Prince Alfred College boots nine first-term goals to set up Intercol win in milestone matchup against St Peter’s

A nine-goal straight opening term quarter gave Prince Alfred an insurmountable lead over arch rival St Peter’s in their 150th Intercol clash. Read the full report here.

PAC player with the trophy after their win after their 150th Intercol against St Peter’s. Picture: Brenton Edwards

A nine-goal to one opening term was the catalyst for Prince Alfred College’s First XVIII Intercol win over St Peter’s College at home in the 150th meeting between the two schools, the hosts exacting revenge for their loss last year.

PAC didn’t miss in the first quarter, kicking 9.0 to 2.1 and never looking back on their way to an unforgettable 16.9 (105) to 11.10 (76) milestone Intercol victory.

The Reds were all over their opponent, attacking the ball at every opportunity and going forward with a fast pace.

PAC players celebrate their win after the 150th Intercol. Picture: Brenton Edwards

PAC coach Matt Slade was ecstatic to see his team lift the trophy after a memorable effort.

“It feels amazing, a lot better than last year, and there’s a lot of relief because a lot of work has gone into this,” Slade said.

“We haven’t produced too many great first quarters this year so to be able to do that is a real credit to the boys.

“They certainly came to play and they were all hellbent on playing a team role.”

The Reds celebrate their big Intercol win with fellow students. The home crowd was overjoyed when the final siren sounded. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Princes got the early jump through Zac Bishop, Luca Slade and Patrick Weckert before Matt Roberts kicked Saints’ first.

The home side managed to shut down star Saints forwards Morgan Ferres and Felix Packer for most of the game, which helped create a big lead.

Slade said this was a point of emphasis.

“They’re two really good forwards so we focused on not giving them any space,” he said.

“George Cox really did a great job on Ferres for us and Tom Bromley, in only his second game of the year, wore Packer like a glove.”

Reds captain Harry Tunkin was also a standout player, covering ground and winning the footy with ease.

His work winning the contested ball was integral to the win, and his two goals, including a late long-bomb, were the icing on the cake.

PAC captain Harry Tunkin takes a strong chest mark. He was one of the best performers at Intercol. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“He’s just a bull. He puts his body on the line every week,” Slade said.

“He’s constantly taking hard hits, diving over the ball, he just never gives up.

“He’s been a tremendous skipper and he led by example yet again.”

With PAC up 102-39, the game was all but over at three-quarter-time.

St Peter’s fought admirably in the final term however, finding Ferres some space and servicing him well from the middle.

The talisman booted four majors for the term and five for the game, adding yet another bag of goals to his name this year.

Adelaide Crows forward Tom Lynch, part of the St Peter’s coaching staff, gives pointers to Saints players at three-quarter-time. Picture: Brenton Edwards

St Peter’s coach Sam Elliott said Ferres’ late performance was one of the only highlights of the game for the visitors.

“I think we were just overwhelmed by the situation, which was a bit disappointing,” Elliott said.

“We’re usually a lot better to start games and even though we pretty much matched them for the rest of the day you just can’t give a good side like Prince Alfred that kind of start.

“Morgan deserved a bit of a performance in the last. He’s a star kid and a star player, I’m really proud of him and I can’t wait to see him play and develop throughout his career.”

Saints star Matt Roberts gets quick hands away under PAC pressure. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Losing First XVIII Intercol is never easy to swallow, and the Saints players, along with the crowds of their supporters who attended, were visibly shattered when the final siren sounded.

The side came in with high confidence due to their success in last year’s clash between the schools, but will now have to wait another year to recapture that winning feeling.

Elliott said there were positives to the loss however, namely a new opportunity to learn and improve.

 

Covid restrictions meant only 1,000 people were allowed inside the ground, forcing supporters and students to resort to other means of watching the big game. Pictures: Brenton Edwards

“We didn’t work hard enough and we didn’t create enough through that lack of work rate,” he said.

“There’s a lot to learn here for us. We have a great coming through and we’ll make sure they learn a lot and improve from this loss.

“It’s important not to get too down about the result and look to what we can do in order to improve.”