SA FOOTY PHILosophy - 2009 #3 : WHEN DAYLIGHT SITS SECOND
Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 9:55 pmMAIN STORY – WHEN DAYLIGHT SITS SECOND
Is the season over already? Can we just save ourselves the trouble and crown Central District as the 2009 premiers now?
After a 4-0 start and wins over likely challenges North, Glenelg and the Eagles there appears to be a large gap between the Bulldogs and the rest of the field.
Given Central’s impeccable finals record this decade (9 seasons, 9 finals appearances, 19-2 record, 9 straight grand finals, 7 premierships) it’s hard, at this point, to see anyone getting close.
Well just before they cancel the bulk of the brewery chimney paint order, a look back at the fast 4-0 starters in the SANFL, over the past decade, indicates that a premiership is nowhere near guaranteed for the front runner at this stage of the season..
1999 – Port Adelaide
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d South by 23, Norwood by 59. Glenelg by 41 & Sturt by 18)
- Next 16 games - 11-5
- Finished minor round – 15-5 (1st)
- Finished season – PREMIERS (d Norwood in Grand Final)
2000 – Port Adelaide
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Eagles by 12, Central by 78, West by 78 & South by 7)
- Next 16 games – 9-7
- Finished minor round – 13-7 (3rd)
- Finished season – 4TH (Lost Qualfying & First Semi Final)
2001 – Norwood
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Central by 22, South by 32, Port by 5 & North by 12)
- Next 16 games – 7-9
- Finished minor round – 11-9 (4th)
- Finished season – 4TH (Lost First Semi Final)
2002 – Sturt
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Norwood by 55, South by 74, Eagles by 51 by Glenelg by 72)
- Next 16 games – 12-4
- Finished minor round – 16-4 (3rd)
- Finished season – PREMIERS (Defeated Central in Grand Final)
2002 – Central District
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d West by 94, North by 101, Glenelg by 70 & Port by 37)
- Next 16 games – 14-2
- Finished minor round – 18-2 (1st)
- Finished season – Runners Up (Lost to Sturt in Grand Final)
2006 – North Adelaide
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Eagles by 22, South by 18, Sturt by 92 & Glenelg by 37)
- Next 16 games – 12-4
- Finished minor round – 16-4 (2nd)
- Finished season – 3RD (Lost Prelim Final to Eagles)
2006 – Port Adelaide
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d West by 27. Central by 56, South by 47 & Norwood by 45)
- Next 16 games – 7-9
- Finished minor round – 11-9 (5th)
- Finished season – 5TH (Lost to South in Elimination Final)
2007 – Central District
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d North by 42, South by 59, Eagles by 82 & Glenelg by 35)
- Next 16 games – 14-2
- Finished minor round – 18-2 (1st)
- Finished season – PREMIERS (Defeated North in Grand Final)
2008 – Sturt
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Norwood by 60, Central by 44, North by 60, South by 85)
- Next 16 games – 11-5
- Finished minor round – 15-5 (2nd)
- Finished season – 3RD (Lost to Glenelg in Prelim Final)
So in conclusion, of the last 9 teams that started a season 4-0
- All 9 (100%) played in the finals
- Most (7 – 78%) secured a double chance
- But only 2 (22%) won the minor premiership
- A narrow majority (5 – 56%) failed to make the grand final
- Meaning 4 (44%) played in the grand final
- Only 3 (33%) won the premiership
- None remained undefeated, indeed the last (& only side since 1907) to go through an entire season unbeaten was Port in 1914.
.
STATISTIC OF THE WEEK
It looks like the Eagles have put a curse on opposition goal shooters this season. Thus far from their five matches no team has managed to kick more goals than behinds against Woodville-West Torrens.
Rd 1 by Central 10-14 (41.7%)
Rd 2 by West 11-11 (50.0%)
Rd 3 by Glenelg 10-20 (33.3%)
Rd 4 by Port 10-11 (47.6%)
Rd 5 by South 5-11 (31.3%)
TOTAL 46-67 (40.7%)
OTHER TRENDS
- If ever the old saying that “the only statistic that matters is the scoreboard” needed proof it was at Unley last Saturday. Sturt amassed 74 more kicks and 76 more handballs (that’s a staggering 150 more possessions), took 49 more marks, had 6 more hitouts, made 19 more tackles and lost.
