SANFL 2021 -- Round 6 Wrap-Up

raboyle

Norm Smith Medallist
May 8, 2001
5,661
803
X Convenience Oval, Elizabeth
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
CDFC (SANFL), Port Melb (VFL)
Hi Footy fans...

There's some issues that have definitely come to the fore after this past weekend. First of all, representative football is held way to damn soon. Can a best of the best team from the SANFL ranks truly be selected after just six weeks of football? I for one think that it is most definitely too early into the football season to be doing so. Why State football is put on so soon is a question only the powers that be can answer. This year is especially difficult, mainly for the Western Australians who were put a whole week behind thanks to the recent snap lockdown they endured, cancelling a round of WAFL footy. But next weekend, a twilight fixture for the Haydn Bunton Junior Trophy is set in stone. Now to point number two. Why oh why did the league allow the broadcaster to dictate terms in regards to kick-off times? The televised match ended up turning into an embarrassment in the final term, made even worse by the decision by the host club to not flick the switch on the floodlights. People watching on TV were probably as dumbfounded as those who were at the game, many reaching for their lighters or mobile phone torches in jest. All this so that Seven could go straight from the football to the news and then the Adelaide Oval main event, the Power-hosted Showdown. Thanks Seven. Please ABC, bring football back to your station.

Welcome to the Round 6 edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up.

There were three games programmed for the Saturday afternoon at different times, first we head to the Maughan Thiem Kia Oval in Woodville where the Eagles took on the Panthers. These sides clashed on three occasions last year, with the Panthers winning the opening round encounter at Adelaide Oval by a goal. The Eagles would then take a 21-point win at Noarlunga in a game where South could easily have made it two from two, they kicked six goals from 21 scores in a poor showing in front of the sticks. The eventual premiers would put an end to the Panthers' season with a 53-point win in the Preliminary Final, South unable to take advantage of the Eagles' early game inaccuracy and were overrun in the third term. The Eagles were given a harsh dose of reality last week, hammered by 10 goals at Alberton. The Panthers finally came unstuck last week at The Parade, going down by nine points to the Redlegs. It was only late in the first term that the Panthers managed to get really on top of things, they kicked 5.3 to 2.3 -- four of those unanswered from the 15th minute -- to lead by three goals at quarter-time. The reigning premiers hit back in the following quarter, gaining the upper hand by the half-time siren with a 6.3 to 2.1 second term. At the long break, it was the Eagles ahead by eight points. The Eagles' accuracy suffered a little in the third term when play restarted, they wasted three of their first four scoring opportunities while South snatched back the lead by the final change. The last miss that should have seen the Eagles lead at the three quarter-time siren instead allowed the visitors to lead by a point, after scoring 3.4 to the Panthers' 5.1. It was South turn to have a bout of the inaccuracy bug in the final quarter, the final minutes saw the Eagles get within a couple of kicks with at least 10 minutes to go. But the Eagles' shooting in the dying stages dashed their hopes of returning to the winner's circle, scoring 2.3 to South's 3.4 as the home side went down by eight points. The Panthers would name Mitchell O'Neill as their best on ground, with 22 disposals, a goal and eight tackles. For the Eagles, it was Matt Goldsworthy with his 19 disposals, a goal and four tackles that got his best on ground honours.

