Eagles Emails 2016

The Board and the Chief Executive Officer have, for some time, been discussing the best organisational structure that will best benefit the Woodville West Torrens Football Club Inc. and the Eagles Club Inc. in the future. The best organisational structure for the Club will be one that will provide sufficient resources to the Football Department to ensure their continued competitiveness and success on field.

In addition, the South Australian National Football League has required that all Clubs achieve a cash surplus of $100,000 each year, starting from 2016. This cash surplus must be achieved by all Clubs, excluding any funds distributed from the sale of AAMI stadium.

In light of the above, the Board has adopted a new organisational structure which has a Football Manager overseeing the football department and a Commercial Manager overseeing the licensed premises, marketing and membership. This new organisational structure does not have a Chief Executive Officer and will enable WWTFC to achieve financial viability and meet the SANFL’s financial performance requirement.

It is therefore, with regret, that our Chief Executive Officer, Mr Peter Schwarz, will be leaving the WWTFC on 27th May 2016. We take this opportunity to thank Peter for all that he has done for the Club and for being instrumental in the scoping and adoption of this new organisational structure.

Further information will follow regarding the new structure.



Regards,



Kurt Slaven

Woodville West Torrens Football Club

With the double bye we are having I thought it was a good opportunity to update everyone on what we are doing in order to make sure we are ready for our next bank of 6 or so games which always separates the competition.

The first week after the Port game we spent recovering and doing some ball movement training without a lot of body contact. We have also spent considerable time in the video room evaluating all facets of our team game while each individual player has been working hard on their improvement areas. The football department had Friday night off as a reward for their efforts so they could spend some time with their families or just be normal for a few days. Personally I spent Friday night watching my middle Daughter play netball for the first time this year which is great because I don’t get to do that very often.

This week we will mix training between skill work, hard tackling/physical work and game simulation. These weeks are very important because if you use the time well and make sure every time you train you do it with purpose it can set you up for the grind in the middle part of the year.

Next week we will resume a normal training week leading into the Norwood game.

To Darren Hams and the Under 16’s bad luck on your Grand Final on Saturday. You have all done a tremendous job to get to where you did this year but most importantly the improvement individually was great to see and with that you have also had exposure to a final and that is great for everyone’s development.

With the State games being played this week I would like to wish all of the Eagles representatives well. We have an 18’s State vs 20’s State game and obviously the League State game both at Adelaide Oval. I am not sure of selection yet but to Tyson Stengle, Jackson Lee, Brennan Cox, Andrew McPherson, Thomas Schmusch and Jake Comitogianni good luck with the 18’s and to Jack Hayes, Jack Gaffney, Jack Elsworthy and Rhys Woods good luck with the 20’s. Also to Scott Mathews on his coaching gig with the 20’s, good luck. To the League representatives in James Boyd, Luke Thompson, Lachlan McGregor and Jarred Allmond all the best in your game vs Victoria I am sure you will all do very well.

So there is a bit of an update of what we are doing in the double bye weeks and as always we look forward to seeing you back at the footy soon when we take on the Redlegs

Match Reports – Rnd 10 2016 – Eagles vs Norwood



LEAGUE - MICHEAL GODDEN

Performing well after a bye has been something we have improved on dramatically over the years and Saturday was no exception. A long mid-season break of 3 weeks is not ideal but it is one aspect I am very confident we now have the knowledge to deal with and be in a position to put in consistent solid performances after any break.

Last weekend’s game started well for us on the scoreboard but it was clear Norwood were doing a lot right in general play. Norwood had 12 inside 50’s for 1 goal 4 behinds and we had only the 4 inside 50’s for 4 straight. During the first term Norwood were able to get the ball forward from dominating the stoppages then lock it in for long periods of time so it really tested our defensive structures and I am pleased to say they held up well.

The 2nd term saw us get back some momentum at the stoppages which obviously allowed us to get the ball forward more and give our forwards a chance. After losing the first term negative 5 at restarts we pulled that back to go plus 1 in the second term. Stoppages are critical against Norwood as they are very good at them and they are very good at holding the ball in their forward half for long periods. With our forwards getting more chances than the first quarter it was pleasing to see them finish the hard work off to win the quarter by 23 points.

The third saw Norwood get back on top at the restarts so we had to work hard in open field finishing with 8 shots to 3, it was just a pity we kicked at 38% accuracy.

The final quarter was very strong controlling most of the possession and field position but once again we undid some good work kicking at only 44% accuracy. Finally running out winners by 65 points.

In summary it was a solid performance by the boys. Losing Jared Petrenko in the warm up was a challenge so well done to Rhys Woods who after playing a full game in the Reserves stepped out and played a strong role for the League team in the afternoon.

We now move onto this week’s crucial match up against Centrals. With the 10 year anniversary happening from the 2006 Premiership it is certainly a big day for the club and a day we want to honour our past greats with a great performance.



RESERVES – SCOTT MATTHEWS

After 3 weeks without playing, you can never be too sure how the playing group will respond. Will they be a bit scratchy from not having played or will they be fresh and ready to go? The preparation and training schedule put in place during this period certainly had the players physically ready, I guess it’s more of the mental side that causes uncertainty.

Our Reserves were really looking forward to the challenge of playing a Norwood team who have had a good start to the season. There was some real energy in the rooms before the game and the emphasis on the playing group was to demonstrate leadership, play their roles well and to be elite in everything they do.

The first 5 minutes of the game was pretty lack lustre with Norwood kicking the opening 2 goals, caused directly from our mistakes. After that, our group played some of the most clinical football I have seen this year. Our pressure in the forward half of the ground was simply outstanding, causing Norwood to panic on almost every occasion they had the ball in their defence. Our players were ruthless and through patience and determination just pressured the opposition until a goal was scored. Our midfield gave good use of the footy to the forwards and worked really hard both ways to link up and transition the football. And our defence was strong, intercepting Norwood’s forays into their forward line and then launching multiple attacks through the middle of the ground. All of this resulted in us kicking the next 14 goals and keeping them scoreless for close to 45 minutes.

