Unley Mercedes Jets upset Goodwood Saints in Adelaide Footy League division one boilover

One of the biggest boilovers of the Adelaide Footy League season has transpired as division one battlers Unley Mercedes spring a huge surprise on the reigning premiers.

Unley Mercedes coach Adam Jeffries has described the Jets’ first win of the Adelaide Footy League season as “special” after his young side defied all predictions to upset Goodwood Saints on Saturday.

The Jets experienced the full range of emotions division one has to offer in just a week, after suffering the heartbreak of a one-point loss in round six.

But there was to be no such disappointment this time as Unley Mercedes saw off more than one comeback from the Saints to defeat the reigning premiers 19.8 (122) to 16.15 (111) at Kingswood Oval.

Unley Mercedes coach Adam Jeffries with assistant Scott Thompson. Jeffries led the Jets to their first win of the season on Saturday against his old club Goodwood Saints. Picture: Tom Huntley

Jeffries, who coached Goodwood in 2018 and 2019, said it was a special win over their local rival.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think we would go and beat a Goodwood or PAC this year to be honest,” Jeffries said.

“We just put it all together.

“I had a heap of calls and texts saying ‘glad you stuck it up Goodwood’, but I’m just happy we beat anyone to be honest.

“Now I want to win again next week.”

In a high-scoring and entertaining affair, the attack-minded Jets kicked six goals in the first 20 minutes of the match to spring a big surprise on the equal-top of the ladder Saints.

Unley Mercedes' Jack Holliday and Goodwood Saints' Tom Carter. Picture: Brayden Goldspink

Goodwood got itself back in the contest and from there the match was an enthralling end-to-end contest.

The Jets were able to respond with crucial goals to each of the visitors’ attempts to charge back into the match, just holding on at the end to claim the win.

Jeffries hoped the victory was just the start.

“My expectation is we don’t just be happy with that,” he said.

“We’ve got two winnable games coming up before the mid-season break.

“So I’m hoping this is just the start for us.”

Luke Heaslip was one of the Jets’ best on Saturday. Picture: AAP/Keryn Stevens

Unley Mercedes plays and injury-hit St Peter’s Old Collegians and Tea Tree Gully in the next two rounds.

Defender Alistair Salt gave up a lot of height to Saints big man Andrew Parella but blanketed the former SANFL ruckman to be rightly named the Jets’ best.

Up the other end, Shawn Foster and Luke Heaslip were electric for the hosts as they kicked four goals each including some highlight reel worthy snaps from the pocket.

For the Saints, they slipped a win behind top side Prince Alfred Old Collegians and will need to regroup quickly before an away trip to Tea Tree Gully this Saturday.