SA Footy

North coming off a comfortable win against an improving Centrals and Sturt went down by 3 points against Norwood.

I was very impressed with Sturt against South. They ran hard and used the ball very well. They made South kick long which enabled them to rebound strongly. If Kirkwood could play they will be even better.

North will be hit with up to four injury changes. Moore, Barns, Smith and Craig will be a big loss. Perhaps Hartung will play.

Upset brewing. My early tip is Sturt who have a good record at home against North.

North's team is in:

Kym LeBois Mitch Harvey Lewis Hender
Frank Szekely Keenan Ramsey Will Combe
Jarred Allmond Billy Hartung Robbie Young
Mitch Clisby Dyson Hilder Harrison Wigg
Ben Jarman Cameron Craig Elliot Chalmers

Ruck - James Craig, Cameron Hewett, Campbell Combe
Interchange - Patrick Davies, Karl Finlay, Keanu Miller, Lee Minervini, Mackenzie Slee

In - James Craig, Karl Finlay, Billy Hartung, Lee Minervini, Mackenzie Slee
Out - Alex Barns (Leg), Tom Schwarz (Hamstring), Tanner Smith (Ankle), Alex Spina (Hamstring)

Hartung is an interesting inclusion (if indeed he's in the final 22).

Magellan wrote:
Hartung is an interesting inclusion (if indeed he's in the final 22).

Would say more than interesting

To miss that much football and come straight in says he must have maintained his fitness despite the back injury.

STURT

Sturt will welcome back a pair of premiership players for its contest against North at Peter Motley Oval.

Wingman Matt Crocker and defender Tom Harms have both recovered from quad injuries to be named in the Double Blues’ starting 18.

Emerging backman James Borlase has returned to the extended interchange bench with back pocket Rory Illman, with Borlase having a week off to play with Prince Alfred College last weekend.

Medium defender Henry Carey will miss with a hamstring complaint.



F: Morrison, Grivell, Evans

HF: Slimming, Fahey-Sparks, Aidyn Johnson

C: Crocker, Colquhoun, Henderson

HB: Sumner, Edmonds, Voss

B: Harms, Wundke, Page



R: Bennett, Battersby, Davis

INT: Illman, Houlahan, Lewis, M. Lochowiak, Ash Johnson, McEntee, Borlase

IN: Borlase, Harms, Crocker, Illman

OUT: Carey (hamstring)



Reserves
T. Hone, Weeks, Armiento, Allan, Crane, Shute, Latchford, Kennett, Parker-Boers, How, Doyle, A. Lochowiak, Jones, Matteucci, Emmett, Ferrari, Richards, Gore, Coomblas, Mitchell, Penfold, Kitto

Under-18
F: J. Taylor, Hodgson, Holland
HF: Tidemann, Opperman, Jefferies
C: Cock, Liddy, Thomas
HB: Walter, Grieve, Carruthers
B: Hein, Manuell, Fryer

R: Ferrari, Powell, Spain
INT: Ferres, Rigney, Field, Grivell
EMG: J. Davies, Tucker, Goodwin, J. Thredgold



NORTH

North Adelaide is yet to confirm who will be its skipper for the clash with Sturt at Peter Motley Oval.

Captain Alex Spina and his two deputies Andrew Moore and Tom Schwarz are all sidelined by hamstring strains, ensuring someone outside of the leadership group will toss the coin.

Key defender Tanner Smith (ankle) and ruckman Alex Barns (leg) were unable to recover from their injuries suffered against Central in Round 12.

Former Hawthron speedster Billy Hartung has been thrust into the centre square despite not having played a League game since Round 2 due to a back ailment.

He has been joined in the Roosters’ 23-man squad by Karl Finlay, Lee Minervini and Mackenzie Slee, who have all been listed on the extended interchange bench.



F: Lebois, Harvey, Hender

HF: Szekely, Ramsey, W. Combe

C: Allmond, Hartung, Young

HB: Clisby, Hilder, Wigg

B: Jarman, C. Craig, Chalmers



R: J. Craig, Hewett, C. Combe

INT: Davies, Finlay, Miller, Minervini, Slee

IN: J. Craig, Finlay, Hartung, Minervini, Slee

OUT: A. Barns (leg), Spina (hamstring), Schwarz (hamstring), Smith (ankle)





Reserves
Neade, Wharton, Aldridge, Magor, Davis, Parsons, Neagle, Rigney, C.Barns, D.Hill, Parnell, Nixon, Jaensch, Marini, Hart, Hann, Dowling, Fahey, Bowman, Langley, Byrne

Under-18
F: Newchurch, Manning, Freer
HF: Santillo, Coates, McNamara
C: McTaggart, Willis, Brazell
HB: O’Loughlin, Simon, McKenzie
B: Jackson, Millar, Flanagan

R: Heath, Borg, Davison
INT: Keeler, Harrison, W. Dowling, Saint, Bennier, Turner, White

Great to have James Craig back in, but are North getting injuries to key players at the wrong time - Moore (pulled out last week prior to the match) and Schwarz are key engine room players and we'll feel their absence. Tanner's height down back will also be missed.

