SANFL 2006 PRELIMINARY
FINAL: WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS v NORTH ADELAIDE
Familiar obstacle ahead
By STEVE BARRETT
THE resilience and character shown by Woodville-West Torrens in
qualifying for its third straight Grand Final and fifth in seven years has
earned the club the admiration and respect of the entire league.
Floored by nemesis Central District in every one of those premiership
deciders, the Eagles refuse to wave the white flag. Instead they continue to
present, year-in, year-out.
Once more Woodville-West Torrens will be the sentimental favourite for
most neutral followers in this year's Grand Final against Central District.
The perennial bridesmaids are desperate to break their finals duck
against a Bulldogs side looking to make it four flags on the trot this Sunday.
After securing the minor premiership, the Eagles fully deserve to be
playing off in the decider, but they didn't have it all their own way during a
tense preliminary final victory over
Entering time-on in the first term, the match looked almost over, the
Eagles completely outpointing their opponents in every facet to go ahead 4.8 to
North's solitary behind - a whopping 12 scoring shots to one. Had the Eagles
kicked straighter, it probably would have been all over.
The Roosters booted the next three before a mark and goal from captain Gavin Colville at the 32-minute mark steadied the
Eagles.
The sides traded scores during a second period in which the Eagles
again had the ascendancy around the ground but couldn’t capitalise.
North found its feet in red-time, booting three without reply to reduce
the Eagles lead to just seven points at the main interval.
The Eagles wasted more gettable opportunities early in the third
stanza, allowing the Roosters to pinch the lead for the first time at the
14-minute mark.
Having led by as much as 31 in the first quarter, the Eagles let North
back into the contest by wasting opportunities, and the Roosters claimed their
first lead at the 14-minute mark of the third quarter. Stung, the Eagles
recaptured the lead on a Mark Passador goal four
minutes later, then increased the buffer to 29 points at lemons after a
five-goal to nil time-on period, Hayden Skipworth's
magnificent off-balance snap for goal after taking on three would-be North
tacklers the standout.
The Roosters dictated the fourth quarter and seemed to have more run
late in the game but, like the Eagles in the first half, errant kicking for
goal proved costly, and the Eagles hung on.
“I thought our endeavour and the way we went about it was fantastic,”
Eagles coach Ron Fuller said.
“I think we mauled them in the first half up until about time-on in the
second quarter. We just didn’t take our chances, and when you don't take your
chances, you keep them in range.
“The way we settled in that third quarter and then held them out for
that last five or so minutes was pretty good stuff.”
After the match, Fuller kept his cards close to his chest when quizzed
about plans for the Grand Final.
“We'll do something (different),” he said.
“But right now we're just enjoying the win. We're into a Grand Final so
we'll enjoy that part of it and then start planning.
“We were confident (of beating Central) two weeks ago and we played
poorly, so if we can play more of the way we want, we can (win). We just need
to be more total.”
If the Eagles mental resolve can match their hunger and man-for-man
talent, there is every reason to believe the premiership cup could be headed to
But that is a big if.
SCORES: Woodville-West
BEST: Eagles - Skipworth,
Cicolella, Fiacchi,
GOALS: Eagles - Lomas
2, Passador 2, Inkster 2, Skipworth,
Cicolella, Symmons, Cooper,
Colville, McKenzie, Grocke; North - Hargraves 2, Gill 2, Younie 2, Ryswyk, Ladhams, Millar, Edwards,
Hudson, Bamford, Alleway.