SANFL 2021 -- Round 16 Wrap-Up

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raboyle

Norm Smith Medallist
May 8, 2001
5,667
818
X Convenience Oval, Elizabeth
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
CDFC (SANFL), Port Melb (VFL)
Hi Footy fans...

Once again our football world was put on pause mode. After some cases of the coronavirus managed to infiltrate the community, the South Australian Government made the decision to impose a one-week lockdown, which was then followed by a round of restrictions that saw two weeks of us SA footy-heads sitting around twiddling our thumbs and probably getting on YouTube to check out some old footy videos. But this past weekend saw us back on the terraces, with some little conditions of course. A little rant about that just quickly... who in their right mind thinks that sitting whilst having a pie and a beer makes you any less vulnerable to this bug anyway?! Ahem... had to get that out of my system. Anyways, we returned to our sacred fields of our game to get the season back on track. Some were probably hoping that a couple of weeks on the sidelines would help some sides perhaps refresh mentally and return with some renewed vigour and there were some surprises to be had for the fans. There were some close finishes, a bit of a return to form for one side... but one club came back from the fortnight off and walked straight into a nightmare. Three rounds left, people!

Welcome to the Round 16 edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up.

All the games for the weekend were pencilled in for the Saturday afternoon and we begin with the aforementioned nightmare at the Hisense Stadium in Richmond where the Bloods faced the Double Blues. The last time these sides met it was at Unley way back in Round 3, when the Blues won by 50 points but probably should have been almost double that considering that almost two-thirds of their score tally was in the behinds column. They kicked 21 behinds from 33 scoring shots while the Bloods managed 6.7... a tally that this time around would make that day look like a goal-fest for West. Before the Goverment dropped the hammer on the state, in Round 15 the Bloods made a decent challenge to the Magpie despite going down by 13 points at Richmond, while the Blues escaped the Ponderosa with a 13-point victory against Centrals. It was waaaaaaaaaay back some 112 years ago that the Redlegs were kept to just five points in a game during May of 1909. The Bloods would only just manage to escape a piece of unwanted history, but weren't going to live this day down either. Now early on, the Bloods were still well within striking distance of the Blues, who would go into the first change with a mere eight-point lead after scoring 1.3 to one behind. The Blues would go on to waste a whole bunch of opportunities from here, but the Bloods by comparison may as well have been all sitting in the Fahese Stand. The Blues rammed through 6.6 to the Bloods' single behind to take their lead out to 49 points by the long break. Sturt should have been smashing them goals through, their lead-up play and efficiency not all too flash and they were quite handball happy from all reports. By the scoreline they were playing more keep-away football than an all-out demolition job. Their inaccuracy on goal made it look like they were just toying with the hapless Bloods, when play resumed they added a further 2.5 while West were still unable to find the big sticks and scored just one behind once again. The margin would now be out to 65 points by three quarter-time. There would be no goals for the Bloods today, evading that historical record by a single point with their three minors in the final term while the Blues added a further 2.2 to run out 76-point winners in probably one of the worst games of football seen in recent memory to anyone other than Sturt fans! Abe Davis was named best for the Blues with 30 disposals and 11 marks, while for the Bloods it was Jordon Boyle with similar stats as their standout on a painful afternoon.

Next up in the wrap we head up to Elizabeth for the SANFL's "distance derby" of the far north and far south of the Adelaide metro, the Bulldogs and the Panthers facing off at the X-Convenience Oval for the Mayor's Cup. The last time these two sides met was back in Round 8 at Noarlunga, where the Panthers emerged victorious by 27 points. The Dogs mounted quite a challenge for three quarters but dropped their bundle in the final term, they were just two points adrift at three quarter-time before South scored six goals to two. Both sides went into the lockdown period with losses, the Panthers unable to bring the Tigers' streak to a halt at Brighton Road while the Bulldogs were brought down by the Double Blues in a low-scoring encounter. Too often this season the Bulldogs have teased their faithful with patches of brilliance and today wasn't going to be any exception, beginning the afternoon with a 4.1 to 3.3 opening quarter to lead by four points at the first change. Normal transmissions would resume from here as the Panthers shook off the lockdown cobwebs in the second term to boot 6.3 and keep the Dogs to just one goal as they took over control and the lead by the long break. At half-time, the Panthers were ahead by 29 points. The time off hasn't done the Dogs any favours, but it seemed to have helped to refresh most of the Panthers line-up. A couple of moves on their part worked wonders, one of which was shifting a defender up forward was the catalyst for South's first three goals. They dominated the clinch stats, more than doubling the Dogs' inside 50's and having nine more clearances from stoppages. Centrals were far too often kicking in hope, when it looked as though they could move for a score, it would end with a Panthers defender easily edging his opponent out to gather the ball. The visitors had a minor dry-spell in front of goal in the third term, but the Dogs weren't faring any better as the Panthers lead stretched to 39 points by three quarter-time after they added 2.5 to 1.1. South would finish up with a 3.3 to 1.2 final term to run out easy winners by 52 points, a fifth-straight loss for the home side. Joe Haines was best for the blue & whites, racking up 28 disposals and 12 marks, while for the Bulldogs it was Kyle Presbury with 31 disposals and nine marks.

