SANFL 2006 ROUND 16: STURT
v WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS
Now for 10 in a row
By ROB BIDMEADE
A RESURGENT Woodville West Torrens will chase its 10th consecutive
victory when it meets bottom team West at Woodville Oval this Saturday.
The Eagles boosted their rating as one of the Premiership favourites
along with North after their 119-point drubbing of Sturt at Unley Oval last
Saturday. Their score of 31.7 (193) was one point short of the club's biggest
ever score - 30.14 (194), kicked against
Saturday's win was the Eagles' ninth consecutive victory against the
Double Blues and they have not lost to Sturt since round 14 in 2003 at Unley
Oval.
It also gave the Eagles the impressive record of 34 wins and nine
losses against the Double Blues. The Eagles' victory was established by a
potent attack with Mark Passador (10 goals), David
Westbrook and Adam Grocke scoring 21 goals between
them and continuing be a headache for other teams in the competition.
Passador's tally was his biggest score ever,
passing his previous best of eight goals, while the
club record of 12.2 was kicked by Andrew Taylor in the 1994 win against North.Passador took his tally to 56 to be well in the hunt
for the Ken Farmer Medal as the leading goalkicker.
The Eagles also had dominant midfielders in Justin Cicolella,
Matthew Cooper (playing against his former club) and Tim Inkster, who were
prolific possession winners.
These players were given first use of the ball by ruckman Paul Lindsay,
who had 22 hit-outs for the game and was the best big man on the ground.
The Eagles have not lost this season since round six whenh they went down by 14 points against Port.
Also their score of 193 points was the highest this season, eclipsing
the 178 points by the Roosters against the hapless Double Blues in the fourth
round.
The Eagles set up the drubbing of Sturt with 10 goals to one in the
opening term to have a matchwinning 54-point lead at
the first change.
The Double Blues fought back in the second term but the Eagles still
led by 39 points at the long break.
The Eagles dominated the second half, scoring 17 goals to four,
including another 10-goal burst in the final quarter.
They had strong defenders in Power-listed Aaron Shattock,
who streamed downfield to score a goal, Peter Fiacchi
(also a goalkicker) and Joe Pedler.
Coach Ron Fuller was impressed with the team's direct style of play on
the small Unley Oval, which allowed the Eagles to be so accurate in front of
goal because they did not have to kick from difficult angles.
After the expected percentage-boosting game against the Bloods, the
Eagles will meet South at Noarlunga Oval before the
top-of-the-table clash against the pacesetting Roosters at Woodville Oval.
This game may decide the minor premier and also give the winner
favouritism for the flag.
Fuller and the rest of the coaching staff at Woodville deserve a great
deal of credit for the way they have the team playing so strongly this season
after the setbacks of Grand Final losses against the Bulldogs in the past few
years.
SCORES: Woodville-West
BEST: Eagles – Passador,
Cicolella,
GOALS: Eagles – Passador
10, Westbrook 6, Grocke 5, Cicolella,
Rugolo 3, Powell, Shattock,
Jarrad, P.Fiacchi; Sturt –
Chambers 3, Button, Weatherald 2, Bentley, Taylor,
Herring, Paley.