Greenacres B-grade win first Adelaide Footy League match since August 2015
A 59-game losing streak is snapped and 32-goal Hope Valley hero Darren Mitchell speaks about making national news in this week’s One-Percenters Adelaide Footy League wrap.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Top four toppled in Amateur footy’s tightest comp
- Adelaide Footy League 2019 state squad announced
- Sharks in more strife after another player banned
Welcome to One-Percenters – a wrap of some of the quirky talking points from across the Adelaide Footy League.
Each edition we will bring several titbits – they might be eye-catching results, milestones, comebacks, big wins, broken droughts or inspiring stories.
Do you have a story, rumour, photo or video to share?
Email: matthew.turner1@news.com.au
Here are some things that caught our eye in round six:
DRAGONS BREAK ANOTHER DROUGHT
Three weeks ago division seven’s Greenacres incredibly snapped its 659-day winless run and now the Dragons have gone one better.
Not only has the club’s A-grade triumphed three games in-a-row, on Saturday the B-grade broke a nearly four-year drought without a victory.
Greenacres defeated Flinders University in the division seven reserves to win its first match since August 2015.
That is an amazing 1373 days between victories for the Dragons.
Greenacres was too good for the Crabs in the 12.10 (82) to 10.9 (69) result at Edward Smith Reserve. Daniel Sears and Duncan Tilley were the stars for the Dragons, while Jack Mau kicked four goals.
Breaking a four year losing drought with these blokes was unsurprisingly the high point of my weekend.
— Matt Osborn (@MattOsborn) May 19, 2019
A Grade now has three wins on the trot too 💪🻠pic.twitter.com/UbdqWmax36
Tilley, who is also the club president, said it was an excellent feeling when the siren went.
“It’s been a long time for the boys, that’s for sure,” Tilley said.
“The song is very disjointed at the moment but the boys are starting to pick up the words after watching the A-grade sing it a few times now.
“We certainly thought we were a chance but Flinders came out firing because they haven’t had much success either so would have thought they were in with a chance as well.
“It was a pretty back and forth game but we were able to hold on by a couple of goals in the end.
“It was a big night back at the club.”
The last time Greenacres’ B grade won was in round 18, 2015 when it got over Woodville South in a division five reserves match.
From there the Dragons lost 59-straight games.
Meanwhile the A-grade has been in good touch since its drought-breaking one-point triumph against Mawson Lakes in round four.
Greenacres has gone on to beat Mitchell Park by eight points and recorded its biggest victory so far with Saturday’s 17.15 (117) to 11.6 (72) win over Flinders University at home.
“You can see the club is starting to turn the corner,” Tilley said.
“The great thing about the promotion and relegation system is you’ll eventually find your feet.
“Hopefully we can build from here.”
Greenacres also has a women’s team and reintroduced junior sides this year.
The Dragons currently have two junior teams with the hope of more next season.
They are also running a promotion where the first 100 kids to join will not have to pay subscription fees while they play junior football at Greenacres.
For more information go to http://greenacresfc.com/junior-program/
BIG WEEKEND FOR DARREN
When Darren Mitchell woke up on Saturday morning he was just another footballer about to kick the dew of the grass for Hope Valley in division C5.
Later that night he was the subject of national news after booting a remarkable 32 goals for the Demons against Smithfield.
Countless news stories and radio interviews later and the 33-year-old said the response has blown him away.
“It’s been a bit surreal (the reaction),” Mitchell told Messenger Community News.
“I’ve been answering all the calls and all the questions, my coach has hung me out to dry a bit about not being named best.
“I expected us to be successful as we’re top of the ladder and they had been struggling, but there was no way I saw that (32 goals) coming.”
Mitchell, who was part of Hope Valley’s premiership-winning C-grade side last year, was just one shy of the league record for most goals in a game.
That title is held by Craig Manuel with his 33 majors back in 2007.
But Mitchell said getting so close to the record was just a by-product of a great team performance.
“It wasn’t really in my mind at all,” he said.
“I just want to win games of footy and win flags with my mates
“The coach mentioned I wasn’t far off the record at three quarter time but the message was to not do anything outside of our normal game plan, but if I got it, it got it.”
Mitchell also was quick to pay credit to his Smithfield opponents after the 42.23 (275) to 0.0 (0) result.
“When you’re on the wrong end of a big score like that it’s easy to get frustrated but that didn’t happen,” he said.
“They played in really good spirits, had a joke out on the field and had a beer after the game.
“That’s what it’s all about so I have to pay credit to those boys and hopefully things turn around for them.”
Mitchell now has 58 goals from five games this season, on track to top his 2018 mark of 117.