The third game for the weekend now takes us to the seaside and to the ACH Group Stadium in Glenelg for the battle of first and fifth, the Tigers taking on the Redlegs. Last time these two met, the Tigers pulled off a great escape for their ninth straight victory of the season. The Redlegs went to sleep in the second half at The Parade, going from seven goals up at half-time to a one-point defeat back in Round 9. It wasn't without some last minute dramas, Glenelg's match winner was kicked in the 12th minute and were forced to batten down the hatches for the remaining 15 minutes. The Tigers undeterred march continued in Round 15, winning the Clash of the Cats by three goals at home while the 'Legs went down to the Eagles by six goals at Coopers Stadium. Inaccuracy was rife for the Redlegs in the opening term, although they kept the Tigers to just two goals, Norwood would hold a mere eight-point lead at quarter time with their return of 2.8. There was more horrid shooting to come in the second term for both sides, kicking four behinds each. Amidst this, Glenelg did manage to bag a goal deep into the term but a pair of time-on majors to the Redlegs had them leading by 14 points by the half-time break. This was shaping up as Round 9 redux, with the Redlegs all over the Bays in the territory stats, except their shooting left something to be desired and still left the door well open. Norwood's forwards definitely need some practice sessions in the coming weeks, they picked up from where they left off with a 1.5 to 1.2 third quarter to stretch their lead out to 17 points going into the final quarter. The Tigers, with the minor premiership within their grasp, finally made their move and the visitors' horrible shooting on goal was about to bite them. The lead would change five times in 15 minutes as the home side chased Norwood's lead down. A trio of Glenelg goals in a five-minute period during added time would see them maintain their unbeated streak, they altogether scored 7.3 to the 'Legs three goals to win by 10 points and take out the minor premiership. Matt Snook was named best for the Tigers with his 28 disposals, six clearances and 10 tackles. For the Redlegs, they named Nik Rokahr with 25 disposals and five tackles.

Game number four for the weekend would take place at the Prospect Oval for another chapter in one of the more recent grudge-filled match-ups and new-found rivalry between the Roosters and the Eagles. Last time they met the Eagles just managed to evade the Roosters' grasp at Oval Avenue with their three-point victory back in Round 4. The Eagles started things off with a three-goal lead at quarter-time before the Roosters kicked six goals to two in the second term to lead by five points by half-time. From there it was an arm-wrestling match, both sides having a hell of a time breaking past one another's defence. The Eagles managed though, outscoring North three goals to two for the whole second half. There's been no shortage of feeling between these two sides since that infamous 2018 Preliminary Final, but the Eagles managed to have that last laugh in last year's Grand Final. The Eagles seemed to have the better of the attacking in the opening quarter, but their 1.3 to North's single major would only have them up by three points at quarter-time. They both upped the ante in the second term however, much to the delight of the faithful that turned up. The Eagles would go into the long break with a 10-point lead, scoring 4.2 to the Roosters' 3.1. This game was most definitely a finals series preview, with the Eagles at this time two games ahead of the Roosters there is a high likelyhood that this will be the main event of the first week of the major round in five week's time. There was plenty to play for in North's camp, after the recent racism storm and also with South a chance to usurp their position on the ladder. The Eagles kicked the first major of the second half almost 10 minutes in and spent the majority of the time trying to find further avenues to goal against the Roosters' now wall-like defence. But by three quarter-time it was the Roosters in control, altogether scoring 4.3 to the Eagles' 2.1 to lead by four points at the final change. All the time the Eagles were trying to bust through North's backs must have used up all their reserves, the home side shutting down the visitors' forwards and scoring 2.3 to one behind to win by three goals, allowing them to retain third on the ladder ahead of the marauding Panthers. Aaron Young was voted as North's best afield with his tally of 29 disposals, four tackles and six clearances. The Eagles voted in Jimmy Toumpas as their standout, with 26 disposals and nine marks.

