2013 Eagles email

The WWTFC is disappointed to announce both Adam Grocke and Todd Culley will miss the remainder of the 2013 SANFL Season.

Grocke has battled an ongoing Achilles problem that will force the key forward into surgery next week. Culley, who cemented himself in the League side this year, will have surgery to repair a hamstring problem.

Football Manager Trent Hentschel said “It’s always disappointing to lose players of Adam and Todd’s calibre and especially given the positions they play. Both are important, well respected players at the Club and will still play a role in an off field capacity this year.”

Grocke and Culley are expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2014 SANFL Season.


WWTFC

Michael Godden – League Coach Report

What can I say about Saturday’s game? There are so many phrases that describe our effort but I am sure you have all said them, so I have no doubt what you want from me are solutions.

Statically, especially inside 50’s and scoring shots says on average we should have won that game, but I hear you saying games aren’t won on a stats sheet and I completely agree. I have said it before bad kicking is bad footy and I don’t just mean accuracy at goal, I also mean field kicking. There is no one to blame except ourselves. The most disappointing thing for me was our hesitation to firstly kick the ball, but more importantly to put the ball inside 50. At half time we had 20 inside 50’s for 14 scoring shots which is a fantastic conversion rate. I mentioned this at half time and encouraged the boys to get the ball in there because the forwards were scoring and we did have a slight breeze at our back. The plays directly after the main break have me a bit confused, free running on the wing looking forward and then decide to go backwards and into trouble, ultimately coughing up goals. This is no one’s responsibility except for me. I am the one that teaches them what to do and how to do it, so when they don’t follow a simple instruction I need to look at the way I deliver the message and discipline the players that either didn’t listen or trust the system. Make no mistake this isn’t a big issue it’s a simple mistake and one that some of our less experienced players need to learn and I am sure they will with more time in the middle.

One aspect other than straight goal kicking was discipline; to have 2 players reported was disappointing. The players seemed to be more frustrated than normal, I acknowledge the free kick count was heavily against us but I think coupled with in-accuracy this created players to have a couple of brain fades. This is another step to being more mature, unfortunately at times things don’t always go your way and umpires can affect your mindset. I am not saying the frees were there or not it’s more an observation to say no matter the situation we need to rise above that and just do what you can for the team.

As I said we have a couple of players on report and with the unavailable list continuing to grow we are going to see how we as a club have prepared our depth in the next few weeks. This is a great challenge for us all. The medium aged players need to step it up and the new lads need to come in and perform, because that is what they have been prepared to do and that is what is expected of them.

Well done to Caleb Lloyd for his first game of league footy. It’s been a year of debuts and I think it’s about our 43rd player for this season. It’s always exciting to see young players who have worked so hard get their chance and I look forward to a few more before the year is out.

Another big game this week down at the Bay, so hopefully we can see as many as possible there to cheer the lads on.

Eagles 9.15 (69) were defeated by Sturt 13.6 (84)



Jarrad Wright – Reserves Coach Report

This would be the third time we played Sturt this year and in the two encounters previously we had not beaten them. With some clear weather and the ground conditions nice, footy on a Saturday was going to be good to watch. Good to watch was probably an understatement as the reserves group once again showed tremendous development in their work rate, skill execution and selflessness to play to the team structures.

Sturt having the wind in the first quarter was going to be a tough ask to hold them with their high tempo transition footy which relies on opposition turnovers then getting out the back, very, very effective game style as they have sharp skills and make you pay easily. We managed to jump them at the start with a few early goals and really gathered some confidence into the breeze, although Sturt as they do piled on 4 goals in 7 minutes (by 1 x opposition player) with no reply in the mid-section of the quarter and alarm bells stared ringing in the box. A few match up changes in the backline and the lads response was excellent, the players balanced themselves and last 10 minutes of the first kicked 5 unanswered goals to go in with a 3 goal lead at quarter time.

The second quarter was just an amazing brand of football, our intensity at the contest and willingness to win the 50.50 ball was by far the best I have seen all year, with the ball movement in transition was outstanding. Unfortunately our goal kicking let us down with 7 goals 9 behinds, having 16 scoring shots to zero was a great effort by all players on the ground. With a handy 67 point lead at half time we had to stay focused on the areas that we had been doing well in to keep moving forward, I said to the players that it would be very disappointing if we let ourselves down with a lesser second half.

All praise to the players as they were all focused on finishing the job with talk in the room of “not being satisfied” and “have to get doing the simple things” which is a step further in their development of coaching and leading themselves in being self-driven. True to their words the second half was another good performance managing to win both quarters and the game by 84 points.

It was hard to pick the best players as all 21 contributed and all 3 zones forward, mid and back won their positions. Lee Staple and Aaron Day kicking 10 goals between them were good targets for us, Matt Appleton, Patty Sinor and Travis Lane had very solid games but Tom Schwarz’s work-rate and clean hands in the stoppages really set the game up for us and all 4 quarters was back to his best form of the year.

