Month: November 2019

Country and city school tennis aces win state champs

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Brendan Lines

November 29, 2019

The 2019 South Australian ANZ Tennis Hot Shots state school championships wrapped up this week at Memorial Drive’s clay courts, as Cobdogla Primary School and Prince Alfred College won respective divisions competing against schools from across the state.

210 students from 23 schools descended on to Memorial Drive on Tuesday and Wednesday to compete in respective country and city round-robin style competitions, to decide which schools would win the opportunity to an Adelaide International experience in January 2020.

The Hot Shots program, run locally by Tennis SA engages with children of all ages and abilities to play tennis through its program holding 34 district school carnivals throughout the year..

Tennis SA School Development Co-ordinator Shane Leathem says Hot Shots plays a vital part in promoting tennis at a school level.

“In carnivals around the districts we promote as many students from years three and four, we aim that we focus on participation, engagement and sportsmanship.”

The program introduces students to a modified version of tennis that includes smaller courts, racquets and coloured low compression balls designed to improve skill outcomes says Leathem.

“It just makes it a lot easier easier for kids who might struggle initially with that hand-eye coordination to be able to feel that ball and control it over the net.”

Not only does the Hot Shots program get young players on the court, it also helps schools apply for funding to buy equipment through the government’s Sporting Schools initiative.

Leathem says the program can identify talent, highlighting Tennis SA’s border aim towards grass roots support that may help to uncover the next Ash Barty or Alex di Minaur.

“Days like this really showcase what talent is out there, the program for us, is definitely focussed on that initial engagement of students as well, “ he said.

The winners from Cobdogla Primary School and Prince Alfred College will now be special guests at The Adelaide International to be held and the newly developed Memorial Drive in January 2020.

https://www.tennis.com.au/sa/

https://hotshots.tennis.com.au/about/

McLaren’s long road back to the F1 podium

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Above Image: Getty Images

Brendan Lines

November 22, 2019

At last Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix McLaren secured its first podium finish in 2,072 days locking away fourth place in this year’s constructors championship, after a post-race time penalty handed to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton promoted Carlos Sainz on to the podium, so just how has McLaren risen from the ashes of its past woes?

It hasn’t been a straight road by any means for McLaren after the failed rekindling of the Honda partnership, departure of Adrian Newey, loss of Lewis Hamilton and the infamous ‘Spygate’ saga that caused instability on and off the track — McLaren have finally turned the tide toward a brighter future.

Team Principle Andreas Seidl said to McLaren.com it was a team effort pulling off the great result in Brazil.

“P4 in the Constructors’ World Championship for McLaren secured. First podium for Carlos in his F1 career and first podium for McLaren since 2014. What an amazing achievement for the entire team back home in the factory plus here at the track, and for Carlos and Lando after putting in so much hard work throughout the year.”

Winning on their own terms is very much accustomed to the Woking based team, who over their 56-year history have seen dominant eras gilded by silverware from 12 Drivers’ and eight Constructors’ World Championships.

There has almost been an expectation that McLaren would always be a winning team. Yet not to have won a race in seven years, that being Jenson Button at Interlagos in 2012 — is unprecedented. McLaren’s last taste of ultimate success came when Lewis Hamilton won his first Driver’s World Championship in 2008.

But the cracks were just appearing at McLaren in 2007 during the fallout of the ‘Spygate’ espionage controversy. Off the track, ‘Spygate’ signalled there was instability in McLaren’s ranks.

It was a tumultuous time that exposed alleged theft of Ferrari technical data and a rift between then Team Principle Ron Dennis and Fernando Alonso, as Alonso accused the team of favouring Dennis’ young protege Hamilton.

Dennis retired as team principle in 2009 and eventually parted completely in 2017 after his 37 year association with the McLaren Technology Group. During his time Dennis oversaw McLaren’s most successful period across the 1980s and 1990s.