The last match of the weekend takes us to the Adelaide Oval for a twilight mini-Showdown between the two AFL reserves sides in the Magpies and the Crows. Their last clash was their first for over a year and a bit, after sitting out 2020 due to the no compete rule decree by the AFL. It was in Round 6 at the same venue when the Magpies downed the Crows by 14 points, the tri-colours leaving their assault too late. The Crows fought back from six straight kicks down at half-time to just two kicks by the final change. Eight points was as close as they got deep into added time in the final term, a final Port goal sealing the result. In their last outings before the league shutdown saw the Magpies almost drop points to West before escaping with a 13-point win, while the Crows were downed by the Roosters by nine goals at Prospect. The Crows got into the goals column within 40 seconds of the kick-off and would go into the first change with a 10-point lead after scoring four goals without a miss to the Magpies' 2.2. Port would then have a fast start of their own in the second term, a major after just 30 seconds. However the quarter-time deficit would remain intact at 10 points come the long break, with both teams scoring 2.3 in that quarter. The Magpies again scored the first goal of a quarter when play resumed in the third term, but would still have the lead snatched away from their immediate grasp not too long after. A final attempt on goal could have brought the Crows back to within two kicks by three quarter-time but a rushed behind would allow the "away" side to hold onto a 15-point gap after a 3.1 to 2.2 third quarter. After Adelaide scored a goal after two minutes in the final quarter, the Magpies managed to reel the Crows back to within just two points after 10 minutes having scored three goals and a behind. But that was the closest gap there was for Port, the Crows scoring three of the last four majors and the 'Pies missing a late chance to run out 13-point victors. In a cruel twist for the Port faithful, it was a former player that was named Adelaide's best. Billy Frampton notched up 30 disposals and 13 marks. Sam Mayes was named best for the Magpies, with 35 disposals, five tackles and 11 clearances.

FINAL SCORES IN ROUND 16 OF THE SANFL...

Saturday August 7

Sturt 11.16 (82)
West Adelaide 0.6 (6)
1,194 @ Hisense Stadium, Richmond

South Adelaide 14.14 (98)
Central District 7.4 (46)
920 @ X-Convenience Oval, Elizabeth

Glenelg 11.9 (75)
Norwood 8.17 (65)
1,876 @ ACH Group Stadium, Glenelg

North Adelaide 10.7 (67)
Woodville-West Torrens 7.7 (49)
1,425 @ Prospect Oval

Adelaide 13.4 (82)
Port Adelaide 10.9 (69)
Adelaide Oval -- AFL curtain raiser


INJURIES
West -- Dunkin (knee)
South -- Milsom (concussion)
Glenelg -- Virgin (back)
Norwood -- Puopolo (knee)
Adelaide -- Pedlar (ankle)

REPORTS
W-WT -- Von Bertouch (rough conduct)


LEAGUE LADDER
------------------------------------------------------
Glenelg -- 30pts (15-0-0), 57.8%
W-WT -- 20pts (10-5-0), 57.6%
North -- 18pts (9-6-0), 57.9%
South -- 18pts (9-6-0), 52.4%
Norwood -- 16pts (8-7-0), 50.1%

------------------------------------------------------
Sturt -- 14pts (7-8-0), 51.4%
Port -- 14pts (7-8-0), 46.6%
Adelaide -- 10pts (5-10-0), 43.2%
Central -- 6pts (3-12-0), 42.9%
West -- 4pts (2-13-0), 39.9%
-------------------------------------------------------


Next weekend in Round 17...

Friday August 13 @ 7:40pm
Norwood vs. West Adelaide; Coopers Stadium, Norwood

Saturday August 14
Glenelg vs. Central District; ACH Group Stadium, Glenelg @ 2:10pm
Sturt vs. Port Adelaide; Unley Oval @ 2:30pm
South Adelaide vs. North Adelaide; Flinders University Stadium, Noarlunga @ 2:35pm

Sunday August 15 @ 2:10pm
Woodville-West Torrens vs. Adelaide; Maughan Thiem Kia Oval, Woodville

So until next weekend... see you at the Footy!
 

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