WAFL vs. SANFL -- State Match 2015 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...

Interstate football is a tradition that goes back over a century. The biggest winner in representative football for that long time was of course Victoria, including well into the halcyon days of the 1970's and 1980's. It was during the 1970's though, that both South Australia and Western Australia was losing out, often to their own born and bred footballers. That was, of course, until a cluey Sandgroper came up with State of Origin. Over two games, the real difference between the states was exposed. Unfortunately when the AFL was created, Interstate football at the elite level was on its way out, slowly but gradually. On the state league front, both SA and WA suffered a hit when they entered sides into the national competition. However, the two leagues would be instrumental in keeping representative football alive at their level. From 1991, the SANFL and the WAFL championed the cause, which eventually took the place of State of Origin as other competitions, notably the newer incarnation of the VFL, would keep the spirit of State football going into the 21st century.

Welcome to this special edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up, the 2015 State League Representative Match between the WAFL and the SANFL.

In 1987, when the Western Australian Football Commission decided to form the West Coast Eagles, the result would be WAFL players deciding to show off their wares in the expanding Victorian competition. This would impact heavily on WA's representative side, with South Australia taking advantage for the three matches that followed up until 1990. It began with some payback for a 1986 loss in Adelaide, the Croweaters came to the WACA and inflicted a 61-point hammering. That was followed by a 40-point defeat at Football Park in 1988 then again at the same venue in 1990 in a far more competitive contest, going down by 21-points. But then came the Adelaide Crows and just like WA after the Eagles, it was the SANFL's turn to feel the pinch on a whole different playing field. In 1991, a second half fadeout where the Sandgropers kicked 8.7 to 3.2 broke the game apart as the Croweaters crashed to a 44-point loss at Subiaco Oval. An inaccuracy-ridden 1992 match at Football Park relieved some pressure on the SANFL after a one-goal win in testing conditions, but it was right back on for the following two seasons as the WAFL boys took a four-goal win at the WACA in 1993 then a 14-point victory in at Football Park in 1994.

Things surely couldn't have gotten worse for the Croweaters, but a loss to Tasmania in 1995 showed just how far South Australia had fallen, the Devils staving off a last ditch comeback to record an historic 15-point win in Hobart. But the rot was about to end as South Australia went on a rampage over the ensuing 20 years. They arrived in Perth in 1996 with a massive attitude adjustment and inflicted a 65-point hiding on the Sandgropers at Subiaco Oval, led by former Central District coach and now junior football advocate and mentor Alan Stewart. The following year saw the SANFL break new ground, heading to the nation's capital to defeat an ACTAFL (now AFL Canberra) team by seven goals. 1998 would mark the last time that South Australia would face Western Australia under the AFL State of Origin banner, before that though it was the SANFL's big final term that would sink the WAFL by 45 points in the curtain raiser at Football Park. South Australia was doing far better on the representative football front than Western Australia during the 2000's, the WAFL's only saving graces coming at the expense of Tasmania and the Queensland AFL.

SA's run was interrupted in 2002 by Victoria, but recovered quickly to record victories over the next few years. But then came 2009, Western Australia finally taking a one-point victory over a side that seemed to lack players from the top side in the SANFL at the time. The WAFL's high didn't last long, they were consequently sunk by Victoria by nine goals in Perth in 2010, followed by a scare in 2011 by a combined QLD/NT (NEAFL North) team where they won by just one goal, then a 2012 loss to South Australia at Glenelg Oval. The 2013 season saw the Sandgropers finally take the scalp of Victoria, a high-quality contest in regional WA saw them 17-point victors, they would then travel to Sydney in 2014 to hammer a combined NEAFL side by 85 points while at the same time, SA took a 22-point victory against the Vics in Melbourne. This time around, the contest would be held on the spacious turf of Lathlain Park, home to the Perth Demons and soon to be home to West Coast's training centre.

WA Coach Darren Harris, who led West Perth to a premiership in 1995 and coached them to the 2003 title, along with his panel that included some of his Falcons co-horts and a former West Coast premiership player, selected a side with energy to burn on the massive expanses of Lathlain. Included in the side were five members of the current top team Subiaco, most notable being 200+ gamer Darren Rumble who was pulling on the black & gold for the fifth time. There was also the experienced Andrew Strijk from West Perth, goal-sneak Cory Dell'Olio of South Fremantle and led by ruckman Paul Johnson of East Perth. On the SA front, returning to the State panel was Croweater legend Graham Cornes, who with his lieutenants picked a side with players experienced with the red guernsey, AFL experience and in form. Once again in the captain's position was long time Central District leader Paul Thomas in what may have been his final appearance in the red jumper. Among the team were five West Adelaide players, including duo Jason Porplyzia and Chris Schmidt, Woodville-West Torrens pocket-rocket James Boyd and Norwood premiership players Jace Bode and Matthew Panos.