Next up its off to the outer northern suburbs and to the X-Convenience Oval in Elizabeth where the Bulldogs hosted the Redlegs. Each side took points from the other from their two games last year, with Norwood drawing first blood at The Parade in Round 4 by three goals, then the Bulldogs getting theirs back by 13 points at the Ponderosa in Round 11. The Dogs continue to have difficulty putting four quarters of football together, allowing the opposition to have just one term or two to run amok. The Bloods certainly did that, keeping the Dogs to 11 behinds in the entire second half to win by four goals. The Redlegs on the other hand, put a horror fortnight behind them with their defeat of South at home by nine points to end the Panthers' unbeaten start to 2021. The Redlegs began with the perfect start, kicking five goals without a miss while the same couldn't be said of the Dogs, who peppered their sticks for a return of 2.5. At quarter-time the 'Legs held a 13-point lead. That was stretched out to 28 points by the half-time break, although it probably should have been more as Norwood added a further 4.4 to 1.1 in the second term. The Bulldogs' overall endeavour was unquestionable, they did have more forward entries into their 50 but for all their forays, all they found for the most part were the hands of Redlegs defenders. The weather conditions were presenting a bigger issue, not only was the rain coming down but it was getting all the more darker with the cloud cover. This is the game moved to 3pm for the benefit of television audiences and clearly no-one in the Centrals hierarchy was willing to go and switch the lights on for 20 minutes. The Redlegs weren't able to put too much more distance between them and the Dogs, their lead going to 29 points at the final change after a 3.2 to 3.1 third term. The Dogs' made a challenge early in the final term, holding the Redlegs scoreless for almost half the quarter. But a umpire's call for running too far into an open goal was clearly a momentum killer, angering the home faithful. The Redlegs rebounded instantly and kicked the next two goals amongst the Dogs' 1.3 to run out 32-point victors. Matthew Nunn was the Redlegs' best afield with 23 disposals, seven marks and five goals. Centrals named Travis Schiller as their best with 23 disposals, a goal and four tackles.

There would be no problems with lighting for the last of the Saturday matches, the mini-Showdown between the Magpies and the Crows taking place at the Adelaide Oval. These sides were absent from the 2020 season so you have to go back another year as the Magpies stretched their overall tally to eight wins from 13 games. After going down by 16 points in a high-scoring affair in Round 7 at Alberton, the Magpies would take the next two games. They would win both by exactly five goals in each encounter, the first in Round 13 at Port Pirie and then in a Qualifying Final at Adelaide Oval. Last week, the Magpies recovered from a loss to the Tigers by hammering the premiers by 10 goals at home, while the Crows snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as the Double Blues nicked a one-point result at Unley. It would take less than 20 seconds for the Magpies to put a major on the board in a dominant opening term, kicking 6.1 to 1.4 to lead by 27 points at quarter-time. A small case of the goal-kicking yips wouldn't stop the 'Pies from extending their lead by the long break, scoring 3.3 to 2.2 to go into the rooms at half-time with a 34-point advantage. The Magpies' second half wasn't nearly as sterling as their first and the Crows finally made their move when play resumed. Adelaide held the Magpies to just 1.3 whilst scoring 5.3 for themselves, four of those goals unanswered as Port's lead was brought back to just 10 points by three quarter-time. Unfortunately for the Crows, they couldn't maintain that tempo in the final term as Port's defence held firm and forced several rushed behinds. Adelaide scored 2.4, Port's 3.2 was more than enough for them to take their lead to four games, winning by 14 points in the end. Jarrod Lienert was named as the Magpies' best afield, tallying 28 disposals, six marks and four tackles. In the Crows camp, it was Jackson Hately with 26 disposals and 13 tackles.

It's now time for some Sunday arvo football, so we're off to the the inner northern suburbs and into the Prospect Oval where the Roosters clashed with the Bloods. The Roosters were victorious in both games last season, first meeting in the opening round of the year at Adelaide Oval for a 29-point win, then a one-point win at Richmond in Round 8. While North left the door very much open with their inaccuracy in that final term, the Bloods had one last chance to nick the points with the final shot on goal for the game. It went wide, allowing the Roosters to escape with the win. North have had a fortnight to forget with back-to-back losses, including last week against the Tigers at home. In contrast to that, the Bloods notched up a second win in succession at the expense of the Bulldogs at Richmond. For the opening term, while the Roosters did dominate possession they didn't make a big splash on the scoreboard as perhaps they could have, ahead by 16 points at quarter-time with the board reading 5.4 to the Bloods' three goals. But their accuracy was much improved in the second term, breaking away to a 31-point lead by the long break after scoring four goals without a miss to the Bloods' lowly 1.3. Westies had actually at one point got the gap back to 10 points before the Roosters' mids made their presence felt and those four goals scored would be the start of a run that truly broke the visitors' backs. When play resumed, the Roosters bagged a further six goals and a behind before the Bloods put a major on the board. The quarter went over 33 minutes long, for the Bloods' faithful that probably felt like an eternity. The overall tally for the third term was 8.1 to two goals, the home side's lead blowing out to 68 points come three quarter-time. That would end up being the final deficit after both sides finished with a 2.2-all last quarter, the win giving the Roosters a three-spot boost up the ladder. Lewis Hender's eight goal haul along with his 19 disposals and three tackles got him best on ground votes for North, while the Bloods named Kaine Stevens as their best with 28 disposals and eight marks.

