Grade Cricket

[Tony Clifton]

Impressive effort by Glenelg. TTG are the short form cricket benchmark team in the competition and have been for years. Alex Carey is in some sort of form this season! Great to see him get a chance in the Shield game.

Couple of big wins on the weekend. Sturt beating Woodville puts the Woodpeckers under the pump given that they have the bye in the last game. The Jets beat Uni by a handful of runs to stay comfortably in second spot. Southerns an outright win which has pushed them into contention.

Sturt vs Kensington this week 3rd vs 4th should be interesting.

[Burras]

Two rounds to go and top four is still wide open! What's everyone's thoughts on the final 4... I'm thinking:

1. TTG
2. ND
3. Glenelg
4. SD

[Eagles2014]

Two rounds to go and top four is still wide open! What's everyone's thoughts on the final 4... I'm thinking:

1. TTG
2. ND
3. Glenelg
4. SD

Doubt Southerns can make it, especially if they have to bat Sunday without Josh Barrett, he is their only batter.

Kensington and Sturt play this weekend, whoever wins that match should play finals.

Glenelg without Alex Carey also vulnerable.

Interesting round this one!

[heater31]

Anyone got possible reasons why a club with an axe hanging above its head would be ringing rival club's (that are not tied up in this mess) players about next season? Over confidence? or do they know something the rest of us do not?


Would have thought it was the other way around.....

[Burras]

Two rounds to go and top four is still wide open! What's everyone's thoughts on the final 4... I'm thinking:

1. TTG
2. ND
3. Glenelg
4. SD

Doubt Southerns can make it, especially if they have to bat Sunday without Josh Barrett, he is their only batter.

Kensington and Sturt play this weekend, whoever wins that match should play finals.

Glenelg without Alex Carey also vulnerable.

Interesting round this one!

When your next two opponents are a weakened Prospect (day 2 ) and Adelaide you would say they have a strong chance.

Agree but I feel the loser will miss which makes the game that much more interesting to watch!

[Eagles2014]

Anyone got possible reasons why a club with an axe hanging above its head would be ringing rival club's (that are not tied up in this mess) players about next season? Over confidence? or do they know something the rest of us do not?


Would have thought it was the other way around.....

Definitely not West Torrens. We made decision few years ago to develop our youth and give them a go. No point winning 17 junior premierships over last six or so years if you are not going to play them. Now that Dan Cullen has retired, the only "outsider" we have is Our keeper Leigh Drennan who came from QLD/ NT Strike. The rest of our A Grade have played juniors from Under 14's. Plus we have lost five or six to other Clubs also.

The only cocky club would be Woodville, as they are safe as houses. They may be asking around as they did last year. Have heard Port have targeted several players ( including couple from us!!), which is strange as reckon they are just as much under the pump as us. Having no 16 Whites for three years should make it an automatic choice, but unfortunately SACA have a hidden agenda!

[Tony Clifton]

What's the hidden agenda?

[Eagles2014]

What's the hidden agenda?

That the SACA Board have already made up their mind and the presentations on Monday night are a waste of time (and there has been a mountain of work go into them!).

Hearing Andrew Simcock abstaining from vote as he is totally against what they are doing, as are a couple of other board members.

Apparently Channel 9 News doing a piece tomorrow night, re "why western suburbs being targeted". Great question!!

[oyster]

What's the hidden agenda?

That the SACA Board have already made up their mind and the presentations on Monday night are a waste of time (and there has been a mountain of work go into them!).

Hearing Andrew Simcock abstaining from vote as he is totally against what they are doing, as are a couple of other board members.

Apparently Channel 9 News doing a piece tomorrow night, re "why western suburbs being targeted". Great question!!

Getting around town and speaking to people most don't think that any side has to disappear. The sides most often are mentioned as should be in the gun, two of the three clubs that are in the gun get a mention, but not West Torrens. Most people who you speak with, think if a side has to go, it should be either Adelaide, Prospect, Adelaide Uni, Port or Woodville. Many people think Adelaide, Uni and Prospect as much as Port and Woodville. Not many can understand why West Torrens are in the gun. Most are puzzled why WT are in the gun at all. You also hear a lot of people saying that Southerns while covering the whole of the south, should with their record, be one of the first, but will never happen because of the south. Interesting what people are saying around town. I think if I took a straw poll of peoples views, then either Adelaide, Uni, Port, Woodville or Prospect would be the most often mentioned.

[heater31]

The hidden agenda is pleasing those executives in Jolimont (Cricket Australia) they have told them to get rid of the bye or risk losing $$$.

2 of the 3 in the gun are going to face significant issues with juniors and it would take a long time before things improve.



