Adelaide Footy League One-Percenters column: Pembroke Kings snatch one-point win
The One-Percenters column from around the Adelaide Footy League is back for 2020. This week see the video as a club’s defensive blunder hands a one-point victory to their opposition and Goodwood pays tribute to Shane Tuck.
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Welcome to One-Percenters – a wrap of some of the quirky talking points from the round in the Adelaide Footy League.
Each edition we will bring you eight or so titbits from the latest weekend – they might be eye-catching results, milestones, comebacks, big wins, broken droughts or inspiring stories.
If you have heard about something quirky in the Adelaide Footy League, email us your suggestions or photos to patrick.keam@news.com.au
From the quirky to the inspirational, the weird, wonderful and everything in between here are the things which caught our eye in round three:
KINGS CROWNED AFTER CATS’ BLUNDER
In this shortened nine-round season every win counts for much more, and equally, every loss is even more costly.
Walkerville will not want to watch the tape back of the dying minutes – in the video above – after they gave up a five-point lead to go down by one point at home to Pembroke Old Scholars in division four on Saturday.
The Cats were up when star Kings forward Alex Forster was lining up for a set shot from 40m out into the breeze directly in front.
In a moment the Walkerville defenders would like to have back, Forster pulled his kick at the last second to find Eljay Connors, somehow standing on his own at the top of the goalsquare, who played on and slotted an easy major.
Pembroke then sent men back and held firm with time still on the clock to win 9.10 (64) to 9.9 (63).
Pembroke coach Nathan Woods was thrilled his side pinched the win, despite having to kick into the wind in the final term.
“Forster had the yips a bit, he kicked 3.7, he was about 40m into the breeze and I still would have backed him,” Woods said.
“But to have Eljay 15m out with no one within 15m of him it was perfect.
“We got in front then just got everyone back and managed to hold on.”
The triumph took the Kings to three straight wins to begin the season while the 1-2 Cats will be kicking themselves for letting the victory slip.
“We’re 3-0 but we’ve had three really close ones where the game has been on the line going into the last quarter,” Woods said.
“We’ve got a massive day coming this week against one of our old rivals Pulteney, we’ve got a past players day and we’ve got three blokes playing milestone games.
“Going for four wins in-a-row and it’s been three or four years since we’ve been able to do that, so it will be a big day.”
The Kings take on the Navy Blues at Haslam Oval, meanwhile Walkerville will look to bounce back when they travel to SMOSH West Lakes.
SAINTS PAY TRIBUTE TO TUCK
The Goodwood Saints Football Club has paid tribute to premiership player Shane Tuck, who died aged 38 on Monday.
Tuck was a member of the Saints’ 2014 and 2015 division one premiership sides after joining the club following a 173-game AFL career with Richmond and Hawthorn.
Goodwood president Craig Scott said Tuck would be remembered as an inspiration around the club, a true leader and one of the best players to don the Saints jumper.
Tuck maintained close contact with the Goodwood after he retired and would often help the club’s inclusive side (for players with disabilities) at training.
“He was outstanding, even last year from Victoria he sponsored the club through Aussie Homes Loans,” Scott told The Advertiser .
“He wanted to play a game with Travis (brother) and they did that (in 2017), we were hoping Shane would play more but he was into boxing by that stage.
“We have a photo of them in the changerooms together and you think, ‘What if he had stayed here in Adelaide and kept going with the inclusive side’, but sadly not to be.”
Tuck won Goodwood’s best and fairest award in 2014 and was named best on ground in the 2015 winning grand final.
POINTS PAIN
Division seven outfit Mitchell Park last week became the first club to be stripped of a win this season for a breach of the Approved Player Points System.
The Lions were three points over the 15-point threshold in round one against Central United, where they thumped the Dogs 20.17 (137) to 6.4 (40), but self-reported the infringement to the league.
Central United was awarded the victory.
Mitchell Park successfully explained the breach as a mistake and the league waived the usual $1000 penalty, but the Lions could not escape the deduction of premiership points.
Following an influx of players into the league from cancelled country competitions, many clubs have been balancing their points with some even being forced to play A-grade players in the reserves.
RACE OF THE SUPERBOOTS
Here at One-Percenters we usually like to keep a close eye on who will be the first player in the league to reach the magical 100-goal mark for the season.
Given the shortened nature of the 2020 campaign, we suppose that should be cut back to 50.
Nevertheless there is one man leading the way on the goal kickers list so far with 21 majors after three rounds.
Elizabeth’s Ben Clark booted 11 against Golden Grove in C6 on Saturday to take him to that total, just ahead of Hectorville’s Jake Mazzone (D5) and OSB Lonsdale’s Trevor Rigney (D7), who both sit on 18.
St Peter’s Old Collegians spearhead Jock McLeay has been on fire so far in the top flight with 17 to his name, while Tyler Gava from Rostrevor Old Collegians has kicked 17 in C7.
Dylan Howie is next with 15 for division five powerhouse Lockleys.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE
A rare sight at the league tribunal for round two – no one showed up.
Not a single report was recorded for the entire match weekend, a statistic clubs and administrators should be proud of.
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