He formerly played in the Adelaide Footy League for Broadview and also booted 113 majors for Bridgewater Callington in the Hills Football League in 2016.
Mitchell, who lives at Wynn Vale, played A-grade for the Demons in 2015 but returned to the club at the beginning of last season to play with mates.
Hope Valley sits top of the C5 ladder with a 6-0 record.
MACCA’S TWO LOVES
Payneham Norwood Union coach Garry McIntosh’s Saturday did not go to plan after he couldn’t find success in two Goodwood events – one on the footy field and the other on the racetrack.
McIntosh’s Falcons went down 14.11 (95) to 8.11 (59) against the Saints at Goodwood Oval in their division one clash.
Meanwhile at Morphettville, the Norwood legend’s part-owned racehorse Gytrash ran 10th in the Group 1 Goodwood.
Speaking to The Advertiser prior to the weekend, McIntosh said while it would be great to be trackside to cheer on Gytrash he was committed to his boys’ battle at Goodwood Oval.
“Omens can be nice but they can go a few ways,’’ McIntosh said of his unusual Goodwood double act.
“As good as it would be to be there (at Morphettville) and watch, my priority is at the football and I’m sure there will be a few of the boys there to cheer him on.
“The horse isn’t going to run any better if I’m there or not, but we have been known to listen to the race during the game.”
The Tony McEvoy-trained Despatch took glory in the Goodwood ahead of Behemoth and Spright.
On the footy field, Payneham’s strong start to the season hit a speed bump with the loss to the Saints.
The Falcons led by 20 points at half-time but couldn’t match Goodwood as the hosts ramped up the pressure. PNU is equal top in division one with a 4-2 record but behind Prince Alfred Old Collegians on percentage.
- with Lincoln Moore
JETS GO 18-0
And then there was one.
We’ve been tracking the league’s unbeaten clubs – those without a loss in their A, B and C grades – and we have just one remaining.
Unley Mercedes is now 18-0 on the season after a trio of victories over Athelstone on Saturday.
Meanwhile division six club Elizabeth – the only other unbeaten club before the weekend – lost its first match of 2019 as the Eagles’ A-grade went down to Para Hills at home, 13.5 (83) to 10.9 (79).
The Jets continued their terrific season in division two as it came from behind to down the Raggies 19.5 (119) to 14.9 (93) at Kingswood Oval.
Unley was too good in the B-grade, winning 11.17 (83) to 4.6 (30), and Athelstone could not find any answers against the Jets C2 outfit in a 27.26 (188) to 0.2 (2) thrashing.
But the Jets will face arguably their biggest test yet this season when they travel to Salisbury North Oval to take on the Hawks.
Salisbury North is 5-1 in the A-grade and will be stiff competition.
UNCAGED LIONS ROAR
SMOSH West Lakes’ teams are roaring at the top of their respective competitions this season.
The Lions’ A grade men are top of the division four ladder after six games.
They have only dropped one game – a narrow seven-point loss suffered in their round four clash against Kilburn at home.
SMOSH’s reserves are second, also with a 5-1 record but are percentage behind top-ranked Edwardstown.
The club’s women, who are in their inaugural season, are also showing promising signs and sit top of the division one ladder after two rounds.
SMOSH, who is coached by eight time Port Adelaide premiership player Greg Phillips, enjoyed a 3.17 (35) to 1.2 (8) triumph against Mount Lofty at Heathfield in round one, before beating Angle Vale 11.10 (76) to 1.2 (8) away last Saturday.
And yes, that’s no mistake, SMOSH’s women held their opponent to the exact same score two weeks in a row.
The Lions have a bye this week before taking on second-placed Morphettville Park away on Sunday, June 2.
BLOKES WITH BAGS
While Darren Mitchell might have stolen the spotlight with his haul of 32 goals (see above) we thought it would be good to praise some of the other goalkickers from round six.
PHOS Camden’s Curtis Ding was second for the weekend across Adelaide Footy League with his 11 majors for the Phantoms in C2.
Mark Lemon squeezed all he could out of his Golden Grove teammates’ delivery to slot 10 in the D-grade and David Hodges bagged nine for Adelaide Lutheran’s C6 outfit.
Then there was another D-grader in Prince Alfred Old Collegians forward Scot Tyndall, who kicked eight.
A further six players booted seven goals.
Adelaide Crows premiership legend signs with country footy battlers
A battling SA country footy club has secured a huge coup by signing a former Adelaide Crows premiership champion.
‘We’ve got to’: Contentious $41m sports centre hits new milestone
A plan to build a controversial $41m sports centre has taken a huge step forward, with the local council seeking to change planning rules to allow it.