Adelaide coach Heath Younie backs the benefits of Crows and Port in SANFL
Tigers and Crows turn it on (pity about the scheduling clash, though), Matt Rose gets a milestone and the final five looks to be settled. It has been another big weekend of SANFL action.
CROWS FIRE BACK
Adelaide state league coach Heath Younie has hit back at the critics of the two AFL clubs being in the SANFL competition.
Immediately after the two-point loss to Glenelg in a humdinger of a contest at the Bay, Younie said: “For the cynics out there who want the Adelaide Football Club or Port Adelaide out of the competition, that game suggests the benefit these two clubs can have in the competition.
“If I was a spectator, you would think that was a great brand of footy and a representation of what SANFL can be like.”
Younie also suggested the game deserved to end in a draw and he was probably right after the Tigers and Crows turned it on in one of the best games of the season.
Never question Younie’s commitment to the state league. He was raised on a diet of SANFL at North Adelaide and is a fan of the competition. And believe me, he wants to win the premiership.
DRAW CONFUSION
Seriously, who did the draw for this season and put Glenelg v Adelaide up against the Crows v Carlton in Melbourne?
Even the Awa tribe in the deep Amazon jungle would be aware of the damage of playing games at the same time the Crows’ AFL side is in action.
Obviously, no one knew Eddie Betts would be at the Bay when the draw was done. But you never knows which Crows might show up for a game. There were more than 4000 at the ground, it would have been a packed house on Sunday.
And someone is telling porkies. The SANFL told me it was the Tigers who wanted the game against the Crows on the Saturday even though the AFL side was on at the same time. But the Tigers tell me the programming was the SANFL’s decision.
ROSE’S MILESTONE
Classy South Adelaide defender Matt Rose made his 150th league appearance in the loss to Port Adelaide at Noarlunga on Sunday. So in the name of research, we had a look at his profile on the Panthers’ website.
His response to the question, what is your coach’s favourite saying? “Bloody horse ran second again.”
The three Apps he can’t live without? “Instagram, Snapchat and when 23 (he is now 27) didn’t mind a bit of Tinder.”
His worst/best dressed teammate and why? “Brad Crabb can pull anything off and he’s a dad.” Which teammate is always last in after a training drill? “Spider Haren.” Which teammate is most likely to be caught looking at themselves in the mirror during a weights session? “Biemo (Anthony Biemans) loves it.”
JACK VERY CUTTING
Sturt expects to regain Jack Penfold for the battle against Norwood on August 11 after he missed the win over Woodville-West Torrens because of a badly lacerated knee.
Penfold split the knee cap when his knee hit a sprig in a tackle against West Adelaide the previous week. So deep was the cut, the bone was visible and he was taken to hospital because of fears of infection.
The Double Blues have a bye this week and will train as normal before having the weekend off to refresh.
It looms as a tremendous contest with Norwood back in form and the Double Blues needing to win to hang onto a top three spot on the ladder.
FUN BANTER
The banter between former Carlton teammates and close friends Eddie Betts and Aaron Joseph started in the lead up to their battle at the Bay, continued in the game and kept going even after the final siren.
Betts kicked four goals, two of which were his trademark head-shaking efforts from deep in the pocket. But the Tigers were extremely satisfied with the job Joseph did on the Crows small forward.
So who got the points?
Betts claimed victory, reckons he got the better of Joseph. But Joseph emphatically disagreed and reckons Betts was talking crap.
It was an intriguing contest and added plenty of drama to the action.
SCORING BREAKDOWN
The Bloods’ failure to score in the final quarter against the Bulldogs at Richmond Oval on Saturday would have given coach Gavin Colville more headaches.
The previous week, the Bloods failed to register a score in the second term against Sturt, and in round 12 they did not score in the first and fourth quarters against Port Adelaide.
There have been eight quarters this season when the Bloods have not kicked a goal.
FINAL FIVE SETTLED?
The composition of the finals is all but done and dusted with Glenelg, Adelaide, Sturt, Port Adelaide and Norwood set to extend their season beyond the minor round.
Woodville-West Torrens and South Adelaide can still quality, being two games behind fifth-placed Redlegs with three rounds remaining. But they will need plenty of luck.
The Tigers and Crows are guaranteed a finals spot, while the Double Blues and Port are all but in. The race for the crucial double chance is still well and truly alive.
Run home:
Glenelg - North (away), West (home), Sturt (away).
Adelaide - West (a), Eagles (a), South (a).
Sturt - Norwood (h), Port (h), Glenelg (h).