In saying all this praise, the players realise that there is still lots of footy that has to be played to this and the hard work continues this week against Glenelg at The Bay.

Eagles 22.14 (146) defeated Sturt 9.8 (62)



Shane Grimm – Under 18 Coach Report

The Round 17 game against Sturt was another opportunity for the team to play against a team who had beaten us previously, and try and rectify the last result. The last time we played Sturt they totally dominated the game in all areas and also managed to kick 20 goals against us, the next biggest haul a team had kicked against us was 10 goals, so we had a lot of areas from that game that we needed to improve.

We spoke before the game about playing the game one way when we had the ball and another way when Sturt had the ball. We needed to be more accountable for our opponents, provide a more physical presence around the ball and make sure that we gave Sturt no time with ball in hand to make good decisions. We also set some team goals before the game that were based on winning games we have had throughout the season with Tackles, Clearances and Inside 50 the major focus.

Our first quarter was excellent and we met all of the goals we had set for the term and with a little more composure we would have been further ahead than 19 points at quarter time.

The second term was our weakest for the game, we were kicking against a 3-4 goal breeze but we dropped away from playing the style of game we spoke about pre-game. We did manage to kick a goal into the breeze in this term and it was to prove a very handy goal in the context of the game.

We went into the half time break down by a goal and still well and truly in the game and with a good feeling within the playing group. We spoke about sticking to our plan for longer periods of the game, because we had proved that when we did it was good enough to get the job done.

The second half was very pleasing from our point of view, we managed to kick 6 unanswered goals in the third term which gave us a very handy 33 point lead at ¾ time, but we knew that Sturt were coming home with a strong breeze and that we would have to remain disciplined and stick to our game plan. We also talked about retaining possession of the ball wherever possible; not giving it up easily and we also knew that we needed to score at least 1 goal into the breeze to help our situation.

Although Sturt did kick 5 goals to our 1 goal in the final term I believe the hard work that we did early in the game was the major reason we got over the line, that and being able to score into the breeze also helped, something Sturt was unable to do. Again this week we debuted 2 new players Lachlan Hall from the Under 16 squad and Matteo Impagnatiello. Both players acquitted themselves well and made valuable contributions on the day.

Eagles 11.10 (76) defeated Sturt 10.8 (68)

MEMBERS UPDATE:

FROM: CEO

RE: AFL RESERVES



Dear members, I am certain that you have all been keeping a watchful eye over the information around the AFL Reserves debate. As you are aware, there have been several meetings comprising the SANFL, League Commissioners, League Directors and Club Chief Executives over the past 2 months.

As a result of these meetings, the Woodville West Torrens Football Club is now progressing towards making a decision in the interest of SANFL and more importantly our club. As a member you are invited to a member’s only forum at the Eagles football Club in the downstairs bar at 7.45pm on Thursday 8 August 2013.

This will be your opportunity to listen to and ask questions of the club via our League Director in relation to this issue.

All members will need to be currently financial and be signed in for the discussion - we look forward to seeing you here.

Any questions please do not hesitate to contact the club on 8347 2444



Regards


Uby Faddoul

Michael Godden – League Coach Report

Victory on Saturday vs Glenelg was pleasing but not exactly one for the highlight reel. Conditions were pretty ugly for the majority of the day which made it a true wet weather game and one you just had to will yourself to win.

I was happy with the playing group’s ability to have 20 scoring shots in those conditions. We set out to take the game on a bit more than we have in previous weeks and take some risks. Unfortunately the conditions made it tough but the players adapted well and worked hard.

We have been working on a couple of adjustments in our game over the last few weeks in preparation for what lies ahead. This is an area I am very happy with; the players all adapted well and executed the changes without too much fuss. Admittedly it was easier due to the speed of the game but the players still needed to think and adjust and they did that well.

Obviously it’s been a year of multiple changes. Saturday was no different and I would like to congratulate not only Luke Dunstan, Jake Von Bertouch and Mat Appleton on their first senior games but also the other young lads that have only played a handful of games and needed to respond from last week’s debacle. This is always the challenge to a young player and they all responded in the way we expected they would; now the challenge is to do it again.

This win continues our dream for that important double chance. A lot of things need to go well and we need to improve, but while the chance is still there we will continue to strive. I strongly believe if we can secure the double chance we can certainly give this competition something to think about.

That process continues this week back home vs South. Once again it’s a must win but more importantly another chance to get games into players and grow as a team. The run home doesn’t get much harder than what we have in front of us but we wouldn’t want it any other way. There is no need to rely on other results, we just have to go out and get what we want and if we are good enough then we deserve our chance.

