One-Percenters: Adelaide Footy League players Trevor Rigney and Tom Langford reach 100 goals
TWO local heroes live out the dream off booting 100 goals in a season, the division one giant-killers plus more in this week’s Adelaide Footy League wrap, One-Percenters.
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WELCOME to One-Percenters – a wrap of some of the quirky talking points from across the Adelaide Footy League.
Each edition we will bring several titbits – they might be eye-catching results, milestones, comebacks, big wins, broken droughts or inspiring stories.
If you have heard about something quirky, email us your suggestions or photos to matthew.turner1@news.com.au.
Here are some of the things that caught our eye at the weekend as teams enter the home stretch of season 2018:
100 REASONS TO SMILE
A pair of star spearheads brought up 100 goals for the season on Saturday.
O’Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale forward Trevor Rigney finally notched his ton when he helped the Lions celebrate another big win in division seven.
Rigney booted five goals in the 15.10 (100) to 7.8 (50) victory over Marion at Lonsdale Oval.
See the video of the moment Rigney banged through the milestone major above.
His season tally is now at 101 with one minor round remaining.
Pulteney’s Tom Langford also notched his 100th major on Saturday.
The former North Adelaide and Norwood forward finished Pulteney’s division five game against Hope Valley with six goals to bring his season tally to 102 with one game left to play.
Langford’s bag went some way to Pulteney’s 22.9 (141) to 10.17 (77) home victory over the Demons.
Pulteney coach Will James said Langford was the first A-grade player in the club’s 86-year history to kick 100 goals in a season.
James said the day was made even more special because C-grader Adam Knight was celebrating his 300th game.
“I’ve coached in the Adelaide Footy League for eight years and I have never coached a player that has kicked 100 at an A-grade level,” James said.
“I asked the umpire before the game if I was allowed to run onto the oval.
“They said I could, so the excitement got the better of me and we all ran out on to the oval because it was a pretty special moment.”
The pair joined another Navy Blue, Jesse Whinnen, who reached the ton last month, while Hope Valley’s Darren Mitchell reached his 100 last weekend.
WATCH: HOW’S THIS FOR AN INCREDIBLE 80M GOAL?
GIANT-KILLING MAGPIES
If there is one team division one premiership favourites Rostrevor Old Collegians do not want to face in the finals, it is sixth-placed Port District.
The Magpies are 2-0 against the reigning premiers this season after triumphing in a in a dour game at Thebarton Oval on Saturday, 8.5 (53) to 5.8 (38).
ROC have only lost one other game so far, to Prince Alfred Old Collegians, giving Port certified “bogey side” status over the red and blacks.
Magpies coach Simon Maddern said his team rarely gave the hosts room to move.
“We played a really strong, defensive game and kept them to two goals to three-quarter time,” Maddern said.
“We played with high intensity and pressure and it was a great effort all around.”
Jayden O’Neill, Harley Tiller and Douglas Greig were the leading lights for the visitors.
Jack Foster also played well and kicked two goals.
The Magpies handed ROC its first loss back in round seven, after the reigning premiers burst out of the blocks with a 6-0 start and appeared to be unstoppable.
Port District seems to be in a battle with Payneham Norwood Union (fourth) and PAOC (fifth) to grab an elimination final berth with all three locked on 16 points.
District plays Athelstone at home, PAOC away and then hosts Henley in its final three minor rounds.
The Magpies likely need to win all three to make finals.
If they do, watch out ROC.
ALMOST AN UNBEATEN MINOR ROUND
This time next week we could be singing the praises of not one, but two, undefeated sides at the end of the minor rounds.
But it will not be easy.
Heading into round 18, both Rosewater in division six and O’Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale in the seventh tier are an incredible 17-0 with one match to play.
The Bulldogs overcame one of their biggest tests yet when they defeated previously-third West Croydon 11.13 (79) to 7.11 (53) at home on Saturday.
Getting to the magical 18 wins will be tricky as they hit the road to take on fourth-placed Trinity Old Scholars this Saturday.
O’Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale also has a challenge on its hands, travelling to second side St Paul’s Old Scholars.
The Lions pushed aside Marion, thought to be the biggest threat to their flag chances, with a 15.10 (100) to 7.8 (50) triumph.
St Peter’s Old Collegians in division two are the competition’s third undefeated side, holding a 16-0 record with two games to play after defeating Gaza 16.8 (104) to 7.4 (46) on Saturday.
SPOC has Sacred Heart Old Collegians and then a crucial encounter with second-placed Broadview in the final round.
