North Adelaide 15.6 (96) defeated Eagles 11.11 (77)
Full Match Results
By Peter Argent
The penultimate round of the 2010 campaign may come back to haunt the Woodville-West Torrens senior team, as they went down to an generally underperformed North Adelaide side at Prospect by 19 points. With Norwood losing they had a real opportunity to grab the double chance.
The game ebbed and flowed all day. An eight point quarter time lead was dissolved during the second term, with the Roosters claiming the lead and then holding a slender three point advantage at the long interval. After a see-sawing third term, North was again in front at lemons, although the Eagles took the lead a couple of times during this period. While the group had a run at the hosts in the last stanza, the Roosters were the better combination on the day.
Just playing his 11th senior game in the tri-coloured jumper, Jared Polec was the Eagles best.
Another teenager in the embryonic stages of what is looking to be a long and fruitful career Ardrossan export Angus Rowntree was creative and damaging from his wing.
The most experienced player on the ground, 31-year-old Justin Cicolella, except for a “brain fade” in the last term was elusive and impressive all game. Leader Mark McKenzie played another strong captained game, while 2009 Star Search winner Jarred Allmond and Luke Jarrad worked contentiously.
Cicolella and Polec were the teams only multiple goal kickers, each finishing with a brace. The problem of not having an effective target in attack was clearly evident in this game. Over the course of the season so far not one Eagles player has kicked 31 or more goals. Both Scott Welsh (who didn’t play in this game) and Adam Grocke have kicked 30 each, while Nick Salter has 27 majors from eight games. Fourth is Matt Goldsworthy with 23. Amazingly the next best is Jay Schulz and James Rimington with 10 goals each.
Next Sunday in the final minor round game against Sturt, the Double Blues travel to Woodville Oval, to take on the Eagles. It is also likely these Clubs could face each other the following week, in the 2010 Elimination Final.