At half time we held a 79 point lead 14.7.91 to 2.0.12

For the first 10 minutes after half time the game became quite scrappy for as Norwood responded to their poor 1st half kicking the first 3 goals of the quarter. We certainly didn’t have the same intensity as we did throughout the first half and over handballing put us under some unnecessary pressure. What was most pleasing about this quarter was the fact that we regrouped, got back to basics and executed the game plan and skills that we expect of ourselves, therefore turning things around to win the quarter.

In the final term, we made a number of positional changes in order to develop our playing group in other areas and also through necessity to cover some sore bodies. The challenge was thrown to the team to still play their roles well and be elite, even in less familiar positions and the players were fantastic, finishing the game well and winning the last quarter by about 20 points.

The players should be really proud of their efforts, the way they carried out the instructions and how they individually showed improvements while still playing their role for the team.

The final result: Eagles 21.11.137 to Norwood 6.4.40



UNDER 18′S - SHANE REARDON

The Under 18s had a loss on the weekend, going down to the Redlegs by 47 points. Norwood took their chances much better than we did and whilst some of the keys stats were pretty even they controlled the ball and hence the game much better than we did. We engineered the same number of forward 50 entries as Norwood but only kicked 6 goals compared to their 14.

Whilst it is always disappointing to lose, the players kept having a real go and that important – we competed well and Will McPherson epitomised that with his hard work on the wing and half back, ably assisted by Liam Martin and Andy Georgeson also in those roles. Jake Weidemann worked very hard in our forward line, presenting well and taking a number of strong marks. Josh Hoyle was another who showed us the way with his attack on the ball and the opposition with his tackling being a standout and Matty Longbottom as well as finding plenty of the ball and was also strong in his tackling.

This week we play West Adelaide on Sunday so we will be working very hard to get a win.

Match Reports – Rnd 11 2016 – Eagles vs Central District

LEAGUE – MICHAEL GODDEN

Sunday was a fantastic day for all players and coaches not only to have a solid win in both grades but the opportunity for the current playing group and staff to mix with the players and staff of the past. For those that were here I am sure you would agree to have the generations come together like that is exciting and something we do very well at the Eagles as our past players are very passionate about their club. Also due to this special day there is no doubt as a footy department we felt compelled to play in the right manner and I am happy we did that.

The game started reasonably well for us. Even though we did give up a small quarter time lead the players were in good spirits and were having a crack.

The second term saw some of our better footy. The players were getting their hands on the ball in close and our outside run was up and about, winning the quarter by 36 points and going to half time with a 34 point lead.

The third quarter was a bit of a scrap, in saying that we did have enough entries and scoring shots to make it better but unfortunately we kicked inaccurately with 2-5.

The final term was one of our best for a while. We must acknowledge Centrals had some key defenders out and I think with the constant inside 50’s we put enough pressure on them and allowed our forwards to really make an impact finally kicking 10-2 and running out winners by 88 points.

One aspect with our game since our loss to Adelaide in Round 3 is we have been able to lift our average score to 97.5 points while dropping our average score against to 48.8 points in those last 6 games. This was a particularly big focus on the weekend with Centrals being able to score at an average of 95 points this season so to keep them to 47 was a great effort.

Congratulations to our latest debutant Ethan Haylock. With this being our 5th for the year it is always exciting for everyone and Ethan certainly didn’t disappoint, adapting very well to League footy and playing a very good game.

Now we move into our last bye for a while. As I have said for all of our byes we will use this time not to rest but to get better and make sure we are ready for the tough 6 games ahead which will shape our 2016 season.

Once again thanks to all the past players and officials for attending on the weekend, I hope you liked what you saw and we look forward to seeing you back at the club as often as you can. To all members and supporters enjoy another break and get ready for a big second half of the year as we are going to need you every step of the way.



RESERVES - SCOTT MATTHEWS

The game against Centrals on the weekend certainly wasn’t the most skilful or high quality game we’ve been involved in this year but it was a good challenge that I thought our playing group worked through well. We gave a number of players some new roles to help further develop them and provide them with a new challenge. This, combined with Centrals 1 on 1 style of play, brought about a scrappy, physical affair with lots of contested football.

It took us a while to work into the game in the first quarter, as we were unable to launch regular attacks from the back half of the ground and get our customary running game going. Defensively, we were quite poor, with our players anticipating their teammates were going to win the footy before they actually did and as a result getting caught out of position occasionally. Centrals, to their credit did a good job of slowing us down and not allowing us space to work into. This resulted in a fairly even opening term, with Centrals gaining a 1 goal advantage at the first break.

Our defence really tightened up in the second quarter, with midfield players getting back to help our defence. With more players pushing back, it meant that once we could turn the footy over, we had more options coming out of the back half, which generated some more run and opened the game up. 6 goals to 1 for the quarter gave us a handy 29 point lead at half time.

The 3rd quarter was just a tough, hard slog with only 1 goal being scored between the 2 teams. There was some great tackling from both teams and good genuine 1 on 1 contests, which I felt our players won their fair share of. We just weren’t able to transfer this into goal scoring opportunities.

The last quarter was a bit more open and free flowing, with Centrals taking more risks in order to win the game by running hard forward. On occasions this worked well for them but it also allowed more open field play once we could get our hands on the footy. Both teams kicked 4 goals and we walked away with a solid 30 point victory.

I was pleased with the players response and with how the group engaged in the physical contest. It’s great to see a group (and individuals) dig deep when challenged and come out the other side better for it.

Final Scores: Eagles 13.9.87 to Centrals 8.9.57

We now look forward to taking on South Adelaide in a couple weeks, who have really taken it up to us in our 2 encounters at Noarlunga earlier this season.



