Country Footy Wrap – Week 19

By Peter Argent | Finals

In the second semi-final at Ardrossan Oval on Saturday, the Southern Eagles ensured direct entry into the Yorke Peninsula Football League season decider with a comfortable 22-point win over Paskeville.  The Eagles had all the running early, kicking 3.7 to no score in the first quarter and an 18-point lead at half-time, having 14 score shots to six at that point.

Big bustling full forward Scott Mumford was best on ground with a five-goal haul, while team leader Nathan Allen also played a key role as a strong bodied midfielder.

Michael Eichner, Nik Seccafien, Luke McMahon and Matthew Barlow also play strong roles in the victory.

Best for the Magpies was Bronte Paige, followed by Ashley Bruce and Henry Daniel, while Sam Saunders and Jonathan Price kicked two goals.

Paskeville on-field leader Abraham Hefland and State under 16s footballer Brock Thomson also were serviceable for the vanquished.

The CMS Crows continued their strong run with a five-goal victory over Moonta in the first semi-final at the Demons home ground.

Having a 23 point lead at half-time after nine goals were kicked in the third quarter, the Crows got home 17.6 (108) to an inaccurate Moonta Demons 10.18 (78).

Josh Hoyle was best on ground, followed by Tom Babidge and young defender Murphy Short.

Port Adelaide Magpies SANFL listed player Ben Edwards kicked four goals. He has developed into a key target since move into attack in the second half of the season, enjoying a number of handy bags.

Arguably the Demons’ best was Jake Turner, followed by big man Jonathan Ross and Sam Watson.  Tommy Underwood, defender Aaron Killian and Dylan Aldridge also had their moments.

In the second semi-final of the Northern Areas competition the top two teams in this league across the past four years, Crystal Brook and Broughton Mundoora, again faced off.

In this ‘battle of the birds’, the Broughton Mundoora Eagles proved to be far too strong. They would go on to collect a comfortable 39-point victory over the Roosters, 13.9 (87) to 6.12 (48).

Eagle Fraser Kessling was best on ground followed by on-baller Maddie Hayes and James Cant.

Skipper Tommy Button and the versatile Tommy Wheelan also played vital roles.

Up forward, Gene Robinson kick five goals while fellow recruit from Millicent, Hamish Nitschke, finished with two. Robinson now has 90 goals for the season.

Best player for the Brooks was Will Combe, followed by former Mail Medalist Luke Kapitola and Adam Kupsch.

Both Luke Bartlett and Nathan Lambert were serviceable as well, while Jason Eagle kicked two goals.

The Roosters now play Booleroo Melrose Wilmington (BMW) in the preliminary final at Port Broughton Oval.

In the prestigious Barossa, Light and Gawler competition, cross-town rivals Tanunda and Angaston faced off for a direct route to the grand final. Both had conceded just one game for the season to each other going into the major round.

This was an outstanding high-quality contest for the first-half before Tanunda started to break the game open in the third quarter.

They increased the one point half-time lead to 22 points at the last break and, after an even final term, were eventual winners 15.12 (102) to 12.9 (81)

Lee Westhoff was outstanding again, as was Magpies captain Ben Schiller, but the best on ground in many people’s eyes was athletic ruckman Angus Kurtze.

Josh “Bubbles” Trembath was a strong target up forward with six goals, while Lachlan Agars and Matt Prior were both important as well.

Veteran Andrew Pech was Angaston’s best and kicked a team-high four goals.

Jayden Antonie and his twin brother Ben were also strong performers, as was Steve Summerton and Jack Miles.

The first semi-final at Centenary Park Nuriootpa between the hosts, ‘Nuri Rovers’ and Barossa District, was a low-scoring but tough contest in which goals were a premium.

The Nuri Rovers were five points up at half-time and finally broke away in the last quarter to win 9.6 (60) to 6.7 (43).

For Nuri, Brad Hoepner, the Hurn Medalist in the 2018 grand final, was best on ground, closely followed by key forward, Sam Gordon, playing with a heavily strapped knee.

Gordon, a 50-50 chance of playing in the lead up, kicked five of the Rovers’ nine goals.

Aseri “Bobby” Raikiwasa, Aaron Laverty, veteran Shawn Gibson and young Lachlan Westlake all displayed good composure and performed under pressure.

In his final game with the Bulldogs, Barossa coach Todd Miles was their best, followed by defenders Jack Charles, Alex Stone and Hayden Traynor.

Veteran full forward Darren Sharp kicked four of the Doggies’ six goals.

Main image: Angaston v Tanunda. Photo: Peter Argent

On Saturday at Le Messurier Oval, the Murray Bridge Ramblers kick five goals to one in the second term to set up a 27-point victory over than Jervois Bluds.

Ruckman Nick Pearce led the way, followed by the Rankine brothers, Matthew and Ronald.

Keynan Harradine and David Wilson both played big roles, while Kieran Yakas kicked four goals.

Zane Barry was the Jervois Bluds best, followed by big Ryan Willits, Brayden Gommers, Ty Burkett and Casey Robins.

Justin Hardy – a Ken Farmer Medalist with Central District – kicked four goals in a losing cause.

In the elimination final on Sunday, last year’s premiers the Imperials had a thrilling five-point victory over an inaccurate Meningie side.

The Bears will rue kicking 3.10 in the opening term down at Meningie Oval, but still led by 19 points at the long interval.

After Johnny Boras kicked the match winner in the last minute of the contest, the final score was Imperials 9.13 (67) defeating Meningie 7.20 (62).

Boras kicked three of Imperials’ nine goals, while young talent Nathan Daish was the Imperials’ best, followed by fellow on-ballers Gareth Williams, Luke Harrowfield, Jacob Rance and centre half forward Darren Shillabeer.

Former South Adelaide footballer Todd McKay was Meningie’s best, followed by Matthew Hartman, Alex Scott, Will Paynter and Alex Moyle.