Finally, congratulations and thank you to all those hard core supporters who braved last week’s game. I have no doubt you could have thought of a more comfortable place to be but the fact you were out supporting the lads gives us more motivation to repay you all. Hopefully that support continues this weekend back at home against South for our second to last home match for the 2013 season.

Eagles 10.10 (70) defeated Glenelg 3.8 (26)



Jarrad Wright – Reserves Coach Report

Another great team effort by the Reserves on the weekend against Glenelg who have been in very good form in the competition. After losing the coin toss, we had to do it tough in the first as we were kicking into a very strong wind, the lads executed the game plan terrifically and defended Glenelg to only 1 goal and managing 4 goals into the wind. Having the wind in the second quarter the players switched off mentally and got lazy with our transition into the forward line blazing away from half back not giving the forwards a good opportunity to score. We still managed to win the quarter by 14 points which was a good result but certainly an effort we were not happy with as a group.

The message was quite firm at half time with making sure complacency did not creep into the group as we needed to be ruthless on each other with our demands and expectations. The response from the players was faultless as all 21 players lifted 20% in support run, voice and adhering to the structures. We managed to keep Glenelg to just 2 goals in the last half and not letting them score in the last quarter, and the eagles scoring on 9 goals 5 to win the game by 71 points.

Very good response by the players after half time from a lack lustre second quarter , again some solid individual game from Sam Heinjus in the ruck who gave first look to our Mids and following up on the ground as another mid. Aaron Day again backed up with a very good 4 quarter performance forward and back. Jack Muirhead, Glen Dawson, Patty Sinor were again the best players.

Some promising form in the later end of the season is proving good belief within the playing group and we look forward to this week’s game against South at home.

Well done to the League boys who had a good win also and Jake Von Bertouch, Matt Appleton and Luke Dunstan all playing their first League Game for the Club, Congrats boys.

Eagles 15.11 (101) defeated Glenelg 4.6 (30)



Shane Grimm – Under 18 Coach Report

After probably our best team performance of the year against Sturt last week I was expecting another good performance this week against Glenelg. The Bays have been struggling over the past couple of months having only won one of their last 7 matches after getting off to a good start, another reason I was expecting a good result both as a team but from players individually. Unfortunately I think the players also were expecting this and as a result I think we had too many players not preparing themselves properly mentally and at this level you cannot afford to be slightly off mentally because the opposition will take full advantage of any weakness they sense.

Our pre-match focus was identical of that the previous week against Sturt which resulted in a consistent performance and a good win, this week against Glenelg was the polar opposite and shows the inconsistencies you can get from a group of young men who are still learning their craft.

Right from the start of the game we were second to the ball and this didn’t get any better at any stage of the game. Our ball movement when we did get the ball was slow and we failed to get any real good flowing passages of play which has been one of our strengths throughout the season.

I am hoping to be able to chalk last week’s game down as an aberration and that we can put it behind us and concentrate on what is ahead of us for the remainder of the season. We still have 4 games to play and we will then get the opportunity to play finals for the second year in succession so the players are aware that they still need to be performing to ensure they are playing when the finals begin.

Eagles 9.7 (61) were defeated by Glenelg 14.14 (98)

The WWTFC can confirm that reigning Club Champion Angus Rowntree will require a full knee reconstruction after tearing the ACL in his left knee in last week’s game versus South Adelaide. Rowntree will have a standard ACL knee reconstruction this afternoon after scans this morning confirmed the extent of the injury meaning Angus will miss the next 12 months of football.



Senior Coach Michael Godden said “It extremely disappointing for Angus and the Club. He has worked incredibly hard this year and his last month of footy has been outstanding. To lose him at this time of year isn’t ideal because he’s exactly the type of player you want come finals time. He’s a real barometer of our side and there’s no doubt we’ll miss his ability to win contested ball. Our reserves are going well so it’s a great opportunity for a few players there to put their hand up and contribute in the absence of Angus.”



The Club can also confirm that it has provided an early guilty plea to accept a Level 4 – Striking charge for Aaron Day from Saturday’s reserves match versus South Adelaide.



The SANFL review panel interpreted Day’s incident as Intentional, Medium impact and High contact which amounted to 325 points. An early guilty plea and good record gave a 50% reduction in the number of points which means Aaron will miss this week’s match versus North Adelaide and will have 62.5 carry over points.



The Club is disappointed to be without Aaron for this week’s match versus North. Please join the Club in wishing Angus all the best in his recovery.

Michael Godden – League Coach Report

This week’s game vs South wasn’t fantastic but a win is a win.

In the first half I felt we wasted a lot of opportunities forward of centre. The effort and endeavour was fantastic but we didn’t show enough poise at critical times. After half time it was a different story. Even though we still waisted a bit of footy the movement and skill level increased and this reflected on the score board.