UNDER 18′S – SHANE REARDON

The Under 18s bounced back to the winners list with a 61 point win over West Adelaide. The match was played for the annual “Jake Watson Shield”. Members might remember that Jake died of a medical condition whilst playing in an Under 19 match against the Eagles in April of 2002. Both clubs have participated in this annual game since then. West Adelaide put on a very poignant presentation ceremony after the game where all of the boys were reminded to live their lives to be the best they can be and of just how quickly life can change. Well done to all the players from both clubs who honoured Jake’s memory with a good game of football as well.

We started slowly as we often do and were behind at quarter time but a 7 goal to 2 goal second quarter tilted the game our way and we followed that up with a 6 goal to 2 goal third quarter to wrest control of the match before winning by 61 points.

There were some good efforts across the whole team and we had three players play their first games – James Rowe, Adam Klavins and Sam McKay all did well with James amassing plenty of the ball in the mid field and using it intelligently, Sam playing his role well at centre half back and Adam kicking 3 goals from full forward. Other players to play well were Isaac Moller in our midfield as well as Ethan Miller who led our rucks and did it well. Jake Weidemann was asked to play Centre Half Forward and was creative and hard working and Trevor Wanganeen kicked three great goals and was busy throughout our forward line. Zac Friend was another midfielder/forward who worked very hard in and under the packs and was rewarded with 4 goals.

We have a 2 week bye now, plenty of time for us to prepare for taking on the top team Glenelg, at their home ground on July 2

Match Reports – Rnd 13 2016 - Eagles vs South Adelaide

League – Michael Godden

Every week offers new challenges and this game against South was exactly that. After being beaten convincingly earlier in the year we knew we had to be a lot better if we were to come away with a win. After a long week of average weather it was great the ground held up to allow a good game.

The start to this match saw a heap of stoppages which slowed the game down and created a very in tight contested battle. With the tightness of the restarts it made it hard for both sides to get the ball on the outside and didn’t make for much of a spectacle. At half time there had been 60 stoppages and only 6 goals scored. The negative was we were down by 10 points at the main break but the positive was we had 26 to 13 inside 50’s so we knew we just needed to find a way around the congestion and be a bit more accurate with our scoring.

The players had some really good discussions at half time and came out and executed well kicking 8-7 to 2-1 for the second half to finally run out winners by 32 points.

With a clear advantage in the possession rate (+49) and inside 50’s (+31) it showed that we are a very capable side considering this game was against a real contender in South. On the flip side it also showed we have some work to do on our accuracy along with where we are having our shots from.

We spoke pre match about consistency of effort. Starting from each contest, set plays, training sessions and of course every game we play, because with consistency comes a strong ladder position. This is a focus at the moment, making sure we don’t waste a second in all facets of our preparation so we can be putting in strong performances every time we take the field.

This week is another opportunity to do that. We had a solid win on Anzac Day against West and we must make sure we have improved since then, so its heads down now and get ready for another big game at home.



Reserves – Scott Matthews

Last time we took on South at Noarlunga, we came away really disappointed with our lack of hunger and work rate when the game was on the line in the last quarter.

This week’s game was not about ‘revenge’, ‘payback’ or ‘making a mends’ but more about learning from our mistakes from our previous encounter, both as individuals and as a team.

We expected a physical game with lots of tackling and opportunities to win contested footy and that was exactly what it turned out to be. There certainly wasn’t a lot of open field play with teams transitioning from one end to the other, as has often been the case in many of the games this year. This game was scrappy, ugly and hard fought from the opening bounce to the final siren.

The first quarter, was a little frustrating, as we really hesitated to move the footy with speed when we had our opportunities. And with South playing a lot of numbers behind the footy, it allowed them to set up and make it hard for us to make the most of our inside 50 opportunities. Having said that, our pressure inside the front half of the ground didn’t really give them many opportunities to find loose players when they did have control of the ball. We were lucky that their inaccurate kicking (0.5) enabled us to hold on to a narrow 8 point lead at the first break.

In the second and third quarters we began to run and carry the ball a bit more and linked up with some handball through the middle of the ground. This gave us some cleaner entries into our forward 50 and enabled us to take quite a few marks up forward. Our tackling in the midfield and dominance around stoppages was also a highlight during this period as we created 17 scoring shots to 5 and went into the final break with a 40point lead.

The first 10 minutes of the final quarter was forgettable with South kicking 4 goals to 0. Our midfield really struggled to touch the footy, which gave South opportunities to take the footy inside their 50 with minimal pressure. We eventually arrested the momentum and got a couple goals to steady things.

Apart from the 10 minute period at the start of the last quarter, I was proud of the effort and work rate of our playing group for the match. It was great to see that we can win games of footy in different ways, not just nice-looking open field play. Our tackling was the best it’s been. Our stoppage work was aggressive and powerful, our defence was really solid and our forward line really did put enormous pressure on the South defence every time the footy was in their hands.

Final scores were:



Eagles 12.12.84 to South 9.7.61

Match Reports – Rnd 14 2016 – Eagles vs West Adelaide

MICHAEL GODDEN – LEAGUE

Post-match I was critical of our game due to the over use of the football and at times in-direct play, but as I have reviewed the game now it wasn’t as bad as I thought. At times we certainly did muck around with the footy but on balance some of our work rate and movement was very good.

After conceding the first goal early in the game the players steadied well, got into a rhythm and played some very solid football for the remainder of the first quarter having 14 to 1 inside 50’s and finishing with a 22 point lead.

The second had some very good movement kicking 7-2, but unfortunately with that came some average defending allowing West to kick 4-0 from their 7 entries, finally finishing the first half 42 points up.

