SANFL Finals Week 2

[Mr Fuller]

For fear of copping some anti-Port wrath I'll comment on the Eagles.

Again, September comes around and bar Wundke the Eagles side looked incapable of hitting the scoreboard. Clearly a key forward short of where they need to be, perhaps two and the ruck division looks light on, especially with Hayes backing up the first choice ruckman.

Goes to show how the Eagles are super hard to beat at Woodville, I think it's the hardest place to go and win, but get them away from Woodville in the pressure cooker of finals and they're a different unit.

From what I saw yesterday I expect Sturt to make it through to play Port in a fortnight.

Probably a reasonable assessment there Booney. J Hayes looked really good in the first half of the season as a leading forward alongside Wundke. Fully of confidence, grabbing everything around him. The injury to Borholm forced Godden to play him as our key ruck (until the emergence of West) and then when West did come into the side Godden still played him as a second ruck. They guy would be lucky to be pushing 191cm. From the moment he started being used a ruckman his confidence has nosedived and his output has diminished and this experience has probably delayed his emergence as a key forward by 12 months or more.

It is clear that our gameplan changes from the minor round matches to how we play in the finals. During the season, we have multiple scoring options and our midfielders and small forwards in particular kick at least three quarters of our goals. In the finals matches where we have 'folded' in recent times Wundke has been responsible for kicking 90% of the goals. We look for him on every occasion because our midfielders and small forwards have all had very poor matches and contribute nothing. Players like McGregor and Johansson must be kicking 4 goals between them if we are to have any hope. And players like Boyd, Hall, Petrenko etc need to get 2-3 on the scoreboard. We can't be leaving it all to one player.

It starts in the centre. Our ruckman needs to get their hands to the ball. West will be a good player but its clear he is not ready yet. Borholm (if fit) must come into the side.

[VALE PARK]

Lowest first and second semi final crowd since ?
Or lowest ever?
As I have suggested before, could be the last Adelaide Oval finals (except the GF).
SANFuL got to do a lot lot better in promoting and programming the games during the year.
I was at Campbelltown Oval on Saturday and there could have been 1000 attending the ammos second semi final!

[Dutchy]

Lucky for the SANFL Sturt have been in finals weeks 1,2 and now 3 otherwise the crowds would be around 5k.

[matt35]

9,029 is the exact same number as last year's week 2 crowd.

[GMcG]

Oh well, looks like I now have another weekend free. I normally go to the GF but not this year, hopefully plenty of other neutrals boycott it aswell

I'll be going, first Grand Final since 2013!
Yes, I am getting paid.

I'd call in sick

Nah, it'll be the last bit of work I do before my Thailand trip and will mean another 5000 baht for beers. Or 5 chicks of I wasn't taking my girlfriend.

just make sure you don't give this one the clap

[Ronnie]

9,029 is the exact same number as last year's week 2 crowd.

That would've been the Sturt-Centrals crowd and as one of the attendees I felt like it was enough to give the game some atmosphere and noise.
Sitting there I thought how good it was for the players involved to play at the venue. It was fitting for the occasion.
Certainly that crowd at Adelaide Oval was far better atmosphere than the same crowd at football park. Below about 8,000 you start to feel the emptiness a bit which will be next week's prelim.

[JK]

[Apachebulldog]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH another nail in the coffin of the SANFL.

Kudos to the six clubs who voted yes and a special thanks to the SANFL for its endorsement.

Well done by all.

Bravo.

[Jim05]

Much better to be killed off and taken over

[Pseudo]

The irony is too obvious. Surely that lot is taking the mickey.

What did the Eagles' banner say?

"Our finals campaign
is like a bad dream
But we didn't have to merge
with an AFL team"

[am Bays]

Managed to almost fill a Green Bin full of weeds yesterday afternoon.

Next weekend start on the backyard, bit of pruning too maybe....

*sigh*

[therisingblues]

Don't know a figure, but much larger in the first game than the second. Says a lot about Sturt's drawing power.

A lot of Dogs fans around where we were on the hill. A very good atmosphere I thought, with both sets of fans in full voice.
At the start of the second game the crowd had dwindled in size but could there was still plenty of Double Blue and Central gear about the place. We left at half time, I think there were not many Sturt or Dogs fans that stuck around after that.

As for the game itself. I thought the Dogs had more of the ball, and probably dominated for longer patches, but wayward kicking cost them. Sturt finished off the work much better when we had the ball. That was the only difference. Had the Dogs won I reckon they'd have given the flag a bit of a shake.

We survive for at least one more week.

[Apachebulldog]

Don't know a figure, but much larger in the first game than the second. Says a lot about Sturt's drawing power.

A lot of Dogs fans around where we were on the hill. A very good atmosphere I thought, with both sets of fans in full voice.
At the start of the second game the crowd had dwindled in size but could there was still plenty of Double Blue and Central gear about the place. We left at half time, I think there were not many Sturt or Dogs fans that stuck around after that.

As for the game itself. I thought the Dogs had more of the ball, and probably dominated for longer patches, but wayward kicking cost them. Sturt finished off the work much better when we had the ball. That was the only difference. Had the Dogs won I reckon they'd have given the flag a bit of a shake.

We survive for at least one more week.

Correct summation my friend Blues deserved the win better team all year great contest great atmosphere.

Also stayed to watch the Interlopers play Eagles until half time thats all i could stomach knew the Eagles would get smashed cos of the way they played against us in the last game at Woodville.

Game was all over at quarter time no atmosphere at all unless you were a Power Reserves fan or a Pseudo Magpie.

Having the AFL INTERLOPERS involved has really benefitted our SANFL. NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT !!

NO AFL IN THE SANFL.

In other words FAAARKK OFFF and find another comp.