The long ground would definitely be a factor this time around, unlike the cosy confines of Glenelg in 2012, there was an extra 25 metres to contend with from end to end. However, despite the Sandgropers breaking out of the blocks early, the Croweaters fought back to even the scores by the first change as both sides kicked 3.3 to begin proceedings. From here, the Western Australians used their pace to their full advantage, as well as their expertise on the longer field. SA had kicked the first two goals of the second term, for a minute it seemed their nerves had calmed. But as time wore on, skill errors brought them undone as WA took a 14-point lead going into the half-time break after kicking 5.3 to 3.1 in that term. For the first time in a long time, this was a WAFL team that was hungry and rabid. Forget that it was a lengthy ground, the SANFL side was making several costly errors that coughed up possessions. For most of SA's goals, WA for the most part would pull out an immediate answer. WA's errors were too few and far between and most of their errors were often quickly remedied.

When play resumed, the Croweaters could have really threatened the Sandgropers had they been more accurate. But they wasted several opportunities while WA made the most of theirs. By the three quarter-time break, the WAFL were ahead by four goals after taking a further 5.3 to the SANFL's 3.5. Just think how different things would have been if even two of those missed shots had made maximum impact. In the end, the Sandgropers ran away with the match and the Haydn Bunton Junior Cup, kicking away to a 45-point victory after blitzing SA in the final term with their 5.4 to a lowly 2.1. It was an unwelcome return to State football for Cornes, who has since said that while he won't just vacate the coaching position, he would advocate the admission of a younger coach to take his place. 2010 Swan Districts premiership player racked up 45 possessions and five goals and was duly awarded the Simpson Medal, while West Adelaide's Tom Keough was named Fos Williams Medallist for his efforts in defence. This game was the 93rd encounter between the two state leagues, WA's victory unevening the ledger at 47-46.

Saturday May 23 -- STATE LEAGUE 2015
THE HAYDN BUNTON JUNIOR CUP

Western Australia 18.13 (121)
South Australia 11.10 (76)
Approx. 2,500 @ Lathlain Park

Quotes from both coaches thanks to Sunday Times & The Advertiser...

"When you look at a stat and its 46-all, you have to take your opportunities and we had 15 years of not beating them. We beat them by a point, they beat us over there and now we've come back here and it's a great win. You don't often beat SA like that." WA coach Darren Harris

"They did work harder than us. They used the ball so much better and they spread so much more quickly from the stoppages. They moved the ball quickly and they took their opportunities. There were brief moments of the game where we were in it but we just didn't do it well enough and they deserved to win." SA coach Graham Cornes


HEARTBREAKING START TO CROWEATERS U-18 TITLE DEFENCE
The AFL National Under-18 Championships began with a curtain raiser to the senior-level game between the same states, the Sandgropers grinding out a one-point win against a wasteful Croweaters unit. Despite having nine more scoring shots than WA, the South Australians blew 18 shots from their 27 scores as their defence of the U-18 championship got off to a shaky start.

AFL U-18 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS -- Match 1
Western Australia 11.7 (73) def South Australia 9.18 (72)


Next weekend in your state...

SANFL ROUND 8
Friday May 29 @ 7:10pm

West Adelaide vs. South Adelaide; City Mazda Stadium, Richmond

Saturday May 30
North Adelaide vs. Norwood; Prospect Oval @ 1:10pm
Central District vs. Adelaide; Playford Alive Oval, Elizabeth @ 2:10pm

Sunday May 31 @ 2:10pm
Woodville-West Torrens vs. Sturt; Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval, Woodville
Port Adelaide vs. Glenelg; Alberton Oval


WAFL ROUND 10
Saturday May 30 @ 2:15pm

Claremont vs. Peel; Claremont Showgrounds
Swan Districts vs. Perth; Steel Blue Oval, Bassendean

Monday June 1
East Perth vs. West Perth; Medibank Stadium, Leederville @ 2:15pm
East Fremantle vs. South Fremantle; ATOM Stadium, East Fremantle @ 2:40pm

Subiaco have the bye


I would like to have been a bit more in depth, but without a TV replay to pour through it was not possible. Despite the loss, I enjoyed the experience of going to Lathlain Park myself.

So until next time... see you at the Footy!
 
