Centrals vs Sturt Qualifying Review

[CUTTERMAN]

Well done to centrals, they rarely give in and almost never in finals. Well done to Sturt, it was a tough fought game and as has been mentioned before by some with a good perpective of the game, it could've gone either way and the end one team had to win. In the context of the game the Sharples free was a bit soft, BUT, ask yourself if it was down ground in running play would it be a FAD? The answer is obviously yes, so then ask yourself what is the umpire left to decide? Poor discipline is the cause for it and I'm sure Roy has let that be known, it was just plain stupid. I think the "over the shoulder" rule got confused in the last 1/4, but that's footy. While it's been a ******* crap weekend of footy, I'm looking forward to getting to see Sturt play next week. It'll be a tough game.
As far as the crowd behavior goes, anyone who spits on an umpire should be banned as should anyone who lets off or brings flares into a game. This seems to going on and on and needs to be stopped. Without laying blame, I'm sure any club that has supporters continually doing this would be embarrassed and wanting to stamp it out.
Over to the Dogs and the Tiger fans to start slapping each other.

[Grahaml]

Very, very happy with that win. Thought we were playing the better footy but some poor discipline and poor skills at times really hurt. Magnificent effort to come back so late, will give us a great belief in ourselves even if we're struggling in the next few weeks.

Best news is the improvement to come. Players to come back (Callinan, Slade, Hayes, Griffin and Symes) a few guys who should be better for the run and even plenty of guys out there didn't bring their best game today.

Havelberg's return was very important giving another target. I really hope reports of him doing his hammy are just it felt a little tight and was off as a precaution. Would be devastating for the lad to have done it again. Thommo's tackling was superb even if he didn't give as much drive as usual.

Amazing how both sides want to have a crack at the umpiring every game. Umpires did a good job today, every decision they made that I saw was completely understandable. Whether people might think it's soft or not the player would be better off not doing it at all. Crane's holding the ball I think should be holding the ball. Had the chance to get rid of it, took the players on then got tackled over the line. IMHO that should be holding the ball (even if it was a dogs player).

Can't believe someone seemed to be having a crack at the timekeepers for letting the quarter go so long! The quarters go for 20 minutes of playing time. The umpire even made sure he blew time off ASAP in the last bit to make sure as much time was played as possible, giving Sturt a chance at a late reply.

Great, great effort and superb game. Pretty tough on the nerves so if you're going to do it again next week lads make sure you win because I might need the week off myself.

[cennals05]

Well done to centrals, they rarely give in and almost never in finals. Well done to Sturt, it was a tough fought game and as has been mentioned before by some with a good perpective of the game, it could've gone either way and the end one team had to win. In the context of the game the Sharples free was a bit soft, BUT, ask yourself if it was down ground in running play would it be a FAD? The answer is obviously yes, so then ask yourself what is the umpire left to decide? Poor discipline is the cause for it and I'm sure Roy has let that be known, it was just plain stupid. I think the "over the shoulder" rule got confused in the last 1/4, but that's footy. While it's been a f****** crap weekend of footy, I'm looking forward to getting to see Sturt play next week. It'll be a tough game.
As far as the crowd behavior goes, anyone who spits on an umpire should be banned as should anyone who lets off or brings flares into a game. This seems to going on and on and needs to be stopped. Without laying blame, I'm sure any club that has supporters continually doing this would be embarrassed and wanting to stamp it out.
Over to the Dogs and the Tiger fans to start slapping each other.

Good Post. Agree with everything.

[SnappyTom]

just shattered.

looking at the scores, it lookes like Sturt choked!!!

what a cracker of a game!

ST...

[SnappyTom]

Very, very happy with that win. Thought we were playing the better footy but some poor discipline and poor skills at times really hurt. Magnificent effort to come back so late, will give us a great belief in ourselves even if we're struggling in the next few weeks.

Best news is the improvement to come. Players to come back (Callinan, Slade, Hayes, Griffin and Symes) a few guys who should be better for the run and even plenty of guys out there didn't bring their best game today.

Havelberg's return was very important giving another target. I really hope reports of him doing his hammy are just it felt a little tight and was off as a precaution. Would be devastating for the lad to have done it again. Thommo's tackling was superb even if he didn't give as much drive as usual.

Amazing how both sides want to have a crack at the umpiring every game. Umpires did a good job today, every decision they made that I saw was completely understandable. Whether people might think it's soft or not the player would be better off not doing it at all. Crane's holding the ball I think should be holding the ball. Had the chance to get rid of it, took the players on then got tackled over the line. IMHO that should be holding the ball (even if it was a dogs player).

Can't believe someone seemed to be having a crack at the timekeepers for letting the quarter go so long! The quarters go for 20 minutes of playing time. The umpire even made sure he blew time off ASAP in the last bit to make sure as much time was played as possible, giving Sturt a chance at a late reply.

Great, great effort and superb game. Pretty tough on the nerves so if you're going to do it again next week lads make sure you win because I might need the week off myself.