[amber_fluid]

9029

Semi-finals drawing under 10k would be a concern

It's a concern but not a surprise especially with both games being televised.
I thought they may have got close to 15k but less than 10k is poor.

[bulldogproud]

It was also up against the Royal Show this year - I don't think the show had included a second Sunday in previous years. This may have had some slight impact, with the weather being at its best compared to the rest of Show week.
Cheers

[mighty_tiger_79]

It was also up against the Royal Show this year - I don't think the show had included a second Sunday in previous years. This may have had some slight impact, with the weather being at its best compared to the rest of Show week.
Cheers

Show started having 2 weekends I think in the last year or so.
I was at the Show yesty and there was hardly anyone there.

[prowling panther]

It was also up against the Royal Show this year - I don't think the show had included a second Sunday in previous years. This may have had some slight impact, with the weather being at its best compared to the rest of Show week.
Cheers

Show started having 2 weekends I think in the last year or so.
I was at the Show yesty and there was hardly anyone there.

I don't think the show had any impact on the crowd, if your team was playing in the finals you would have been there, if your team was not in contention, then the show or a bin full of weeds would have been a better alternative. Prelim and Grand Final will be better attended by footy fans of SANFL.

[wedgetail]

For fear of copping some anti-Port wrath I'll comment on the Eagles.

Again, September comes around and bar Wundke the Eagles side looked incapable of hitting the scoreboard. Clearly a key forward short of where they need to be, perhaps two and the ruck division looks light on, especially with Hayes backing up the first choice ruckman.

Goes to show how the Eagles are super hard to beat at Woodville, I think it's the hardest place to go and win, but get them away from Woodville in the pressure cooker of finals and they're a different unit.

From what I saw yesterday I expect Sturt to make it through to play Port in a fortnight.

Probably a reasonable assessment there Booney. J Hayes looked really good in the first half of the season as a leading forward alongside Wundke. Fully of confidence, grabbing everything around him. The injury to Borholm forced Godden to play him as our key ruck (until the emergence of West) and then when West did come into the side Godden still played him as a second ruck. They guy would be lucky to be pushing 191cm. From the moment he started being used a ruckman his confidence has nosedived and his output has diminished and this experience has probably delayed his emergence as a key forward by 12 months or more.

It is clear that our gameplan changes from the minor round matches to how we play in the finals. During the season, we have multiple scoring options and our midfielders and small forwards in particular kick at least three quarters of our goals. In the finals matches where we have 'folded' in recent times Wundke has been responsible for kicking 90% of the goals. We look for him on every occasion because our midfielders and small forwards have all had very poor matches and contribute nothing. Players like McGregor and Johansson must be kicking 4 goals between them if we are to have any hope. And players like Boyd, Hall, Petrenko etc need to get 2-3 on the scoreboard. We can't be leaving it all to one player.

It starts in the centre. Our ruckman needs to get their hands to the ball. West will be a good player but its clear he is not ready yet. Borholm (if fit) must come into the side.

Agree with your comments Mr F, our scoring dries up in the heat of finals pressure. During the season we have a very even spread of scorers and without knowing exact figures, Johansen would be in the 20's, N Hayes near 20 and Wundke 30's. McGregor's goal output has been down on previous seasons though. Lewis gets a look at the goals at least once or twice a game but doesn't often convert, same with Pup.
Borholm is a must even if only 80% fit. We can match sturt if we bring intensity and quick ball movement as per earlier in the year. If not, another inglorious finals exit. I love Godden but his finals win/loss ratio would only be 50% at best- cue Spelly or Phil H.
There is no doubt we need Toumpas, Ellis-Yeolman and a few others in 2018 to bolster a squad that is thin and probably is about the 4th or 5th best team in the wash up of the 2017 season. Still hoping for a miracle though!
2011 we got destroyed by norwood in the qualifying final and still won the flag so here's hoping!

[hollywood7477]

Pathetic eagles. First quarter our foot and hand skills were below SANFL standard, we fumbled and constantly bombed the ball forward without looking. I thought Poole, Thompson and Stewart were the only ones who could hold there heads up high this match.

Performances of West (absolutely destroyed in the ruck from the opening bounce), Johanson (lack of desperation and pressure when not wit the ball), J Hayes (non-existent mirroring weeks of sub-standard performances) and Giuffreda (worst first half of his career) were very concerning.

Bornholm MUST come into the side next week replacing either West or J Hayes. Not really sure what other changes we can make as there hasn't really been anyone in the reserves knocking down the door throughout the season.

I see Johansen hasnt changed. Only works hard if he can look good and then he will bitch if things dont go his way. The kid is a cancer. Players were glad to see the back of him when he quit Glenelg because he thought he deserved more money and believed he was geting screwed over by the club. The amount of times he would bag all the Glenel;g coaches during drills

[GMcG]

Pathetic eagles. First quarter our foot and hand skills were below SANFL standard, we fumbled and constantly bombed the ball forward without looking. I thought Poole, Thompson and Stewart were the only ones who could hold there heads up high this match.

Performances of West (absolutely destroyed in the ruck from the opening bounce), Johanson (lack of desperation and pressure when not wit the ball), J Hayes (non-existent mirroring weeks of sub-standard performances) and Giuffreda (worst first half of his career) were very concerning.

Bornholm MUST come into the side next week replacing either West or J Hayes. Not really sure what other changes we can make as there hasn't really been anyone in the reserves knocking down the door throughout the season.

I see Johansen hasnt changed. Only works hard if he can look good and then he will bitch if things dont go his way. The kid is a cancer. Players were glad to see the back of him when he quit Glenelg because he thought he deserved more money and believed he was geting screwed over by the club. The amount of times he would bag all the Glenel;g coaches during drills

apparently a LOT of the current playing group does!