done after the 1990 scandal that saw many label Port as traitors to SA football, but there are just as many if not more that are calling for new leadership at league headquarters with the belief that the competition will be poorer without a genuine Port outfit to keep up interest. Dark times ahead, folks.

Welcome to the Round 22 edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up

First up in this week's wrap, there was only one Saturday afternoon match on so we follow the ABC trucks to the Playford Alive Oval in Elizabeth as the Bulldogs faced the Tigers. For nine straight games, the Bulldogs heaped misery on the Tigers. After a draw in the late stages of 2009, they helped put the Tigers on the road to nowhere in the finals and continued the smackings for the following eight games. But then came Round 4 this season, the Tigers bringing the streak to an end with a 10-point win under the lights of Gliderol Stadium. After their surprise drubbing of North last week and Centrals' loss to the 'Legs, the Tigers hoped to catch the Dogs napping. It didn't pan out that way, but the Dogs still didn't take an exorbitant margin into the first change. They kicked 4.2 to the Tigers' 3.1 to lead by seven points at quarter-time. Centrals would break away some in the second term though, only a little inaccuracy stopping a bigger lead from happening after they added a further 5.4 to Glenelg's 2.3. At the long break, the Doggies held a 26-point lead. The Tigers started to fire-up when play resumed, some of that skill they showed against the Roosters coming to the fore as they reeled the Dogs back to within three kicks at three quarter-time, they bagged 6.2 to 4.1 to bring the gap back to 13 points going into the final change. But the Bulldogs saved their best for last... big time. While restricting the Tigers to just 1.1, the Dogs just blew the game apart with a 9.3 final term to take a 63-point win. Brayden O'Hara was voted best for the Bulldogs, whilst the Tigers named Chris Curran as their best afield.

The remaining games were programmed for Sunday to avoid the AFL games, the next match takes us to Alberton Oval for the match between the Magpies and the Bloods. The Magpies have taken just three matches from the past 11 contests, the Bloods taking the points back in Round 7 when they outran the Magpies at Richmond by 15 points. But the previous game at Alberton was a win to the black & whites, the final round of 2012 saw the 'Pies put a slight wobble into the Bloods finals plans with a 35-point victory. This match was considered to be the last match that a bonafide Magpies outfit was to play on its home turf, several players past and present making feelings known on social media. The Magpies started the game best, they kicked 3.1 to the Bloods' 1.1 to lead by two goals at quarter-time. The gap would be widened by the long break, but inaccuracy kept the doors wide open for the Bloods as the 'Pies kicked 3.6 to 2.3 to lead by 21 points at the half-time siren. When play resumed, the Bloods would start to exercise control as they restricted the Magpies to just four behinds whilst scoring four goals without a miss to bring the deficit back to just one point at three quarter-time. It was going to end in heartbreak for Port in the end, they fought on and on just as previous generations had before them but not even West's inaccuracy would deny them victory. West's 2.6 to Port's 2.1 would see the visitors take a four-point win, Magpies supporters would then gather on the field with their team to share in their grief. The Bloods would name Ryan Ferguson as their best on ground, while the Magpies named Luke Slattery as their best.

Continuing onto match number three, we now head over to the city's inner south for Envestra Park in Unley as the Double Blues faced the Panthers. The past dozen matches between these two are split down the middle at six wins each, with the most recent encounter back in Round 14 saw the Panthers outlast the Blues by five points in a very low-scoring affair at Hickinbotham Oval. Then there was the game before that, the Panthers dealing out a 31-point defeat at Unley. So this match was a rare opportunity for a hat-trick of victories. The game started out pretty even, the Panthers would take a three-point lead at quarter-time after they scored an inaccurate 2.5 to 2.2. The Blues appeared to have the appropriate response in the second quarter, where they bagged 6.4 to the Panthers' 3.3. At the long break, the Blues were now in front to the tune of 16 points. This was South's final match for the season and they wanted to end the year on a high, stand-in coach Kym Cobb no doubt playing this match as his audition for the full-time position for 2014. South would draw even by the final change, locking the scores up at 69 points each after they kicked 5.1 to the Blues' 2.3 in the third term. The Panthers would wrap their season up on a high, putting themselves out of reach of the wooden spoon as they left Unley with a two-goal win after kicking 5.3 to 3.3 in the last quarter. South named Scott Taylor as their best afield, while Sturt voted for Matthew Jaensch as best on ground.

In the final game for the weekend, we head down to the Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval for the top of the table match between the Eagles and the Redlegs. From the previous 12 encounters have seen the Redlegs take out seven wins to the Eagles' five, the last match saw the Eagles run rings around them at The Parade where they took a six-goal win in Round 4 after dropping the three games before hand. The Redlegs came to Oval Avenue with the minor premiership locked away, for the Eagles it was about preserving their spot on the ladder with West breathing down their necks, not to mention North and Central within striking distance. Despite a shocking time in front of goal in the first term, the Eagles were definitely no better off as they kicked off to a 23-point lead with the scoreboard showing 3.6 to one behind at quarter-time. However, the Eagles drew the gap back to eight points by the break, the roles were sort of reversed as the Redlegs scored just one behind while the Eagles kicked 2.4. It was just a dirty day in front of goal for both teams, the trend continued after half-time but it would be Norwood that would break the game open when play resumed. The Redlegs would bag 5.4 to the Eagles' lowly 1.3, extending their advantage to 33 points. Unfortunately for the home fans, their team would ultimately find itself in third position by afternoon's end, the visitors adding 3.6 to 2.4 in the final stanza as the 'Legs left Woodville with a 41-point win. The Redlegs would name Matt Fuller as their best on ground, while the Eagles named Campbell Heath as their best.

EAGLES COMMEMORATE '93 TITLE VICTORY

This past weekend's match saw the Woodville-West Torrens FC commemorate the 20th anniversary of their 1993 premiership win, their first flag as a merged club. Part of the celebrations saw players don a replica of that year's guernsey, a limited number of which will be made available for general sale. The jumpers are $100, orders close at 5pm on September 28. Contact the WWTFC on 83472444 to secure yours.

DOGGIES SELLING THEIR BOOTS FOR NOVITA

Central District FC and Novita Children's Services have gotten together again, this time its selling match worn boots from the game against Glenelg. The boots all carried yellow on them in recognition of Novita, they're all signed by their wearer and are all on eBay. Follow the link from Novita here - http://www.novita.org.au/Content.aspx?p=719 - and get bidding!

R-22, Ladder