Australian Football

Round 11

Premiership season 2019 - Round 11 Review

Total Crowd 7,973 (Avg 1,993)

Hi Footy fans...

At the end of this season, there will come the end of an era at the Ponderosa. Bulldogs coach Roy Laird has announced his intention to step down from the Central District helm, a role that came after injury brought an end to his playing years. After 170 games split almost evenly between the reserves and senior teams, he changed to running duties for the 1999 season and then entered coaching ranks as an assistant in the breakthrough 2000 premiership year. He took on the reserves coach role in 2001, finishing runner-up that season before winning the 2002 flag. Upon the departure of the AFL-bound Alistair Clarkson, he would go on to coach the senior side to seven premierships in the years spanning 2003 up to 2010. Despite the dynasty coming to an end, Laird stayed loyal to the club, but as other coaches have often found out you can't stay top all the time. But I must digress... the show must continue.

Welcome to the Round 11 edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up.

The opening game for this split round takes us back two Saturdays ago, to the Coopers Stadium in Norwood where the Redlegs took on the Eagles. These sides clashed only five weeks previously back in Round 7 at Woodville after the State game bye, the Eagles' hectic peppering of their goal not giving them the most flattering final score but style is irrelevant if you get the result. They downed the 'Legs by 11 points and did it the hard way with 10 goals from 31 scores. The Eagles went on to win the next three games, including a 10-goal win against the Bloods. Norwood bounced back with two wins but would run into a Magpies side on a "Power" trip and went down by 45 points at Alberton. The first half was practically a shootout, the Eagles nailing three goals in injury time to lead by eight points at quarter-time after a 5.3 to 4.1 opening term. The Eagles stretched that out to 15 by half-time after a 4.3 to 3.2 second term, but probably should have been up by more considering they had a 28-point lead at one point. It would soon become a minor issue, as the Eagles returned to the field with a vengeance for the second half. The visitors rammed home 8.3 to the Redlegs' 2.3, running off to a 50-point lead come three quarter-time. This kind of home patch humiliation had not been seen by Norwood fans for over a decade, the Eagles would fly out with an eventual nine-goal win. Again, perhaps it should have been more as they had a 75-point buffer part way through the term but that's moot. Jarrad Redden was named best for the Eagles, while the 'Legs named Dom Barry as their best.

The next day had the only other game for the first weekend, Sunday afternoon footy takes us to the ACH Group Stadium in Glenelg where the Tigers hosted the Bulldogs. Just like the Eagles and the Redlegs, these clubs also last met in Round 10 so another fast return match here. The Tigers were simply dominant at Elizabeth, smashing the Dogs by 49 points. When this game was coming up I'm sure there were some in Bulldogs circles thinking about 1975, when the Bays ripped the Dogs to pieces and set a scoring record that still stands in senior football. The Tigers' undefeated run of eight games was brought to an end in Round 10 with a four-point loss to South, while the Dogs were handed a 55-point hiding by the Crows. The Dogs have teased their fans with some patches of form, the scores would be locked at 3.2 a piece at quarter-time after the Dogs overcame a slow start. It would turn out to be nothing more than a tease from here as the Tigers set about dismantling the Bulldogs piece by piece. Centrals' second term was ridden with inaccuracy, kicking six behinds as the Tigers scored 5.1 to take a 25-point lead into the rooms at the long break. The punishment would resume in earnest when play resumed and although it wouldn't reach the proportions of THAT game, it was going to hurt all the same. The gap would jump out to 55 points by three quarter-time, the Tigers bagging a further 7.2 to the Dogs' 2.2. The Dogs haven't slumped this badly since 1991, a seventh-straight defeat. Glenelg finished with a 4.4 to 2.2 last quarter to post a 69-point win in which was the possibly the final straw for the embattled Dogs coach. Marlon Motlop was named best for the Tigers, the Dogs named Jarrod Schiller as their standout on a dismal afternoon.

Now for the second week of the split round and we have two more Saturday games, starting with the meeting between the Double Blues and the Crows at the Peter Motley Oval in Unley. The last meeting between these teams saw the Crows take a 32-point win in the season opener at Unley and have not tasted defeat since their loss to the Tigers in the following weekend. Adelaide hammered the Bulldogs at the Ponderosa in their last game, while the Blues bounced back from their loss to Port with a 20-point win against North at Prospect. Perhaps it was the weather that played a factor, but the crowd was well down from the norm that most are used to turning up at Oxford Terrace with a little over 1200 people fronting up. The much moaned of history of Unley becoming rather challenging after a spot of rain was the reality as both sides struggled to put meaningful scoreboard pressure on. The Crows scored the only major for the first quarter, both teams kicked three behinds each as the visitors led by that one goal at the first change. The Blues would bring that back to just one point by the half-time break after they scored 2.1 to the Crows' 1.2 in the second term. The spectacle wasn't going to improve in the second half, the two sides still unable to make their shots truly count as the half-time gap remained unchanged going into the final term. Both sides scored 1.1. The Crows finally took over in the final term, keeping the Blues scoreless and kicking 3.2 to take a 21-point win in trying conditions. Andy Otten was named Adelaide's best afield, the Blues named Aidan Riley as their best.