- The Eagles win over the Panthers was their 6th straight against South and leaves the all time record at 38-10 in favour of Woodville-West Torrens.
- West’s win over Norwood broke a few unwanted streaks for the red and black faithful.
It was the Blood’s
- first win since Rd 20, 2009 v South (had lost 6 drawn 1)
- first win @ Richmond since Rd 9 2008 v South (lost 6, drawn 1)
- first win against a team other than South since May 2007 (lost 34 drawn 1)
- first win v Norwood since Rd 21 2006 (lost last 5)
Ironically as per 2008, West now incur a bye after their first win, this year they return with a trip to Elizabeth to take on the Bulldogs.
- Speaking of the Bulldogs their Anzac Day demolition of Glenelg was Centrals 4th straight against the Bays and leaves the Dogs record this decade on April 25 at 7-2.
COMING UP
- Central have won 5 straight and 13 of the last 15 against Norwood, including the last 3 at Coopers Stadium.
- Sturt have won the last 5 against Port and the last 3 at Alberton.
- North have won the last 5 against the Eagles and the last 4 against them at Prospect
- Surprisingly South have won 4 of the last 6 against Glenelg including 2 of the past 3 at Hickinbotham. The Panthers were the only side to have a winning record (2-1) against Glenelg in the minor round last season.
- So far ahead was Nick Lowers possession count after 4 rounds (total 125, avg 31.3 per game), he could play last week for the Power and still retain his lead over the entire SANFL in this category
CROWD WATCH
Not a good round for league attendances as the wettest weekend in 3 years had a most decided effect on crowds at all venues.
The total of 7,849 over the 4 games leaves the league 4,550 behind the total attendance as at the end of Round 5 last year.
Average Per Game (Last Five Seasons As at end of Rd 5)
2009 – 3,279
2008 – 3,506
2007 – 3,348
2006 – 3,490
2005 – 3,213
MEDIA WATCH
For those not aware, following is a list of all regular SANFL Media Coverage occurring this week
Radio
Sat 1.30pm - Norwood v Central – 1197am 5RPH
Sun 1.30pm - North v Eagles– 107.9 LIFE FM
Sun 1.30pm - Port v Sturt - 1197am 5RPH
Sun 5.30pm - SANFL Show – 1395am Fiveaa
Mon 6.10am - SANFL report – 1539am Radio TAB
Mon 7.30am - SANFL Wrap – 1197am 5RPH
Wed 7.00am - Outside 50 -- 1197am 5RPH
Thur 7.30pm - Sportscap -- 88.5 Coast FM
Thur 8.00pm - League Teams Show – 1197am 5RPH
Press
The Advertiser - regular reports, teams on Friday
Sunday Mail - Match reports
- http://www.adelaidenow.com.au
Messenger Press - daily reports on their web site
- http://www.messenger-news.whereilive.com.au
Sportsbeat - SANFL preview each Friday
Football Budget - At games & selected CBD newsagencies from Lunch time each Friday.
Television
Network 10 - Simply Footy, Saturday, time TBA
ABC1 - Norwood v Central, 2.00pm Saturday
ONE FINAL THING ..
As SANFL clubs battle to maintain and grow their profile alongside the AFL and other sports it’s very important for them to develop strong relationships within their local community.
Two such initiatives came to my attention this week and both are worthy of promotion and praise.
Firstly North Adelaide have linked in with the FUSE Mentoring Program, run by Baptist Care (SA) Inc and on Sunday against the Eagles will be hosting 50 young people (& their mentors) from countries such as Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan. For many if not all this will be their first experience of a live Aussie Rules game. More information about this program can be found on the Roosters official web site http://www.nafc.com.au.
Also South Adelaide, with the support of Hickinbotham Homes, has teamed up with the Hackham West Community Centre and their Southern Man-Made initiative. This is also a mentoring program but it is with fatherless youth in the southern area and senior Panther player who grew up in the same area. I suspect it will be an enriching experience for both parties and the club is to be commended for taking on the challenge. Again more information can be gleamed from the club web site http://www.safc.com.au.
