The weather was perfect when the undefeated Kangaroos took on the 8th-placed Demons at Willunga. The home team had three more scoring shots than the visitors in the first half but trailed by 17 points.
Victor won the toss and kicked with a 2-goal breeze and had three goals on the board before Willunga lifted their defensive pressure. The Kangaroos moved the ball effortlessly and Overall (two goals) and the hard running Stock were the beneficiaries of accurate foot passing. It took until the 15-minute mark for the Demons to register their only major of the quarter. Brown and Hoeck combined to drive the ball to the goal square where Sherry snaffled a major. Victor quickly regained centre-square composure, ran free and hit targets. Ross, Wisse and Basham goaled, the last two from free kicks. Hams and Colwell were involved in a series of forward handballs but Hoeck’s kick hit the post. Victor rebounded and ran the ball forward where Ross converted to give the visitors a 6-goal lead at quarter time.
Led by Collier, Willunga lifted their defensive pressure and refused to allow the Kangaroos to run free. Their forward passes failed to hit targets and the Demons swooped on the loose balls. They drove forward constantly but failed to make the most of their opportunities. Willunga kicked 3 goals 9 behinds to Victor’s 1 goal 3 and deserved to be in front at half-time. But, bad kicking is bad footy and the visitors held onto a 17-point lead at half-time. Tregenza was in everything for the home side. The young guns Hams, Hoeck and Bekkers showed dash and shared the ball around and Colwell, continuing his recent good form, delivered the ball with precision. Beath was the recipient of his teammates’ hard work and twice converted. Victor dug deep - Kleinig ran from the centre square and delivered to Basham who goaled despite strong pressure from Collier. Basham had two more opportunities late in the quarter but missed them both. Willunga’s Sherry, also missed two shots at the other end.
Victor started the third quarter as they did the first and threatened to blow the game open with goals to McKinnon, Gibbs, Ross and Brown. Every time their better players got the ball in space, they hit their target downfield. On one occasion Cooper, Ross, Heaslip, and Gibbs marked and passed and moved the ball the length of the field. Cooper goaled and the game was over but the young Willunga side battled on. Seventeen-year old Schoolbread kicked two goals in two minutes. His efforts roused his teammates and the Willunga supporters. Draper, playing only his second game for the season, bobbed up and kicked Willunga’s third in a row before Victor steadied at the 32-minute mark. Heaslip used his experience to out-mark his opponent and kick truly as the siren sounded for three-quarter time.
Victor’s 38-point lead blew out to 54 points by game’s end. Basham, who had been dangerous all day, got his kicking boots on in the last quarter which helped Victor kick away. His job was made easier by the precision with which the ball was delivered into the forward lines. At times Victor passed the ball in a string of five or six kicks and marks, each time gaining territory as they picked their way through the Willunga defence. Willunga’s Draper kicked his second for the game at the 15-minute mark of the quarter but Vincent got it straight back for the visitors. Gibbs kicked another then Sherry kicked his second for Willunga after creative play by Logan and Bekkers. Shoolbread kicked his third for the game when he swooped on a loose ball and kicked accurately. Kleinig ran and delivered to Basham who goaled at the 29-minute mark then, a minute later, the big full-forward was awarded a free and goaled as the final siren sounded. Victor remains undefeated: Willunga look forward to closing out their season with three wins from three games to finish their season on a high.
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