In today’s football when you lose rotations it really hurts you because you just can’t sustain the speed required. This is something we have been working on and Saturday was the first day we maintained our speed and energy around the footy all day after having a few players off the ground for prolonged periods. Obviously none more shocking than Angus Rowntree’s injury. Angus is an integral part of our Club and whenever a team mate goes down the entire footy family feels his pain. Unfortunately Angus has ruptured his ACL in his knee and has already undergone a knee reconstruction which is a 12 month recover period. Angus joins a growing list of Adam Grocke, Nick Joyce and Todd Culley who have all had season ending surgery. I am sure you will all join me in wishing them the very best in their respective recoveries and look forward to seeing them all back and fighting fit in 2014.

With the run to the Finals in full swing we must keep recovering well and putting in the hard yards on the track, so we can be ready for the big month ahead. North, Norwood and West will be our opponents, so there is nowhere to hide now we just have to get out there and play our very best, so we can put ourselves in a position for that all important double chance spot.

This week vs North is a huge challenge. North are coming off a period where they will be reviewing their game strongly and out of that normally comes solutions so we will need to rise to the challenge this week. The last time we played North it was a very tight contest and could have gone either way, so let’s get out to Prospect in numbers to cheer on the lads in what will be a great game and a true test for the group.

Eagles 18.5 (113) defeated South Adelaide 6.9 (45)



Jarrad Wright – Reserves Coach Report

After a disappointing loss to South at Noarlunga earlier in the year, the Reserves group had a point to prove as we were physically beaten and had to make sure we did not have a lapse in intensity again.

We know the way South Adelaide play their football and knew that their physical style would be very testing early stages of the game. South came at us with plenty of pressure and were sharp with their skills, we lacked shutting down the short kick in the first half and South were able to score more than we would have liked. Only a goal in it at the major break it was going to be a good test to see if we can respond when challenged.

We highlighted a few areas which we needed to lift in to counteract South game and in the last half the players applied the pressure and stopped South from transitioning out of our forward line. Our intensity lifted and decision making was a lot better managing to convert inside 50’s to goals frequently. A very solid second half gave us a 40 point win.

I could sense a drop in the intensity at training Friday night which flowed on into the game, it has been a solid 7 weeks since the last bye and physically this takes a toll, the players showed they have matured in their mental strength to push past that and grind a win against a good opposition.

North Adelaide at Prospect this week is always a tough match, the entire Club will be ready to perform again.

Eagles 19.11 (125) defeated South Adelaide 13.7 (85)



Shane Grimm – Under 18 Coach Report

The Under 18’s ventured to Noarlunga for the second time this year and we were hoping for a similar result to the last time we played South down there when we had a 73 point win. After the poor result the previous week against Glenelg I was keen to see the mindset of the group this week and how they would respond after probably our worst performance of the year.

The players seemed switched on and were saying all the right things pre-game so I was interested to see if it was going to translate into a good performance on the field.

South started well and got their hands on the footy early winning clearances and having a lot of energy and it took us 10 minutes before we started to swing momentum back in our favour as well as an outstanding first quarter performance from Jackson Press who kicked our first 3 goals and was looking very dangerous whenever the ball went Inside 50.

Once we regained the momentum we never let it slip again and we had a very solid and consistent performance from the entire team. We kicked 6 goals in each quarter and won every major statistic that matters comfortably. We also had some outstanding individual performances, Jackson Press finished off strongly after a great first quarter finishing with 8 goals to go with 12 marks and 27 possessions, Alby Dunstan dominated across Half Forward taking 16 marks kicking 5 goals and having 32 possessions.



The win cemented our spot in the top 3 which means we will get the double chance come Finals time, this also means we can try a few things and some more players over the last 3 weeks to make sure we are primed to perform well during the Finals.

Eagles 24.15 (159) defeated South Adelaide 5.7 (37)

Media Release



It is with regret that the Woodville-West Torrens Football Club announces the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer, Uby Faddoul.

The Club would like to thank Uby for his contribution during his tenure. During his time he has launched a series of successful business lunches and events in the refurbished Function Centre, secured new sponsors and achieved a new record for paid memberships for the Woodville West Torrens Football Club.

Uby wishes to thank everyone for their support during his time and wishes the club every success in the finals including a premiership in 2013.

For further enquiries please contact Football Manager Trent Hentschel on 83472444.

The WWTFC can confirm it has provided an early guilty plea to accept a Level 3 – Striking charge for Craig Parry from last week’s match versus North Adelaide.

The SANFL review panel interpreted Parry’s incident as Intentional, High Contact and Low Impact which amounted to 225 points. With a loading of 25% and 19.6 carry over points from an offense in 2012 and a 25% deduction for an Early Guilty plea Craig will miss 2 matches with 30.53 carry over points.

The WWTFC can also confirm that as a result of Craig’s 2 week suspension he has now exceeded the accumulated 16-week suspension permitted during a player’s career and has therefor been de-registered by the SANFL in accordance with the National De-registration policy adopted by the League in 2013.