In 2015 McLaren went back to Honda engines for the first time since 1992, in what began as a hark back to the halcyon days of the Honda powered MP4/4 winning 15 out of 16 races and Ayrton Senna’s first world championship in 1988.

But the ‘McLaren-Honda 2.0’ partnership ended in an unmitigated disaster as the team slumped to ninth in the constructors’ championship in 2017.

Yet like any good comeback story there has to be a pivotal point where the fight back to the top begins.

That began when motorsport marketing guru Zac Brown took over as McLaren CEO, Brown said to McLaren.com he took over at the most difficult time.

“I definitely joined in probably the most difficult period in the team’s history, but to me that’s the exciting part. That’s the challenge. What we needed to do was provide clear leadership and direction, and ensure the right people were in the right places. I think we’re now going in the right direction. The decisions we have made are paying off, but there’s still a long way to go.”

The first milestone on the road back success came when Brown divorced McLaren from its partnership with Honda in 2016, striking a new engine supply with Renault.

Brown also oversaw the increase of sponsorship investment and was instrumental bringing Seidl to the team along with James Key as Technical Director.

Brown also attributes the teams renewed stability from retaining the services of drivers Sainz and Lando Norris.

“We’re currently in a period of rebuilding and we want stability. Both Carlos and Lando are performing well and we’re very happy with them, therefore we wanted to confirm them early. I’m sure there are many teams that would love to have either of them in a race car and by confirming them when we did, we avoided getting caught up in ‘silly season,” he said.

It was quite fitting that Sainz’s P20 to P3 drive at Interlagos very much echoed McLaren’s fight back to the podium, but despite the much welcomed success, Seidl said to McLaren.com he is now looking for success on the teams’ own terms.

“We keep our heads down and now focus on securing our positions in the Drivers’ World Championship. The achievement this year together with the podium today is the perfect motivation for all of us to keep working hard in order to score podiums again in the future for McLaren based on our own outright performance.”

With great results in the bag for 2019 and a revitalised partnership with Mercedes as their new engine supplier in 2021, the team as a collective appears now to have their heads in a good space for the challenges ahead, to finally get that elusive win they so desperately hunger.

Matildas settle the score on World Cup bid

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Brendan Lines

November 14, 2020

The Matildas 1-0 victory against Chile at Hindmarsh Stadium on Tuesday night not only settled the score on the field, but set Adelaide’s World Cup bid straight giving women’s football in Adelaide the attention it rightly deserves on the world stage.

Matildas captain Sam Kerr gives her shirt to a young fan after the match. Picture: AAP

Image: Daily Telegraph – Sam Kerr gives away her strip to local Adelaide fan.

A record 10,342 strong crowd attended the women’s international friendly, smashing the previous record in Adelaide of 5186 set in 2006.

From the resounding cheers at the climax of Advance Australia Fair, to the raptures engulfing the moments just after Emily Gielnik’s goal in the 23rd minute — alone would have been more than enough for Premier Steven Marshall to come to his senses.

The roar of approval for The Matildas:

Recent public and political pressure forced the Liberal government to re-think its World Cup bid, before Adelaide was lost to the complete alienation of the country’s football and wider sporting community.

Just hours before kick-off the Premier made a statement re-committing his support.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup is a massive event to add to our sporting calendar, and Adelaide will be a fantastic location for the competition,” he said.

In August, Marshall balked at the chance for Adelaide to support Football Federation Australia’s bid to host the World Cup, on the grounds of affordability to upgrade Hindmarsh Stadium.

Tourism minister David Ridgway argued that losses of business would have to be paid to the Crows and Port Adelaide AFL clubs if games were to be played at Adelaide Oval — despite InDaily revealing the government was not under any obligation to compensate the Stadium Management Authority.

The opposition’s recreation spokesperson Katrine Hildyard who criticised Marshall for a $24m cut to the Female Facilities Program, later said on Twitter that supporters made their voice heard on Tuesday night.