Excellent post, totally agree.
FWIW, all of the remaining sides have some interesting quality INs for the remainder of the finals.

I had expected that we'd be run off our legs, but the heart this lot displayed was awesome. Gotta love the CG21 goal from what even I thought was out of his range - but I guess the breeze carried it a bit further than normal. Glad he's our SP for 2009!
Thomas BOG for mine, Buckets close second. Captain led from the front.

ST...

[FlyingHigh]

Will Tony Dey be dropped for next week's games?

Hope so. Did he give the bizzare decision against Heath Lawry enabling Sturt to get the first goal ?

ummmm..that wasn't Tony Dey IIRC??? Please correct me if I'm wrong. I cannot remember the decision anyway So it must have been there

p.s. I am interersted to hear from neutral supporters on the umpiring in the last 10 mins...Did Sturt get a raw deal or did we just get undisciplined?

The three frees Centrals got in their 50 in the last quarter that resulted in goals (htb, in the back, too high) were all there. Thought the htb and puch in back on outer side half forward line were bad calls. Sharples free was soft but no reason for the Dogs player to do it. Thought Thurstans was lucky to get that free, they were both having a go, and Thurstans happened to be infringed when the umpire looked.

The last quarter was also going to go that long because the Sharples incident probably led to about 5 seconds of play and nearly a minute of time-on. Also, when the Centrals player (westhoff?) got the HTB free time-on was called for a while before he had his kick.

Thought Sturt's decision-making cost them. In the first three quarters looking behind to handball rather than drive forward on the bigger oval. Similarly at times some players didn't want to take the responsbility to kick a goal. Then in the last - Thurstans streamng though middle but instead of putting pressure on defence, passed sideways. Then Sturt had three players to one across the HB line, memebers side, and Crane kicked down the line 40 metres out of bounds, rather than running it for 30 metres and then kick 50 to get it into their forward line.

[sjt]

Over the years, opposition supporters have been saying that when the Gowans lads retire,that it will be the start of the downfall of CDFC dominance.
I reckon that whenever McKenzie retires it will be just as big a loss.
He just killed us today and in last years finals series.
VERY important and valuable player for the dogs.

Or before they retire e.g Cutterman after round 10
"Every dog has it's day and I think the Gowans' day is up. Only the umpires can help them now."

Agree with what you've said Smithy. Quite often he turns the game with his centre square efforts.

[Dogwatcher]

PS: After last night's game. Today's may have just saved my marriage

Talk about an emotional rollercoaster for Centrals/Adelaide fans. Two games within 24 hours with a combined wining margin of 11 points - a heartbreaking 5 point loss for Adelaide and a heartstopping 6 point win for Centrals!

I thought it was a great weekend.

[doggies4eva]

All the people critising the Gowans should look at the massive contributions they made in this game, particularly in the last quarter when players of their age might be expected to tire. Not them, they just get better! And they inject their spirit into the younger blokes so I am sure their legacy will go on for a long time after they do finally retire.

[Dogwatcher]

And they inject their spirit into the younger blokes so I am sure their legacy will go on for a long time after they do finally retire.

Very much so - look at O'Hara and Dutschke. Two blokes who've definitely taken their spirit on board.

[MST]

Very, very happy with that win. Thought we were playing the better footy but some poor discipline and poor skills at times really hurt. Magnificent effort to come back so late, will give us a great belief in ourselves even if we're struggling in the next few weeks.

Best news is the improvement to come. Players to come back (Callinan, Slade, Hayes, Griffin and Symes) a few guys who should be better for the run and even plenty of guys out there didn't bring their best game today.

Havelberg's return was very important giving another target. I really hope reports of him doing his hammy are just it felt a little tight and was off as a precaution. Would be devastating for the lad to have done it again. Thommo's tackling was superb even if he didn't give as much drive as usual.

Amazing how both sides want to have a crack at the umpiring every game. Umpires did a good job today, every decision they made that I saw was completely understandable. Whether people might think it's soft or not the player would be better off not doing it at all. Crane's holding the ball I think should be holding the ball. Had the chance to get rid of it, took the players on then got tackled over the line. IMHO that should be holding the ball (even if it was a dogs player).

Can't believe someone seemed to be having a crack at the timekeepers for letting the quarter go so long! The quarters go for 20 minutes of playing time. The umpire even made sure he blew time off ASAP in the last bit to make sure as much time was played as possible, giving Sturt a chance at a late reply.

Great, great effort and superb game. Pretty tough on the nerves so if you're going to do it again next week lads make sure you win because I might need the week off myself.

Straight off the bat, let me say congratulations to CDFC for winning yesterday's game. They are a remarkable club and the success they have enjoyed during the dominant period has been richly deserved. Their belief and never say die approach is what forced them over the line yesterday.