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Hi Footy fans...

Interstate football is a tradition that goes back over a century. The biggest winner in representative football for that long time was of course Victoria, including well into the halcyon days of the 1970's and 1980's. It was during the 1970's though, that both South Australia and Western Australia was losing out, often to their own born and bred footballers. That was, of course, until a cluey Sandgroper came up with State of Origin. Over two games, the real difference between the states was exposed. Unfortunately when the AFL was created, Interstate football at the elite level was on its way out, slowly but gradually. On the state league front, both SA and WA suffered a hit when they entered sides into the national competition. However, the two leagues would be instrumental in keeping representative football alive at their level. From 1991, the SANFL and the WAFL championed the cause, which eventually took the place of State of Origin as other competitions, notably the newer incarnation of the VFL, would keep the spirit of State football going into the 21st century.

Welcome to this special edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up, the 2015 State League Representative Match between the WAFL and the SANFL.

In 1987, when the Western Australian Football Commission decided to form the West Coast Eagles, the result would be WAFL players deciding to show off their wares in the expanding Victorian competition. This would impact heavily on WA's representative side, with South Australia taking advantage for the three matches that followed up until 1990. It began with some payback for a 1986 loss in Adelaide, the Croweaters came to the WACA and inflicted a 61-point hammering. That was followed by a 40-point defeat at Football Park in 1988 then again at the same venue in 1990 in a far more competitive contest, going down by 21-points. But then came the Adelaide Crows and just like WA after the Eagles, it was the SANFL's turn to feel the pinch on a whole different playing field. In 1991, a second half fadeout where the Sandgropers kicked 8.7 to 3.2 broke the game apart as the Croweaters crashed to a 44-point loss at Subiaco Oval. An inaccuracy-ridden 1992 match at Football Park relieved some pressure on the SANFL after a one-goal win in testing conditions, but it was right back on for the following two seasons as the WAFL boys took a four-goal win at the WACA in 1993 then a 14-point victory in at Football Park in 1994.

Things surely couldn't have gotten worse for the Croweaters, but a loss to Tasmania in 1995 showed just how far South Australia had fallen, the Devils staving off a last ditch comeback to record an historic 15-point win in Hobart. But the rot was about to end as South Australia went on a rampage over the ensuing 20 years. They arrived in Perth in 1996 with a massive attitude adjustment and inflicted a 65-point hiding on the Sandgropers at Subiaco Oval, led by former Central District coach and now junior football advocate and mentor Alan Stewart. The following year saw the SANFL break new ground, heading to the nation's capital to defeat an ACTAFL (now AFL Canberra) team by seven goals. 1998 would mark the last time that South Australia would face Western Australia under the AFL State of Origin banner, before that though it was the SANFL's big final term that would sink the WAFL by 45 points in the curtain raiser at Football Park. South Australia was doing far better on the representative football front than Western Australia during the 2000's, the WAFL's only saving graces coming at the expense of Tasmania and the Queensland AFL.

SA's run was interrupted in 2002 by Victoria, but recovered quickly to record victories over the next few years. But then came 2009, Western Australia finally taking a one-point victory over a side that seemed to lack players from the top side in the SANFL at the time. The WAFL's high didn't last long, they were consequently sunk by Victoria by nine goals in Perth in 2010, followed by a scare in 2011 by a combined QLD/NT (NEAFL North) team where they won by just one goal, then a 2012 loss to South Australia at Glenelg Oval. The 2013 season saw the Sandgropers finally take the scalp of Victoria, a high-quality contest in regional WA saw them 17-point victors, they would then travel to Sydney in 2014 to hammer a combined NEAFL side by 85 points while at the same time, SA took a 22-point victory against the Vics in Melbourne. This time around, the contest would be held on the spacious turf of Lathlain Park, home to the Perth Demons and soon to be home to West Coast's training centre.

WA Coach Darren Harris, who led West Perth to a premiership in 1995 and coached them to the 2003 title, along with his panel that included some of his Falcons co-horts and a former West Coast premiership player, selected a side with energy to burn on the massive expanses of Lathlain. Included in the side were five members of the current top team Subiaco, most notable being 200+ gamer Darren Rumble who was pulling on the black & gold for the fifth time. There was also the experienced Andrew Strijk from West Perth, goal-sneak Cory Dell'Olio of South Fremantle and led by ruckman Paul Johnson of East Perth. On the SA front, returning to the State panel was Croweater legend Graham Cornes, who with his lieutenants picked a side with players experienced with the red guernsey, AFL experience and in form. Once again in the captain's position was long time Central District leader Paul Thomas in what may have been his final appearance in the red jumper. Among the team were five West Adelaide players, including duo Jason Porplyzia and Chris Schmidt, Woodville-West Torrens pocket-rocket James Boyd and Norwood premiership players Jace Bode and Matthew Panos.