Is the season over already? Can we just save ourselves the trouble and crown Central District as the 2009 premiers now?
After a 4-0 start and wins over likely challenges North, Glenelg and the Eagles there appears to be a large gap between the Bulldogs and the rest of the field.
Given Central’s impeccable finals record this decade (9 seasons, 9 finals appearances, 19-2 record, 9 straight grand finals, 7 premierships) it’s hard, at this point, to see anyone getting close.
Well just before they cancel the bulk of the brewery chimney paint order, a look back at the fast 4-0 starters in the SANFL, over the past decade, indicates that a premiership is nowhere near guaranteed for the front runner at this stage of the season..
1999 – Port Adelaide
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d South by 23, Norwood by 59. Glenelg by 41 & Sturt by 18)
- Next 16 games - 11-5
- Finished minor round – 15-5 (1st)
- Finished season – PREMIERS (d Norwood in Grand Final)
2000 – Port Adelaide
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Eagles by 12, Central by 78, West by 78 & South by 7)
- Next 16 games – 9-7
- Finished minor round – 13-7 (3rd)
- Finished season – 4TH (Lost Qualfying & First Semi Final)
2001 – Norwood
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Central by 22, South by 32, Port by 5 & North by 12)
- Next 16 games – 7-9
- Finished minor round – 11-9 (4th)
- Finished season – 4TH (Lost First Semi Final)
2002 – Sturt
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Norwood by 55, South by 74, Eagles by 51 by Glenelg by 72)
- Next 16 games – 12-4
- Finished minor round – 16-4 (3rd)
- Finished season – PREMIERS (Defeated Central in Grand Final)
2002 – Central District
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d West by 94, North by 101, Glenelg by 70 & Port by 37)
- Next 16 games – 14-2
- Finished minor round – 18-2 (1st)
- Finished season – Runners Up (Lost to Sturt in Grand Final)
2006 – North Adelaide
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Eagles by 22, South by 18, Sturt by 92 & Glenelg by 37)
- Next 16 games – 12-4
- Finished minor round – 16-4 (2nd)
- Finished season – 3RD (Lost Prelim Final to Eagles)
2006 – Port Adelaide
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d West by 27. Central by 56, South by 47 & Norwood by 45)
- Next 16 games – 7-9
- Finished minor round – 11-9 (5th)
- Finished season – 5TH (Lost to South in Elimination Final)
2007 – Central District
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d North by 42, South by 59, Eagles by 82 & Glenelg by 35)
- Next 16 games – 14-2
- Finished minor round – 18-2 (1st)
- Finished season – PREMIERS (Defeated North in Grand Final)
2008 – Sturt
- 1st four games – 4-0 (d Norwood by 60, Central by 44, North by 60, South by 85)
- Next 16 games – 11-5
- Finished minor round – 15-5 (2nd)
- Finished season – 3RD (Lost to Glenelg in Prelim Final)
So in conclusion, of the last 9 teams that started a season 4-0
- All 9 (100%) played in the finals
- Most (7 – 78%) secured a double chance
- But only 2 (22%) won the minor premiership
- A narrow majority (5 – 56%) failed to make the grand final
- Meaning 4 (44%) played in the grand final
- Only 3 (33%) won the premiership
- None remained undefeated, indeed the last (& only side since 1907) to go through an entire season unbeaten was Port in 1914.
.
STATISTIC OF THE WEEK
It looks like the Eagles have put a curse on opposition goal shooters this season. Thus far from their five matches no team has managed to kick more goals than behinds against Woodville-West Torrens.
Rd 1 by Central 10-14 (41.7%)
Rd 2 by West 11-11 (50.0%)
Rd 3 by Glenelg 10-20 (33.3%)
Rd 4 by Port 10-11 (47.6%)
Rd 5 by South 5-11 (31.3%)
TOTAL 46-67 (40.7%)
OTHER TRENDS
- If ever the old saying that “the only statistic that matters is the scoreboard” needed proof it was at Unley last Saturday. Sturt amassed 74 more kicks and 76 more handballs (that’s a staggering 150 more possessions), took 49 more marks, had 6 more hitouts, made 19 more tackles and lost.
