Willunga Win in the Wet

Jake Shirvington by Four Quarter Media

Strathalbyn won the toss and kicked to the northern end of Willunga oval assisted by a 2-goal breeze. The wet weather stormed in as the first siren sounded and virtually wiped out the wind advantage. The visitors were in front on the scoreboard from the 10-minute mark of the first quarter until the 10-minute mark of the last quarter when the injured Haskett turned the game with strong body work and straight kicking.

The first quarter was difficult to report upon as the icy wind and driving rain made ball-handling difficult for both sides. Newton and Kenny, by using their stronger bodies, were able to get the ball into Strath’s forward lines more often than Willunga. They won the ball in congestion and hammered it forward. Willunga scored the first major of the game when Nye and Tregenza found Lee who marked and converted. Eventually Strath’s pressure paid dividends - Wright ran into space and kicked long to big Wheaton who took a strong contested mark, went back and kicked accurately.

Strath had the better of the second quarter as the rain came and went. They outscored Willunga 1 goal 2 behinds to a solitary behind. Strathalbyn’s Welk had a golden opportunity to goal when he was freed and awarded a 25-metre penalty 2 minutes into the quarter. His well-timed kick drifted with the breeze for a minor score. The Willunga defence was under constant pressure. Stark, Brown, Scanlan and Douglass spoiled and tackled and repelled many attacks. Douglass was returning from South Adelaide FC and a pre-season injury to play his first game for Willunga since 2017. Hopkins, Fox and Grant worked hard to stifle the free-running of the Demons’ on-ballers.

The premiership quarter was won by the visitors. A strong tackle held too long provided the Strath captain, Jake Stafford, a chance to goal. He did so from 45 metres and brought the Strath supporters to life. Their spirits were further lifted when Wheaton took another strong overhead mark and kicked truly. Willunga, who had beaten the top team in their last game, were in danger of losing to the bottom team before they rekindled their chances just before the three-quarter time break. Saunders kicked one from a free kick then the hard-running Nye and hard-working Draper combined to score a major as the siren sounded.

The sun came out during the coaches’ addresses and seemed to inspire the home team. The Demons kicked 5 goals to one in the last quarter. The scoreboard remained in Strath’s favour until the ten-minute mark when a superb solo effort by Nye created a goal then Haskett had a match-winning purple patch. His success was built on the efforts of his teammates’ ability to dominate the centre square then run and deliver to one-on-one contests. Three times Haskett used his experience to out-body his opponent, mark and goal. He could have snared another from 30-metres but his kick stayed left. Draper got into the act too with a smart snap over his shoulder. The sun continued to shine and the Willunga supporters, especially the women enjoying Ladies Day, celebrated enthusiastically. Even a classic front-and-centre goal by Strathalbyn’s Gladigau could not dampen their enthusiasm. At the final siren scoring shots were 12 apiece but Willunga’s more accurate kicking gave them a win by 15 points.

By Alan Tucker