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Marty Mattner Mondays – Round 17

League Round 17 v South Adelaide
Sturt 15.10 (100) South Adelaide 10.10 (70)

Marty Mattner
Head Coach

Reserves Round 17 v South Adelaide
Sturt 10.11 (71) South Adelaide 6.11 (47)

We headed into our must win Round 17 clash against South Adelaide knowing the importance that a win would consolidate a finals berth for us and we ensured we were up for the challenge because South needed to win to stay alive for finals.

We started the game slowly with South dominating possession early but they were not able to hurt us on the scoreboard. We then settled into the game and were able to win our own fair share of the footy but unfortunately we missed some crucial, gettable set-shots which allowed South to remain in the game. In the second quarter we continued to dominate possession however our decision making with the footy was poor and we were playing into South’s hands a little. We were also not as tight defensively as we usually are which was disappointing and allowed South to take a 10 point advantage into the half time break.

We re-grouped at half time and discussed the importance of getting back to playing the way we wanted to play and being much smarter with the footy and the boys looked confident to get back out there and respond. Some of the leaders stepped up in the 3rd quarter and we were able to continue to dominate possession but this time capitalise on the scoreboard winning the quarter 4 goals to 1 and taking a 6 point lead into three quarter time. The boys were asked to dig deep in the last quarter to ensure South did not get us as we knew there was a finals berth on the line. To their credit we continued to put our foot on the pedal and pushed ahead of South to run out the quarter with another 4 goals to 1 quarter to win the match by 24points.

A pleasing response after half time which shows how far the boys have come in their maturity as footballers, we were challenged and responded and as a coach this is extremely pleasing. Results went our way too with West Adelaide beating Centrals which pushed us up into 3rd spot and a genuine chance at the double chance.

Best Players:

  • Mitch Crowden – was exceptional all day, dominating clearances and providing plenty of drive around the ground. He finished with 29 possessions and 2 goals.
  • Jake Veale – continued his super consistent form which has seen him play some League footy, his poise with the footy and run and carry was important in us getting back into the game.
  • Luke Edmonds – was our best defender on the day and played his best senior game for the club. He defended tightly and was able to stifle South attacks all day.
  • Blake Kennedy – played his role superbly, providing an option for us and tackling hard all day. He finished with 9 tackles.

Goals: Applebee 3, Wildman, Crowden 2, Samblich, Penfold & Houlahan 1.

We head to Norwood this week for the final Minor round game, knowing that a win should lock up 3rd spot for us and a double chance.

Gianni Petrucci
Reserves Coach

Under 18’s Round 17 v South Adelaide
South Adelaide 13.6 (84) Sturt 9.10 (64)

Round 17 of the U18’s Torrens University Cup saw us travel to Hickinbotham to take on the top of the ladder South Adelaide. Although Sturt had already booked their place in the Elimination Final having locked in third position on the ladder it was a good chance to see where they were at against the pace setters of the competition.

The weather had held up well and the ground was in excellent condition so it was a good chance to exhibit a highly skilled and quality game of underage football. South got on top in the centre clearances early leading to goals for the Panthers however Sturt were able to arrest the momentum and get the game back on their terms to end the quarter down by one goal. The second quarter saw South start to get on top however the Sturt defenders held up well to minimise the damage which saw the home side hold a 15 point lead at the main break. The third quarter was evenly matched with both sides having their moments to each score 4.1 for the quarter, but Sturt were starting to build momentum and were feeling confident at the last change. The last quarter saw the Double Blues have the ball in their forward half for long periods of time however they struggled to convert and used the ball poorly going inside forward 50. The match ended with a 20-point win to the Panthers after they kicked a late goal.

Best player for Sturt was strong bodied inside mid Rory Illman who tackled well and used his speed effectively. He had 25 disposals (13 contested) as well as 7 tackles. Second best on the day was Ed Allan who continued his impressive season. He had 22 disposals (73% efficiency), 8 clearances, 8 first possessions and was able to hit the scoreboard kicking 1.1. Mt Barker product Malachi Lines found plenty of the ball on his wing (20 disposals, 12 contested) and also had 3 spoils and one score assist. Small forward Jacob Trevorrow lifted in critical moments to kick 2 crucial goals to be named fourth best. His forward pressure was good and he had 5 score involvements for the day. Michael Ortiz worked hard in his midfield role to be named fifth best for Sturt. He had 7 first possessions and 5 clearances and worked hard defensively to lead the team with 9 tackles. Ryan Weidenhofer rounded out the best player list with another strong rebounding display from half back. He took 6 marks, had 3 clearances and 3 strong spoils.

Sturt now face Norwood in the last minor round game for the season, which will be played at Football Park. They will watch the other U18 results closely to see whom they will come up against next week in the Elimination Final with North Adelaide, Glenelg and West Adelaide still a chance to progress.

Chris Trapp
High Performance Coach

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