The second half saw some excellent play along with some very sloppy patches from both sides. To be honest the game deteriorated a bit and wasn’t much of a spectacle but to the players credit they did enough to run out winners by a solid 76 points.

Once again we have dominated the inside 50 count and on this occasion by 36 which has been a good pattern lately. With that dominance on the weekend we still scored at 55% which is a respectable result. These basic numbers showed we did enough to win but our real improvement will come from our ability to convert more of our shallow entries to scores.

After a slow start to the year the League team have just taken over the number 1 ranked score for and score against team which is giving our percentage a real boost. We are handling the ball a lot because we are winning plenty of contested ball even though sometimes we are over using it and this is something we need to keep working on in order to get a good balance.

Now we enter two critical away games starting with North Adelaide this week. We only just got over the line earlier in the year by 12 points and we only won 1 of the 4 quarters in that game so North will have a lot of confidence and we need to be better than that. While we are winning at the moment we are definitely finding faults in our game that we are continuing to work on so to make sure the gaps are getting smaller every week.

As we enter the depth of winter and the grounds are getting heavier it is the time we have to manage our workloads while still making sure we are on top of our game every week. This is the period of the season that sorts out that important finishing positions, so hopefully we can get as many Eagles people out to Prospect to cheer on the lads as we continue to work on our game and make sure consistency is our top priority.



SCOTT MATTHEWS – RESERVES

Be Brave, Be Better was the theme for our game against West Adelaide.

We had a good game against South the week before and our opponents this week have been losing by some pretty big margins in recent weeks so it was important for us to refocus our attention and not be complacent, just thinking that things would happen because of how our West have been playing.

We wanted to be BRAVER in our ball movement by taking the game on a bit more with our transition from defence to attack and we wanted to challenge ourselves and be BETTER by improving on the things that we have been doing well the last couple of weeks, like tackling, pressure in our forward half and restricting the scoring of the opposition by implementing a strong team defence.

Our first half was really positive with some outstanding football and good ball use all over the ground. Our intensity in the forward line was first class and we put West Adelaide under enormous pressure each time they got the ball in our forward half. This resulted in a 12 goal to 4 first half and opened up a 50point lead at the main break.

Then, a bit like our league team, the second half was ordinary. Our standards in a number of areas dropped away. We allowed West to get first at the ball, and have far too many uncontested possessions which put our defence under a lot more pressure as the ball entered the West forward line with ease. Our skill execution became poor, as did our decision making and we deservedly got hurt on the scoreboard because of our errors. We did arrest things a little in the final quarter, but West pushed almost all their numbers behind the footy which made it an ugly game to watch as we dominated possession but couldn’t effectively hit many targets due to the over crowding in our forward line.

Like Goddsy mentioned after the league game, it’s interesting coming away from a big win and still not being satisfied. And that’s because we set very high standards in everything we do. Being ok and getting the job done is not good enough. Not for our players, nor our coaches. We will certainly look to get ‘closer to perfect’ this week against North Adelaide.

The final score was Eagles 18.13.121 to West 8.8.56



SHANE REARDON – UNDER 18′s

The Under 18s lost to Glenelg on Saturday, by 24 points. After kicking the first 2 goals of the game, Glenelg hit back with 7 goals in 16 minutes to take a 5 goal lead at quarter time. From there we played some really good football and eventually drew level with the Bays early in the last quarter. Unfortunately though, Glenelg again got away from us kicking four goals to ice the game for them. It was good to see us battle back like we did but disappointing to allow them to score so easily when top spot on the ladder was up for grabs.

We did have some very good players and Tyson Stengle back from State duties led the way with his attack on the ball and his skills, Jake Weidemann despite being hampered by injury kicked 5 goals and gave us a good target up forward. Matty Longbottom on the ball, Ethan Miller in ruck and Isaac Moller around the ball and up forward were all contributors and Michael Bondarenko and Luke Zille battled hard for us in defence.

This week we take on North Adelaide at home – another finals aspirant like us who have come off a big 161 point win so another great challenge awaits us.

Match Reports – Rnd 15 2016 – Eagles vs North Adelaide

League – Michael Godden

Away games do create a slightly different preparation and since we haven’t played away for a while I was really happy with the result. We won enough ball and had enough shots to make it a really good day but on this occasion we didn’t make the most of our chances and were very average in front of goal.

After winning the toss we kicked with a good breeze at our backs. All facets of our game were sound and we were able to go to quarter time with a good 17 point lead. We had 17-3 inside 50’s in this term so the game was being played mainly in our forward half.

The second quarter saw a domination at the restarts by North for the first 8 minutes kicking 5 straight. North picked our restarts well and were able to get a real advantage in this area so our midfield had to adjust, adapt and lift. This was the period of the game we had to hold strong and make sure the damage wasn’t too much before we could re group at the long break.

The second half was scrappy but ok for us. We kicked 4-10 to 3-2 for the half but due to our inability to finish the game earlier we put ourselves in a position where we had to fight hard to the end for the win.

The final 5 minutes was a real scramble with both sides having their chances. We haven’t been in this position all year so it was great to get into a real fight and practice things we have worked so hard on. Finally running out winners by 6 points.

At this time of the year you take every win no matter how you achieve them and on Saturday I was really proud of the players, they played with spirit and proved to themselves they can hang tough when they have to and they can also rely on each other to execute their piece of the pie in order to get the win.

This week poses a huge challenge. With Port now getting some real quality in their side and after a couple of big wins I am sure this one will be a real battle to the end. We have lots to work on this week in order to be ready for this big away game so we now do like we do every week, we get into our recovery and make sure we study the vision and keep pushing forward to improve.

Reserves – Scott Matthews

We knew that North Adelaide would provide a challenge this week, as they had an experienced line-up and have played some good footy recently.

For us, it was about being consistent from contest to contest, quarter to quarter and game to game. We felt that last week we dropped away in the 3rd quarter and then scrapped it out in the 4th after playing a great first half.