The Club will appeal Craig’s de-registration at a SANFL Football Commission hearing at a date to be determined.

Michael Godden - League Coach Report

This weekend’s game against North was certainly a step in the right direction for our Club. I said to the players post match how proud I am of their development from the last time we played North at Prospect. This group is starting to show maturity beyond their years and the feeling of “Team” is growing.

It is crucial in every season to be getting better as the season unfolds. At this stage I feel we are on the upward curve and we certainly will need to be with the challenge of Norwood and West in the coming weeks. What this win does for us is give us hope and reward for the hard work done by all; also it keeps that double chance flame flickering.

Once again it was a good showing by our less experienced players who proved they could handle the heat against a very good side. It has also been good to see the improvement of our more experienced players over the last month. It is so important these players continue to get better and lead this group forward.

The bye week will consist of recovery Monday and Tuesday followed by good sessions both Wednesday and Friday, before a get together Saturday to sort out our plan for the next phase of the season. This is a period of time we must get the balance right between rest/recovery and fitness/skills. We have put a good plan in place and one I am sure will serve us well.

Hope everyone enjoys the week off and a chance to rest those vocal chords because we are going to need you all for this run to the Finals and beyond.

Eagles 17.12 (114) defeated North Adelaide 9.10 (64)

Jarrad Wright – Reserves Coach Report

We travelled out to Prospect Oval which was a big day for the Footy Club. The Reserves had to start the day well and set the scene for the League. With 5 changes during the week the team had a different dynamic with some younger U18/19 players coming up for another game and was very exciting to see them play at the Reserves level.

North Adelaide had just come off some good wins and most recently Sturt and posed to be a danger at their home ground. As there was a different dynamic I played some players in different positions than the positions they had been playing in over the past 6 weeks to change it up and challenge the players on how well they could adapt to different roles. This is key for developing them further to put a hand up for League selection.

Conditions were pretty windy throughout the day and made transition a little tricky going inside 50 especially with North rolling number defensively into our 50 which adds to the challenge of scoring as often as we would like. What was most pleasing was the pressure on the opposition was outstanding with shutting down some key players for them and did not allow them to play the possession game and only kick 2 goal for the game. A solid 47 point win over a team who is going to play finals was great result.

A well-deserved rest for the boys this week after a solid 8 game run. We have now tied up top spot with 3 rounds to go which is a great effort, but the team have a lot more work to be done this year and we are keen to play Norwood in a few weeks’ time.

Eagles 9.11 (65) defeated North Adelaide 2.6 (18)

Shane Grimm – Under 18 Coach Report

After an inconsistent month I was very interested to see how we would perform against North who have been in very good form having some big wins in the past few weeks and are sitting on top of the ladder with only 2 losses.



The players were challenged on Thursday night to come to the game well prepared and with a positive attitude; this was reiterated pre-match and I could sense the players had come to play. We now had to see if this would translate on to the ground.



Our first quarter was very good, our pressure on North was excellent and we were very dangerous when we went Inside 50. We restricted North Adelaide to 1 behind and 2 Inside 50 entries for the quarter while having 11 scoring shots from 21 Inside 50 entries ourselves; unfortunately we were a little inaccurate only kicking 4 goals but it was the way we went about it that was the most satisfying. Lachy Hall played his best quarter of football of the year for the team with 10 possessions 2 goals and 3 tackles to help set up what would be a good win.



Although North pegged the our lead back to 15 points at half time I always felt that we were the better side and that we had the game under control for the majority of the day. The win has put us back in the race to win the Minor Premiership which is not something that we have talked about a lot; we have been more focussed on getting things right at the right end of the season.



One of the highlights of the game was the performance of some players who may feel that they are on the edge each week like Michael Visentin, James Lean, Max Neville and James Schwarz.



We have the well-deserved Bye this week and we will certainly appreciate the weekend off before coming back to have a real crack at going deep into Finals.



Eagles 10.12 (72) defeated North Adelaide 6.11 (47)

The WWTFC can confirm it was successful in its attempt to have Craig Parry re-registered at tonight’s SANFL Football Commission Hearing.

The Club presented a submission to the SANFL Football Commission with the aim of having Parry re-registered after he was suspended for 2 matches from the game versus North Adelaide on the weekend and subsequently de-registered under the National De-Registration Policy for exceeding the 16 game limit.

Football Manager Trent Hentschel said “The Club is extremely pleased with the outcome of tonight’s hearing. We felt we had strong case and we received a very fair hearing from the SANFL Football Commissioners. We endorse the National De-Registration Policy and believe the policy was brought in to stamp out the ‘ugly’ incidents in our game and not to ban a player of Craig’s character who has earned an enormous amount of respect within the SANFL. He is an integral part of what we want to achieve this year so to have him available for the finals is great. Craig has been a wonderful servant of the SANFL for 11 years so it’s fantastic that he gets the opportunity to continue his career.”

