Monday Recovery: Finals race hots up as Panther hopes go south
WILL South Adelaide miss out on finals again? The Eagles get some key personnel back at right time as Woodville champs reunite, Norwood points in right direction and Allmond’s amazing long goal. Warren Partland’s wrap of SANFL’s Round 15.
- Sturt’s best win yet: Mattner
- Eagles comeback stuns Magpies
- Bloods have a finals sniff
- Inaccurate Redlegs get job done
- Dogs round up Tigers
WILL South Adelaide miss out on finals again? The Eagles getting some key personnel back at the right time. And Norwood points in right direction. Warren Partland wraps up Round 15 of the SANFL in this week’s Monday Recovery.
FIFTH SPOT UP FOR GRABS
South Adelaide’s loss to West Adelaide on Saturday has kept the door open for a few sides chasing a spot in the finals.
The Panthers are just four points above Central District and the Bloods, with Port Adelaide only a point further back. Port did some serious damage to its hopes when overrun by Woodville-West Torrens on Sunday, but is still a show.
With six rounds remaining, the Eagles, Norwood and North Adelaide look safe and Sturt would need an absolute disaster to miss out.
So looking into the murky crystal ball, that leaves just one spot to be confirmed.
The Panthers have a tough run home with games against the Roosters, Double Blues, Eagles and Redlegs as well as Port at Alberton.
Port looks to have a good run home with only two games against sides the top five.
The Bulldogs still have the Double Blues, Redlegs, Port at Alberton and Eagles. As for the Bloods, there are still engagements with the Bulldogs, Redlegs, Port and Double Blues.
EAGLES WITH STARS IN RESERVE
There was very encouraging news for a couple of Eagles in the reserves against Port at Woodville Oval on Sunday.
Jared Petrenko and Joe Sinor returned to action and the club was rapt with both players.
Returning from a knee problem, Petrenko played about 75 per cent of the game and spent most of his time in the forward with some work in the midfield.
Sinor, last year’s club champion, made his first appearance for the season after breaking a leg against Port in a trial in March.
According to Eagles footy manager Luke Powell, Sinor looked like he had missed just a few weeks. He played in the midfield and up forward.
Both will have another run in the reserves against the Roosters at Prospect Oval on Saturday.
POINT TO PROVE
What is it with Norwood’s goalkicking against Adelaide at The Parade?
In round five, the Redlegs put 14.23 on the scoreboard and on Saturday, they finished with 13.24.
My calculator says 27.47 for the two games against the Crows this season.
While on the subject of behinds, the posts got a workout at Noarlunga Oval on Saturday when West Adelaide and a wasteful South Adelaide had plenty hit the wood work.
YOUNG PUPS
Central District could have three players drafted this year following the under-18 national championship won by South Australia.
Jackson Hately is being touted as a high draft choice, while Jez McLennan is also likely to get a chance at the AFL level. Both were named in the under 18 All-Australian team.
And it would not surprise if Aaron Nietschke gets taken by an AFL club, even if on a rookie list.
It is a good effort by the Bulldogs considering they haven’t had too many drafted in recent times.
ROOSTERS ON SONG
One of the unique of the SANFL has to be the North Adelaide club song. It is an absolute beauty and one of the reasons is the song is their own.
Well the song, penned by SA Music Hall of Famer Johnny Mac, has turned 50 and was there anything more appropriate than having the man himself play the song at Prospect Oval on Sunday.
He also tossed the coin for the Roosters versus Sturt battle. Mac played for the Double Blues in 1953-54, but he reckons he was sacked by the club for getting home too late from a ballroom dance one night.
He suspects the real reason was that he was from Parkside.
“That was the wrong side of the tracks back then, and because my brother and I weren’t from Unley we had to really force our way into the team,” he says.
“But I got 64 kicks in the first trial game, so they couldn’t really ignore me.”
Allmond’s amazing roost
SANFL Digital Pass commentator Kym Morgan has dubbed it the kick of the season.
Like most at Prospect Oval, Morgan seemed puzzled when Jarred Allmond went back to have a set shot from nearly 75m out with North Adelaide desperate for a goal in the shadows of quarter-time against Sturt.
