SANFL Round 15 Wrap: Frampton stars in new role for Crows, Glenelg keeps streak alive, Sheedy’s high praise
Billy Frampton was trialled in defence before being dropped. But an eye-catching display in the new role at SANFL level has provided real hope. See his huge numbers.
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Adelaide’s Billy Frampton defensive experiment has been labelled an early success, with the maligned utility starring in his new role in the SANFL on Saturday.
Adelaide’s Billy Frampton defensive experiment has been labelled an early success, with the maligned utility starring in his new role in the SANFL on Saturday.
Eight days after playing as a key-forward in the AFL against Essendon, Frampton was trialled at full back in the local competition against North Adelaide and shone amid a Roosters’ offensive onslaught.
In his last SANFL game three weeks earlier, the 200cm Frampton starred in attack against West Adelaide with three goals, 12 marks and 16 disposals in the wet.
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But with the Crows looking for some key defensive reinforcements and Frampton’s inability to hit the scoreboard at AFL level, he was moved to full back against North and not only blanketed in-form former Crow Keenan Ramsey but filled the statistics sheet.
Ramsey managed just one goal from the Roosters’ whopping 68 inside-50s, while Frampton helped himself to 31 disposals, 16 intercept possessions, 13 marks - 7 of them intercepts - 11 spoils and 148 Champion Data ranking points.
Adelaide SANFL coach Michael Godden said the move was “a list management/selection decision” after Frampton had shown some promise down back when moved there for the final quarter of the 10-goal loss to the Bombers before being dropped from the AFL side.
“Billy down back we thought was a real positive for the day,” Godden said after the 54-point loss to North.
“It gives him another string to his bow and I liked the way he embraced the opportunity.
“He’s now given himself another avenue (for AFL selection).
“His timing of the aerial ball was very good and overall it was a good effort by Bill.”
With Frampton trialled in defence, regular key defender Fischer McAsey – the No. 6 pick at the 2019 AFL national draft — started forward and kicked two second-quarter goals.
“I was quite happy with what Fish did forward, he presented well with very limited opportunities obviously because we didn’t get it down there very much,’’ Godden said.
The Crows had only 26 inside 50s against the red-hot Roosters, managing just 6.5.
CROUCH MAKES STRONG RETURN FROM INJURY
After more than four months on the sidelines with a debilitating groin injury, experienced Crows midfielder Matt Crouch made a strong return to football against the Roosters.
Crouch, who had not played a game since a March 7 pre-season fixture against Port Adelaide at Noarlunga, picked up 28 possessions to give the Adelaide engine room a chop out as they narrowly lost the clearance count 35-31.
Crows coach Michael Godden was impressed by Crouch’s output, despite him only playing “50 to 60 per cent game time”.
“It’s a hard one to review because he plays so inside,” Godden said, with Crouch, who was returning from groin surgery, recording 23 handballs.
“He looked like he was sharp physically and I thought he contributed really well.
“It was great for him to get through the game ultimately and the decision to play him for limited game time was pre-planned.
“You’ve got to be mindful of the body when you come back from a long term injury and I was just really happy to see Matt on the field because it’s been a really tough year for him.”
CAN GLENELG DO IT?
The $64,000 question is gaining more traction – can Glenelg go through the season undefeated?
The Tigers have now won 14 consecutive games after overcoming a spirited South Adelaide at the Bay on Saturday.
There are only four rounds remaining, with Glenelg to face Port Adelaide at Alberton on Saturday, Norwood and Central District at the Bay and West Adelaide at Richmond.
The Tigers got home by only 10 points against Port in one of the games of the season in Round 4 and came from 47 points down to beat the Redlegs by a point in Round 9.
First-year coach Brett Hand has no problem shrugging off talk of an unbeaten season.
The last unbeaten SANFL side was Port in 1914.
“We just talk about each week, what happens this week doesn’t affect next week,” Hand said.
“South has some injuries but they were strong out there and were always going to test us.”
As for any mounting pressure on the playing group, not so, according to Hand.
“It’s more than a cliche because it is what we practice,” he said.
“We don’t talk about anything else, we will review the South game and prepare for Port.”
Meanwhile, coaches talk about grasping critical moments in games and it has become a broken record for the Panthers, an inability to seize the moment.
More often than not, it is a lack of composure.
It happened again at the Bay and South was left rueing a prime opportunity to end the Tigers’ winning run.
“We are talking about, reviewing it, training it, it’s about those moments,” Panthers coach Jarrad Wright said.
HIGH PRAISE FOR EAGLES’ POOLE
Eagles premiership coach Jade Sheedy was full of praise for hard-as-nails small forward Angus Poole after he inspired the club’s comeback win against Norwood at The Parade on Saturday.
The 27-year-old made a big impact when thrust into the midfield in the third quarter, turning the game on its head with some crucial clearances, hardball-gets and tackles.
The Eagles were trailing by 19 points and had kicked only two goals when Poole sparked a five-goal burst in 12 minutes as the premier got right on top to win by six goals.
“I think Pooley could play well at any level, to be honest,’’ Sheedy said of the diminutive 173cm tackling machine.
“I could have played him in the State team this year, I reckon you could throw him on an AFL field, because he is just built for that combative type atmosphere where he just does everything right.
“He doesn’t lose his feet, he tackles well, he’s good one-on-one, he’s good on the ground, he’s explosive, he’s a beautiful kick and he can really jump and is good overhead, as we saw in last year's grand final.
“He’s not put at some of the heights of other people but I think he’s well and truly in the conversation of being one of the best players in the SANFL because he plays a tough position as a high half forward and he just does a tremendous job every week.’’
BATTERSBY LEADS FROM THE FRONT FOR STURT
Sturt celebrated super-consistent captain James Battersby’s 150th game with a hard-fought 13-point win against Central District at Elizabeth Oval on Saturday.
The 25-year-old was instrumental in the low-scoring scrap where only eight goals were kicked – five by the Double Blues and just three by the Bulldogs.
As usual, Battersby led from the front with 25 disposals and nine tackles, earning great praise from coach Martin Mattner.
“He has been great, he is a real leader for our footy club,” Mattner said after Sturt kept its slim finals hopes alive.
“Given how our young our age demographic is in the group, he plays an important role for
us.”
In his 150 games, Battersby has racked up numerous accolades including two flags and a
third place in the Magarey Medal.
Despite the long list of achievements, Mattner said Battersby would play a big role in
the future of the club.
“He is only 25 and has played 150 games already and is captaining the club,’’ he said.
“He has done so much and is going to help us so much moving forward.’’
The win against Central was Sturt’s fourth from its past five games and kept it within two wins of the top five with four rounds to play.
“We keep talking about improving but we are still in the hunt and this week against North
Adelaide will be a big opportunity for us,” Mattner said.
“It is more about us playing the brand of footy we want to play and if we do that then finals
will take care of themselves.’’
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