Port - Eagles (h), Sturt (a), Central (a).
Norwood - Sturt (a), Central (h), West (a).
Eagles - Port (a), Adelaide (h), North (a).
South - Central (a), North (h), Adelaide (h).
As for the wooden spoon, there are three clubs still in the winning, although the Bulldogs should be safe. They are two games above the Bloods and another game above the Roosters.
RESULTS
Central District 11.11 (77) d West Adelaide 10.2 (62) at Richmond Oval.
Glenelg 15.6 (96) d Adelaide 14.10 (94) at Glenelg Oval.
Norwood 22.11 (143) d North Adelaide 10.12 (72) at Norwood Oval.
Port Adelaide 15.9 (99) d South Adelaide 10.11 (71) at Noarlunga Oval.
Sturt 13.8 (86) d Eagles 8.13 (61) at Woodville Oval.
GOALKICKERS
Liam McBean (Glenelg) 45
Luke Reynolds (Glenelg) 38
James Rowe (Eagles) 31
Josh Hone (Sturt) 29
Mark Evans (Sturt) 28
Troy Menzel (Central) 28
Lewis Hender (North) 27
Tyson Stengle (Adelaide) 26
Jack Hayes (Eagles) 24
DISPOSALS
Sam Colquhoun (Sturt) 437
Lewis Johnston (Norwood) 425
Travis Schiller (Central) 421
Kaine Stevens (West) 412
Jarred Allmond (North) 399
Jarrod Schiller (Central) 393
Jordan Foote (Eagles) 389
Luke Partington (Glenelg) 388
Zane Kirkwood (Sturt) 379
CLEARANCES
Jarrod Schiller (Central) 103
Travis Schiller (Central) 100
James Battersby (Sturt) 99
Aidan Tropiano (North) 89
Aidan Riley (Sturt) 89
Joe Atley (Port) 85
Matthew Snook (Glenelg) 83
Kaine Stevens (West) 81
ON THE BANDWAGON
When you get offered cake in the changerooms like I was at Glenelg on Saturday how can you not jump on board. Unfortunately it was mud cake and I’m more a banana or carrot cake man because of the health benefits. I also need to give Sturt some love after a bloke called Vince Musolino put me straight on Twitter.
OFF THE BANDWAGON
There has been so much on the line for the Eagles and they have coughed up some poor form in the past two weeks.
RANKINGS
1: Glenelg - the Tigers absorbed everything the Crows, and it was a quality Crows line-up too, threw at them and they hung on grimly in the final quarter. The growing maturity at the Bay is evident.
2: Adelaide - the Crows took a handy side to the Bay and the big guns fired. This was a game which could have gone either way after they overcame a 20-point deficit at three-quarter time.
3: Norwood - was challenged by the Roosters until halftime, before turning up the heat to get some valuable percentage. The Redlegs have regained some form and confidence.
4: Sturt - took the game away from the Eagles in the second quarter and then maintained the pressure in the third. The Double Blues are gaining momentum and they got the job done at Woodville in style. Their final three games are at home.
5: Port - there were some big name inclusions and they fired to give Port an impressive win at Noarlunga Oval. Had too much big man strength for the Panthers.
6: Central - inaccuracy was a hindrance until the final quarter when the Bulldogs capitalised on their hard work. The Bulldogs have struck back in the past two weeks with more blokes prepared to get their hands dirty.
7: West - just what goes through the minds of the Bloods’ players between quarters would make for an interesting study. They led by 16 points at three-quarter time, but failed to add to the score in the final term.
8: South - the damage the loss of two ruckman and a key forward in the AFL’s supplementary draft and mid-season draft has had on the Panthers was evident on Sunday when they lacked the big-man strength to match Port. None of the three picked up have played AFL since.
9: Eagles - inaccurate early, but outplayed and outworked in the middle quarters to all but drop out of the race for the points against the Double Blues. Very disappointing past two weeks.
10: North Adelaide - matched the Redlegs until halftime, although inaccuracy in front of goal hurt. Conceded nine goals in the third quarter and six in the final term.
THIS WEEK
ROUND 16 (split round)
Saturday
Central District v South Adelaide (X Convenience Oval, Elizabeth, 1.10pm)
Sunday
North Adelaide v Glenelg (Prospect Oval, 2.10pm)
Sunday, August 11
Port Adelaide v Eagles (Alberton Oval, 1.10pm)
West Adelaide v Adelaide (City Mazda Stadium, Richmond, 1.10pm)
Sturt v Norwood (Peter Motley Oval, Unley, 1.40pm)