We now go from the inner south of town to the inner north and into the Prospect Oval where the Roosters faced the Magpies. It was back in Round 3 that these two teams last faced off, the Magpies winning at Alberton by 21 points. They were actually down at quarter-time by seven points, but then they would kick 12 goals to eight over the remaining quarters. The Roosters' only win to date came the previous weekend and nothing has improved for them since. The Magpies have had some choice inclusions over the last couple of weeks and it no doubt helped propel them to wins against Sturt and Norwood after a fortnight in the wilderness. Like the game at Unley, the conditions were quite trying and not many fans were willing to risk the possibility of getting wet. The two sides were inseparable in the opening term, both scoring 2.3 to tie up the scores at the first change. The Magpies put a little distance between themselves and the Roosters by the long break, they managed to score 4.1 to 2.1 to lead by two goals at half-time. The impact of a large contingent of AFL-listed players, including at least three walk-up starters, would be felt in the third quarter with the Magpies keeping the Roosters to a single behind whilst adding 4.1 to their score. At the final change the Magpies were well in control with a six-goal advantage. By afternoon's end, Port would be up to third on the league ladder, they would win by seven goals with a 3.1 to 2.1 final term sealing the result. Tom Rockliff was named best for Port, the Roosters voted in Aidan Tropiano as their best on ground.

The final match for the round took place on the Sunday afternoon at the City Mazda Stadium in Richmond, the Bloods playing the Panthers. The last time these teams met was the week before the State match, the Panthers winning by 32 points at Noarlunga in a game that West truly let slip. After leading at half-time, South tied the game at the final change and then went on the attack. With the boot on the Bloods' throat, they kicked six goals to one for the win. The Bloods haven't won since Round 4, while the Panthers recovered from a pair of losses to edge out the league leaders in Glenelg. South had some goal-kicking issues in the opening quarter, the weather no better than it was on Saturday as they kicked five behinds while the Bloods were able to score 2.2 to lead by nine points at quarter-time. It was Westies' turn to struggle in the second term, kicking just two behinds as the Panthers found the big sticks with their 3.5 to takeover the lead. At half-time the visitors were up by two goals. In these conditions even a gap of four goals can be a game-breaker, the Panthers would stretch their lead out to 27 points by the final change after they were able to score 5.3 to the Bloods' three goals. The final term was a bit of a fizzer in regards to the scoring and it was clear that the Panthers were away. The Bloods kicked six behinds to the Panthers' 1.1, South leaving with a 28-point win and climbing to third on the league ladder. Joseph Haines was voted South's best afield, while Dallas Willsmore was best for the Bloods.

FINAL SCORES IN ROUND 11 OF THE SANFL...

Saturday June 22
Woodville-West Torrens 22.9 (141)
Norwood 13.9 (87)
2,600 @ Coopers Stadium, Norwood

Sunday June 23
Glenelg 19.9 (123)
Central District 7.12 (54)
2,897 @ ACH Group Stadium, Glenelg

Saturday June 29
Adelaide 6.8 (44)
Sturt 3.5 (23)
1,227 @ Peter Motley Oval, Unley

Port Adelaide 13.6 (84)
North Adelaide 6.6 (42)
1,249 @ Prospect Oval

Sunday June 30
South Adelaide 9.14 (68)
West Adelaide 5.10 (40)
City Mazda Stadium, Richmond -- crowd number unknown


INJURIES
North -- Thring (hamstring)

REPORTS
North -- Spina (striking)
South -- Cross (striking)


LEAGUE LADDER
---------------------------------------------
Adelaide -- 19pts (9-1-1), 55.4%
Glenelg -- 17pts (8-2-1), 59.1%
South -- 14pts (6-3-2), 53.5%
Port -- 14pts (7-4-0), 52.5%
Norwood -- 14pts (7-4-0), 49.7%
---------------------------------------------
Sturt -- 12pts (6-5-0), 51.8%
W-WT -- 12pts (6-5-0), 51.8%
Central -- 4pts (2-9-0), 40%
West -- 2pts (1-10-0), 42%
North -- -2pts (1-10-0), 43.4%
---------------------------------------------


DOUBLE VICTORIAN TROUBLE FOR CROWEATERS
South Australia's championship defence is in tatters after consecutive defeats against both Victorian sides in the AFL U-18 National Championships. At Alberton Oval on June 22nd, Victoria Metro took the Croweaters to task despite having a dirty time in front of goal. Metro kept SA to one behind in the second term and kicked 2.5 to lead by three goals at the break and then matching everything thrown at them from there to win by 17 points. Then came the following weekend at Geelong's GMHBA Stadium, where the unbeaten Victoria Country awaited. A single miss on goal allowed Country to hold a five-point lead at quarter-time, but more missed opportunities by SA in the second term allowed them to take a 13-point lead at the long break. The Croweaters came back with renewed vigour in the second half, reeling the Vic back to within a kick of the lead at the final change. With five minutes left to play, SA kicked into the lead but with mere seconds left to play the Country boys broke their hearts to the tune of a single point. Eagles midfielder Harry Schoenberg was named best in both games, SA now face the Allies in the final game of the series on Wednesday at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

Saturday June 22
Victoria Metro 9.13 (67) def. South Australia 7.8 (50)

Saturday June 29
Victoria Country 9.9 (63) def. South Australia 9.8 (62)


Next weekend in Round 12...

Saturday July 6
Central District vs. North Adelaide; X-Convenience Oval, Elizabeth @ 1:10pm

Sunday July 7 @ 2:10pm
Port Adelaide vs. West Adelaide; Alberton Oval
Woodville-West Torrens vs. Glenelg; Maughan Thiem Kia Oval, Woodville
South Adelaide vs. Sturt; Flinders Uni Stadium, Noarlunga
Norwood vs. Adelaide; Coopers Stadium, Norwood

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

R-11, Ladder