With that out the way, I absolutely must take issue with the highlighted statement above. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as in all my time reading this forum I cannot recall one occasion where grahaml has put his hand up and said 'gee boys, I reckon we pinched that one'. The reality is, Sturt, for 85 out of the 105 minutes of football played, were the better side without question. Central were on top for 20 of the 105 minutes played which included 15 minutes of the third quarter, where they appeared to be gaining some ascendancy and added two unanswered goals whilst keeping Sturt scoreless, and 5 minutes in time on of the last...no need to describe that period.

Sturt contrived to lose a game that was in their keeping and they have nobody to blame, umpires included, but themselves. Our football club needs to develop a more ruthless streak, much the same as Central have. When I suggest this, I don't mean the kind of ruthlessness that leads to kicking nine goals to zip in the last quarter against West Adelaide at home, I mean the kind of ruthlessness that leads to finishing the reigning premiers off when they are 13 points up heading into time on of the last quarter of a Qualifying Final. If Sturt can discover this ruthless streak THEN they will arrive as a genuine Premiership threat.

I don't believe all is lost. Sturt are a superior side to WWT and if they can win on Sunday they will, in my opinion, get another crack at Central in the Preliminary Final as I believe Glenelg will earn the direct passage through to the decider. They will then have a golden opportunity to put into practice what they hopefully learnt from yesterdays heartbreaker.

A final point on one particular umpiring decision. I said earlier that the umpires cannot be blamed for Sturts' demise yesterday and I maintain that, but I do have a query on the decision that lead to Giles kicking the winning goal. For 104 of the 105 minutes of football played yesterday, the umpires chose a) to bounce the ball at all stoppages and b) to wait until both ruckman were in a position to contest that bounce. My question to this forum is, why did Tony Dey choose to throw the ball up on the members wing at the 28 minute mark of the last quarter and more importantly why did he chose to hurriedly do so, before either ruckman had arrived in the area, forcing Angus Kurtze to have to try and make it to the ruck contest, where upon an infringement was then paid against him????

I will be interested in peoples thoughts.

[whufc]

What if Angus Kurtze was just dordaling across to the contest in an attempt to waste time.

[MST]

I'm after some intelligent, serious responses mate. Give it a try.

In any event, scores were level so why would any player from either side wish to waste time? Now the umpire suddenly trying to speed the game up, well that's a different story....

[Dogwatcher]

My question to this forum is, why did Tony Dey choose to throw the ball up on the members wing at the 28 minute mark of the last quarter and more importantly why did he chose to hurriedly do so, before either ruckman had arrived in the area, forcing Angus Kurtze to have to try and make it to the ruck contest, where upon an infringement was then paid against him???? I will be interested in peoples thoughts.

Watching on the tv - to me it looked like a Sturt player was already in position to take the ruck contest (and as various players were rucking throughout the afternoon at stoppages - I think Johncock was one at one point - the umpire probably assumed he was ready to go). And then Kurtze rushed in to try to get to the contest. Forcing the free.

At the time I thought that was silly of Kurtze to give that free away, as they already had someone in position to ruck and he could have held back and filled a hole.

[Dogwatcher]

Or...Kurtze could have just been dawdling to slow things down and the umpire decided to ball it up.

[whufc]

serious response, that was one of a hundred decisions made throughout the game. If you want to sit and anyalise every ball up and every contest im sure i can come up with at least 10 decisions that could have gone the way of the Dogs.

End of day mate Sturt didn't have the balls to hold on to the win and choked big time.

Enjoy the Eagles and cut throat final next week, hopefully you find the umpiring more to your liking.

[sjt]

"The reality is, Sturt, for 85 out of the 105 minutes of football played, were the better side without question." Central were on top for 20 of the 105 minutes played "

I think this can most definitely be questioned MST. At the end of the day I think both teams were pretty even hence the final result. Probably one of the most pertinent stats will be the inside 50s, it will be interesting when this comes out.

[MST]

serious response, that was one of a hundred decisions made throughout the game. If you want to sit and anyalise every ball up and every contest im sure i can come up with at least 10 decisions that could have gone the way of the Dogs.

End of day mate Sturt didn't have the balls to hold on to the win and choked big time.

Enjoy the Eagles and cut throat final next week, hopefully you find the umpiring more to your liking.

Actually, that was one of fourty four decisons that were made for the day (27-17 in favour of the Dogs) and one of nine decisions made in the last quarter (8-1 Dogs).....

As I have reiterated, I DO NOT blame the umpiring for the outcome. Go back and read my post 'mate'.

I await someone's explanation for Umpire Dey's choice to throw, rather than bounce, the ball at a stoppage for the first time in the match.

[Dogwatcher]

Happy with the response as to why he "rushed it" then?

As far as balling/bouncing - I don't think the umpire has to justify that does he? I'd be interested to hear from any umpires or people who know the rules on here about how they decide to bounce or throw...

[dedja]

It's fairly obvious that the difference between the teams yesterday was an edge in mental toughness ... and not much else.