Grassroots: SA footy round-up
Today, the long history of Sturt-Norwood player movements, a legend helps celebrate a country player’s 400th game, under 18s news and much more.
Evans part of long history
The movement of players between eastern suburbs’ clubs Sturt and Norwood has been consistent since the 1970s.
After a decorated career with Norwood, Robert Oatey went to join his father, legendary coach Jack, at Unley and became a premiership player in 1974.
Bruce Winter, who is from a Norwood family, started his football with Sturt and was a premiership player under Oatey as well, before moving across to the Parade and enjoying flags with the Redlegs.
Noel Pettingill, known as one of the longest kicks in the game went from Norwood to Sturt, as did Yorke Peninsula lad Neil Craig, who started as a junior at Carman House at Norwood, moved to Sturt in the mid 1980s and then returned to Norwood as a coach, before finally achieving the senior gig at the Adelaide Crows.
Michael Nunan is another who moved between these two clubs, before going to North Adelaide.
Current player Mark Evans has followed the same path.
He debuted with the Redlegs as a 17-year-old in 2009 against South Adelaide at The Parade, when Jarrod Cotton took over from Trevor Hill late in the season.
After a five -year senior tenure at Norwood and just 41 league games, he could have easily decided to pick up serious cash in the country, but decided to move across to Unley this year to get a second start at SANFL level.
“I feel I’ve still got a bit to prove and you want to be testing yourself at the highest level,” Evans told InDaily.
“There has been some disappointment along the way.
“In 2013, I played most of the game league level, but last season didn’t start well.
“I had two knee ‘clean outs’ in 2014, one during pre-season and the second while round one was being played.
“Another part of the reason for the move was to get more opportunities up the field.”
Schache cleans up SA
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Josh Schache, the son of the late Brisbane Bears, Woodville-West Torrens and Sturt footballer Laurence, was a catalyst in Victorian Country’s pivotal win over the SA Under 18s.
He proved to be a great target, finishing with 5.2 as a key forward.
His father played with the Double Blues, where he was the club’s leading goal kicker in 1990, and also donned the West Torrens and the amalgamated Eagles jumper.
He also played 29 games with the Bears in 1991-92, becoming the fledgling club’s leading goal kicker in its first year with 47 goals from 17 games.
Unbeaten after four games, Victorian Country defeated the Croweaters for the first time on South Australian soil for a decade on the weekend.
On a pristine AMMI stadium, with its surface still up to AFL standard, the Croweaters took it up to their unbeaten opponents for two and a half quarters, but went down in the end by 28 points.
The final score was Vic Country 13.13 (91) d SA 9.9 (63).
“Vic Country had too much talent on the day,” SA coach Brenton Phillips said.
“I thought we were in the contest until the last 10 minutes of the third quarter, when they got away from us.
“We controlled the first seven or eight minutes of the game, but didn’t have the games on our terms after that.”
Phillips said Will Snelling and Luke Partington were best for SA.
Brilliant debut
In Norwood’s Sunday clash against Sturt, 18-year-old indigenous talent from Darwin, Davin Ferreira, made a significant impact in in first league game with the Redlegs.
In the middle of March he was a member of the Wanderers side that collected the 2014-15 Northern Territory Football League flag against St Marys.
Last weekend, he kicked his first goal early in the second term and snaffled a second just a couple of minutes later. A third in the last quarter as a part of a 22-point win topped off a big day for the Rostrevor College Year 12 student.
“Davin was excellent,” Norwood senior coach Ben Warren said.
“He was a little nervous in the week leading up to the contest, but very excited.
“He played with great composure for a debutant and kicked three vital goals. His speed and ability to get at the opposition was excellent.
“Davin provided a good lead up option across half forward and to finish with 18 disposals, two tackles and six marks was a very good result.”
Nicknamed “Wayne” after the South African tennis player, Ferreira came out to pre-season at the Parade in between his commitments at the Wanderers, in the seniors at Rostrevor College and Northern Territory state under 18s.
“Davin has played six games in the reserves this year and has whilst he hasn’t dominated he has shown that he is clean with his skills, along with having excellent speed and agility,” Warren continued.
“Aerobically he is top five in the club and mixed with excellent repeat efforts he is difficult to match up on.
“He will be away for the next month with state duties (with the Northern Territory) but he has shown he is good enough to play at league level and we will get him in again at some stage later in the year.”
Legend celebrates 400-game milestone
SA football icon Barrie Robran made a surprise appearance during Angaston’s pre-game team meeting on the weekend, as part of celebrations for the Barossa team’s 400-game captain, Matthew Doecke.
AFL Hall of Fame Legend, SANFL champion, triple Magarey Medallist and state cricketer, Robran, who started his footy North Whyalla in the country, presented Doecke with his jumper for the milestone game during an impromptu ceremony in the clubrooms.
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“I’m envious,” Robran said after the presentation to Doecke.
“I wanted to play at some level until I was 40, but injury didn’t allow that.
“This is a wonderful achievement, not only for Matthew, but the football club and the whole community at Angaston.”
Angaston delivered for their longest-serving player, collecting victory by 85 points against a Kapunda side that was perched in second position on the ladder before the game started.
Not mentioned in the best players Doecke was still more than serviceable in his 400th A grade appearance with 20 disposals, six tackles and a pair of goals.
As a part of the celebrations for Matthew Doecke’s milestone 400th game, in conjunction with the Angaston Football Club, I produced a 40-page A4 bound book celebrating the career of the Angaston star.
The book recounts his football and sporting achievements, along with his upbringing and family life. It includes insights from each of his seven coaches at Angaston and a number of his long term team mates.
The publication, Dekker – Mr. Durability – The Matthew Doecke Story, and is available at a cost of $20 (plus postage and handling) by contacting me at [email protected]
Noarlunga’s 20-year celebration
Twenty years ago SANFL league football started at Noarlunga Oval, South Adelaide’s new home in the southern suburbs, with a clash between the Panthers and Glenelg.
It was Tasmanian Hall of Famer and South Adelaide’s skipper Darren Trevena’s 150th SANFL game, but the match comfortably went the Bays’ way.
Dual Tiger premiership star Tony Symonds was Glenelg’s coach and Nick Chigwidden was captain. Ken Shelden was the Panthers mentor, while Brendon Lade and Trent Mills were also in the blue and white jumper.
Original Crow Allen Bartlett, Phil McGuiness, Jim West, Lyndon Bow, the late Dean Bailey and Darren Mansell were among the troops in black and gold.
In last weekend’s re-match the Panther’s retained the Carey Darley Cup with a solid 20-point win.
150-game milestone for Bloods big man
West Adelaide ruckman-forward Ryan Willits played his 150th SANFL League match against Port Adelaide last Saturday.
It has been an interesting journey for the former Victorian, who came out of the Northern Knights Under 18 program.
He first played with Glenelg for two years, but moved to the Bloods while on the Power’s AFL list.
Willits made his AFL debut in ’06, but only played three games.
Originally delisted at the start on 2007, he was rookie listed again that year.
He has twice been West’s leading goal kicker in 2008 (30 goals) and 2009 (29).
Willets returned to SANFL football this year after two years with the Montmorency Magpies in Victorian Northern Football League.
North Adelaide sacks Ken
Unsurprisingly, North Adelaide has sacked coach Ken McGregor, after a disappointing season in which the Roosters have only won one match.
In a statement released yesterday, club president Bohdan Jaworsky said McGregor, a former Crows player and now full-time Advertiser journalist, didn’t have the time to devote to the job.
Assistant coach Michael Handby will take the reins for the rest of the season.
Grassroots is published on Wednesdays.
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