SA Country defeat WA Country

By TOM WYMAN

A dominant second quarter helped SA Country cruise to an impressive 43-point victory over WA Country in the annual men’s State country match at Adelaide Oval.

WA Country came out with intent and caught the Croweaters off guard initially, and after a series of minor scores, Sandrgroper Tom Lee kicked the first goal of the game after a strong mark.

Moments later Lee found himself in a pocket of space and again made no mistake from the set shot.

Needing to respond, SA Country began to even things up at stoppages and halted WA Country’s overlap run, and eventually Mypolonga’s Jack Kluske kicked the home side’s first by pouncing on a loose ball just inside the 50-metre arc.

Down by five points at quarter time but having arrested WA Country’s earlier momentum, a commanding second term from Steve Symonds’ men saw them kick six goals and establish a comfortable lead.

The first stemmed from the boot of former North Adelaide midfielder Will Combe, who roved beautifully and strolled into an open goal to put SA Country in-front for the first time.

Combe, a former member of The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year, was fittingly awarded the Barry Stringer Medal as best afield for SA.

Former Central District forward Shay Linke, who has donned the black and white of Tanunda this season, was proving a handful inside-50 and his goal extended the lead.

Steve Burton capitalised on the work of Tyson Hone to kick the Croweaters fourth in a row before Kaidyn Fullgrabe snapped a settler for WA Country.

Norwood premiership forward Ben Jarvis benefitted from the slick ball use of the SA Country midfielders, finding separation on the lead as he restored the advantage, before Hone and Josh Smithson added two more before half-time.

Facing a 25-point deficit at the main break, WA Country started the second half with better intent but missed several opportunities before Dylan Clarke goaled to reduce the margin.

Determined not to let the Sandgropers back into the contest, majors to Johann Wagner and another to Kluske extended the Croweaters lead to 34 points at three-quarter time.

Geelong premiership veteran Harry Taylor showed a touch of class and aerial know-how to mark strongly and kick the first of the fourth term for WA Country.

However, eager to emulate the Adelaide Oval heroics of his brother and Double Blues premiership star Josh, livewire forward Tyson Hone kicked his second soon after when he marked outside-50, saw no one ahead of him and snuck it home from long-range.

Harlee Chandler put any remaining hopes of a Sandgroper comeback to bed when he ran into an easy goal, then Wagner and Jarvis booted their second goals.

Consolation goals to Taylor and Fullgrabe cut the margin for WA Country late in the piece, but it didn’t hamper what was a comprehensive performance from the Croweaters, who now boast an 8-3 win-loss advantage since 2011.

SA Country  1.4  7.5  9.11  13.16 (94)

WA Country  2.3  3.4  4.7  7.9 (51)

BEST – SA Country: Will Combe, Steve Burton, Jack Carpenter, Jack Kluske, Troy Blackwell, Sam Tharaldsen

GOALS – SA Country: Tyson Hone, Jack Kluske, Johann Wagner, Ben Jarvis 2, Will Combe, Harlee Chandler, Shay Linke, Steve Burton, Josh Smithson

Barry Stringer Medal – Will Combe (Northern Zone/Crystal Brook)

At Adelaide Oval