So the commentator was unable to contain his shock when the left-footer’s raking flat punt sailed through for a goal.
“I thought he was having a lend when he pulled his socks up then,” Morgan says. “I didn’t even consider that he could kick that.”
Allmond produced a similar long bomb on the run in his former life as an Eagle, also against Sturt, at Peter Motley Oval on Anzac Day last year.
One long-time Roosters fan said it was the longest goal they could remember seeing at Prospect.
What’s the longest SANFL goal you’ve seen?
WARRIORS CELEBRATE
It was a big day at Woodville Oval on Sunday for some old Warriors.
The battle between the Eagles and Port was the ideal setting for a 30-year anniversary celebration of Woodville’s 1988 triumph in the Escort Cup night series.
Was Des O’Dwyer the ringleader of the party?
Woodville beat Port by 45 points in the grand final to get some rare silver wear for the club before it joined forces with West Torrens.
NO TERRY
Terry Milera leads the Ken Farmer Medal with 28 goals. But he was missing from the Tigers’ line-up at Elizabeth Oval on Saturday after pulling out of the side on the morning of the game, citing personal reasons.
He is expected back this week to face South Adelaide at home.
His brother Ian played in the reserves in the big win over the Bulldogs.
ROUND 13 RESULTS
Norwood 13.24 (102) d Adelaide 7.9 (51) at Norwood Oval.
Central District 9.11 (65) d Glenelg 9.9 (63) at Elizabeth Oval.
West Adelaide 10.10 (70) d South Adelaide 6.13 (49) at Noarlunga Oval.
Sturt 16.11 (107) d North Adelaide 12.8 (80) at Prospect Oval.
Eagles 11.10 (76) d Port Adelaide 9.5 (59)
LADDER
Eagles 19 (57.0%)
Norwood 18 (56.3)
North Adelaide 18 (56.0)
Sturt 16 (56.3)
South Adelaide 14 (54.7)
Central District 10 (49.2)
West Adelaide 10 (45.8)
Port Adelaide 9 (46.6)
Glenelg 6 (45.1)
Adelaide 0 (33.8)
GOALKICKERS
Terry Milera (Glenelg) 28
Josh Scott (Glenelg) 27
Mark Evans (Sturt) 27
Jack Hayes (Eagles) 23
Shane McAdam (Sturt) 23
John Butcher (Central) 22
Mason Middleton (West) 21
Alex Barns (North) 21
Lewis Hender (North) 21
Mitch Grigg (Norwood) 21
ON THE BANDWAGON
When you beat the top side away from home there has to be a seat on the Double Blues wagon. Things might be just starting to warm up at Unley Oval.
OFF THE BANDWAGON
I’ve had to jump off the Panthers after the loss to Westies, not a good sign for a club with finals aspirations.
RANKINGS
1: Sturt: Got the job done nicely at Prospect Oval. That followed an impressive second half against Adelaide.
2: Eagles: Put in a Melbourne Cup performance, taking time to work into the game and then come from well back to get the chocolates against Port.
3: West: Hmmmm, didn’t see that coming. There have been good signs for the Bloods this season mixed in with some bad ones. This was definitely one of the good days.
4: Norwood: Hard to judge the effort given it was all but guaranteed a win.
5: North: Kept plugging away and never gave up the fight against the Double Blues.
6: Port: This was one that slipped away. The game was theirs, only to add a solitary behind in the final quarter and get overrun by the Eagles.
7: Central: Got the vital two points but not more positive came out of the win over Glenelg.
8: Glenelg: Had plenty of opportunities to get the points, just lacked composure at critical moments.
9: South Adelaide: Wasted too many chances in front of goal. Those issues with the attack we have spoken about were evident.
10: Adelaide: As with every other week, under manned.
THIS WEEK
Saturday
Sturt v Norwood (Peter Motley Oval, Unley, 1.40pm)
Glenelg v South Adelaide (Gliderol Stadium, Glenelg, 2.10pm)
West Adelaide v Central District (City Mazda Stadium, Richmond, 2.10pm)
North Adelaide v Eagles (Prospect Oval, 2.10pm)
Sunday
Adelaide v Port Adelaide (Kadina Oval, 1.10pm)