The government’s change in tack came as Ridgway said “The State Government has negotiated a good outcome for South Australian sports fans and taxpayers.”

But all the politics aside, it was the spectacle that mattered in the end as the Matildas headed by Sam Kerr were dominant against the Chileans.

As their fluent attack wrecked havoc on the Chilean defenders and keeper Natalia Campos.

The win cemented the Matilda’s eighth place in the world rankings for 2019 with seven wins and two losses.

To the Matildas’ credit, not only did they get the job done on the field, but there was an implied victory off the field rousing record local support.

As our ladies silenced the rhetoric with their irrefutable results, giving women’s football in Adelaide a well deserved shot at getting further attention on the world stage.

Lions’ roar grows louder

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Brendan Lines

PHOTO Braeden Gatt

SOUTH Gawler’s run towards September is back on track after belting Kapunda by 62 points in Saturday’s Barossa, Light & Gawler A-grade football clash.

For the first time since round four this season, the Lions are back into the top four.

Levelling the ledger at home to three wins and three losses, South is well on its way to making the Den a happy-hunting ground once again, according to player-coach Jack Osborn.

“We’ve made an emphasis on really protecting the home ground and we really went out with that attitude and wanted to show that ‘this is our field, and this how it’s going to happen’,” he said.

“We need to make sure we’re keeping our season alive, the top standard of teams like Tanunda and Angaston are playing amazing football, so we’ve just got to make sure we’re there in the last part of this year to be able to compete with them.”

The conditions at Eldred Riggs Reserve bogged down both teams’ midfielders early, but the Lions dug their claws in and put pressure on the contest with 12 first-quarter tackles.

Grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck, the Lions went on to score three first-quarter goals, courtesy of Jarred Johnson, Leslie Baker and Osborn, to gain the ascendancy over the Bombers.

A 21-point margin at the first break looked within Kapunda’s grasp, but the Lions were just warming up, piling on seven goals in the second-quarter.

The under-fire Bombers’ only resistance came from Jack Huggard with 20 disposals and nine marks in defence for the match, as skill errors continued to plague them around the contest.

Lion Josh Wittwer was supreme across half-back, his 13 disposals and five marks for the game turned South’s defence into attack every time and helped set up his forwards.

As Osborn rucked his 0wn ball to snap an early second-quarter major, the Lions went on to make goals look easy as Jackson Dare, Chapman and Baker kicked South away to a 67-point lead at half-time.

The Bombers found some spark as Brad Prior kicked their first, and helped by midfielder Matt Stent’s 13 disposals for the match they closed the gap for inside 50s to 10-8 in the third term.

The Lions led by 60 points at three-quarter-time, after the Bombers hit the scoreboard.

But South was not about to rest on its laurels, as Dom Costanzo kicked truly and Jackson Press slotted his second major to compliment a solid 13 disposals and five marks for the game.

In the end, it was the Lions’ fast start that proved too big of a hurdle for Kapunda to overcome.

https://bunyippress.com.au/lions-roar-grows-louder/

Connelly Cup played in right spirit

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BRENDAN LINES

WILLASTON claimed the Stephen Connelly Cup on Saturday after knocking off Gawler Central by 17 points in Barossa, Light & Gawler A-grade football.

PHOTO: Bianca Muller

Before the action began, the occasion was marked with a moving ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony by Willaston and Kaurna man Rodney O’Brien.

The Tigers put the Donnys on the ropes early with goals to Nick Hooker and Corey Solly.

But a late major from Jamie Williams kept the Donnys in touch, closing the margin to 13 points at quarter-time.

The momentum swung Willaston’s way in the second term as Josh Waldhuter, Ash Fry and Michael Clinch upped the pressure with a combined 37 contested possessions.

The increase in forward pressure yielded a raft of goals to Williams, Chad Norsworthy and Michael Howson, who all scored, to go into the main change 24 points clear.