- The Eagles win over the Panthers was their 6th straight against South and leaves the all time record at 38-10 in favour of Woodville-West Torrens.
- West’s win over Norwood broke a few unwanted streaks for the red and black faithful.
It was the Blood’s
- first win since Rd 20, 2009 v South (had lost 6 drawn 1)
- first win @ Richmond since Rd 9 2008 v South (lost 6, drawn 1)
- first win against a team other than South since May 2007 (lost 34 drawn 1)
- first win v Norwood since Rd 21 2006 (lost last 5)
Ironically as per 2008, West now incur a bye after their first win, this year they return with a trip to Elizabeth to take on the Bulldogs.
- Speaking of the Bulldogs their Anzac Day demolition of Glenelg was Centrals 4th straight against the Bays and leaves the Dogs record this decade on April 25 at 7-2.
COMING UP
- Central have won 5 straight and 13 of the last 15 against Norwood, including the last 3 at Coopers Stadium.
- Sturt have won the last 5 against Port and the last 3 at Alberton.
- North have won the last 5 against the Eagles and the last 4 against them at Prospect
- Surprisingly South have won 4 of the last 6 against Glenelg including 2 of the past 3 at Hickinbotham. The Panthers were the only side to have a winning record (2-1) against Glenelg in the minor round last season.
- So far ahead was Nick Lowers possession count after 4 rounds (total 125, avg 31.3 per game), he could play last week for the Power and still retain his lead over the entire SANFL in this category
CROWD WATCH
Not a good round for league attendances as the wettest weekend in 3 years had a most decided effect on crowds at all venues.
The total of 7,849 over the 4 games leaves the league 4,550 behind the total attendance as at the end of Round 5 last year.
Average Per Game (Last Five Seasons As at end of Rd 5)
2009 – 3,279
2008 – 3,506
2007 – 3,348
2006 – 3,490
2005 – 3,213
MEDIA WATCH
For those not aware, following is a list of all regular SANFL Media Coverage occurring this week
Radio
Sat 1.30pm - Norwood v Central – 1197am 5RPH
Sun 1.30pm - North v Eagles– 107.9 LIFE FM
Sun 1.30pm - Port v Sturt - 1197am 5RPH
Sun 5.30pm - SANFL Show – 1395am Fiveaa
Mon 6.10am - SANFL report – 1539am Radio TAB
Mon 7.30am - SANFL Wrap – 1197am 5RPH
Wed 7.00am - Outside 50 -- 1197am 5RPH
Thur 7.30pm - Sportscap -- 88.5 Coast FM
Thur 8.00pm - League Teams Show – 1197am 5RPH
Press
The Advertiser - regular reports, teams on Friday
Sunday Mail - Match reports
- http://www.adelaidenow.com.au
Messenger Press - daily reports on their web site
- http://www.messenger-news.whereilive.com.au
Sportsbeat - SANFL preview each Friday
Football Budget - At games & selected CBD newsagencies from Lunch time each Friday.
Television
Network 10 - Simply Footy, Saturday, time TBA
ABC1 - Norwood v Central, 2.00pm Saturday
ONE FINAL THING ..
As SANFL clubs battle to maintain and grow their profile alongside the AFL and other sports it’s very important for them to develop strong relationships within their local community.
Two such initiatives came to my attention this week and both are worthy of promotion and praise.
Firstly North Adelaide have linked in with the FUSE Mentoring Program, run by Baptist Care (SA) Inc and on Sunday against the Eagles will be hosting 50 young people (& their mentors) from countries such as Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan. For many if not all this will be their first experience of a live Aussie Rules game. More information about this program can be found on the Roosters official web site http://www.nafc.com.au.
Also South Adelaide, with the support of Hickinbotham Homes, has teamed up with the Hackham West Community Centre and their Southern Man-Made initiative. This is also a mentoring program but it is with fatherless youth in the southern area and senior Panther player who grew up in the same area. I suspect it will be an enriching experience for both parties and the club is to be commended for taking on the challenge. Again more information can be gleamed from the club web site http://www.safc.com.au.