OH SO CLOSE YET AGAIN
Mitchell Park came agonisingly close to claiming a second successive victory in division seven, only to lose 12.11 (83) to 13.3 (81) against Mawson Lakes at home in frustrating circumstances.
The Lions enjoyed a strong first half and led by about 7.3 at the main break.
But the match took a turn for the worst after the break for the hosts.
The visitors snatched the lead with about nine minutes left in a seesawing final quarter.
It again changed hands twice – first in Mitchell Park’s favour before Mawson Lakes got it back.
Then, with less than two minutes to play, Lions veteran Nat McDonnell marked and kicked a goal to put his side ahead.
They could have been forgiven to thinking they had the game won, but it wasn’t to be as Mawson Lakes snagged a goal with 18 seconds left.
Lions coach Ross Brokensha was left to rue a missed opportunity.
“I think we are the only team that has lost by under a goal in four games,” Brokensha said.
“We probably didn’t structure up and we came out (after half-time) with the attitude ‘we’ve got this won’.
“It was very disappointing.
“But the major positive is if you look at our results in the second-half of the year, take away the O’Sullivans Beach and St Paul’s games, we haven’t really been pumped by any team.”
The Lions were downed by a kick against Golden Grove at home a fortnight ago, suffered a three-point loss to Houghton Districts in round 13 and a four-point defeat to Central United the week after.
They are ninth with a 2-15 record.
HONOURING A HOMEGROWN HERO
Ex-commando Jack Tredrea, who died last month aged 98, is to have a Broadview Football Club award named in his honour.
Tredrea won the Military Medal in World War II for leading guerrilla fighters against Japanese forces occupying Borneo.
In addition to his military prowess, he was prominent in football – playing for South Adelaide pre-war, for the Sturt-South combine in the early years of the war, and then for Broadview post-war.
Broadview has announced that, starting next year, its best on ground in the club’s Adelaide Footy League Anzac Day match will be awarded the Jack Tredrea Medal.
The Tredrea name has a long and proud association with the game.
Tredrea’s uncle, also called Jack, played 220 games for South Adelaide, becoming the first SANFL player to reach the 200 mark.
There are two Tredrea bars offering clubrooms hospitality – at South and at Broadview – named after the two Jacks.
The very existence of the Broadview rooms owes much to the initiative of Jack the ex-commando, who spearheaded a fundraising campaign to build the rooms in the early 1960s.
He played in two of the club’s premierships – in the old North Adelaide District competition – and went on to serve as secretary, treasurer and president.
As a young soldier, he had answered a notice seeking volunteers for “special” duties.
After a year’s intensive training, and as a member of the clandestine Z Special unit, in March 1945 he parachuted into the Borneo highlands, armed with a sub-machinegun, six grenades and a cyanide pill.
The pill was to be swallowed in the event of capture and interrogation.
RELEGATION FODDER
Many teams will begin to turn their attention to finals football, and hopefully a flag, this weekend but a number of sides’ seasons are all but over.
A fortnight ago we brought you a list of four club whose relegation was already confirmed.
Since then the number has doubled with eight teams now set to drop next season.
Old Ignatians’ fight to remain in the second tier finally gave way when they were handed a 15.13 (103) to 9.15 (69) defeat and confirmed relegation by Unley Mercedes on Saturday.
Iggies parted ways with coach Michael O’Leary last month.
In division five, Hectorville’s injury ravaged season finally came to a head on the weekend when a 148-point thrashing at the hands of ladder leaders CBC Old Collegians confirmed its fall to the sixth tier next year.
Division six’s Adelaide Lutheran also joined the dreaded drop zone when it was beaten 15.16 (106) to 6.11 (47) at home on Saturday.
Salisbury, one of the league’s unluckiest teams, defeated Mitcham on Saturday but had its demotion confirmed the week before with a loss to SMOSH West Lakes.
In addition, another four teams need to win this Saturday to avoid the drop.
One the edge: Golden Grove (D2), Walkerville (D3), SMOSH West Lakes, Eastern Park (D4),
Here are the Adelaide Footy League clubs already set to be relegated this season:
Division one: Modbury (0-15)
Division two: Old Ignatians (2-14)
Division three: Pembroke (1-16)
Division four: Salisbury (4-13)
Division five: Ingle Farm (1-14), Hectorville (2-14)
Division six: Greenacres (0-15), Adelaide Lutheran (3-14)
Note: Relegation and promotion is subject to change before the beginning of the 2019 season.