North Adelaide too good for Central District in SANFL
NORTH Adelaide has taken 12 rounds, but it has finally eroded the two-game penalty for the 19th man drama.
NORTH Adelaide has taken 12 rounds to finally erase the two-game deficit as penalty for the 19th man saga in last year’s preliminary final.
The Roosters are now on zero points on the premiership ladder after conquering an insipid Central District by 28 points at Elizabeth Oval on Saturday.
And their second win for the season takes them a significant step to staving off the wooden spoon the season after claiming the premiership.
“We were supposed to have erased the penalty in round two, not round 12,” Roosters coach Josh Carr said. “That is footy, that is life.
“The last quarter was some of our best footy we have played all year, we were against the breeze and under pressure.
“Our good players stood up and it has been a while for the mids to get that much ball. The defenders also defended really well.”
The response from the Bulldogs to coach Roy Laird’s announcement during the week he would be standing down at the end of the season was disgraceful recognition for what he has achieved for the club.
The lack of intensity, passion for body contact and commitment to the cause was missing and Laird did not hold back in his summation.
“It was a pathetic last quarter after putting themselves in a winning position,” Laird said. “It was 12 marks to their 40 and that shows a compete lack of respect for your footy club to get outworked like that.
“Where the salary cap is involved, and we are paying close to it like everyone, there is a tendency to think we have blokes on too much money for what they deliver.”
The lack of defensive pressure from both sides for the opening two quarters was reflected in an open contest with loose players everywhere. There were 15 players in the game who failed to register a tackle in the first half.
Midfielder Aidan Tropiano sparked much of the Roosters’ action, while Alex Barns had 15 possessions and four goals in the first half. He had just one disposal after half-time. Frank Szekely had a picnic in attack for the visitors with the lack of attention.
Down back Tanner Smith and Cameron Smith dominated against a Bulldogs outfit playing into their hands with poor delivery.
The Bulldogs picked up the workrate in the third quarter to level the scores with onballer Travis Schiller finding more of the ball and Justin Hoskin having a heavy influence. But too many players refused to get their hands dirty in the final term.
The ball came out of the Roosters’ defensive area far too easily and they moved the ball with little opposition to smash the game apart.
NORTH ADELAIDE 8.3 10.4 12.4 17.5 (107)
CENTRAL DISTRICT 5.1 7.8 10.11 11.13 (79)
BEST - Tropiano, Szekely, Allmond, Smith, Thring, C. Craig. Central: Hoskin, T. Schiller, Burton, J. Schiller.
GOALS - North: Barns, Szekely 4, Minervini 3, T. Schwarz, Laurie 2, Thring, Neagle. Central: Hoskin 5, Menzel 2, Fort, Jenner, Falkenberg, Dahms.
UMPIRES - Bennett, Lewis, Hundertmark.
CROWD - 1535 at X Convenience Oval, Elizabeth.