Under 18s – Streaty’s Summary

Round 16 U18 Match Report

West Adelaide 3.7 (25) def. by Woodville – West Torrens 13.9 (87)

Round 16 saw us travel to Woodville to play the Eagles for the third time this season. The previous two times we had fallen short in competitive matches and our group were looking forward to having another test against the ladder leaders. We had been playing some excellent football over the last month and were looking forward to the biggest challenge in our competition. Mac Nield, Saul Morelli and Joel Groom returned to our side after playing in the reserves the previous week.

The Eagles kicked with a strong breeze in the first quarter and were able to get on the scoreboard with 5 goals to 1. Whilst we had some promising patches of play, ultimately we lacked composure going forward and were very stagnant in the way we moved the ball. In the second quarter the game was a lot tighter and we were able to win the quarter on the back of some quicker ball movement but also some tighter defending when the Eagles had it. The midfield were working well together and our backline were holding strong against good opposition. The margin was 23 points at half-time and we felt we were still in the match if we could adjust a few things.

Oliver Ebert was moved on to a wing in the second-half as he was playing with great speed and energy which we needed on the outside. The third-quarter was a tight contest and if it wasn’t for a couple of undisciplined acts we would have conceded less. Having said that, the Eagles only managed two-goals for the quarter and took a 34-point lead in to the last quarter.

The last quarter was disappointing from our point of view. Whilst our boys continued to try hard, we were unable to halt the Eagles momentum and they had repeat inside-50’s that were eventually going to lead to goals. The final margin of 62 points is disappointing however I know we have a lot of improvement left in us and we will learn from the experience.

Probably most telling in this match was our inability to accelerate the game with handball receives. This is something we have been very good at this year and will be a focus for the upcoming week.

Oliver Ebert was best for us whilst Joel Groom had 22 disposals and 9 tackles. Bailey Boughen impressed again and Jason Westley competed well all game. Dion Brauer continued some strong form and Aryan Sareen led the defenders well on a difficult day.

This weekend we play Glenelg at the bay after the league game. A win would guarantee a finals berth for us. Our group are looking forward to responding from the weekend and would appreciate the additional support given we play directly after the league game.

Best: Oliver Ebert, Joel Groom, Bailey Boughen, Jason Westley, Dion Brauer, Aryan Sareen

Goals: Beau Nunan, Oliver Ebert, Joel Groom (1)

Paul Streatfield

Talent & Development Manager / U18 Coach