The ruling means Parry will miss the next 2 matches versus Norwood and West but will be free to play in the first week of the finals.



click on the link for the SANFL Media Release http://www.sanfl.com.au/news/sanfl_news/2191/

Match Reports – Rnd 22 2013 – Eagles v Norwood



Michael Godden – League Coach Report

Sunday’s result clearly wasn’t what we were looking for and one that will stick with us for a while. It was obvious from the start the ‘edge’ wasn’t there. There is no excuse for this due to the magnitude of the game and one that we are going to have to work out what went wrong mentally and for that matter physically.

The game started with us fumbling, missing targets and creating multiple turn-overs to allow the opposition to score easily. What followed seemed to be some hesitancy in the way we played and this played straight into the opposition’s hands. The plan we set out to execute wasn’t executed anywhere near the vision I had so as I said back at the Club Sunday night; the players need to understand what is required and try to execute it and I need to alter the way I deliver the message, because what we watched on Sunday was nowhere near what we had planned for the day.

That’s all I want to say about that game because we have moved on and are fully focused on West this Sunday. This time of year it is all about looking forward and what we have in front of us is clear. Win and we finish the minor round outright second. Lose, and probably finish fourth and will be playing in an Elimination Final.

This week it will all be about us and what we can control because to win Finals we need to move the ball better and make less mistakes and the rest will take care of itself.

Well done again to the Reserves and Under 18’s. Considering the Reserves team is used to trial players and structures for the greater good of the Club, it is fantastic that no matter what set up we have had week to week they are continuing to play really competitive footy and giving the playing group lots of pressure above. In an unusual twist from Friday night’s Under 18’s game against Norwood, Norwood ended up being awarded the win even though at the end of the game our boys had kicked a bigger score. There was an error by the goal umpires with their score cards at half time and unfortunately it’s an error that can’t be reversed or challenged. This win would have put the 18’s in prime position for top spot and the Club in a very good position for the Stanley H Lewis award so it’s very disappointing. The positive is the Under 18’s will have the double chance and they now get an extra Final to play, which is always good for their development.

Anyway onto West and the big clash out there at Richmond on Sunday. With the weather fining up and with the importance of the game it would be great to see as many Eagles faithful out there as possible to cheer on the lads. With the turn over off season of influential players and the ins and out of AFL week to week, coupled with the 46 players we have had to use at League level this year it will be a fantastic result by the entire Club if we can get a win, secure that double chance and finish the minor round in Second place. As we are all too aware, Finals are a different game and one we are excited and ready for.

Eagles 5.12 (42) were defeated by Norwood 11.17 (83)



Jarrad Wright – Reserves Coach Report

After having a week off from the bye it is always difficult to see how the players prepare and play the week after. The group had watched Norwood the week prior and had good insight to view the way they played and individually recognise the opponent’s positions. Norwood sitting second on the ladder we knew it was going to be a very tough game against quality opposition who play a very structured style of football.

The 21 players on the field adapted very well to the warm conditions and continued where they left off before the bye with controlling the games tempo and possession throughout the first half. Our plan was being executed terrifically at the highest of tempo and intensity which was provided trouble to Norwood to get any clean possession.

The third quarter was definitely our most effective on the score board with a handy 7 goals to 1 and really breaking away with a commanding lead at half time of 55 points. Our KPI’s were all in the green and the voice on the ground was exceptional.

The last quarter was an 180 degree turn around with Norwood starting to get some clean possession and win contested footy by purely working harder than us. Unfortunately the mindset of the 21 players totally stopped and allowed Norwood to kick 6 unanswered goals in the final term to make the game quite close by the final siren. Some real lazy efforts and undisciplined actions costing easy goals and a sniff for Norwood.

A very good effort for the 3 quarters played and to Norwood’s credit they showed real fight and we got a taste of how good they can be when the heat is on. A solid 3 goal win over a quality opposition is still a promising result.

Eagles 12.7 (79) defeated Norwood 9.8 (62)



Shane Grimm – Under 18 Coach Report

Last weekend the players had a well-deserved weekend off after beating North Adelaide in Round 20 to give ourselves a chance of winning the minor premiership if we defeated Norwood and then West Adelaide in our last 2 minor round games of the year.

Coopers Stadium has never been a happy hunting ground for our Under 18 team, the confined spaces do not suit the style of football that we like to play and we tend to over-handball at times.

Unlike our last game against North Adelaide we started the game poorly. We were second to the ball and were outworked by Norwood all over the ground. They played a very disciplined game with all players playing a role that benefitted their team and fittingly at quarter time had a very comfortable 28 point lead, we had a lot of work to do.

We outscored Norwood in the second term 4 goals to 1 and started to play a lot more accountable brand of football, which is what was supposed to happen at the start of the game. At half time we trailed by 22 points but had swung the momentum back in our favour throughout the second term.