This week we started really well, playing an outstanding first quarter. Our pressure on North was relentless and we were able to get some clean entries into our forward line resulting in a 5-1 opening term.

In the second quarter, North had the aid of a good breeze and challenges us. We didn’t really adapt that well into the breeze, often positioning ourselves too far away from the kicker in order to impact the next contest. We also struggled to slow the play down, trying to rush our ball movement which gave north opportunities to rebound from our half forward line. As a result, North out scored us by a couple goals for the quarter.

In the second half, we got back to playing some better transition footy and our work-rate and support in numbers allowed us to link up well through the middle of the ground and give our forwards some good one-on-one chances. We kicked 7-2 goals in the third and then adjusted better going into the breeze, breaking even with North in the final quarter after kicking 5 goals a piece.

The final result, a pleasing 41point victory against a good quality opposition.

Eagles 18.5.113 to North 11.6.72
Under 18′s – Shane Reardon

The Under 18s played North Adelaide on Saturday losing the game by 36 points. Unfortunately we got off to a bad start with North Adelaide leading by 28 points at quarter time as they dominated the quarter by easily winning possession of the ball.

After quarter time we were much more competitive and started winning the ball around the ground but North Adelaide were too good and won convincingly in the end.

We didn’t have a lot of winners over the whole game but Josh Hoyle did well in a defence that was under pressure all day, James Rowe, Jackson Lee and Cooper Gaffney battled well in our midfield, Luke Zille gave us some run from our defence and Ethan Miller and Jake Cook also worked hard. It was Jake’s second game for us coming into the team last week for the first time after sustaining broken ribs playing in a trial game earlier in the year. Jacob Pedler played his first game for us on Saturday and did some nice things on his debut.

Turning to this week, we play South Adelaide at their home ground and South snatched a draw against us last time by kicking the last three goals of the game so we will have to be at our best to win this one

Match Reports – Rnd 16 2016 – Eagles vs Port Adelaide

LEAGUE – MICHAEL GODDEN

Our record against AFL teams is not one we are proud of. We seem to be able to do most things right against the SANFL teams but when we play these guys we haven’t got it right yet. So with another game this weekend against Adelaide it is critical I find the solution so the players can execute on Saturday and get our season up and going again.

In review of any loss it’s always hard to tell if we were off or if the opponent was good and didn’t let you play the way you want. This game started terribly for us, a goal through a controllable error to Port in the first 25 seconds then for us to miss a set shot only a few minutes later creates pressure. By the end of the first we were 25 points down and simply not getting our hands on the footy.

The second term was a little better. We started to use the ball more efficiently and I did feel we were getting back into the game.

The third was our best quarter structurally but we were still wasting opportunities and missing easy targets.

The last was pretty even in terms of possession, inside 50 etc., it’s just Port were clinical and we were wasteful.

In summary we used too much handball, in-direct with our movement and got our small controllables wrong. We had a lot of players have their worst game for the year and you can’t beat anyone if half your team isn’t impacting. To Ports credit their pressure was good and they looked more up and about which is disappointing.

Even though the players and I are filthy we are still in a great position with 5 minor round games to get the double chance so we need to move on quickly and get ready for our next opponent Adelaide.



RESERVES – SCOTT MATTHEWS

After a few fairly good weeks we got brought back to reality very quickly in our first quarter against Port Adelaide.

We were outplayed, by a team who simply wanted to work harder to win the ball and to run and support each other. And once they got their tales up we struggled to respond. This opened up a 27point lead to Port at the first break.

In the second quarter we managed to work our way back, as Port dropped away a little and we tightened up the defensive aspect of our game. Unfortunately, our hard work did not reap the rewards it could have, as we kicked 2.7 for the quarter and at half time we trailed 3.12 to 9.4.

12 scoring shots to 1 (in our favour) told the story of the 3rd quarter with some stronger contested ball and plenty of rebound from half back with some attacking handball. This opened up an 8 point lead in our favour going into the final break.

The final quarter was fairly similar to the 3rd as we continued to enter our forward line regularly. Once again though, our goal kicking was not at the standard it should be as we kicked 4.8 for the quarter to Port’s 2.2.

The main lesson we learnt from this game was how important preparing mentally is to producing good football. It doesn’t matter how skilful or talented you are as a player or team, if you don’t come ready to play, any team can take advantage of you. Having said that, we were happy with the response of the players from quarter time onwards but we just shouldn’t have had that much damage to respond to early in the game. It was also really pleasing to see both Angus Rowntree and Cameron Giles successfully return from their respective injuries and get through their first game of football in quite some time.

In the end, we came away with a 26 point win that should have been a lot more had we kicked straighter. The final scores were 13.26.104 to Port 12.6.78.

UNDER 18′s – SHANE REARDON



The Under 18s played South Adelaide at Hickinbotham Oval on Saturday and won the game by 53 points. The game was set up with a very good first half where we kicked 10 goals and restricted South Adelaide to just the 2 goals. The features of those two quarters were our pressure, our desire for the ball and our team work. South Adelaide hit hack hard after the half time break and outscored us 5 goals to 1 as they lifted their intensity but we managed to get the game back on our terms in the last with a 5 goal to 2 quarter.

After a couple of weeks out of the winners circle it was good to see the players with smiles on their faces after the game as they welcomed Josh Gericke’s first game with a Powerade soaking during the club song. Josh was a fine contributor with 2 goals for us as a key forward. James Rowe continued his good form from last week with another very good midfield display, and he was supported in the midfield by strong performances from Lachlan Smith, Jackson Lee and Cooper Gaffney. Based Baqueri was very good in ruck and as a target up forward along with Ethan Miller and Luke Hayes and Isaac Moller were both good contributors, Luke in our forward line and Isaac playing a new role for him at Centre Half Back.

