One-Percenters: Premiers to test themselves in Adelaide Footy League’s top tier
HOW will the division two premiers fare in the top tier? And what happened when headcounts arose earlier this season? Plus more the weekly Adelaide Footy League wrap One-Percenters.
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- Ex-SANFL star positive about cancer battle
- Which ex-AFL players lit up suburban footy fields in 2018?
- One-Percenters: Rams go back-to-back
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.
If you have heard about something quirky, email us your suggestions or photos to matthew.turner1@news.com.au.
Season 2018 is almost over with just division one grand finals left to play. Here is what caught our eye in the penultimate week of the footy year:
CAN PERFECT SAINTS KEEP IT UP?
As far as local footy seasons go, St Peter’s Old Collegians’ 2018 division two campaign could not have transpired much better.
But can the club, which has yo-yoed between the top two tiers for the past seven years, finally assert itself as a legitimate top flight outfit?
Saints topped off an outstanding season to beat Brighton by 43 points in the division two Adelaide Footy League grand final at Thebarton Oval on Saturday.
Since 2011, SPOC has been promoted from division two to division one three times including this season. The club has also been relegated back down twice in that time.
It won the division one premiership in 2012 but was demoted again just two seasons later.
After assembling a squad featuring former Brisbane Lions midfielder and division two medallist Jesse O’Brien and a four-pronged attack of talls, SPOC is arguably as well placed as it has ever been to be successful in the top flight.
Saints coach Chris Hall told Messenger Community News last week he believed there was a “four to five-goal gap” between division one and two.
Given SPOC won 20-straight matches by an average of 42 points in 2018, with Brighton getting the closest by 12 points in round seven, it is fair to say they would likely have been competitive in division one.
Read the full match report of the divison two decider here.
DIV ONE NORTHEAST DERBY
Rostrevor Old Collegians and Tea Tree Gully will lock horns for the first time in a division one Adelaide Footy League grand final when they meet at Thebarton Oval this Saturday.
ROC secured its berth on the big stage when it crushed Payneham Norwood Union in the preliminary final, 15.13 (103) to 6.11 (47) at Daly Oval last Saturday.
Rostrevor led 5.7 to 4.5 in a tight opening half, but the game was turned on its ear in the third term when the minor premier exploded with a nine-goal to zero quarter.
Rostrevor Old Collegians coach Adrian Rocco said the side played inspired football when it mattered.
“That was a great effort and that third quarter was unbelievable,” Rocco said.
“That will give the boys a lot of confidence going into next week. To win like that and against a quality opponent was just terrific.”
Luke Manuel (two goals), led the charge for ROC, while Tim Baccanello (two majors) and Dan McCallum both celebrated their 100th milestone matches with strong performances.
Michael Coad and Paul Fantasia kicked three goals each.
Nick Jolly produced a solid game for the Falcons, while Oliver Pride and Tom Wagner provided plenty of drive.
Tea Tree Gully beat ROC by 18 points when the sides met in the second semi-final.
Goodwood Saints will play Henley in the division one reserves grand final.
SA FOOTY’S HOT TOPIC
With headcounts being the flavour of the week in the wake of the SANFL’s 19th man controversy, we thought it would be useful to inform One-Percenters readers of the Adelaide Footy League’s position on the rule.
Chief executive John Kernahan told Messenger Community News in June clubs would only have their scores wiped for the offence in extreme circumstances.
However, the league does have the power to alter the scores of a match following a review on the Monday following the match.
This is exactly what happened in a C2 clash between Unley Mercedes and Brighton Bombers in July – a situation with a number of similarities to the Roosters and Eagles controversy.
The Jets were found to have an extra player on the field for the first five minutes of the second quarter after a player failed to notice he was named on the bench on the team whiteboard and took to the field.
During that time, Unley Mercedes kicked 1.1.
But, unlike the SANFL situation, a headcount was called by Brighton’s captain.
Given the offence’s accidental nature, the league determined to deduct the Jets the seven points recorded while the player was on the field, rather than wiping the entire score.
Unley Mercedes won the match 13.9 (87) to 10.7 (67).
Another headcount was called in a division one match between Tea Tree Gully and Henley in June.
A Gullies player entered the field of play to replace an injured teammate, but did so before he had left the ground.
Umpires on the day awarded Henley a free kick and 50m penalty, which resulted in a goal. The league then determined no further action needed to be taken following the match.
HANDY RESERVES
It is not unusual to see a former AFL player or two running around in the Adelaide Footy League.
In fact, there have been several who have starred for their local clubs in 2018.
Jesse O’Brien (Brisbane Lions) and Luke Mitchell (Carlton) appeared on Saturday for St Peter’s Old Collegians as they have all year.
But there were just as many former AFL players on the field in the division two reserves grand final between Sacred Heart Old Collegians and Unley Mercedes.
Patrick McCarthy, who played one match for Carlton, lined up for SHOC while 231-game Crows utility Michael Doughty featured across half-back for the Jets.
Let us know if there has been another time multiple ex-AFL players have played in a B grade match, because we think it could not have happened many times before.
Doughty, 39, is less of a surprise given his age, but there were a few eyebrows raised to see the 26-year-old McCarthy playing in the twos.
In the C2 decider, former Fremantle listed player Benet Copping featured for SPOC.
Copping spent three years at the Dockers but did not play an AFL game.
WINDY WOES
The wind was as much of a bane for St Peter’s Old Collegians’ C2 side as its opponent in Saturday’s grand final.
Saints lost 6.10 (46) to 4.3 (27) to Old Ignatians in the decider and failed to register a single score going against the breeze for the entire match.
They booted 2.1 with the wind in the first quarter to shoot out to an 11-point lead before being held by Iggies in the second term.
SPOC kicked 2.2 in the third stanza to get themselves back into the match and level the scores at three quarter time.
Iggies were too strong in the final term, as Saints again struggled going against the breeze.