Lindsay Thomas leaves Adelaide Footy League club Portland and Goodwood Saints coach departs
The local footy silly season has begun with an ex-AFL player on the move and coaching changes in the higher grades. Plus more from the Adelaide Footy League in the weekly One-Percenters column.
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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
SEASON OF CHANGE
Grand finals are rightly the focus for much of the Adelaide Footy League at the moment but others are now in off-season mode and moves have already been made.
Division one mainstay Goodwood Saints is looking for a new coach after Adam Jeffries quit last Friday citing personal and work commitments.
Jeffries, who coached the team for the past two years, said it was a tough decision to stand down.
“I hope I have served the club well but with our first baby later in the year and an increase in my workload I felt the time was right,” Jeffries said.
“I feel a bit sad but this is the best thing as my job is now very busy.
“The club went through quite a change in direction when I am in and I brought a number of young guys through.
“Also the club is going through a rebuild off the ground and I would not have the time to put in to do the job properly. I am leaving on good terms and wish the club the best. That’s footy. It was tough at times but it was also rewarding.”
The club is facing a big upheaval next season as it will be without its clubroom and will need a training venue next season.
The $3.6 million club and grandstand redevelopment, which goes to tender later this month, is expected to begin in December.
For the meantime the club is believed to be looking at holding or sharing its home ground and presentation nights at either Kenilworth Football Club, the league’s Thebarton Oval headquarters or even Karen Rolton Oval, the home of Old Ignatians and the SA Cricket Association.
Saints president Craig Scott said it was going to be a tough year ahead pulling together on and off-field matters.
“It will be a difficult year ahead and will take a lot of planning,’’ Scott said.
“The clubs we have been talking to and (chief executive) John Kernahan from the league have been fantastic help but it will take a bit of work.
“We expect to have 21 teams next year with 15 junior teams which I hope can still play at Goodwood on Sundays.
“At the moment we estimate we could lose about $60,000 in bar trade if we can’t sort something out.’’
The club is arguably one of the strongest performers at senior level with 29 consecutive years in division one. It has had 18 top-three finishes and just six times out of the finals.
Meanwhile, interim coach Ben Watkins will take the reins at Adelaide University in his own right next season.
The assistant took over at the Blacks mid-season after former coach Craig Smith was given leave from the club for personal reasons.
Watkins helped Uni avoid relegation to finish eighth on the ladder with a 7-11 win-loss ratio.
Gaza has also moved quickly to secure a new coach after Andrew Jarman ended his five-year stint at the club last month.
The Eagles have appointed former North Adelaide and Central District player Matthew Krieg to the senior job, as they begin life in division three next season.
Krieg played 110 games across the two clubs and has experience coaching in SANFL development sides and country footy.
PORTLAND LOSES THOMAS
Lindsay Thomas’ time at Portland was swift, mildly successful and is now over.
Great Southern Football League club Yankalilla announced on Tuesday that Thomas would be taking over as coach of the Tigers in 2020.
The former North Melbourne and Port Adelaide forward arrived at the Thunder in the off-season as one of the most high-profile signings in SA local footy.
He kicked 48 goals in 13 games as Portland finished sixth on the division three ladder with a 9-8 win-loss record.
Thomas’ season included a bag of eight majors in round three, two hauls of seven and another two games with five goals.
His departure will be a significant blow for the Thunder, who won four of their last five games in the push for finals but could not overcome a mid-season slump of five straight losses.
Yankalilla ended its 2019 season in eighth on the GSFL ladder with five wins and 13 losses.
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HIGH ACHIEVERS
Two of the competition’s best were recognised at the Adelaide Footy League’s awards night on Monday evening.
Rostrevor Old Collegians midfielder Tim Baccanello was named the 2019 Keith Sims OAM Medallist after a stellar season in division one.
His 23 votes beat all-comers in the top flight by a considerable nine-vote margin.
Baccanello was in the thick of the discussion for The Messenger ’s top 10 division one players, released last week, and scored an honourable mention.
But we can admit he was in ninth spot at one stage, only to be bumped out by teammate Daniel McCallum. Don’t we look silly now.
Seaton Ramblers dreadlocked star Shane Harris took out his second association medal in a row when he added a division two gong to last year’s division three award.
Harris polled 23 votes to take home the FA Bloch Medal.
Medal counts for all other divisions were held last month.
UP AND ABOUT
Grand finals are now set in every grade outside of the top flight.
Last week we highlighted the clubs which had won straight through and gained promotion to the tier above for 2020.
Athelstone made sure its stay in division two was a short one by beating Sacred Heart Old Collegians in the preliminary final.
The Raggies return to the competition’s highest level after it was relegated in 2018.
Old Ignatians did the same in division three, winning its preliminary final over Flinders Park to move through to the decider against Glenunga this Saturday.
Iggies were relegated from division two last season.
Division four’s Edwardstown upset minor premier SMOSH West Lakes to win a spot in the third tier next season and will face CBC Old Collegians in the grand final.
There was also a boilover in division five as Kenilworth, which dropped just one game in the minor rounds, were eliminated in straight sets by Pulteney.
The Navy Blues play Hope Valley in the decider and move up to the fourth tier in 2020.
They narrowly missed promotion last season after a two-point preliminary final loss to Woodville South.
Fitzroy has stormed in from the elimination final to make the division six decider against West Croydon, with the two local rivals to move up to the fifth tier together.
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LATE CHANGE
Credit must go out to the Adelaide Footy League team.
Organising five grand finals on a single day – divisions two to six will play deciders on Saturday – is hard enough.
It’s even harder when one of the venues locked in to host has a last-minute change.
The division four grand final between CBC Old Collegians and Edwardstown was due to be held at Alberton Oval but the Port Adelaide Football Club then informed the AdFL the Magpies side would be training on the ground this Saturday, ruling it out for use.
Some quick manoeuvring took placed as the division six decider at St Mary’s was moved to Elizabeth Oval and division four took its place.
The full list of grand final fixtures is below, so you end up at right venue on Saturday.
Division 2, 2R and C2 – Thebarton Oval
Division 3, 3R and C3 – Richmond Oval
Division 4, 4R and C4 – St Mary’s Park
Division 5, 6R and C5 – Salisbury Oval
Division 6, 5R and C6 – Elizabeth Oval
SPOC CAN’T MISS
As the saying goes, good kicking is good footy.
And no one knows that more than St Peter’s Old Collegians B grade at the moment.
SPOC booked its spot in the division one reserves grand final with a four point win over Goodwood Saints on Saturday.
It did it by kicking a remarkable 7.0 (42) to 5.8 (38) at Campbelltown Memorial Oval.
That’s right SPOC did not miss a shot.
The previous week St Peter’s slotted 11.3 (69) to Henley’s 7.11 (53) in another straight-shooting win.
SPOC will face either Goodwood or the Sharks in the decider and both sides will know to not give their opponent an inch in front of the big sticks.
patrick.keam@news.com.au