This week we play second placed Sturt so it will be a tough game for us and we will be doing all we can to try and get another win on the board.

Match Reports – Rnd 17 2016 – Eagles vs Adelaide

LEAGUE – MICHAEL GODDEN

Watching the players go about their work on Saturday was extremely pleasing. The strong leadership shown during the week was a big step forward for our group, then to back the words up with actions is critical to success.

We got off to a very good start doubling Adelaide for inside 50’s and scoring shots, unfortunately once again we weren’t accurate but we were still playing well enough to have a 3 point lead at the first break.

The second quarter was an arm wrestle with Adelaide getting the slight advantage and winning the quarter by 2 points eventually having us up by 1 point at the main break.

I stood in front of the playing group with the full intention to discuss parts of the game but the discussions being had between the players was exceptional and it was evident the players had a very good grasp on the game. What followed was a solid quarter of football kicking 3-5 to 1-0 and having the game in our half with 17-4 inside 50’s.

The final term saw us have plenty of play which resulted in leading the majority of the stats. This good work created good field position which helped us win the last quarter by 2 points and finally run out winners by 20 points.

After any loss it’s important to respond and the playing group did that in both grades. The Reserves won last week but it wasn’t our greatest game so it was nice to see the way they played, because seeing the Reserves play like that always sets the tone for the League later in the day. Pressure for spots in both grades is at an all-time high with our injury list shortening and many players in good form which is nice at this time of the year.

Now to the game that many have been waiting for this weekend against Sturt. Games like this at this time of year are perfect as you get to see where we are at but it still gives you time to re adjust things if needed. Statistically there isn’t much between the clubs and promises to be a great game. With only two home games left for the 2016 season it’s critical for the club to have a successful day with a big crowd. The club has worked hard to produce an exciting game plan to watch and a great home match atmosphere so please get behind the lads and the club this weekend and get down to Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval to watch two very good teams go at it.

RESERVES -

Well, it may have been a sense of de javu playing Port Adelaide for the second consecutive week, but it certainly wasn’t de javu in the way we played. In fact, it was quite a stark contrast.

Last week, we had a terrible first quarter with a lack of urgency in the way we played. The game was riddled with fundamental errors, our goal kicking was terrible and we had very few 4 quarter contributors.

Fast forward a week later and we had an exciting first quarter, with a full team commitment. Our skills were much better, our goal kicking improved and we had many 4 quarter contributors.

It all started with a solid 5 goal opening quarter, in which we saw reward on the scoreboard for little things like tackles and smothers. Our defensive pressure was also fantastic, as we limited a high-marking team to just 7 marks for the quarter. The only blemish, four missed shots on goal which could all quite of easily been major scores.

The second quarter produced some really exciting run from half back, and while we kicked another 5 for the quarter, we really didn’t make the most of our inside 50 possessions, often having the ball rebounded as we rushed our last possession to our forwards.

The second half was one-way traffic in our favour as we had 13 shots on goals to Port’s 2. The ability of our team to support each other by getting multiple numbers to the contest and then to use the ball effectively was exciting to watch and the fact that we could sustain this for a full four quarters was even better.

Final Scores: Eagles 17.13.115 to Port 5.4.34

We look forward to taking on Sturt next, who we haven’t played since the first round of the year, and hopefully we continue playing in the same manner as we did this week.

UNDER 18′s -

The Under 18s played Sturt on Saturday, losing the match by 49 points. We started poorly and were 21 points down at quarter time but the second quarter and third quarters were winning quarters although by narrow margins. At three quarter time the margin was just 14 points and we felt we had a real chance of winning the game. We attacked for the first 10 minutes but didn’t finish off our work well enough and Sturt lifted their intensity and unfortunately we didn’t persist with our intensity for long enough. Sturt finished the match strongly with 4 goals in the last 10 minutes of the match for a 6 goals to 0 quarter.

It was a disappointing way to end the match and not one that we have seen this year so we will work on that to ensure it doesn’t get repeated. We didn’t have a lot of winners over the four quarters but Based Baqueri, Lachlan Smith, Luke Hayes, Jackson Lee and Jame Rowe all battled hard in our midfield and Jake Weidemann was a real competitor in our forward line. This week we play Centrals at their home ground so we will have to work hard to try and get a win.

Match Reports – Rnd 18 2016 – Eagles vs Sturt



LEAGUE – MICHAEL GODDEN

In the context of the season this win was undoubtably important. What this win does is puts our final ladder position primarily in our control which is always nice.

The players over the last two weeks have really shown what good preparation does for you and have played some really strong team football.

In big games it’s always important to start well and the players put in a very good first quarter controlling the majority of the game to go into the first break 14 points up.

The second term was slightly different, we were winning enough ball but we over used it significantly having nearly double handballs to kicks. We still won the quarter by 7 points but we weren’t playing the game the way it’s designed.

After half time our over handballing continued, the players were doing the right thing by sharing the ball and changing angles but we needed to be more direct with our movement. Even though the quarter wasn’t great we still won it by 5 points.

Kicking with the aid of the breeze we started to see some no fuss football in the final quarter. With 18-7 inside 50’s and 9 scoring shots to 1 there was some dominant football played, it’s just a pity we kicked 2-7 otherwise the game could have been a bit more comfortable. Finally winning a generally tight match by 39 points.

In summary I was very pleased with the way we defended and attacked for the majority of the match. Our contested efforts were excellent we just over used our handball at times. This is a balance we need to continue to work on and find what works best for us to be the best we can be.

To have a 39 point win against a very good side like Sturt at this time of the year is another good step in this long season. We now go into our last minor round bye, this time must and will be used wisely as the work done now is critical to future success.

Enjoy the weekend off and get ready for a big final 3 games where we will try to get things perfect in order to give ourselves the best opportunity to perform to the best of our ability in the finals in what promises to be an exciting challenge.