Yet, Central were not about to be kicked-off the park and dug deep to make the most of its opportunities up forward, despite Brad Mercer being shut down by the Donnys’ tight back six.

It came down to the Tigers’ half-forwards to do the business, as Solly and Jonty Schultz kicked them back into contention.

Willaston continued to look dangerous, but wasted a few chances at goal by kicking 3.5 in the third term to stay ahead by only 21 points at three-quarter-time.

The last quarter was a shootout as both teams went forward at all costs.

Central’s gun defender, Jaime Wegener, drifted deep into the forward 50, booting three goals in the final term.

The Tigers were in with a sniff, trailing by just nine points early in the last, but even their better accuracy, kicking 5.1 in the second half, was not enough to give them the upper-hand.

Waldhuter and Fry’s ability to create forward pressure countered the Tigers’, as Brodie Cormack and Jackson Phillips’ goals kept Willaston ahead to take the victory.

After the match, players from both sides linked arms in the middle of the ground as a sign of harmony – recognising and supporting indigenous culture and its contribution to the local game.

It’s just the Donny’s fourth win for the season, but senior coach Shaun Baker is confident his side is building.

“It’s starting to pay-off, we always knew this year was going to be a tough year,” he said.

“Now they (the players) are getting some confidence back, they are just doing the little things right and that makes things happen.

“It’s tapping into the first quarter where they (Central) were tougher at the footy, so I stressed to them if we were tougher at the footy, we’ll get better use of the footy, so we were just tougher in those moments.

“Wally (Josh Waldhuter) has actually been a bit sore so I changed it up how he went into the game and came out of the game, he was probably best on ground by far.”

 

https://bunyippress.com.au/connelly-cup-played-in-right-spirit/

Freeling leaves door ajar after loss to Willaston

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BRENDAN LINES

FREELING missed an opportunity to secure finals football after it lost to Willaston by 13 points in Barossa, Light & Gawler A-grade football on Saturday.

PHOTO: Bianca Muller

The defeat keeps the door ajar for South Gawler, which sits one win behind the Redlegs in sixth place with one minor round game to play.

Freeling faces ladder leaders Angaston this weekend, while the Lions must beat Willaston to have any chance of featuring in finals.

In a season stymied by the loss of premiership points after last year’s salary cap saga, Saturday’s win would have seen the Donnybrooks vying for a finals berth, had they not started two wins behind the rest of the competition.

Despite the setback, Willaston can still take some confidence from its recent winning form, according to coach Shaun Baker.

“There’s a bit of confidence back in the group, you know obviously with all the stuff that’s gone on from last year, it’s taken a while to get their confidence back, they are doing the little things right which makes the big things happen,” he said.

“So, we’re starting to have a bit of consistency in the way we play.”

A stiff breeze didn’t stop Freeling getting off to a competitive start, as majors to Alex Stengle and Ben Heinrich put the pressure on the scoreboard.

Star Donnybrook defender Michael Clinch (19 possessions) set up plenty of forward opportunities, and as Chad Norsworthy slotted the goal-of-the-day from the boundary, with a check-side, the Donnys briefly grabbed the lead.

As Clinch was sidelined with a blood rule, Freeling took advantage of Willaston’s depleted backline to snare a late goal, through Josh Hand, and a fourpoint lead at quarter-time.

A buoyant Freeling kept up the forward pressure, as Willaston conceded goals to Ashley Selleck, Aaron Cocks and Hand in the second term.

But the Donnys were able to fight back, and a late goal to Michael Howson closed the margin to just 12 points at the main change.

Willaston continued to turn the tables in the third, winning the contest in the middle with clean transitions from midfielders Harrison Elbrow (16 possessions), Tyson Irlam (19 possessions) and
senior colt Deakin Davis.

This helped the Donnys win 11 inside 50s to Freeling’s five for the quarter.

The midfielders were able to drift forward and slot majors, with Irlam and Elbrow converting, and Howson getting another.

