Round 7 Torrens University Cup Wrap

Sturt overcame a last-quarter deficit to claim its sixth win of the season and sit on top of the Torrens University Cup ladder.

North Adelaide hosted the Double Blues at Prospect Oval and Sturt came charging out of the blocks with the first five goals of the match.

The Roosters worked their way into the match and then into the lead with nine of the next 11 goals to place themselves in a position to cause an upset.

Trailing by 14 points at the seven-minute mark of the final term, the Double Blues came again with a late flurry of four goals to claim a nine-point win.

Tom Emmett was the dominant forward in the Sturt camp with three goals and six marks while the Roosters shared the load with 10 single goal kickers.

Sturt midfielder and AFL Academy SA Hub prospect Tom Powell is averaging 34.2 disposals this season and had another 27 disposals on Saturday, along with 10 clearances.

It was the first time this season Powell collected less than 34 disposals.

Mani Liddy was outstanding for Sturt with 30 disposals and seven clearances, while Kallis Freer was North’s major ball winner with 28 disposals, five marks, five clearances and five tackles.

Jase Burgoyne was sensational in Woodville-West Torrens’ 21-point win over West Adelaide at Hisense Stadium on Friday night. 

The Port Adelaide father/son prospect gathered 37 disposals, five clearances, five tackles and kicked a goal in the victory which kept his side in the finals hunt.

Torrens University SA U18s coach Tony Bamford has been very impressed with Burgoyne’s improvement this season.

“Burgoyne continues his steady development playing through the midfield and winning the ball in all areas of the oval,” he said.

Burgoyne has played midfield and forward this season as one of the most damaging players in the competition, sitting third on the league’s overall disposal count after seven matches, averaging 27.5 disposals and just under a goal a game.

West Adelaide’s Bailey Chamberlain is another player amongst the top ball winners this season (averaging 28 disposals), continuing his fantastic run with another 34 disposals and six clearances in Round 7.

The Bloods started sharply, holding the Eagles goal-less during the first term – despite six wayward scoring shots – before getting going in the second term.

Woodville-West Torrens completely turned the tables on Westies, holding them goal-less for the term, while piling on 4.6 of its own before half-time.

West reduced the margin to nine points during the third term when Luke Young kicked his second goal, setting up an opportunity to run over the top of the Eagles in the final term.

This attack was blunted very quickly as Woodville-West Torrens ran away with four unanswered goals to put the win beyond doubt.

Young booted three goals from his 17 disposals and three marks.

“Young was Westies most dangerous target ahead of the ball, often winning the ball in contests and hitting the scoreboard,” Bamford said.

A six-goal first term set up a 24-point win for Norwood over South Adelaide at Flinders University Stadium on Saturday. 

The Panthers kicked the first two goals of the match before the Redlegs booted six in a row to close out the first quarter.

South kicked three goals in two minutes to start the second term as Heath Treloar began to get on top in the ruck (24 hitouts for the match), providing fantastic access for the Panthers midfield.

South Adelaide kicked seven goals for the quarter and the margin sat at just four points at the major break.

Brayden Cook kicked three first-half goals for South when the pressure was on and finished the match with four goals and eight marks.

Norwood began to regain the control of the match with three goals to two in the third term before three more goals in the final quarter set up the win which put the Redlegs into second position.

Norwood tall forward Finn Heard had another good day with three goals, five marks and six hitouts, while AFL Academy SA Hub midfielder Cooper Murley was again dominant for the Redlegs with 31 disposals, seven marks, six tackles, four clearances and a goal.

Central District has been awarded victory after it initially played out the first draw of the 2020 SANFL U18 Torrens University Cup with Glenelg at ACH Group Stadium on Saturday.

The Bulldogs led by as much as 27 points during the third term before the Tigers booted five unanswered goals to take the lead at the 20-minute mark of the final quarter when Riley Davis slotted his second goal from a long set shot.

Glenelg’s Jayden Davis had two shots on goal in the following minutes to try and extend the lead, but both went wayward, before the Bulldogs went end to end from the kick out in 20 seconds for Kobe Wilson to goal and put his side back in front by a point with three minutes to go.

In the last minute of the game, Glenelg’s Harry McInnes took a mark and after the siren had the chance to gift his side the win with his sixth goal, but his set shot drifted to the left and scores remained locked at 13.9-87 apiece.

An investigation has since uncovered the fourth quarter went for a minute longer than the flat 26-minute duration prescribed for each term in the U18 competition. As a result, the Bulldogs have been handed the premiership points.

Tall forward McInnes provided a fantastic target for Tigers midfielders all day, taking seven marks and collecting 13 disposals in the front half which culminated to nine shots on goal – unfortunately for him and Glenelg he could only manage 5.4.

Davis was outstanding for Glenelg with 20 disposals, two goals and four clearances, as was William Watts who collected 20 disposals and a goal.

Ruckman Saxon Evans played a monster role for the Bulldogs with an 18-disposal, 32-hitout, seven-mark and four goal game. It proved to be enough to earn the Willaston product the Round 7 Torrens University Cup MVP nominaton.