Video of Adelaide Uni’s Jack Strange hit by Adelaide Footy League goal umpire goes viral
A local footy player talks about going from unassuming defender to the centrepiece of a viral video after he copped a flag in the face from a goal umpire. See the video and more in our One-Percenters Adelaide Footy League wrap.
- The goal umpire gaffe that is going viral
- ‘It’s just nuts’: Division one set for huge final round
- The amateur league star on the AFL radar
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
THE UMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Stranger things have not happened than the past week or so in the life of Adelaide University footballer Jack Strange.
The Blacks backman went from unassuming defender to the centrepiece of a viral video after footage of him being whacked in the face by a goal umpire’s flag spread wildly across the internet.
We shared the vision from the round 16 game in last week’s One-Percenters column.
When the video hit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram it immediately started doing the rounds among footy fans.
The footage has racked up tens of thousands of views on social media, being shared by the likes of the AFL and garnering airtime on Channel 10’s The Project.
Strange said the response to the video had been “pretty funny” — much like his interaction with the goal umpire in question following the incident.
“I asked him ‘mate, what are you doing?’,” Strange, 21, said.
“His response was ‘mate, I’ve been here all day’, which I thought was an interesting comment from an umpire.
“If the same thing happened the other way, if I had knocked him over, I’m sure I would have gone over an apologised.
“But I guess he didn’t think he needed to, each to their own.
“He hit me pretty flush in the face. It wasn’t that painful, just more the surprise of being hit by a flag.”
Strange was called up to the Port Adelaide’s SANFL side on the weekend and did not take any kick outs.
But he said his head would be on a swivel the next time he runs past the goal umpire following a behind.
TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
A pair of Unley Mercedes defenders took team work to a new level on Saturday with this mark.
Mitch Duval used teammate Oscar Munn as a step ladder to take a big grab in the Jets’ win over Broadview at Kingswood Oval on Saturday.
Without a Broadview player flying for the contest, Duval had his eyes firmly fixed on a hanger as he launched onto Munn’s shoulders.
Unley also soared to a comfortable 16.10 (106) to 9.12 (66) win over the Tigers.
The victory secured the division two minor premiership while the Jets’ B and C grades also finished in top spot with victories on Saturday.
MORE ADELAIDE FOOTY LEAGUE:
Match reports from every division
Scotch Old Collegians star Jy Farrar draws AFL interest
Kilburn fighting for survival amid financial woes
JAYKE RAISES HELL
Season 2019 had already been hellish enough for Blackfriars Old Scholars before it ran into a red hot Demons side on Saturday.
Hope Valley forward Jayke Hellmanns played the role of devil against the Hounds as he booted 17 goals in the 31.20 (206) to 5.5 (35) thumping at St Dominic’s Oval.
Hellmanns had 15 majors by three-quarter time and could have broken past 20 if he kept up the same rate, before being held to two in the final term.
He has kicked 79 for the season so far.
Daniel Williamson added seven goals of his own for the Demons.
The hefty defeat marked the end of a tough year for Blackfriars, which is set to be relegated to division six next season.
The Hounds won just one game from 17 this season to finish bottom of the sixth tier.
THE RACE TO 100
The race to be the first player to reach 100 goals in SA footy has been run and won — but the title for the ton in the Adelaide Footy League is still up for grabs.
But time is running out with all divisions below the top flight now into finals.
Three players are locked in the lead on 90 goals for the season.
Andrew Liverton (Kenilworth, division five), Jesse Whinnen (Pulteney, C6) and David Hodges (Adelaide Lutheran, C6) come into this Saturday equal.
Fortunately for them, all three of their sides are expected to play deep into finals.
Just behind them on 86 majors is Darren Mitchell (Hope Valley, C5), who made national news in May when he kicked 32 goals in a single match.
Glencoe’s Brodie “Fossil” Foster was the first to boot a century in 2019 when he kicked 13 a fortnight ago in the Mid South Eastern Football League to go from 87 to 100.
He was joined on the weekend by Mypolonga superboot James Moss in the River Murray and Mt Compass’ Tom Pinyon in Great Southern.
GROUNDHOG DAY
It will be a case of deja vu for some clubs which will meet again in the first week of finals (for some) this Saturday after clashing in last week’s final round.
In division two, Sacred Heart Old Collegians hosts Athelstone for the second week in a row when they meet in the qualifying final on Saturday.
Largs North Reserve again is the venue for North Haven which takes on Golden Grove in the qualifying final.
In division five Salisbury and Lockleys lock horns again but this time at Salisbury Oval instead of Lockleys, while Hectorville and Elizabeth resume rivalries at Daly Oval after playing at Argana Park the previous week.
TOP SIDES TOPPLED
Upsets were the flavour of the week as several highly-rated teams went down to lower-ranked opposition on Saturday.
Division four saw the picks of the bunch as top sides SMOSH West Lakes and CBC Old Collegians were stunned by Woodville South and Walkverville respectively, who were fourth and fifth coming into the round.
In the top flight, Tea Tree Gully (ninth) knocked off Brighton (sixth) at Brighton Oval and Adelaide University (eighth) trumped St Peter’s Old Collegians.
Although not as big an upset, second side Payneham Norwood Union outpointed top-ranked Prince Alfred Old Collegians at Park 9.
MATCH REPORTS FROM EVERY DIVISION
patrick.keam@news.com.au