The long ground would definitely be a factor this time around, unlike the cosy confines of Glenelg in 2012, there was an extra 25 metres to contend with from end to end. However, despite the Sandgropers breaking out of the blocks early, the Croweaters fought back to even the scores by the first change as both sides kicked 3.3 to begin proceedings. From here, the Western Australians used their pace to their full advantage, as well as their expertise on the longer field. SA had kicked the first two goals of the second term, for a minute it seemed their nerves had calmed. But as time wore on, skill errors brought them undone as WA took a 14-point lead going into the half-time break after kicking 5.3 to 3.1 in that term. For the first time in a long time, this was a WAFL team that was hungry and rabid. Forget that it was a lengthy ground, the SANFL side was making several costly errors that coughed up possessions. For most of SA's goals, WA for the most part would pull out an immediate answer. WA's errors were too few and far between and most of their errors were often quickly remedied.

When play resumed, the Croweaters could have really threatened the Sandgropers had they been more accurate. But they wasted several opportunities while WA made the most of theirs. By the three quarter-time break, the WAFL were ahead by four goals after taking a further 5.3 to the SANFL's 3.5. Just think how different things would have been if even two of those missed shots had made maximum impact. In the end, the Sandgropers ran away with the match and the Haydn Bunton Junior Cup, kicking away to a 45-point victory after blitzing SA in the final term with their 5.4 to a lowly 2.1. It was an unwelcome return to State football for Cornes, who has since said that while he won't just vacate the coaching position, he would advocate the admission of a younger coach to take his place. 2010 Swan Districts premiership player racked up 45 possessions and five goals and was duly awarded the Simpson Medal, while West Adelaide's Tom Keough was named Fos Williams Medallist for his efforts in defence. This game was the 93rd encounter between the two state leagues, WA's victory unevening the ledger at 47-46.

Saturday May 23 -- STATE LEAGUE 2015
THE HAYDN BUNTON JUNIOR CUP

Western Australia 18.13 (121)
South Australia 11.10 (76)
Approx. 2,500 @ Lathlain Park

Quotes from both coaches thanks to Sunday Times & The Advertiser...

"When you look at a stat and its 46-all, you have to take your opportunities and we had 15 years of not beating them. We beat them by a point, they beat us over there and now we've come back here and it's a great win. You don't often beat SA like that." WA coach Darren Harris

"They did work harder than us. They used the ball so much better and they spread so much more quickly from the stoppages. They moved the ball quickly and they took their opportunities. There were brief moments of the game where we were in it but we just didn't do it well enough and they deserved to win." SA coach Graham Cornes


HEARTBREAKING START TO CROWEATERS U-18 TITLE DEFENCE
The AFL National Under-18 Championships began with a curtain raiser to the senior-level game between the same states, the Sandgropers grinding out a one-point win against a wasteful Croweaters unit. Despite having nine more scoring shots than WA, the South Australians blew 18 shots from their 27 scores as their defence of the U-18 championship got off to a shaky start.

AFL U-18 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS -- Match 1
Western Australia 11.7 (73) def South Australia 9.18 (72)


Next weekend in your state...

SANFL ROUND 8
Friday May 29 @ 7:10pm

West Adelaide vs. South Adelaide; City Mazda Stadium, Richmond

Saturday May 30
North Adelaide vs. Norwood; Prospect Oval @ 1:10pm
Central District vs. Adelaide; Playford Alive Oval, Elizabeth @ 2:10pm

Sunday May 31 @ 2:10pm
Woodville-West Torrens vs. Sturt; Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval, Woodville
Port Adelaide vs. Glenelg; Alberton Oval


WAFL ROUND 10
Saturday May 30 @ 2:15pm

Claremont vs. Peel; Claremont Showgrounds
Swan Districts vs. Perth; Steel Blue Oval, Bassendean

Monday June 1
East Perth vs. West Perth; Medibank Stadium, Leederville @ 2:15pm
East Fremantle vs. South Fremantle; ATOM Stadium, East Fremantle @ 2:40pm

Subiaco have the bye


I would like to have been a bit more in depth, but without a TV replay to pour through it was not possible. Despite the loss, I enjoyed the experience of going to Lathlain Park myself.

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

Love your SANFL write ups and this one delivered as well.:thumbsu:
 
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