Streaty’s Summary – Under 18 Match Report

Round 18 U18 Match Report

West Adelaide 11.9 (75) def. Norwood 7.16 (58)

Our final game of the home-and-away season saw us face-off against Norwood at Glenelg in the second game of a double-header. Although we had beaten Norwood in our previous two encounters this year, we knew the match would be difficult as they are a good side and would be looking to finish off their year on a high. Tom Pearce and Charlie Pridham returned to the side along with Cooper Gilbert, whilst Cade Kennedy, Harri Bailye and Zac Wooldridge were missing from the previous week.

The match summary is quite brief this week because it is easy to summarise. In the first half we failed to apply anywhere near the required pressure on the opposition – in fact we only laid 14 tackles for the entire half. This allowed Norwood far too much time when they had the ball and we were lucky they failed to capitalise on the scoreboard. We trailed by 10 points at half-time but that scoreline flattered us. Safe to say the lack of tackles was a focus of my half-time message.

The second-half was far more pleasing and we got back to playing the way we want to. Mac Nield had an enormous third-quarter and got the game back on our terms while kicking 2 goals himself. As a team we had a better balance of inside and outside possession which ensured we were able to move the ball quicker and became less predictable. We were able to turn a 10 point half-time deficit in to a 14 point lead at the last change. Norwood kept coming to their credit and it wasn’t until the last few minutes that the result was put beyond doubt. Once again we found a way to get the win on a difficult day – credit to our group who were able to adapt the way we were playing mid-game.

Special mention goes to Beau Nunan who kicked another 4 goals for the match and brought up his 50^th goal for the season. Playing purely as a small forward, Beau has embraced this role and has been making the most of his opportunities.

Selection will be extremely difficult this week as we have a large group of young men who are working hard and deserve opportunities. Unfortunately we now know that Harri Bailye has fractured his foot and will miss the remainder of the year. We wish Harri all the best with his recovery.

With second spot secure we look forward to this week and the Second Semi-Final against the Eagles at Woodville. The game is on Saturday at 1:30pm. With a Grand Final spot on the line, I urge the West faithful to get to the game and get behind our boys. See you at the game!

Best: Mac Nield, Cooper Gilbert, Joel Groom, Saul Morelli, Kane Sherlock, Aryan Sareen

Goals: Beau Nunan (4), Mac Nield (2), Jason Westley, Joel Groom, Dion Brauer, Noah Hannagan, Bailey Fielke (1)

Paul Streatfield

Talent & Development Manager / U18 Coach