Willaston led by 21 points at three-quarter-time, but the game was still in the balance.

An unchecked Clinch and Shaun Childs’ four defensive marks controlled the game, wearing down Freeling in the final term.

Fittingly, Donnybrooks captain Josh Waldhuter finished the day with his second major as they shutdown the game and celebrated.

As consistency and confidence builds in Willaston’s ranks, Baker said there are some encouraging signs.

“I just think the young fellas are really starting to stand up and for extended periods of time, you can keep them in the team for longer and don’t have to make too many changes,” he said.

“Last time we got beat up on the inside, so I put it on them all week to be better on the inside (this week).”

 

https://bunyippress.com.au/freeling-leaves-door-ajar-after-loss-to-willaston/

Tigers too strong for Kapunda

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BRENDAN LINES

GAWLER Central is now one win away from the ultimate glory after it defeated Kapunda by 12 points in Saturday’s Barossa, Light & Gawler reserves football preliminary final.

After going six and two for the back-half of the minor round, the Tigers have carried on their winning ways with elimination, first semi-final and now preliminary final wins.

Cooling the jets on the fast-starting Bombers, who kicked five straight goals in the first, the Tigers’ formidable defence led by Kalon Heintze (14 disposals) shutdown everything before them, holding Kapunda goalless for most of the remaining three quarters.

It was a first-quarter blitz by the Bombers, with successive goals to Josh Slater, Wyatt Ryan, Bailey Jones, Josh Rosenzweig and Tristan Kerr.

Kapunda was winning the contest at every turn, as midfielders Bailey Jones (13 disposals) and Josh Slater (17 disposals) combined as the consistent ball winners who sent the Bombers inside 50 nine times to four in the first.

Yet the Tigers scratched their way back into the second quarter, with in-and-under efforts from Matthew Taylor-McDonald (12 disposals) turning the tide in the midfield.

Central’s efforts to hold the ball in their forward line for most of the second was plagued by inaccuracy, kicking seven behinds for the quarter, which allowed Kapunda to maintain a 20-point lead at half-time, but with no additional scoreboard pressure.

Corey Nesbitt’s (three goals) goal in the opening minutes of the third was followed up with a major to Paul Bova (three goals), which got the Tigers back into the hunt.

The pressure was on the Bombers as they gave a free-kick to Bova for holding, well within striking distance of the Tigers’ goal.

Bova kicked truly and put the Tigers in front for the first time at the 15-minute mark of the third.

The Tigers’ grip across defence put the squeeze on the Bombers, as Kalon Heintze’s three marks in defence nulled all three of Kapunda’s forward 50 entries for the quarter.

With their nose in front by just two points at the last change, the Tigers came out swinging with another goal to Nesbitt to kickoff the fourth.

Not to be outdone, Tiger Josh Edwards fired in goal-of-the-day, banging in a goal off a stoppage from 50 metres out.

Kapunda matched the Tigers in contested possessions 25 apiece in the last, but could only manage one to Ryan (two goals) in the closing minutes.

But the Tigers’ triumph was made complete as Bova slotted a third major, his 10th for this final series, to put the Tigers into the big dance.

For two weeks in a row the Tigers have held their opposition scoreless for over a half of footy, and coach Troy Ellbourn says defensive pressure has been the key.

“We’ve definitely been working in the back half of the year on our defensive pressure and setting up a bit of a zone as well on (opposition’s) kick outs, it’s just enabling us to hold the ball in our forward half a lot better than what we did in the first half of the year,” he said.

“To get here now is an absolute relief and I couldn’t be any happier.”

The Tigers will face Angaston for the reserves premiership.

https://bunyippress.com.au/tigers-too-strong-for-kapunda/

A curious look: How Lewis Hamilton is creating a Formula 1 masterpiece

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Brendan Lines

As Lewis Hamilton adds his sixth Formula 1 World Championship to his impressive career, amongst the celebrations, his unbound success and Michael Shumacher — just how is Hamilton’s journey this season helping him create a Formula 1 masterpiece?

