The Bunyip

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/