SANFL 2019: Evans’ six-goal bag helps Sturt beat Woodville-West Torrens by 25 points
Mark Evans’ six goals ensured his namesake, 150-gamer Fraser Evans, enjoyed a milestone to remember at Woodville Oval.
Woodville-West Torrens continues to lose touch with the top bracket and possible finals action after a hard-to-stomach 25-point loss to a polished Sturt on Sunday.
The inaccurate Eagles remain locked in the bottom half of the ladder after Sturt’s Mark Evans (five), Josh Hone (three) and Jake Sutcliffe (three) combined for all of the visitors’ eleven goals to three quarter time.
In gloomy conditions at Woodville Oval, the Eagles would have had the double blues themselves with just a five-point lead at the first break.
Already stinging from a 23-point loss to Central last week, the home side dominated early play with numerous forward entries but failed to register multiple goals.
Their first and only major came in the seventh minute through a strong grab from Jarrad Redden.
In an absolute howler which set the tone for the Eagles, Jack Hayes failed to convert a towering mark at the top of the goalsquare, his kick crashing into the goalpost.
Sturt then cut the margin via the left foot of Hone in the 16th minute, and then claimed the lead through a brilliant snap from Sutcliffe.
And when Evans landed the goal of the game from outside 50 on the boundary line, followed by a classy pass from Zane Kirkwood to Sutcliffe, Sturt suddenly had complete control of the contest.
The Eagles’ Jared Petrenko, who had three touches to half time, snapped the first goal within a minute of the third to breathe life into the Eagles’ revival.
But it was brief at best, as Evans ran amok with three goals for the quarter, complemented by the classy Sutcliffe and two through the slippery Evans.
The Eagles managed to peg one back through sheer luck – the ball accidentally landing on Louis Sharrad’s boot in the goalsquare – but it was largely a Double Blue bombardment.
Four last quarter goals flattered the scoreline for the Eagles in a disappointing loss.
Champion Sturt defender, Fraser Evans, playing in his 150th match, said their list was looking healthy approaching finals.
“That’s exactly what you want, I’m looking over my shoulder thinking who is going to pinch my spot, I’m getting grey and old,” Evans said with a laugh.
“We’re not going to put a cap on what we can achieve this season. You never know what can happen.”
He said he was unlikely to play another 150 games.
“Certainly not,” he said.
“I don’t think I have another 150 I can assure you. I never thought I’d play 100 games or 50 games let alone 150.
“It’s a special moment… but there’s bigger and better things to happen for us (this year).”
Meanwhile, Eagles coach Sam Lonergan said his side never recovered from a wayward 1.6 first quarter.
“That probably summed up our day,” Lonergan said.
“We were able to apply shots-on-goal pressure but not scoreboard pressure.
“They had control in the second and third. Their forwards were able to finish.”
He said his team had a “mathematical” chance of making finals, after two grim losses on the bounce.
“That’s out of our control. We’ve lost these two games… now it’s up to other results,” he said.
SCOREBOARD
STURT: 1.1 5.4 11.6 13.8 (86)
WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS 1.6 1.8 4.11 8.13 (61)
BEST – Sturt: M.Evans, Colquhoun, Slimming, Harms, Kirkwood, Battersby, Hone, Sutcliffe. Woodville-West Torrens: Foote, Lewis, Hayes, Lonergan, Goldsworthy.
GOALS – Sturt: M.Evans 6, Hone, Sutcliffe 3, Patullo. Woodville: J. Hayes, Redden, Petrenko, Sharrad, Rowe, Gaffney, N. Hayes, Lewis.
CROWD – 2444 at Woodville Oval.
UMPIRES – Crosby, Sobieraj, Bryce.