After half time we outscored Norwood by 6 goals to 2 goals and played a very intense and disciplined style of football, one which we hope will get us playing deep into the Finals. We will need to make sure that we are better prepared mentally over the next month of football if we are to have any chance of playing in a Grand Final because we will be playing against some quality opposition and the team who prepares themselves the best on the day is usually the team that gets the result at the end of the day.


Eagles 10.6 (66) were defeated by Norwood 10.9 (69)

Match Reports – Rnd 23 2013 – West v Eagles



Michael Godden – League Coach Report

This weekend has ended the minor round with all three teams in a good position. The Under 18’s start their campaign this weekend against Norwood on Saturday at Alberton after finishing the season in second place. The Reserves have earned the right to have the weekend off after finishing well ahead on top of the ladder. The league completed the minor round in second place.

Considering the way we use the development teams at the Eagles it is fantastic they have been able to finish the minor round in a strong position and are both well placed for a good crack at their respective Premierships. With these strong results it means the Club has taken out the Stanley H Lewis award for the best performing club in the SANFL. I know everyone has worked very hard this year to give all our players the best chance to be the best they can so congrats to all involved on this great achievement.

While I am congratulating I would like to say well done to Paul Ventura on taking out the Under 18’s McCallum Tompkins Medal and Angus Poole on polling the most votes in the Reserves Magarey Medal for the second year even though Angus only played 6 games of Reserves this season. Obviously Angus was suspended during the year so he was ineligible to win it but it is worth noting Angus’s effort.

Sunday’s game against West was an interesting one. With West resting numerous players we really needed to focus on us and what we wanted to achieve out of the game. The previous game against Norwood we were very disappointed in our ball movement. So this week with the energy and tackling pressure the players put on it allowed us to get plenty of the ball and continue to develop the way we want to move the ball and how we want to go about our defensive structures.

With Sunday’s game against West being the final game in a long year we now look forward to what we are all here for and that is win finals. If you win enough games during the season it gives you the chance to compete in finals and this year has been good to us securing the double chance. This is what we have been preparing for from all the way back to last November so it’s time to put all we have learnt and worked on out on AAMI Sunday afternoon. The players and coaches are all very excited about what is ahead and feel we are in a very good position both mentally and physically to give this competition a real shake.

Like all games the playing group would love to have as many faithful Eagles supporters out at AAMI cheering them on. With this being the last finals campaign to be held at AAMI it’s a great opportunity for our Club to make sure we are a part of history.

Eagles 22.11 (143) defeated West Adelaide 1.6 (72)

Jarrad Wright – Reserves Coach Report

Round 23 has been and gone to wrap up another home and away season and we travelled to Richmond Oval to play against West Adelaide. After a lack lustre last quarter against Norwood the week earlier, my demands on the team was to make sure the process was on our terms for the entire game making sure we were disciplined in our game style and structures as we have to prepare ourselves for the coming weeks in Finals.

West Adelaide had rested a few players from the senior team which then had impacted on the depth and maturity of the team Westies fielded, being mainly U18’s. We had a fair few U18’s playing only their first senior game (Sam Lodge and Jack Enright) and a few more U18 players with minimal experience – Jackson Press, Justin Smart and Taz Fitzgerald, which provided our more senior players good task of leadership on field to make sure they were also playing Eagles brand.

The Reserves team dominated play right from the first bounce having 100 more possessions more than the opposition in the first half and physically worked harder and were stronger than West. Going in at half time 80 points up was an outstanding half of football. It would be very easy for the players to drift off and start “kick chasing” and playing on their own terms in games like this, but the bigger picture of the process was very strongly felt across the group to play 4 quarters out, no matter the score line.

To the players credit they did just that in the second half, not giving in to the temptation to lairise or play cute footy. We continued to work hard defensively and spread forward with the ball and did not allow West to have much impact all day.

A strong performance to win by 138 points and to finish of what so far has been a very good season. The group has worked very hard to earn the right to have this week off from finishing top spot. We wait eagerly to play next week against the winner of North and Centrals to have a crack to go into a Grand Final.

The hard work begins now.

Eagles 22.20 (152) defeated West Adelaide 2.5 (15)



Shane Grimm – Under 18 Coach Report

This week’s final round game was one we just needed to get through with minimal fuss. The game had no effect on where we would finish on the ladder and we knew that we would be facing Norwood in the first week of Finals, so our sole focus was to work on a few things for the following week and to try and get through the game unscathed. Unfortunately we did not get through unscathed with James Lean rupturing his ACL which will see him miss the next 12 months of football. This is the second knee construction for James having previously injured his other knee as a 15 year old. We obviously wish James all the best with his rehabilitation.

Right from the start of the game we looked the better side and we totally dominated every area of the game and probably should have beaten West by more than the 98 points that we did in the end.

