Round 13 Hostplus SANFL Snapshot – Super Saturday

Sturt’s amazing winning streak against West Adelaide at Thomas Farms Oval remains in tact after the Double Blues held on for pulsating four-point victory.

Keeping the Bloods winless at Unley since Round 8 2013, Sturt extended its run to 13 in succession but it wasn’t without an almighty fright from a plucky Bloods outfit full of heart.

West trailed at every change throughout the afternoon but continued to threaten the hosts during the final quarter.

Double Blues forward Loch Rawlinson appeared to have dahsed the visitors’ hopes when he put his side up by 18 points in the 14th minute.

But difference-making veteran Chris Burgess, who was swung forward by West coach Nathan Bassett at the final change, kicked two massive set shots to put his side within a kick.

It forced Sturt to steady at the final centre clearance of the match as Tom Emmett threw his large frame into the fray before Will Coomblas took a couple of timely intercept marks in defence.

Ash Johnson hit the post with the final set shot of the contest but Marty Mattner’s men managed to hold on despite the Bloods’ brave bid to steal the premiership points.

Coomblas, who finished with 34 disposals and 12 marks, was fittingly adjudged as the Hostplus Super Player of the Day for his superb effort in the back half.

Magarey Medallist Tom Lewis was influential with 29 disposals and two goals as he relished being rejoined by his fellow ”Bash Brother” Mitch Crowden, who made a successful return from his ACL injury suffered in Round 6 last season.

Crowden, who has been regaining fitness in the Reserves for the past month, used the ball by foot effectively as he tallied 27 disposals while Rory Illman also finished with 27 possessions and Powerade Breakthrough Player favourite Luca Slade 25.

Johnson, Lewis and Rawlinson each kicked two goals as the Double Blues shared the goals around.

The Bloods had plenty of positives as they out-tackled the hosts 49 to 44, had five more clearances and just one fewer inside 50m entry for the afternoon.

Inspirational West midfielder Kobe Ryan was regularly at the bottom of the packs to collect 35 disposals and 11 clearances while teammate Tom Morrish had 25 possessions.

Recruit Ben Ridgway had 19 disposals and a goal while Bloods skipper Sam Frost had 18 disposals.

Burgess’ three goals came from 16 disposals and six marks while Hamish Ellem and Joel Parker each kicked two goals.

A game-breaking eight-goal haul from Jack Delean ensured South Adelaide sent off coach Jarrad Wright in style with a convincing 62-point win agaisnt Port Adelaide at Alberton.

Determined to honour SANFL Life Member Wright – coaching his 157th and final match since Round 1 of 2018 –  in the best way possible, the Panthers did exactly that as they led at every change to keep in touch with the top five.

Slamming through seven goals in the opening quarter, the visitors led by 37 points at quarter-time as Delean made his intentions clear with three on the board by the first change.

The former Fremantle Docker, who returned to Noarlunga for the start of this season, went on to kick two in the second, two in the third and one in the final quarter to go with his 21 disposals and 10 marks in a best-on-ground display.

Delean’s magical effort was the first time a player has booted eight goals in the Hostplus SANFL League since Ken Farmer Medallist Lachie Hosie claimed the Bob Quinn Medal on Anzac Day last year.

South had strong contributors all over Alberton Oval as Harley Sparks (32 disposals), Oliver Davis (30 disposals) and Angus Bradley (29 disposals) were influential while Finn Emile-Brennan continued his breakout campaign with 28 disposals and two goals.

Tye Gander kicked two goals for South while AAMI Rookie Elliott Duffield had 14 disposals and eight marks in his first Hostplus SANFL League match.

Port’s Will Brodie never threw in the towel as he racked up a match-high 42 disposals and 12 clearances while Jack Watkins also worked hard in the centre square for his 33 possessions.

Former Rooster Terrel Rigney had an encouraging return from a hamstring strain with three goals for the Magpies.

A six-goal second quarter blitz enabled Adelaide to cruise to a 50-point win against Central District at X Convenience Oval. 

Trailing the Bulldogs by two points at the first change, the Crows booted the opening four majors after quarter-time to assert themselves on the contest.

Talented Central tall Tallan Rosenzweig kicked the next two majors in reply before Finbar Maley and Charlie Edwards produced goals to ensure the visitors would lead by 24 points at the main change.

From there, Matthew Wright’s charges were rarely troubled as they squared up their win-loss column at 6-6 to remain well in the hunt for a finals berth.

