Round 2 Hostplus SANFL League Match Previews

What a huge match-up. Redlegs fans won’t need too good a memory to realise why they will be heading to the Bay desperate for a win.

It’s the small matter of a mere two points in last year’s preliminary final and just five points in the grand final the year before that. Two losses to this weekend’s opponent in two massive encounters that they will feel could have been wins.

Then there’s a matter of starting off the season with a five-point loss against reigning premier Sturt. It’s not the start Legs fans were looking for, particularly remembering last year’s costly five-game losing run to kick off the year. Of course there’s no chance Norwood will be 0-5 this year.

Jade Sheedy’s impressive side showed it is right around the mark, as everyone expected, in coming so close to knocking off Sturt.

The additions of Kade Dittmar and Aaron Francis are already proving a boon, while having Harry Boyd back will keep the Legs booming.

And there were promising signs from first-gamers Matthew Harms and Josh Murphy, who announced his presence with a long-bomb goal on the run from inside the centre square.

Skipper Liam McBean four goals, Lachie Hosie four goals, Glenelg kicks off the season with a 47-point win at Alberton. Sounds like nothing’s changed, right?

But the Bays had quite a new look with the likes of Proud, Reynolds, Bell, Lyons, Holder and Gerloff gone and a new coach in Matthew Clarke.

The ‘Doc’ could hardly have been more pleased with the way a couple of recruits and four young guns stepped into the breach.

Club debutants, former Double Blue Joel Thiele, with 26 touches, and ex-Blood Will Patton, made an instant impact while rookies, Rex Jones and Joe Fenwick in defence and Tim Alver in the midfield looked likely types and forward Remi Brown kicked a couple of goals and provided strong defensive pressure.

They will be excited about a big test against a team that’s coming to get them.

Quite a bit has changed since these sides’ most recent clash, in Round 12 last year.  For those whose memory is slipping, the Crows won by 100 points at Adelaide Oval.

But it feels like this result was just about a lifetime ago. The Eagles had been hammered by an injury list coach Sam Jacobs had not seen the likes of in 20 years of high-level footy.

And the Crows were flying high – in a run of eight wins from nine games and regularly kicking whopping scores.

The Eagles were always going to be way better this season after tweaks to pre-season training and strength and conditioning, snaring a few quality targeted recruits and having improved depth after some youngsters were thrown into it earlier than might have been expected last year.

The Crows, on the other hand, lost skipper Jack Madgen, Harry Schoenberg, Lachlan Murphy, Brodie Smith, Matt Crouch and, most notably, Chris Burgess.

While the Eagles kicked off this season with an impressive 52-point win against South at Noarlunga, Adelaide was beaten by last year’s wooden spooner West by seven points.

Eagles recruits Ethan Grace (31 disposals), Harper Montgomery (25) and Ted Clohesy (24 touches and a goal) provided sudden impact, while Max Beattie and Sam Nicholls bagged nine goals between them.

They are a totally different proposition now.

There was plenty of talk. Norwood ready to take Sturt’s crown. Harry Boyd back. The Legs’ barnstorming finish to last season. Well, the Blues made a statement at The Parade on the first night of the season.

We ain’t giving our flag up without one hell of a fight. They sure had a fight against Norwood but, despite missing nine players from last year’s premiership side, including superstar Casey Voss, sidelined with a long-term shoulder injury, their impressive five-point win showed why they deserve to be clear premiership favourites.

With Magarey Medallists Tommy Lewis and Will Snelling – 54 disposals and 33 tackles between them – leading the way, why should they be anything else? And how good was Amos Doyle in ruck?

The big fella keeps on coming on in leaps and bounds. Daniel Schoell returned after a long injury-hit absence from league footy and showed he can be the answer as a strong-marking forward after the departure of Connor McFadyen, while lively Morgan Ferres booted three goals and finished strongly with a couple of crucial marks when the game was up for grabs.

After the Roosters’ courageous win at Elizabeth any thoughts this will be anything like an easy task for the reigning premier can be dismissed out of hand.

There’s new enthusiasm sweeping through Prospect since Josh Francou returned as boss. To storm home from a 34-point deficit nearing time-on in the third quarter, bang on seven of the last eight goals and pip Central by five points, proud warrior Mitch Harvey booting the matchwinner in the 26th minute, was quite a statement.

And leading the charge was Josh’s son Oli, with 30 disposals and seven clearances. Sturt, without Snelling (concussion) suddenly is facing another tough test.

One player can’t make that much difference, can he? Tell that to Crows coach Matt Wright.

Interviewed on the cusp of the season he said the loss of last year’s best-and-fairest winner and leading goalkicker Chris Burgess, who had been delisted, was “a big one … he was dominant (at SANFL level) and as many goals as he kicked (56) he gave off a heap as well. He was quite team oriented which is what we loved about him”.

After that interview came the announcement from Westies Burgess was the club’s new full-time football manager – oh, and he’ll be playing.

And, of course, against Adelaide in Round 1. It took just 19 seconds of the Bloods-Crows clash for new West coach Nathan Bassett to see just how much impact he can have and for Wright to know just how much of a swing in fortunes his move from one club to the other could produce.

Burgess had goaled in those 19 seconds. By the time he had goaled one minute into the third quarter he had five and the Bloods led by 30 points.

When the inevitable Crows fightback took place, who was there marking on the last line of defence and defending as if his life depended on it but “team oriented” Burgess?

Kobe Ryan, with 31 disposals, was inspirational as always in a seven-point win that not only breathed life into West’s season but the entire SANFL.

Central will be hurting after a last-gasp five-point loss against North so it will be desperate for a win in what now looms as another top tussle.

If ever there is a time for a team to do it for the guernsey, it’s South Adelaide – and right now.

The Panthers were disappointing in kicking off the season with a 52-point loss to the Eagles but with their special heritage 150th anniversary guernsey, a big crowd including greats of the club’s proud past and South’s oldest adversary up against it on its home patch, it’s all on the line.

And you just know Jarrad Wright’s men will be up for the fight.

The fact Port also started its campaign with a loss means it will be on for young and old.

The Magpies came up short by 47 points against Glenelg but will be desperate to be party poopers – something they have been renowned for over many years.