RESERVES – SCOTT MATTHEWS

The main team focus this week was to have 4 committed quarters of football.

The first quarter into an strong breeze was outstanding. Our ability to win stoppages, win the ball and execute some exciting run from the middle of the ground allowed us to dominate the opening term. The possession count of 135-50 for the quarter highlighted the dominance and gave us a 20 point lead at the first break.

The second quarter was played in two contrasting periods. The first part of the quarter with the breeze saw Sturt possess the ball a lot in our front half of the ground, our pressure was good and it enabled us to hold it forward for an amazing 22mins of the 28min quarter, creating opportunities for us to score. In the last part of the quarter we became ‘handball happy’ and often put ourselves under unnecessary pressure. Despite this we still kicked 5-1 for the quarter, which gave us a handy 44-point margin at half time.

After the main break, Sturt stepped up their intensity and attacked the ball and us with far more vigour. As their confidence rose, we began to miss tackles and they forced us into making poor decisions too regularly. We again handballed too often and did not give our forwards enough opportunities to impact the game, resulting in Sturt winning the quarter by 5 points

The first 10mins of the last quarter was hard to watch with both teams struggling to execute their skills to the standard they would like. After this period, the game opened up as our players finished off the job in fine fashion kicking 7 goals to 0 and running out winners by a margin of 80points.

On reflection about whether the players achieved their goal of 4 committed quarters of football, we fell one quarter short. I thought our work-rate and structures were of an elite standard for the whole 4 quarters, we just overused the handball and allowed Sturt to dictate terms for one quarter of the game.

Final score Eagles 19.6.120 to Sturt 6.4.40



UNDER 18′s – SHANE REARDON

The Under 18s had a good win against Centrals at their home ground on Saturday. Whilst we kicked poorly at goal our endeavour and system was much better this week and importantly we finished the game off strongly. Going into the quarter time break with a small deficit it was great to see some strong team oriented play and wee led at half time by 3 goals. Our third quarter into the wind was a dominant on in terms of field play but we let ourselves down with our goal kicking managing just 1 goal but kicking 8 points. In the last quarter we played well kicking 6 goals 6 points to eventually run out winners by 55 points.

We had a number of good players over the course of the game and we played 3 debutants – Ben Goold and Izak Mentz have been part of the squad all year and their perseverance was rewarded and they both made good contributions. Also Jack Lukosious from our Under 16s and fresh from the State Under 16 team did avery good job for us at Centre Half Back. Luke Hayes and Jackson Lee were very good in our midfield, ably assisted by Nick Moore and Josh Hoyle. Andy Georgeson did well on his wing and Zac Beecken who has been playing well for a couple of weeks now continued his good form in defence.

Turning to this week and we have a big game against Norwood at home where we will be looking to consolidate our spot in the Top four. We have split the games with them so far this season with Norwood big winners against us in Round 10 so it will be a tough assignment but one that we look forward to.

Our League and Reserves had the weekend off and prepared themselves for the remaining three rounds of the season, while our Under 18s had a good win against Norwood on Saturday, running out winners by 45 points.

Under 18's match report
Pleasingly it was a very good 4 quarter effort and importantly every player contributed which was good. We had a very consistent quarter by quarter effort kicking 4 goals, 4 goals 5 goals and 4 goals across the four quarters.

We had many good players and Jake Comitogianni found plenty of the ball and kicked 3 goals for us up forward, Ethan Miller was a strong presence in ruck and up forward (4 goals), Andy Georgeson provided a lot of run and carry from his wing, Matty Longbottom and Tyson Stengle were both lively as small forwards and midfielders and Zac Beecken was very good for us in defence.

This week we play West Adelaide at home and we will be working very hard to secure another win.

Match Reports - Rnd 20 2016 Eagles v Centrals



LEAGUE – MICHAEL GODDEN

After a disappointing start to Saturday’s game against Centrals it was pleasing to see the guys dig in and find a way to win.

After starting the game with the first two inside 50’s which netted us 2 points it was all Centrals for the next 20 minutes where they were able to kick 3.4 to our no score. After weathering that I felt the players started to get back into the game in the last 5 minutes finishing off with 1.1 and going to the break 13 points down.

Even though we ended up going to half time 2 points down the players controlled a lot of the second term. 30 more possessions, 2 more inside 50’s and 6 more scoring shots told me we didn’t need to change much, we just needed to keep trusting what we do.

The trend continued in the third having 4 more entries and 3 more scoring shots finally getting to the 3 qu time break with a 6 point buffer.

The final quarter was strong defensively only allowing Centrals to kick 1 behind while we were able to score 3.2, finally running out victors by 25 hard fought points.

After being out played in the first term it was great to see the players continue to fight and work their way through the issues, because from the 22 minute mark of the first to the end of the game we had 12 more entries and scored 11.11 to Centrals 5.2 which is a great effort. Goal accuracy from set shots in the last few weeks has been a weakness and this something we need to tidy up over the coming weeks.

Coming off our 4th bye for the year it was nice to get our 4th win. It wasn’t perfect and there is lots to learn but it certainly does give us confidence if we need to do it later in the year.

We now move onto our last home game here at Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval for the 2016 season. I always really enjoy our last home game of any year because playing at home is a special experience for everyone and this week we definitely want to make sure we put up a strong disciplined performance for all. So as I have said on many occasions please do your best to get out and support the lads as they have worked extremely hard this season to produce strong entertaining footy and we all love it when we see the ground filled with plenty of our passionate Eagles family.

RESERVES – SCOTT MATHEWS

With 3 weeks to go until finals the players set themselves on ‘becoming closer to elite’. We want everyone in peak form heading into finals and more players in the reserves putting pressure on for spots in the league team.

Our biggest focus against Centrals last week was on the zone and pressure in the front half of the ground. We really wanted to force the opposition into making some errors deep in our forward line, while maximising the time we had the ball in our front half.

