Adelaide Footy League: Wakefield Sports Clinic Div 7 Round 9 review

The race for top honours in Wakefield Sports Clinic Division 7 looks to be down to four but Para Hills has jumped to flag favourite heading into this week’s mid-season break.

The race for top honours in Wakefield Sports Clinic Division 7 looks to be down to four but Para Hills has jumped to flag favourite heading into this week’s mid-season break.

The Big Reds’ accomplishments higher up in Division 5 in 2015 (before being unable to field a side in the competition last year) have now come to the fore.

Their anticipated rise back through the ranks of the Adelaide Footy League is set to be a quick one, as long as they continue to maintain their playing stocks in a competitive northern region with numerous clubs tempting the local talent.

For now though, Para Hills will be hard to contain over the second half of the season, especially as it gets closer to achieving its title ambition.

Its strength is a formidable forward structure with leading goal-kicker Shane Hanson supported by Shane Holland and Paul Cree at different times so far.

They will not have succeeded though without the likes of Ryan Rebbeck, Chris Strange and Win Thach setting them up.

Mitchell Park seemed to be on the path to success before suffering its first two losses of the year in consecutive weeks before the break.

But the Lions will still be the ladder leader’s greatest adversary for the 2017 premiership particularly with Chris Bradford, Adam Morris and Brandon Walczak producing the goods.

Ensuring spearhead Nathaniel McDonnell is hitting the scoreboard strongly will enhance their chances as he has been well held in the side’s two losses.

Adelaide Lutheran is proving tough opposition as well.

The Bulldogs will have aspirations of eclipsing the Big Reds and Mitchell Park themselves, despite being unable to restrict them in tight encounters in their first meetings of the season.

Their top contributors Tasman Hawthorne (second on the goalkicking list), Shane Hickey, Jacob Stollznow and Lachlan Richter could steer them towards a grand final appearance.

Tea Tree Gully would also consider itself within the mix to challenge, especially with its experienced, classy line-up which includes Daniel Golding, David Ford, Alex Watson and Jason Power.

It is hard to see any other Division 7 outfit push the current top four but it will still be an interesting fight for fifth spot and at least a finals berth for Adelaide University and St Pauls OS.

Being able to beat one of those sides above them is likely to determine their fate.

Thus much will rest on Michael Leslie, Dominic Davis and Doug Smith from the Blacks or Matthew Rowson, Rhett Thompson and Joseph Adamo from the Saints to realise that.

The bottom three, on the other hand, already have their destinies confined to the lower levels of the ladder.

Robert Pinkie and Rhys Dawson (North Pines), Rory MacMillan and Ryan Collins (Central United), and Dean Schofield and Aaren Playford (Flinders University) can inspire their teammates to a victory or two before their seasons come to a close.