To close out this week's wrap, lets get on the tram and head to the seaside city of Glenelg where the Tigers hosted the Double Blues at the ACH Group Stadium. On both occasions last season, the Blues managed to blow it in some form or another. At Brighton Road in Round 6, the Blues had a dirty day in goal with eight goals from 24 scores. The Tigers overran them in the final term to win by three goals. Then at Unley in the final round for the season, the Blues ground to a halt in the final term and kept scoreless while the Bays went from 19 down to 13 up at full time. Both teams came out with the points last week in their respective games, the Tigers raiding the Prospect chook-house for their 31-point win, while the Blues edged out the Crows in the dying stages with the narrowest possible win in footy at Oxford Terrace. The opening quarter was a bit of a scrap, the Tigers having more of the ball but not the accuracy on goal. They would lead by eight points at quarter-time, scoring 2.4 to the Blues' 1.2 to begin proceedings. The Blues found their stride in the second term, reeling the Tigers back to within a kick of the lead going into the sheds at the break. Sturt bagged 4.3 to the Tigers' 3.2, the deficit back to just two points at half-time. The all-out scrap was back on in the third term when play resumed, the Blues dominating the possession for the bulk of the quarter. Only problem was their goal-kicking, wasting a trio of opportunities. They did get in front mid-way through, kicking 2.3 to lead by 13 points at 14 minutes. But then a hat-trick of goals put the home side back in front by the final change, a five-point lead to the Tigers at three quarter-time. After the Tigers scored 2.1 in the first nine minutes, the Blues took a six-minute period from the 16th to the 22nd to snatch the lead in time-on by two points with their 3.2. But five minutes later with the last score of the game, the home side's major would dash the Blues hopes of an upset. Glenelg nicked the victory by four points in one of the contenders for game of the season. Luke Partington was named best for the Bays, with 29 disposals and eight tackles, while the Blues named the ever reliable James Battersby as their standout with 35 disposals and four tackles.


FINAL SCORES IN ROUND 6 OF THE SANFL...

Saturday May 8

South Adelaide 15.9 (99)
Woodville-West Torrens 13.13 (91)
Maughan Thiem Kia Oval, Woodville

Norwood 13.6 (84)
Central District 7.10 (52)
1,411 @ X-Convenience Oval, Elizabeth

Port Adelaide 13.9 (87)
Adelaide 10.13 (73)
1,582 @ Adelaide Oval

Sunday May 9
North Adelaide 19.7 (121)
West Adelaide 8.5 (53)
1,352 @ Prospect Oval

Glenelg 11.8 (74)
Sturt 10.10 (70)
2,415 @ ACH Group Stadium, Glenelg


INJURIES
None known at time of post.

REPORTS
None known at time of post.


LEAGUE LADDER
-----------------------------------------
Glenelg -- 12pts (6-0-0), 56.6%
South -- 10pts (5-1-0), 57%
Norwood - 8pts (4-2-0), 49.8%
W-WT -- 6pts (3-3-0), 51.8%
Port -- 6pts (3-3-0), 51.5%

-----------------------------------------
North -- 4pts (2-4-0), 55.7%
Sturt -- 4pts (2-4-0), 46.4%
West -- 4pts (2-4-0), 44.8%
Adelaide -- 4pts (2-4-0), 43.7%
Central -- 2pts (1-5-0), 43.1%
-----------------------------------------


Next week, its state football time. There isn't a concrete start time, but as it is a curtain raiser for the Port Adelaide vs. Western Bulldogs game, the assumption is that it will be around 4pm. Unknown if it will get air-time on Seven, but if previous years are any indication it probably won't.

Saturday May 15
THE HAYDN BUNTON JUNIOR TROPHY

South Australia vs. Western Australia; Adelaide Oval


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