Adelaide finished with a noteworthy 53-38 advantage in inside 50m entries while also controlling the air with 122-73 marks.

The Crows’ midfield power was a major factor in victory as Chayce Jones (31 disposals), Lachlan Sholl (31 disposals), Charlie Edwards (30 disposals) and Blake Drury (26 disposals) all found their share of the Sherrin, the latter booting an eye-catching goal from long range in the fourth term.

Adelaide’s Isaac Cumming, making his Hostplus SANFL League debut, sent a scare through the Crows camp just eight minutes into the first quarter when he limped from the field after being tackled from behind.

But he was able to resume, with his left knee strapped, before quarter-time en route to finishing with 20 disposals and seven marks.

Central’s Josh Fahey made the majority of his 23 disposals count while Leyton Chisholm and Kai Paudney also had 23 touches.

Anzac Lochowiak provided plenty of excitement for Dogs fans with an outstanding goal assist to Rosenzweig in the clip below while also booting two goals himself.

Glenelg snapped Norwood’s nine-game winning streak as it announced itself as a genuine contender in the Hostplus SANFL League with a spirited eight-point win at The Parade. 

Suddenly sitting at the top of the table with a 10-2 win-loss record, the Tigers played with plenty of punch in the third quarter as they gained control of the contest by kicking 5.4 to the Legs’ 3.1.

It enabled Matthew Clarke’s charges to open up a handy three-goal lead at the final change, after leading by as much as 30 points entering time-on of the third term.

The shell-shocked hosts managed to come hard at the Bays by holding them goalless in the final term as Finn Heard and Declan Hamilton gave them a pulse with late majors.

But Glenelg had done enough as it controlled the tempo enough in the dying stages to hold on for their second win against the Redlegs for the season.

Efficiency, together with tenacity, was a key factor in the victory for the Tigers as they had eight fewer inside 50m entries from 87 fewer disposals and 18 fewer marks.

With inform midfielder Corey Lyons held to just eight disposals by Norwood’s master-tagger Ben Simpson, the load was shared nicely by the Bays as inclusions Isaac Hyatt and Connor McLeod joined Magarey Medallist Luke Partington with 16 disposals.

Defenders Jonty Scharenberg (22 disposals), Patrick Parnell (20 disposals) and Will Patton (15 disposals) were important in Glenelg’s success with their ability to combine rebound with intercepts.

Ken Farmer Medallists Lachie Hosie and LIam McBean kicked three goals each, the latter notching career-goal number 400 in the third quarter.

Norwood’s star pair Aaron Francis and Nik Rokahr each chalked up 27 disposals while Alec Wright (22 disposals) and Cooper Murley (21 disposals) provided run from half-back.

Hamilton was his ever-creative self with 20 disposals and two goals for the Legs while makeshift ruck Finn Heard battled his heart out for 20 disposals, two goals and nine clearances.

Woodville-West Torrens burst clear of North Adelaide in the third quarter to earn an energy-sapping 36-point win at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval. 

Working hard to keep in touch with the fast-starting Roosters in the first half, the Eagles transformed a two-point half-time deficit into a five-goal lead at three quarter-time as they rolled up their sleeves amid the challenging conditions.

Piling on 5.2 while keeping the visitors scoreless in the third quarter, Sam Jacobs’ charges were prepared to put their bodies on the line at ground level as they suprisingly used handball to their advantage on their muddy home deck.

The hosts racked up a total of 144 handballs compared to North’s 78 as they made the most of their time inside 50, having just 34 entries compared to the visitors’ 39.

Eagles premiership veteran Nick Hayes was a key architect in the triumph, kicking three goals in the match-defining surge as Will Pearce and Jett Hasting also got in on the act to stretch the advantage.

Former Geelong Cat Ted Clohesy thrived in the slippery surroundings, tallying a team-high 27 disposals, eight clearances and a goal for the Eagles while Ethan Grace (23 disposals) and Riley Knight (22 disposals) were also prominent.

Tall Eagles forward Daniel Sladojevic kicked a match-high four goals as eight Eagles hit the goal kicking list.

North veterans Harrison Wigg (27 disposals) and James Battersby (24 disposals) did their best to keep their side in the contest after half-time while Dyson Hilder and captain Alex Spina had 19 touches each.

Roosters Lachlan Wilsdon (three goals) and Kalan Caputo (two goals) were the only multiple goal kickers for their team.