Roosters, Eagles flying high in SANFL after being two teams to miss the 2019 finals
Roosters, Eagles hit the ground running in 2020, a touching tribute to the Virgin family, and a mature-age Blood shines on debut are among the five things we learnt in Round 3.
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It was another ripping round of SANFL over the weekend. Here’s the five key things we learnt.
ROOSTERS, EAGLES FLYING HIGH
Two teams that missed the 2019 finals mean business this season.
North Adelaide and Woodville-West Torrens, who finished ninth and seventh respectively last year, made big statements on the weekend that not only are they genuine finals contenders, but flag hopes.
The Roosters remained the last unbeaten team this season with a thrilling three-point win against premier and previously unbeaten Glenelg at the Bay while the Eagles smashed Norwood – one of the pre-season flag fancies – by 11 goals at home.
Both are under new coaches, with Jacob Surjan replacing Josh Carr at North and Jade Sheedy taking over from Sam Lonergan at the Eagles.
Surjan noted how his Roosters were able to win the “dirty ball’’ in upsetting the Tigers while they also have several highly-skilled players, including three-goal hero Kym LeBois, who can turn a game in the blink of an eye, making them hard to stop.
Sheedy said his restructured side was still finding the right balance between attack and defence but it looked very strong in dismantling the Redlegs, winning the ball in traffic and slingshotting strongly from the back half.
The two clubs, who met in the infamous “19th man’’ 2018 preliminary final, face off in a SANFL blockbuster at Prospect on Saturday.
While they have made strong early inroads into making this year’s four-club finals series, Norwood is in trouble, sitting bottom at 0-3 and with a long injury list.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,’’ noted coach Jarrod Cotton after the shockingly disappointing loss to the Eagles when they managed only four goals.
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NORTH THROWS ARMS AROUND VIRGIN
He played in a premiership with Glenelg last year but North Adelaide wrapped its arms around its former player Michael Virgin at the Bay on Saturday.
Not in the right mental state to play in the game, which would have been his 50th league appearance, following the death of his dad Lee – the Roosters’ president – last Monday, Virgin reached out to his former teammates in the middle of Glenelg Oval after their stunning three-point triumph.
After first being consoled by his Tigers teammates, Virgin was embraced by the entire North team and walked with them as they made their way to the visitors changerooms.
Coach Jacob Surjan said Virgin made a short speech to the players in the rooms and remained a popular figure at the club.
“Virg came over after the game and had a little chat with us, saying that even though he is a premiership player at Glenelg now he was very thankful for the opportunity he had at North beforehand and that our club will always be close to his heart,’’ Surjan said.
“As a coaching and playing group we recognise his Glenelg premiership medal too because that is something that is really relevant to the family.
“Michael and the Virgin family are a big part of the North Adelaide footy club and when senior passed on Monday morning it was a really emotional time for everyone at the footy club and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to meet such an outstanding person.
“It’s really sad and to lose such a revered club president has been really emotional for the club.
“I made the point to Michael that even though he is at Glenelg now he will forever be a part of the North Adelaide family for what he and his family have contributed to the club and that he will always be welcome at our club.’’
SOUTH’S ‘X AND Y’ FACTOR
For many years South Adelaide’s inconsistency has stopped it from matching it with the big guns when the whips are cracking.
But after three rounds, and risking the danger of going the early crow, there just might be some exciting times ahead for long-suffering Panthers’ fans.
While experienced players like Matthew Broadbent, Joel Cross and Joe Haines should be big factors this season, the team, which wore black armbands on Saturday out of respect for their former star Mark Naley following his death from cancer, has plenty of exciting and virtually unknown players who can light up a stage with their pace and style.
Liam Fitt already is a big contender for goal of the year after his beauty from deep in the forward pocket against Central District at Elizabeth Oval on Saturday while young players Zac Dumesny – who should be drafted this year – and Beau McCreery have caught the eye.
Jaidan Kappler, son of South star David who played 290 games for the Panthers, probably played his best game for the club against the Bulldogs, illustrating the Panthers’ depth this year after it was stung by the pre-season losses of lead ruckman Keegan Brooksby (Hawthorn) and former Swan James Rose, who chose not to play after the COVID-19 shutdown.
