SA Footy

The westiestalk site is still down so we have to share these one sided views today.

A much improved performance from the Bloods today - they came to play and were well prepared for the game. Barber didn't play. We won the toss and elected to kick into the wind. Brayden Fisher, in his 4th game stood Damon White back from the AFL. North probably had their best team of the season and westies coming off 2 disasters and the bye.

Q by Q scores:
1Q WA 6.2 NA 3.3
2Q WA 9.6 NA 9.4
3Q WA 11.8 NA 17.8
Final WA 15.13 NA 19.13

It didn't look good when Ezard hit the post from 25m out in the first minute and then Alleway booted a 50m gem from the boundary but Westies won the Q with some hard running team footy. There was strong leadership and example from the senior players Walsh, Piasente and Dragga. A Dragga smother on the grandstand wing was the highlight of this Q but a great individual effort from Pia resulted in a wonderful goal at the 25 min mark.

Westies grabbed 2 quick ones from a Schubert clanger and a Hollands snap but Norths fought back well to be only 2 pts down at the long break. At the siren Westies regrouped in the centre and walked off in a tight huddle to appreciative applause from their small group of supporters.

The third Q belonged to Norths who kicked 8 to Westies 2. They had many forward options and their skilled delivery and ability to take a one grab overhead mark set them apart from the tiring and battling Bloods. Pia hurt his ankle and Cupido missed some easy set shots but a great tackle from Ezard let McCormick in for a hard fought goal.

There was a real danger of a blowout in the last Q but to Westies credit they lifted to outscore Norths. What happened was that some of the younger brigade like Hutchins, Caire, Ezard and Smith lifted as the likes of Walsh, Pia and Dragga had used up a lot of fuel early in the game. It was also pleasing to see Brayden Fisher get a few touches and show us what he is capable of - he exerted a real influence in this term.

Norths kicked 14 goals to our 5 in the middle 2 Qs and may well have taken their foot off the pedal in the last. They were far too skillful and much better equipped than Westies but our endeavour was excellent and we fought the game out extremely well. North's forward line included Alleway, Gill and White!

Cupido kicked 3 but failed to convert from another 6 set (and gettable) shots and this was most dissappointing as the game could have been a lot closer. Dragga also kicked 3. Best were Clark (his third BOG in a row), Piasente, Dragga, Walsh, Hollands and McCormick but there were another group who also stood out for the way they finished - Caire, Hutchins, Smith, Ezard and Vanderloo. Even Galea chased and tackled hard all day. It was a good, even team effort.

We'll go to Thebby next week with some real positives from this game. Go the Bloods.

Just got back from tyhe club there a lot postives to out of the game and we are a chance to beat the Eagles next week at Thebarton

The bloods played well today and it was only critical errors and misses that kept North in it early although our injuries - especially to Allan saw us get smashed in the square for 1 and ahlf quarters but in the end skill and experience along with actually respecting the opponent got us over the line.

Westies looked much better today when they didn't have the ball than they have looked for quite a while.

Good to see a bit of fight in the boys today. Gives us some hope for the rest of the season.

But we still looked terrible when we had the ball once North made a comeback at us. We looked nervous and hesitant, it wasn't a lack of commitment at all, just a lack of confidence. If we can string some competitive games together and a couple of wins I think we will make some big improvements out there, more than most will give us credit for.

Thiele wrote: we are a chance to beat the Eagles next week at Thebarton

Everyone's a chance of beating the Eagles at the moment.......except Port.

pretty poor crowd....did North fans go away for the weekend?

Dutchy wrote:....did North fans go away for the weekend?

I had to work yesterday, rushed down to catch the end of the game only to have the final siren go as I was walking up the back of the hill between the canteen and stand

Yep must have been the intimidation factor that our usual 500 fans have upon opposition supporters....

Be interested in Westies fans opinion of the umpiring, I thought it was one, if not the, worst display I'd seen this year at an SANFL game. It seemed like someone told the umpires that we'd all paid to see them play and not the players.

It's just normal for us, Wedgie.

I thought one umpire was atrocious, the other 2 reasonable.

We might go through the season with the biggest negative free kick count for a long time, along with the same last year. Just an observation, not a complaint.

redandblack wrote:It's just normal for us, Wedgie.

I thought one umpire was atrocious, the other 2 reasonable.

We might go through the season with the biggest negative free kick count for a long time, along with the same last year. Just an observation, not a complaint.

I think I know the one you were talking about, absolutely atrocious and he did stand out, I didn't think the other 2 were good but yes 1 was shocking.
I was ropable at some decisions against North but on the other hand I was completely embarassed by some of the decisions for North.
All I ask for is a bit of consistency.

I think that Blacky said the free kick count was NA 26 WA 22 which would seem around the mark considering the result.

I thought the umpiring was a bit dicey but not biased, put it this way I noticed the the umpires less at this game than any of the others I have been to this year.

bosvit wrote:I think that Blacky said the free kick count was NA 26 WA 22 which would seem around the mark considering the result.

I thought the umpiring was a bit dicey but not biased, put it this way I noticed the the umpires less at this game than any of the others I have been to this year.

I didn't say the umpires were biased, I said they were atrocious, big difference.

Sorry Wedgie wasn't referring to your post mate

More of an addition to R&B's

Was just a personal observation and considering some of the fors and againsts counts of recent times in our matches it makes a bit of a change....

The only obvious right decision on the day was when the umpire "pinged" the West trainer for blocking the path of a North player.

The most frustrating inconsistency is when the umps blow the whislte for a free that no-one can work out who should get it so all the players stop but then they allow advantage which clearly it wouldn't have been if play went on originally. They did it about a half a dozen times yesterday and twice it resulted in easy shots on goal.

I there was an inncedent between a West Adelaide offical and a north supporter during the third quater i think with the suppoter being on the ground sitting on a bench during that quater

Thiele wrote:I there was an inncedent between a West Adelaide offical and a north supporter during the third quater i think with the suppoter being on the ground sitting on a bench during that quater

Westies Sarge looked ropable and told me he was going to belt the bloke.
Didn't one of the Westies officials tell security or was there more to the story?

When last i saw Sarge after 3/4 time he was off to find him. All the officail did was ask him nicely to move there was no sercurtiy around should of looked around. Should of be one on the ground he was probly on the other side of the race

Ive actually sat on the Sturt bench a couple of times at Adelaide Oval and they were quite nice to me, mind you it is a very long bench (including the old style wooden chairs) and I did have a camera in hand.

Dutchy wrote:pretty poor crowd....did North fans go away for the weekend?

Yes.
Should've stayed home.