Central District upsets Eagles by 23 points at Woodville to snap nine-match SANFL losing streak
Seven-time premiership coach Roy Laird has received an early farewell gift from his Central District players, as they snapped a nine-match losing streak to down the Eagles in stunning fashion.
CENTRAL District has given seven-time premiership coach Roy Laird an early farewell gift, snapping a nine-match losing streak to down Woodville-West Torrens in stunning fashion.
The Bulldogs roared back from a 29-point half-time deficit to kick seven unanswered goals in a remarkable third term on their way to a shock triumph at Woodville Oval on Sunday.
Teenager Ethan East grabbed four majors in just his second league game as he inspired the visitors to an unlikely 23-point success and put a dent in the Eagles’ finals hopes.
It came three weeks after Laird announced he would call time on his glorious 17-year Central tenure at season’s end.
The Dogs led by 14 as the teams turned for home, but big man Seb Guilhaus and youngster Nick Moore goaled early in the final quarter to pull the Eagles back to within a point.
The impressive East won and converted a free kick, before Nick Gillard held his nerve with a set shot from 30m.
East notched two more majors in the space of three time-on minutes to ice a memorable success for Central.
“It was disappointing in the first half that we weren’t aggressive enough,” Laird said.
“But as soon as we brought that into the game in third quarter and got a bit of momentum, we grew in energy levels and picked up a bit of belief.
“We haven’t been able to do it often enough in games this season ... but we’ve had no complaints about the players’ efforts in training.
“It was pleasing to get some reward today.”
The Eagles came into the encounter having lost just one of their past seven outings to move to within one win of the top five.
They finished an evenly-contested first quarter up by two as the teams went goal-for-goal.
Chris Hall got the hosts rolling, before limping off with a hamstring injury, while debutant Jackson Mead and Jared Petrenko, after some clever crumbing, also got majors.
But a strong Fraser Fort mark and kick, along with a composed Kyle Jenner effort, kept the Bulldogs in touch.
A five-goal-to-one second term seemed to have set the home side up for a comfortable victory.
Majors to Jack Hayes (two), Nick Hayes, Angus Poole and Petrekno, from near the boundary, pushed the Eagles out to a commanding advantage.
But Central stormed back in the third period, booting seven goals without reply in a devastating display of attacking footy to hit the front at the last change.
Fort registered his third, Jenner marked well before kicking truly and 30-disposal Travis Schiller snapped accurately to spark the Dogs to life.
Troy Menzel produced a brilliant effort from a tough angle and the excellent Jarrod Schiller (28 possessions) goaled on the run in a 77-second spell to put the visitors in front.
Menzel and East, who also racked up an equal game-high nine tackles, gave Central crucial breathing space heading into a tense, but ultimately triumphant, fourth term.
SCOREBOARD
CENTRAL DISTRICT 2.4 3.4 10.6 15.8 (98)
EAGLES 3.0 8.3 8.5 11.9 (75)
BEST – Central: J. Schiller, East, T. Schiller, Fort, Goodrem, Hoskin, Habel. Eagles: Sinor, Foote, Poole, Petrenko, J. Hayes, Lonergan.
GOALS – Central: East 4, Fort 3, Jenner, Menzel 2, T. Schiller, J. Schiller, Gillard, Madden. Eagles: Petrenko, J. Hayes, Moore 2, Hall, Mead, N. Hayes, Poole, Guilhaus.
INJURIES – Eagles: Hall (hamstring).
UMPIRES – Hughes, Sobieraj, Bowen.
CROWD – 1751 at Woodville Oval.