BOYD’S OUR BOY
What a career football journeyman James Boyd continues to have.
With South Adelaide as a young gun, a premiership player with Central District in 2010, six solid years at the Eagles and now back at the Dogs this season for probably his last stint at league level, the midfield ball magnet continues to get his hands on the footy.
On Saturday it was no fault of Boyd’s that his team was convincingly beaten at home by South Adelaide as he amassed 39 disposals while taking six marks, winning five clearances and posting seven rebound 50s.
While Central could battle to keep up with the top sides this season, 31-year-old Boyd has quickly re-established himself as a key part of its engine room.
TAVERNER SHINES IN UNEXPECTED DEBUT
West Adelaide’s Stuart Taverner probably wasn’t thinking about much more than doing his bit for the club’s reserves against Sturt on Sunday.
Running around in ruck, he must have wondered what was going on when he was told to get off the ground in the first half and head to the league side’s changeroom because No. 1 ruckman Andre Parrella had reported in sick.
The 27-year-old recruit from Plympton Football Club made the most of his unexpected opportunity, enjoying a top battle with Sturt’s Daniel Fahey-Sparks in his league debut.
Taverner impressed with 44 hit-outs.
Bloods coach Gavin Colville wasn’t happy in having to make such a late change to his league line-up, but he gave Taverner a big thumbs up for his strong first-up game.
SCOREBOARDS
SOUTH 2.4 3.7 5.11 11.12 (78)
CENTRAL 1.1 4.1 4.2 5.4 (34)
BEST – South: Haines, Broadbent, Heaslip, Cross, Kappler, McGree. Central: Boyd, T. Menzel, Habel, Pisani, Presbury, Haydon.
GOALS – South: McCreery 3, Wilkinson 2, Cailotto, Fitt, Dumesny, McGree, Bogle, Haren. Central: Lange, Dew, Butcher, East, T. Menzel.
INJURIES – Central: Llewellyn (leg).
UMPIRES – H. Hughes, M. Sboro, D. Sobieraj.
CROWD – 750 at Elizabeth Oval.
NORTH 3.3 7.7 9.11 10.14 (74)
GLENELG 4.1 6.3 7.4 11.5 (71)
BEST – North: Allmond, C. Combe, Moore, LeBois, Clisby, Hewett, Schwarz. Glenelg: Snook, Hannath, Agnew, Curran, Partington, Bradley, Parks.
GOALS – North: LeBois 3, Ramsey, Young, Allmond, Jarman, Moore, W. Combe, C. Barns. Glenelg: McBean, Reynolds 3, Bailey 2, Gregson, Bradley, Nicholson.
UMPIRES – T. Bryce, M. Schramm, M. Harris.
CROWD – 750 at Glenelg Oval.
EAGLES 3.4 4.9 9.10 14.12 (96)
NORWOOD 0.1 1.1 4.5 4.7 (31)
BEST – Eagles: Goldsworthy, Toumpas, Foote, J. Hayes, Sinor, Rowe, Lonergan, Comitogianni. Norwood: Douglas, Baulderstone, McKenzie.
GOALS – Eagles: J. Hayes, Rowe 3, Carcuro, Goldsworthy, Lonergan, Von Bertouch 2. Norwood: Irra, Douglas, Pinyon, Shenton.
INJURIES – Norwood: Surman (hamstring), Talia (hamstring).
UMPIRES – R. Hundertmark, S. Morgan, A. Crosby.
CROWD – 950 at Woodville Oval.
STURT 4.1 5.3 8.4 11.6 (72)
WEST 1.2 4.5 6.8 9.10 (64)
BEST – Sturt: Battersby, Colquhoun, Wundke, Fahey-Sparks, Davis, Kirkwood. West: Turner, Stevens, Johnson, Boyle, Thilthorpe, Taverner.
GOALS – Sturt: Sutcliffe, Slimming, Hone 2, McEntee, Colquhoun, Kirkwood, Evans, Ash Johnson. West: Johnson 3, Waite, Thilthorpe 2, Karpany, Allan.
INJURIES – Sturt: Page (leg), Crocker (groin).
UMPIRES – T. Burke, M. Scott, C. Bowen.
CROWD – 750 at Unley Oval.