SANFL 2006 ROUND 18: WEST
ADELAIDE v NORTH ADELAIDE
Bloods push North
By JEFF CRAWFORD
Bloods coach Wayne Weidemann would have been
pleased not only with his troops' sharp start, but their endeavour all day as
they pushed the highly fancied Roosters, who reclaimed top spot on the weekend.
But it was West's inability to shut North down in crucial stages, along
with indirect play when all-out attack was required, that was the difference
between the bottom and now-top sides.
It was Ben Hollands, Marc Dragicevic
and prolific Ben Haynes who gave the Bloods a kick start and fed dangerous
forwards Scott Welsh and youngster Caolan Buckley in
a lively first quarter. Peter Walsh took
over across half-back, providing plenty of rebound and setting up play, while
full-back Jeremy Jaques completely shutdown Roosters
spearhead Daniel Hargraves.
Shocked into action at quarter time, the Roosters only took several
minutes to wipe out the 16-point deficit, although Tim Martin's goal came from
a questionable 50m penalty.
On the plus side, Chris Ladhams' left-foot
snap under pressure was a beauty.
Earlier in the season West may have crumbled, but Weidemann's
young side bounced back again, scoring the next two goals, before the Roosters'
superior running game and more direct football set up a four to five-goal buffer
in the second half the Bloods couldn't overcome.
It took North's runners to set up the victory, with Hargraves, Nick
Gill and Clint Alleway nullified on a perfect day
that should have suited their high-marking.
Best-on-ground Heath Younie was superb from
the first bounce, finishing with seven goals, while Scott Bamford,
Chris Ladhams and Leigh Ryswyk
were the other main contributors in finding the fastest avenue to goal.
In ruck, the combination of Brett O'Hara and Ben Hudson - in his return
to league football - proved too much for Matthew Cragg-Sapsford
and Ryan O'Sullivan.
Scoring the first three goals of the second half, the Roosters look set
for a runaway victory.
But it took until late into the last quarter for the red-and-whites to
shake off the persistent Bloods, who never stopped working.
Weidemann looks to be on the right track at
After a bye, West meets inconsistent Port Adelaide at Broadspectrum and an upset victory isn't out of the
question.
Andrew Jarman would have been happy with the
way his troops responded to last week's six-point loss against Norwood and
looking forward to what looms as one of the matches of the year, a clash with
the Eagles at Woodville which could decide the minor premiership.
SCORES:
BEST:
GOALS: North Adelaide - Younie
7, Bamford 4, Ladhams,
Hargraves 3, Ryswyk 2, Gill, Martin, Coulter, M.
Campbell; West Adelaide - Dragicevic 4, Welsh 3, Haynes, Buckley 2, Hollands, Bayliss, Illman, Bricknell.