Despite the wounded, I think North have enough cattle and reason to win to knock off Sturt on their own (dog) dung-heap , as a win will clinch the double chance. Interesting to see if the crapola forecast comes to pass, might make it a tighter contest than it already promises to be.

It looks like Mackenzie Slee has lined up in the reserves, so presumably Hartung will be in the league side.

North by a couple of goals.

Oh sweet geezus, we have Peter Walsh and Narelle Smith commentating.
Why god why?

I'm amazed how good Hartung has been today in his first game in months, just about BOG. I'm glad he didn't give up!

North 42 points up nearing half time.

Should have kept my mouth shut, Hartung leant over to pick up a ball after play had stopped and somehow hurt himself , limped off and I don't think he's been back on.

Nice comfortable win by the Roosters in the end despite being outsiders, never threatened and won by 32 points.
Looks like next week in the SANFL will be a nothing round as both finals appear set.
Good chance for North to continue to rest injured players.

Wedgie wrote:Should have kept my mouth shut, Hartung leant over to pick up a ball after play had stopped and somehow hurt himself , limped off and I don't think he's been back on.

wonder why, didnt happen to notice if he was still in the dugout or not

Wedgie wrote:Nice comfortable win by the Roosters in the end despite being outsiders, never threatened and won by 32 points.
Looks like next week in the SANFL will be a nothing round as both finals appear set.
Good chance for North to continue to rest injured players.

Only cos they're feral.

Seriously, outsiders... outsiders from what?

We are shizen!

gadj1976 wrote:

Wedgie wrote:Nice comfortable win by the Roosters in the end despite being outsiders, never threatened and won by 32 points.
Looks like next week in the SANFL will be a nothing round as both finals appear set.
Good chance for North to continue to rest injured players.

Only cos they're feral.

Seriously, outsiders... outsiders from what?

We are shizen!

Outsiders in the betting mate. Sturt were $1.80 favourites.

Wedgie wrote:

gadj1976 wrote:

Wedgie wrote:Nice comfortable win by the Roosters in the end despite being outsiders, never threatened and won by 32 points.
Looks like next week in the SANFL will be a nothing round as both finals appear set.
Good chance for North to continue to rest injured players.

Only cos they're feral.

Seriously, outsiders... outsiders from what?

We are shizen!

Outsiders in the betting mate. Sturt were $1.80 favourites.

Yeh, not having a go at you, but how the f*ck were we favourites. We're terrible. I should've got on the Rooters, sure things!

Good win North, we get the double chance and now for the eagles in the 2nd Semi in a fortnight, hopefully 3rd time lucky
this year

Putting my crows hat on , how did Borlase go?

Great win by North, given Unley's not been a happy hunting ground for us, and as we were considerably undermanned and with the double chance on the line - now we can take the foot off the accelerator next week against South and look towards the second semi. Good atmosphere at the ground, both sets of supporters in good voice.

Very impressed with Hartung's first half (18 disposals!), and I was surprised he played after 10 weeks of no competitive footy, and equally disappointed with his injury just after half time - hopefully it's not serious, but he adds to the growing and unwanted injury list at Prospect. Karl Finlay pulled down some impressive defensive marks (deputising to some extent for the injured Tanner Smith), and continues his development as a tall and reliable defender.

Umpiring was not wonderful, but really had no influence on the result, as North were largely in control for the majority of the game. That said, for the first half of the second term Sturt had gained the momentum, and at the beginning of the last I felt they attacked better than North and had a bit of a sniff, and a couple of quick goals would've made the game very interesting.

Just on umpiring, I noted a very unusual incident in the last quarter (at the 7:39 mark for those wanting to re-watch on the digital pass). Sturt got a free on the outer side half back flank against Lewis Hender, I think for abusing the umpire after a call for a ball-up. Okay, fair enough. The umpire, having paid the free to Sturt, physically took the ball out of Hender's hands and quickly gave it to the Sturt player, as if to hurry things along. Never seen an umpire intervene so directly in a free kick like that before, and not sure why the ump felt he had to make sure the Sturt player got the ball - surely if Hender had failed to appropriately return the ball to the recipient he would've duly received a 25 metre penalty. Unfortunately, the callers on the digital pass don't shed any light on what happened because they were too busy talking about South Adelaide. On that point, I'm glad I went to the game and didn't have to endure the digital pass' 'commentary'.

goddy11 wrote:Putting my crows hat on , how did Borlase go?

Made a couple of clangers early which may have affected his confidence.
Had 6 kicks and 4 handballs so not a great game.
I saw him on the digital pass a couple of weeks ago and he looked very good in that game.