We all know who it really should have been but then if they went down that path then it would be tied up in buildings on Victoria Square for years.

[Tony Clifton]

Everyone seems to agree that there are too many clubs and the bye must go but the cold, hard reality of losing your club or seeing it merge is such a bitter pill. I know there are WT posters on here who must be devastated but if it was Prospect, Adelaide or any other club there would be just as many devastated club members, former/current players and supporters.

There's no nice way to do it unfortunately.

I don't agree with the premise that fewer clubs will automatically lead to a stronger competition anyway but it seems there's no way back. Will make for a stronger Adelaide Turf competition IMO.

What grates about West Torrens is that they're one club who have been consistently successful at senior, junior and women's level and have been producing players to play at higher levels. Surely this is why grade clubs exist? Should be rewarded for what they've produced with a small zone, not penalised for the low population. Expand their zone.

If all clubs operated like WT then I'm confident SA cricket would not have been in the hole it's been in for the last 15+ years.

[heater31]

What grates about West Torrens is that they're one club who have been consistently successful at senior, junior and women's level and have been producing players to play at higher levels. Surely this is why grade clubs exist? Should be rewarded for what they've produced with a small zone, not penalised for the low population. Expand their zone.

They have also been penalised for being neighbours of 2 clubs that have deep rooted issues in the lower Grades that are unsustainable. Port Adelaide haven't put a 16 Whites team on the park for 3 seasons! Heard reports of their 14 Reds team being barely taller than the stumps! Woodville have kids leaving them in droves because of how its run. They have failed to field senior teams in recent years.


The remaining clubs can't afford to relax either once this is done and dusted part 2 will proceed and it may force a club to change their address!

[Tony Clifton]

All I can see happening from all of this is a heap of club administrators and volunteers get alienated and stop being involved in grade cricket, a lot of players either shift to new grade clubs or (more likely) paid roles at turf clubs and the Redbacks still produce poor results. Then what? After a club has disappeared or merged it is gone forever. You can't unbake the cake.

[heater31]

Woodville chased 399

[Eagles2014]

Woodville chased 399

Heard from Port mate (bias??) that Gutschke was caught behind on 70, clear as day, they were horrified not given, went on and made 214. Talk about costly decision!

Port bowling attack not great without Benton, but over 800 runs for game pretty unusual.

Does not help Woodville, cant play finals, would need absolute miracle with four teams needing to lose as favourites.

[Tony Clifton]

Couple of good young keepers getting an A Grade guernsey this season - Kerr and Reardon. Good to see.

Player to watch: Blake Gutschke

My October preview post!

Only took 12 rounds to come to fruition.

Also posted that Kelvin Smith would play for Australia this summer. Might have to go back and edit that one out.

[C Horse]

Woodville chased 399

Does not help Woodville, cant play finals, would need absolute miracle with four teams needing to lose as favourites.

We get it Eagles2014, you don't like Woodville.
When one of WT's 'gun' junior players makes 200, let us know.

In fact, when West Torrens win another game let us know - it's been about 5 months hasn't it?

Would have been a great game to watch obviously a very good wicket over there.
A couple of teams (Glenelg, Kensington) will be kicking themselves today.
What an amazing final round we have in store with 7 teams shooting for 3 spots.

[The Bedge]

We get it Eagles2014, you don't like Woodville.
When one of WT's 'gun' junior players makes 200, let us know..

When they merge he can claim Gutschke

[heater31]

Couple of good young keepers getting an A Grade guernsey this season - Kerr and Reardon. Good to see.

Player to watch: Blake Gutschke

My October preview post!

Only took 12 rounds to come to fruition.

Also posted that Kelvin Smith would play for Australia this summer. Might have to go back and edit that one out.

Take out his double and its far less compelling reading......128 runs @ 18.

[Eagles2014]

Woodville chased 399

Does not help Woodville, cant play finals, would need absolute miracle with four teams needing to lose as favourites.

We get it Eagles2014, you don't like Woodville.
When one of WT's 'gun' junior players makes 200, let us know.

In fact, when West Torrens win another game let us know - it's been about 5 months hasn't it?

Would have been a great game to watch obviously a very good wicket over there.
A couple of teams (Glenelg, Kensington) will be kicking themselves today.
What an amazing final round we have in store with 7 teams shooting for 3 spots.

Just stating facts C Horse, they can't make finals.

WT develop more "gun" juniors than most clubs.

Just look at Woodville, they develop no one! Just look at the three Woodville players who have won Rising Star nominations this year, all three from West Torrens (Warren Peters, Oliver McDowall and Blake Gutsche), and chuck in Harry Nielsen and we have supplied most of their team.