Demons Overcome their Demons

Liam Nye giving the handball. Photo by Four Quarter Media

Willunga played McLaren Vale on a sunny Willunga afternoon. The visitors were the only team to beat the home side in the first round of matches so Willunga were determined to turn the tables and establish themselves in second spot.

The McLaren Eagles kicked with the slight breeze but it was the slick running handballs of the Demons that brought up the first goal. Hams kicked it but he was on the end of a chain of handballs through the centre of the ground that sliced open the Eagles’ defence. Draper kicked his team’s second with a soccer off the ground a minute later. McLarens steadied. Stokes was strong overhead in defence. He rebounded the ball into McLaren’s forward lines where Marr marked and goaled at the 18-minute mark. Stark and Brown were courageous in defence for the Demons. Their attack from defence enabled Nobes to mark and goal and give the Demons a narrow lead at quarter time.

The second term was the Liam Nye show. He was everywhere as usual but had a purple patch near goals. He kicked 3 majors and could have got 5. A one-handed mark was a stunner. The first goal of the quarter came after a strong mark by Haskett who boomed the ball high and long. Nobes marked and goaled. Ellison was playing well for the Eagles but it was some Mitton magic that created a goal. He dropped a mark a minute later which allowed a turn over. Draper swooped and Nye kicked his first. Matthews got it back for the visitors then Daniels kicked another to give the Eagles the momentum. But after Nye kicked two in a minute, the momentum swung back Willunga’s way.

Willunga began the premiership quarter with a 3-goal lead and increased it to 4 by three-quarter time. Nobes kicked the first of the half after a stunning half volley pick up and slick handball by Jake Renney. McLarens got it straight back a following a strong mark and booming kick by Ellison. Hutchens came into the game for Willunga and created several opportunities for his forwards. Hams kicked his second but then he and Sam Renney missed opportunities to put the opposition away. A Vandeleur smother and Smith’s defensive efforts helped keep the Willunga forwards under pressure and keep their team in the game. Ellis and Fenoughty battled hard and moved the ball quickly into their forward lines where Raitt and Matthews were able to snaffle important goals. Shirvington and Stark then combined to find Hams in space – he kicked with precision into the pocket where Nobes marked and goaled. Stark hammered a ball forward from the centre-square: H Saunders marked and goaled. Saunders then sent a sky high ‘screwie’ towards goals. Nobes outreached his opponent and marked. When Marr scored a late 6-pointer for McLarens the game was in the balance as the three-quarter time siren sounded.

The last quarter went Willunga’s way. They extended their lead because of their relentless pressure and ability to find targets up forward. Stark was in everything in the middle of the ground. He won the hard balls and belted the ball quickly forward. He and Hutchens combined to allow Nobes to mark and kick his seventh. Willunga had the ball in their forward lines for the next 7 or 8 minutes but failed to add scoreboard pressure. The Eagles then made a rare foray forward: Raitt and Marr found space to add a goal for McLarens against the flow. From the resulting centre bounce Shirvington and Sam Renney combined to get the ball into Carnevale’s hands. He delivered to Nobes who goaled. Nobes kicked a point then Hams and Draper twice combined in two minutes to add match-sealing goals off Draper’s boot. McLarens continued to fight. They drove the ball to the pocket where they outnumbered the Willunga defenders. Fitt took the ball off-hands and goaled then Mitton used strong body work to hold his ground, take a mark, and kick another. In between times, big Nobes took a mark and was lining up for goal when the umpire sent him from the ground with the blood rule. Lee grabbed the ball with glee, took the free and kicked his first for the day to give his team a 6-goal winning margin at the final siren.

By Alan Tucker