Southern Football League set to kick off as Port Noarlunga looks for fresh start in season 2018
PORT Noarlunga will look to put its controversial end to last season behind it when the Southern Football League season begins on Saturday.
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PORT Noarlunga will look to put its controversial end to last season behind it as it attempts to bounce back when the Southern Football League season begins on Saturday.
The Cockledivers were sensationally disallowed from playing in last year’s preliminary final after fielding a player who had not qualified for the major round.
Port Noarlunga coach Nick Manhood said the incident had strengthened the resolve of the squad, which was aiming for another deep finals run.
“When it all happened we sat there and thought it could go one of two ways, either galvanise the group or tear it to shreds,” Manhood said.
“We had some good leadership from our captain Tommy Dix and a few others who really brought the club together, and now everyone has got a bit of resolve, and now there’s some fire in the belly.”
Manhood said the Cockledivers had kept their 2017 senior side together and regained former players Matt Skrypek (country) and Darcy Warman (Colonel Light Gardens).
Just down the Onkaparinga River at Noarlunga, coach Barry Pilmore said the Shoes were hoping to go one better after falling to Flagstaff Hill in the grand final.
“We’ve been around the mark for a number of years now, winning the flag in 2014 and been second or third for the next three years,” Pilmore said.
“But the hurt begins to hurt a bit more when you’re so close year after year.”
Pilmore said Flagstaff Hill would be the obvious measuring stick of the competition once again coming off back-to-back premiership wins.
The Falcons have taken their preparation to new heights this pre-season, deploying drones at training to capture behind-the-goals vision to track their zone defence and ball movement.
Reynella coach Josh Vick hoped a more settled line-up in 2018 would make sure last year’s unexpected seventh-placed finish would not be repeated this season.
“We played 52 blokes in our A grade across the 16-game season last year,” Vick said.
“But the upshot of that was I saw everyone on the list play, almost without exception.”
Vick was confident a more settled side and the addition of key recruits Codey Ellison (South Adelaide) and Callan Semple (Victoria) would push the Wineflies back into flag contention.
New Cove coach Brett Baldey aims to make his side unpredictable and tough to match up against.
Baldey takes the reins of the club’s A grade from Justin Calderbank after coaching the reserves for the past two years.
The Cobras ended last season in fourth and were bundled out of the finals after a 20-point loss to Port Noarlunga in an elimination final.
Cove opens its campaign with a clash against Morphett Vale away this Saturday.
“I’m getting some good messages across to make sure we are hard to play against, unpredictable and take the game on,” Baldey, 29, said.
“Another thing I am driving is that we make sure we have care not only for the football club, but care for each other.
“We have about 17 players between the age of 15-23.”
Baldey was confident the competition would be more even this year as it moves from 11 clubs to nine.
Last year’s bottom two – Marion and O’Sullivan Beach – have left the SFL to join the Adelaide Footy League this season.
Baldey said Cove had the talent to go deep into the finals, but also tipped Flagstaff Hill, Reynella and Noarlunga to be the teams to beat.
“We firmly believe we are building a squad that can be competitive not just this year, but for a long period of sustained success,” Baldey says.
GORDO’S GRILL IS BACK
GET the barbecues fired up – Gordo’s Grill is back.
So much has happened since the Grill saw a bit of newsprint in 2012.
Back then, Happy Valley completed a fantastic season when it beat Brighton in the grand final by 50 points after losing just the one game in the minor round. Fifteen clubs lined up for battle that year with Flagstaff Hill just sneaking into eighth place and then crashing in the first final to Port Noarlunga by 95 points.
Big changes
IN 2018 we have just nine clubs left in A grade but the big change is the increased interest in women’s and girls’ footy. The downside of the new competition is that there won’t be any more banter among supporters telling the down-thehill-clubs to stay on the plains.
Busy game day
ONE of the big ticks this season is there will be a full book of games on Saturdays.
The nine clubs all fill a junior and senior timeslot. This is the first time that has happened in the SFL for many seasons.
Hawks return
ANOTHER positive is the return of Hackham to senior competition, albeit in C grade.
The Hawks are aiming to rebuild their senior stocks and will field two teams in the six-team C-grade competition.
The road ahead
WHAT can we expect in this season’s A grade?
Flagstaff Hill looks very tough to hold out again in its bid for a three-peat of flags, while Christies Beach will welcome Neil Reeves as its new playing coach.
Other newbie coaches include Brett Baldey at Cove, Simon Hughes at Happy Valley and Dave Murdock at Morphett Vale.
It hasn’t been the easiest time for Murdock in the off-season with a big exodus of players but that will give a chance to others to step up, beginning this Saturday.
ROUND ONE GAMES
Christies Beach v Aldinga
Happy Valley v Flagstaff Hill
Morphett Vale v Cove
Noarlunga v Reynella
Port Noarlunga – bye
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