Adelaide Footy League: Wakefield Sports Clinic Division 7 April 7 preview
PARA Hills has jumped straight back into competitive football with ease, declaring its aspirations to rise back through the ranks of the Adelaide Footy League.
PARA Hills has jumped straight back into competitive football with ease, declaring its aspirations to rise back through the ranks of the Adelaide Footy League.
The Big Reds have set the tone early for a successful season after being unable to fill a side in last year’s competition.
They looked formidable in the opening round of the Wakefield Sports Clinic Division 7 season, dictating terms against Central United to show that they will be tough opposition throughout the year.
An exodus of players at the beginning of last season left the club vulnerable to collapse surprisingly after winning the Division 5 premiership in 2015.
However, Para Hills has now welcomed the return of players for 2017 along with a strong band of newcomers that it hopes will build a new path for future growth.
Paul Cree was back in the goal square doing what he does best, kicking five goals in a defining 75-point victory over the Bulldogs while being ably supplied by Jack Van Den Brink, Shane Evans and Ryan Rebbeck.
They will test their true credentials this week when meeting Adelaide University at University Oval.
The Blacks received a competitive contest first-up but proved good enough to overcome their opposite university number in Flinders University.
Adelaide University seemed to have control of the encounter at half time but a strong third quarter from the home side ensured a thrilling finish.
The visitors finally got over the line by just nine points due to the efforts of James Barr, Michael Leslie and Blake Carroll.
The Crabs have another difficult challenge in front of them this week with a trip to the South Parklands to face Adelaide Lutheran, which really made its intentions clear in week one.
Demoted following a disappointing year in Division 6, the Bulldogs certainly set about atoning, stamping their authority on the lower competition early with a commanding 93-point drubbing of Prince Alfred OC.
It was a stunning result against the 2016 Division 7 runners-up.
The Reds were outclassed by Tom Kowald, Xander Redhead (five goals) and Shane Hickey from Adelaide Lutheran.
Prince Alfred OC can bounce back against St Pauls OS which struggled against the other relegated side Mitchell Park.
In similar circumstances to their fellow downgraded counterparts, the Lions revealed that they did not want to stay at the lower level for long.
Mitchell Park’s Adam Morris, Nikolas Flynn and Shaun Dowling showed their hand with strength to blow the Saints away by 64 points.
The same fate awaits North Pines when the Lions visit on Saturday.
The Redbacks offered little resistance for Tea Tree Gully last week, failing by a decisive 90 points.
The Gullies will travel to Mofflin Reserve this week for a clash with Central United which also could be a one-sided affair with Luke Flynn, Jedd Talbot and Daniel Golding again having a presence.