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Image: Associated Press

As the champagne flowed at the US Grand Prix on Sunday, the immediate reaction for most was ‘who would have thought?’ anyone would come this close to Michael Shumacher’s seven world titles.

But with all the comparisons and a plethora of statistics drawn between Hamilton and Schumacher aside, are we witnessing a champion more happier in his own skin to face his challenges along the way than simply to beat Shumacher’s record.

Buried in the magic of the moment we heard post-race at the US Grand Prix a side of Lewis Hamilton that reflected upon a more human element to his world championship success, in terms of; the effect from the loss of Nikki Lauda, to battling his demons and his journey towards a masterpiece.

At Sunday’s press conference Hamilton said to www.formula1.com that the loss of Lauda was a great loss to him personally and the team.

“No way has it been the easiest. It’s been the hardest year for us as a team. We lost Niki this year. A crucial member and a real pivotal member of our team and the emotional rollercoaster that we’ve been on with losing him,

“I would say this year that losing Niki, I didn’t think that was going to hit me as hard as it did. It really was upsetting and I miss him dearly today and I didn’t realise how much I loved the guy.”

Yet beneath Hamilton’s cheerful demeanour and all the success, the loss of Lauda and sometimes languishing speed of the Mercedes this year, forced Hamilton to face up to what he says is to be ‘battling certain demons.’

“There’s always the darker side that’s always trying to pull you down and you’re constantly having to wake up… I don’t know how you guys wake up in the morning but I look in the mirror and I’m trying to lift myself up and say ‘yes, you can do it. Yes, you are great. Yes you can be fit if you go and put that time in. Yes, you can win this race if you do the right steps and you continue to believe in yourself, and no one else is going to do it for you,” he said.

Hamilton has become a person who wears his ‘heart on his sleeve,’ speaking more candidly about what it takes to remain successful, wether that’s just maturity alone is debatable.

Clearly Hamilton’s motivations since 2007, as a rookie who was simply hungry for that first win have changed. As Hamilton now draws a more philosophical approach to how he sees his F1 journey unfolding.

At Sunday’s press conference Hamilton said to www.formula1.com he is creating a masterpiece.

“I’m working on a masterpiece and I haven’t quite finished it yet, so I’m trying to understand, I think it takes a long time to master a craft, while I feel like I am mastering it there’s still more to master, there’s still more to add to it, theres still more pieces of the puzzle to add, there’s going to be more ups and downs along the way but I feel like I’ve got the best tools now, at this point at least to deal with those.” 

There is no doubt the biggest part of that masterpiece is his relationship with Mercedes. Where out of Hamilton’s six world titles five of them have been won during Formula 1’s turbo-hybrid era from 2014 under team boss Toto Wolff.

On Sunday Wolff said to the Daily Mail  there maybe no lid on Hamilton’s success.

“I think there is no limit to what he can win. He is still very motivated and you can see he wants to win every single race. As long as that is the case, he can go for more.” 

Later, Wolff said to www.formula1.com there is however a role the team must play.

“If we’re able to provide the drivers with a good car next year, that is competitive, we continue to work on the gaps we still have, try and minimise the mistakes and he has a good season, there is no reason why he couldn’t go for a seventh title,” he said.

If we now pause after all this and ask how does this dominance continue?

We immediately think Hamilton just needs to have the fastest car to capitalise on the current stable regulations, that maybe true — but there is one condition.

As the new ‘game-changing’ regulations for the 2021 season were locked in over the weekend, does it potentially limit Hamilton’s window to 2020 in order to match Shumacher?

The answer to that is anyones guess, but if we look at success the way Hamilton now sees it  — is there really an end date on a masterpiece? Which leaves the possibility to suggest Hamilton’s trajectory of success could well continue despite Formula 1’s shifting regulations, writing a truly unique piece of Formula 1 history next to the greats.

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