ARE MAGPIES UP TO EAGLES STANDARD?
After dropping three games in a row, Port is back in the groove with back-to-back wins over Norwood and Sturt to stabilise its position in the top five.
But are the Magpies a genuine contender? Wins over two bottom four ranked sides in the past fortnight have been impressive, but it’s against the top echelon who they’ll ultimately be judged against. This weekend they get their chance against the Eagles at Alberton in what is a real acid test for Tim Ginever and his men.
With three clubs having the bye, Round 15 concludes on Sunday with two interesting matches. The Glenelg v South Adelaide battle at the Bay should be a beauty, which the Tigers in particular need to treat as a mini-final. Already a game behind the fifth-placed Panthers, Glenelg cannot afford to lose this match and drop two games back. The club’s season is on the line.
The third and final match of the round is at Broadspectrum Oval where West Adelaide hosts Sturt. There’s still plenty of footy to be played in 2006, but thoughts of the dreaded wooden spoon will no doubt enter the minds of both sets of supporters at some stage. Pride is certainly at stake.
MAGPIES vs EAGLES
Port has corrected its season with two big wins in the past two weeks, including last Saturday’s demolition of the Double Blues which was its highest score and biggest winning margin of the season.
But this weekend’s assignment against the Eagles is a far tougher ask. Ron Fuller’s men are on a seven-game winning streak and will be out to reverse their Round 6 loss to the Magpies – their most recent defeat.
Both sides are targeting a top three finish to give them every chance come the major round, and with fourth-ranked Central District breathing heavily down their necks, neither can afford a slip-up.
The Eagles are on fire at the minute, but they’ve been up for a long time and could be in for a letdown soon, particularly after their stirring victory over the Dogs.
BLOODS vs DOUBLE BLUES
There are perhaps no more dreaded words in football than “wooden spoon†and you can bet the topic will come up amongst supporters at Broadspectrum Oval this weekend.
West Adelaide currently has a reasonably tight grip on the unwanted prize and will almost certainly be the 2006 recipient should it lose to Sturt. However, a win will not only thrust the spoon in Sturt’s sights, it will also give the beleaguered Bloods a much-needed morale boost. Coach Weidemann gave his charges an almighty spray following last week’s loss to Norwood, which he hopes will translate into a more determined showing.
The Double Blues have a psychological edge over West though, having won their past eight encounters, and in what looms as a dour struggle they should get home with the points again.
TIGERS vs PANTHERS
This is a huge game for Glenelg which must win to keep pressure on South Adelaide for fifth spot.
A Tiger victory will mean the two clubs are only separated by percentage, however a Panther triumph will push the southerners two games clear and go a long way towards cementing their first finals appearance since 1992.
Coming off the bye, the Bays have had ample time to reflect on their past three outings – all losses – and in front of their home crowd will be keen to make amends.
But even though they lost to North Adelaide by eight goals last Saturday, South has shown vast improvement in the past month and should prevail.
Courtesy of the South Australian Football Budget
Story by Kieran Hall