The VFL suffered a 65-point defeat at the hands of fierce rivals the SANFL last Saturday at Adelaide Oval.
Played in perfect conditions, the SANFL registered a 25.11.161 to 14.12.96 win in front of a lively home crowd of 5,596.
The triple threat of South Australia’s forward line towers Clinton Alleway, Ian Perrie and Brant Chambers (13 of the 25 goals) proved too much for an inexperienced Victorian defence.
Supply came thick and fast. The Victorians were no match for the damaging South Australian onball division lead by last year’s Magarey Medallist James Allan (32 touches, eight marks), Brett Backwell (27 disposals and three goals) and rover Jeremy Clayton (29 disposals, 10 marks). They found the footy at will and were aided by the precision palm work of bullocking ruckman Craig Parry.
The SANFL wrapped up the match with a blistering second term, which netted nine unanswered goals and a nigh on unassailable 55-point half-time lead.
Even the most ardent SANFL fan would have not seen the onslaught coming after five minutes of play though, when the VFL jumped out the blocks to have three goals on the board to nil in the first five minutes. Lively forward Robin Nahas and eventual Frank Johnson Medallist, demonstrated his class and nous, having a hand in goals to Jason Cloke, Patrick Rose and Hayden Skipworth.
Shocked, the SANFL hit back, and managed to peg back the lead by one point after a brilliant opening term that saw each side kick five goals.
The second was all South Australia as giant ruckman Parry won the taps to feed Allan and his band of fleet-footed ball carriers. Among them, was wingman Leigh Treeby, who sizzled kicking three goals. The Victorian backline had a torrent of forward entries to contend with (16 SANFL Inside 50ms to 8) and crucial turnovers brought on by the SANFL’s smothering forward pressure reaped reward and saw the lead blow out to 55-points at the main break.
With nothing to lose, Victorian coach Gerard Fitzgerald experimented shifting Cloke to Centre Half Back on Perrie, James Wall to Centre Half Forward and defender Scott Meyer into the ruck. The VFL managed to break even in the third and outscored the home side by a point.
The VFL continued to surge in the last quarter as VFL captain Brett Johnson, Rose and Skipworth managed to get their hands on the football. Goals to Justin Berry, Nahas, Danny Nicholls and Rose reduced the margin but a flurry of late goals to the SANFL including two each to power forwards Chambers and Alleway cemented the disparity between the two sides.
Nahas’ electric display (four goals from 20 disposals) was well-rewarded with the Frank Johnson Medal, as the VFL best player on the ground.
For the victors, Alleway’s dominant display (18 possessions, nine marks and six goals) saw him claim the Fos Williams Medal as the SANFL’s best player on the ground.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA v VICTORIA
Adelaide Oval - Crowd 5,596
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5.3 14.5 19.9 25.11 161
VICTORIA 5.2 5.4 8.6 14.12 96
BEST: SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Alleway, Thomas, Crane, Allan, Treeby, Parry, Clayton, Backwell, Perrie. VICTORIA - Nahas, Johnson, Silvester, Stretton, McGrath, Rose.
GOALS: SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Alleway 6; Chambers 4; Backwell, Perrie, Treeby 3; Havelberg, Salter 2; Powell, Sharples. VICTORIA - Nahas 4; Rose 3; Berry 2; Skipworth, Cloke, Kenna, Roach, Nicholls.
Fos Williams Medallist - Clint Alleway
Frank Johnson Medallist - Robin Nahas