At the end of the game we had 230 more possessions, 82 more Marks and 38 more Inside 50 entries than West Adelaide and also had the impressive statistic of 46 Inside 50 marks for the game.

The pleasing aspect of the game was the performance of our younger players Jack Hayes dominated at half forward picking up 34 possessions and taking 17 marks, Daniel Minney worked tirelessly in the midfield to get a season high 28 possessions, 6 clearances and 3 Goals. Izzy Blumson mopped up everything in defence and ended up with 26 possessions as did Ethan Haylock who played between the wing and half forward. Jack Elsworthy who played on the ball ended up with 24 possessions and 5 clearances and Lachy Hall and Jack Gaffney both finished with 21 possessions from a wing and half forward role. All of these players are Under 17 aged players and still eligible to play Under 18’s next year. We also had a major contribution from Daniel Polanski who played as a small forward for most of the day and finished with 23 possessions 8 marks and kicked 4 goals. Daniel is an Under 16 age player who has adapted to the higher level extremely well.

Next week we play Norwood in the Qualifying Final in what will be a very tight struggle but one that we are really looking forward to.

Eagles 21.11 (137) defeated West Adelaide 6.3 (39)

Michael Godden – League Coach Report

Every time you lose any game being up at half time is disappointing, but when it’s a Final it adds extra weight.

The first half we saw a really committed, strong, disciplined football team. Unfortunately the second half was a lot different. We all made errors in that last half and this includes players and coaches.

West were always going to bounce back and we went away from our plan and didn’t react and adapt quick enough in the third and this is what we are going to have to live with. Even though we feel we had only half the team perform, we still have improved dramatically from the two games against a full West Adelaide side this season. This means we are heading in the right direction, a lot of players got their first taste of Senior Finals and some even AAMI stadium so this should stand them in good stead for this weekend.

As much as we are all extremely angry at the result, as the dust settled we realised we controlled a lot that happened in that second half and we have learnt from this. There are a lot of contributing factors to the loss and I am sure everyone has their theory (believe me I have heard them all). The reality is we lost to a better team and we must respond in the best possible way this weekend against a very determined football side. Every game you are involved in it is unique, and after meeting with every player that played it is clear they are disappointed in their performance but also realistic in knowing that as a team we are good enough this year. Sure we have to improve but our upside is still very exciting.

This time of year is all about putting the past behind you. As much as we all say we ‘could have’ or ‘should have’, the simple fact is we can’t, the opportunity is lost, all we can do is look forward and make sure we do everything in our power to be better and leave nothing to chance. The football department is excited about what the double chance has given us, and that’s another crack. So with your support and a full team effort we will be out there Sunday fighting for our football lives so hopefully you can join us.

By the way, anyone who can get out to Alberton on Saturday would be much appreciated. The Under 18’s and Reserves are playing for a spot in their respective Grand Finals so all support would be greatly appreciated so they can realise a dream and continue their solid development in our Club.

Eagles 11.16 (82) were defeated by West Adelaide 14.5 (89)



UNDER 18′S QUALIFYING FINAL – vs NORWOOD

Shane Grimm – Under 18′s Coach Report

The reason we play football is to play in Finals and our Under 18 group has done an outstanding job this year finishing the home and away season with 16 wins and 4 losses, 2 of those losses being by less than 1 goal. We finished the Minor Round in second position which entitles us to the double chance and a Qualifying Final against Norwood. Both times we have played Norwood this year the result had been less than 1 goal with each team getting a win, I was expecting this game to be another tight contest.

We talked about getting off to a good start because the past 2 times we had played Norwood we had fallen behind early and then run over Norwood late in the game, we felt that the best way to beat Norwood was to start well and try and maintain scoreboard pressure on a team that does not score heavily.

We did start the game well and lead at every change, but 7 points being the largest lead at any break. At three quarter time we held a 6 point lead and were kicking into a slight breeze. Norwood started the final term the better and kicked the first 2 goals of the quarter to get themselves in front by a goal. From that point on we dominated the final term statistically but were very wasteful in front of goal managing to kick 1 goal and 7 behinds, with the winning goal coming 24 minutes into the last quarter courtesy of a nice snap from Ethan Haylock.

This week we had our full complement of 6 Under 19 aged players, but it was the performance of our Under 17 aged players which was the highlight for me, especially when Norwood hit the front in the last term it was the likes of Ethan Haylock, Jack Gaffney, Jack Hayes and Jack Elsworthy who really stood up. Lachlan Hall is another Under 17 aged player who played a significant defensive forward role for us while also managing to kick a goal himself.

We have now given ourselves an opportunity to play for a spot in a Grand Final, but we will have to be at our best to beat a very strong North Adelaide, but I am confident the players are up to the challenge.

Eagles 9.10 (64) defeated Norwood 8.11 (59)