SANFL 2006 ROUND 15:
WEST ADELAIDE v STURT
Sturt's big baby bonus
By STEVE BARRETT
STURT has shown its hand and revealed its intentions loud and clear – the
rest of 2006 will be all about blooding the Baby Blues.
With finals participation no longer a possibility, Sturt is now
focusing its attention on putting the long-term pieces in place for 2007 and
beyond, and, more immediately, avoiding the embarrassment of a wooden spoon.
On both counts, the Blues recorded a pass mark on Saturday at Broadspectrum Oval, after easily accounting for a sloppy,
second-rate
Among the 21 to see action for Sturt, no less than 10 were aged 20 or
under, while 11 possessed less than 15 games of senior SANFL experience,
including three debutants, Ryan Herring, Luke Button and Nicholas Wark.
The Blues' hand was partially forced by the injury curse, which
afflicted experienced campaigners Damian Squire, Andrew Whiteman, Luke Jarjoura, Michael Coad and
skipper Ben Nelson.
But replacing that group with kids appears to be the course Sturt coach
Brenton Phillips and his support staff
are headed.
On the evidence of Saturday's performance, it would seem the right
direction.
Aided by a sturdy breeze, the Bloods led by five points at the end of
an often untidy and scrappy opening quarter, a margin which was quickly made to
look inadequate when Sturt booted the opening four goals of the second term to
set up a 20-point lead at the half.
Leading by 20 points at half-time, the Double Blues were challenged for
a while in the third period but some appalling skill errors and terrible
execution prevented the home side from making any serious inroads.
Despite some waywardness in front of goal, the fourth term was all
Sturt. The visitors piled on the pain for the Bloods after three-quarter-time,
outscoring them 4.9 to a measly three behinds,
increasing the gap from 25 points at lemons to 55 at the final siren, Brant
Chambers and Sean O'Keefe prominent, O'Keefe blitzing for 34 kicks, 16
handballs and four goals.
Tom Hurley, arguably the most talented 18-year-old footballer in SA,
led the youth brigade, and received tremendous support from damaging goalsneak William Paley, Port
Adelaide Power-rookie listed forward Greg Bentley, ruckman Herring, and
first-gamer Button, who missed some gettable set shots, but presented and
marked strongly inside 50 on debut.
“It was really good from the point of view that we played the kids
today and they all contributed to the team environment,” Phillips said.
“I was comfortable in the knowledge that we had a team that would
compete quite strongly today.
“When we compete for four quarters of football, we are always a chance
to beat most sides in the competition.”
SCORES: Sturt 2.0 7.3 10.6 14.15
(99) defeated
BEST: Sturt - O'Keefe, Feast, Sheedy, Curtis, Weatherald, Thurstans, Hurley,
Glover, Dragicevic,
Vanderloo, Haynes, Slattery, Grieger.
GOALS: Sturt - Chambers 6,
O'Keefe 4, Weatherald 2, Hurley, Paley;
West -