Novita SANFL Wheelchair League Round 9 Match Wraps

By JORDAN ROUTLEY

Woodville-West Torrens 28.3.(171) def Central District 4.1.(25)

Woodville-West Torrens finished their home and away season with a mammoth 146-point victory over Central District at The Lights Community and Sports Centre on Friday night.

Now just one win away from defending last year’s title, the Eagles were at their ominous best ahead of this week’s grand final clash with Norwood in a dominant display from start to finish.

It was also a night of celebration for captain Trevor Jarrett, whose 100th goal for the season in the third term saw him swamped by players, staff and supporters in recognition of the milestone.

The star forward also set a new record for most goals in a game, scoring 23 majors without a miss to go with a game-high 41 disposals and 26 marks as his pack marking and accuracy proved impossible to stop.

Meanwhile, Adam Roocke enjoyed another stellar game in the centre with 37 disposals, 32 hitouts and 12 forward entries, with his accurate long-range passes opening up the game on numerous occasions.

Young gun Cooper Spillane (32 disposals, nine clearances) spent most of the game in defence and acted as the rover at the ball-ups before pushing forward for a goal late in the piece.

Soraj Habib (21 disposals) was influential in the first half with his defensive work on Central forward Stewart Webster, while Wayne Hale (12 disposals) was steady in the backline and often cleared the danger with his composed ball use.

Steve Edge was also prominent in the first half with four goals before being rotated out of the game after half time, while Isobella Nitschke had some positive moments but couldn’t quite finish her good work in front of goal.

Central District captain Shaun Whitbread split his time between centre and attack to be his side’s most productive player with 31 disposals, 16 marks and a goal.

James Barker (14 disposals) fought strongly in a defence that was often under siege and also played the second term in the centre to tag Roocke around the court.

Lloyd Banwell (17 disposals) often repelled the Doggies from defence with some good spoils and blocks, while Henry de Cure also switched between defence and attack.

Stewart Webster worked hard in attack to finish with one goal before spending some time in the centre, while Michael Platten took his chances to score two quality goals.

Norwood 18.4.(112) def West Adelaide 3.8.(26)

Norwood earned the perfect preparation ahead of this week’s grand final with a comfortable 86-point victory over a gallant West Adelaide on Friday night.

Although West showed terrific commitment throughout the match, Norwood’s extra precision and accuracy in front of goal proved telling, especially in an eight-goal second term that broke the game wide open.

Gun forward Jamie Smyth personified the Redlegs’ efficiency in attack, scoring 14 goals from 26 disposals along with a host of impressive marks that made him difficult to stop.

Captain Grant Leonard also played an important role in attack for Norwood, scoring four goals from 22 disposals while also using his sharp skills to set up numerous other scoring opportunities.

Chris Simpson (23 disposals, seven clearances) was hugely influential in defence, often matching up on the dangerous Hallam Chitty while also winning some important clearances as the main rover for Norwood.

Darren Schultz worked hard around the court to pick up 19 disposals and form a crucial part of Norwood’s ball movement, while Rick Leonard used his extra height in the ruck to earn some quality hit-outs.

Michael Neroni used his speed and attacking ball use to good effect in launching his side from defence, while Richard Davis was diligent in his defensive matchups and made life difficult for his opponents.

West Adelaide player-coach Giang Danh led from the front with a game-high 39 disposals, 28 marks and eight forward entries as he again worked tirelessly across all three thirds for the Bloods.

Tony Wade was a valuable contributor in the centre and defence with 32 disposals and 25 marks as he showed great composure under pressure in the backline.

Captain Jake Bilsborow (21 disposals) split his time between attack and defence and offered some impressive rebound out of the backline with his creative disposal.

Hallam Chitty competed strongly in the forward half to win some important contests but struggled with accuracy in front of the sticks to finish with West’s entire score of 3.8.