The first quarter was simply outstanding. Our pressure on the opposition was the best we have ever seen it, causing multiple turn overs and shots on goal. Every part of the ground played their part as the defence gave Centrals no easy targets up forward, the midfield won plenty of contested footy and the forwards made the most of our inside 50 opportunities. This resulted in a 58-0 first quarter!

In the first part of the second quarter, the Doggies lifted and kicked a couple of goals and we didn’t seem to have the same urgency that we had earlier in the game. To our players credit they responded with a much better effort in the last 15 mins to win the quarter 6 goals to 3 goals.

The third quarter turned into a scrap as Centrals tightened up their defence and sent extra numbers around the footy, and we overused our handball. The ball spent plenty of time between CHF and CHB as both teams struggled to turn inside 50 opportunities into goals.

The final quarter was really pleasing as we managed to finish the game off similarly to how we began, having 11 on shots on goal to 2 for the quarter.

In the end it was a really good 4 quarter effort with some exceptional football on display. We now need to show the same attitude and hunger in our final 2 minor round games against 3rd placed Glenelg and 2nd placed Norwood.

Final Scores: Eagles 24.14.158 to Centrals 6.2.38



UNDER 18′S – SHANE READON

The under 18 team had a good win against West Adelaide at home on Saturday, making it three wins on end. We managed to win every quarter against a determined opposition and we had a number of good players throughout the day. Jake Weidemann and Isaac Moller were very good targets in our forward line and won a lot of contested ball. Andy Georgeson and Angus Coxon did well in our midfield and Jack Lukosious and Michael Bondarenko defended well and provided a lot of run from our backline.

This week we play the top team in Glenelg at their home ground and we need to keep winning in order to secure a finals place – a great challenge and opportunity awaits u

League – Michael Godden

Our final game at Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval for 2016 was a great result on the scoreboard but certainly was soured by having a couple of significant injuries to James Boyd and Lauchie McGregor. The negatives are Lauchie broke his arm and James broke his collarbone. The positives are after both already having surgery Lauchie will be good to go in 3 weeks and James is now a realistic chance if we make it to the last weekend. Lauchie’s injury came from an unfortunate impact in a tackle and James’s came from an avoidable incident which is very disappointing.

The game started with a fair bit of spirit and I applaud the players for keeping their cool with the understanding we have big things ahead and we just needed to play football. For most of the term it was close and the margin at quarter time was 5 points in our favour which seemed about right.

The second quarter saw us take control of the game scoring 5-5 to 3-0 eventually going to the main break 22 points up.

The third quarter was much of the same scoring 8-2 to 3-2 taking a 52 point lead into the break.

The final quarter saw us score 4-4 to 1-1 to finish 73 point winners, finishing off our last home game with some solid movement to score over 20 goals while still restricting Glenelg to 64 points.

We came into this game with a clear vision of continuing to improve while getting some much needed run into our legs. Angus Rowntree was able to get more game time while we were able to look after a couple of other players in order to have everyone feeling good for a another big week on the track.

We now move onto Norwood at the Parade. Every game is critical and a privilege and all of us in the football department are keen to finish off our minor round strongly in order to maintain momentum and continue to grow as a football team.

Reserves – Scott Matthews

After a solid 4 quarter effort against Centrals the week before the players really set themselves the challenge of being even better against finals contenders Glenelg. Each player was determined to find improvement in their games, knowing that if they could get the process to improvement right, the result would look after itself.

It was fair to say that they did not fail to deliver. The first quarter had us up in most statistical areas but we failed to execute our final skills when entering our 50, therefore not getting the ascendancy on the scoreboard that we could have. Despite this, we managed a 12point lead at the first break.

The second quarter displayed perhaps our best team defence for the year. Glenelg were unable to move the ball forward with any real purpose due to our relentless pressure, as we kept the ball in our forward half for 22mins of the 28min quarter. This allowed us 12 shots to 1 for the quarter but unfortunately a return of 3.9 wasn’t the reward for effort that we felt we should have had.

In the second half the game really opened up and to the players credit they remained fully focussed on producing an ruthless 4 quarter result. The execution of our running game from half back, along with fantastic defensive pressure all over the ground was a pleasure to witness. The fitness of our playing group was a real feature late in the game as they just refused to stop working hard right up to the final siren.

Under 18′s – Shane Reardon

The Under 18s had a good win against Glenelg on Saturday winning the game by 71 points. The win was important as it secured our spot in the finals for 2016 with the change to a final four this year. It was a good even team effort and Josh Hoyle led from the front with his attack on the ball and his ability to get it it, Andy Georgeson continued his good form, Isaac Moller was a good target for us up forward and Angus Coxon, Lachy Smith and Nick Moore did well in our midfield. Luke Hoare was a presence in our forward line and Zaine Holman who played his first game of the year for us did some nice things in defence along with Jack Lukosious. This week we play a strong North Adelaide team and we have an opportunity to get the double chance as we head into finals.

Match Reports – Rnd 20 2016 Eagles v Norwood



League – Michael Godden

That certainly wasn’t the way I wanted to finish what has been a fantastic minor round by the players. I don’t want to take anything away from Norwood as we were soundly beaten but we really didn’t turn up to play. A key indicator of this is easy misses in front of goals and general handling errors, not to mention our big drop in GPS numbers. This always comes back to mindset and this is controllable.

The first quarter was competitive but obviously frustrating as we couldn’t get any flow and were making simple errors. We had plenty of the ball to do better but Norwood took a 9 point lead to quarter time.

If the first quarter frustrated, well it got worse dominating with 16 to 9 entries into our forward 50 but only being able to score 2-5 to Norwood’s 2-2, giving Norwood a 6 point lead at the main break.

In the third quarter we had enough footy but couldn’t capitalise and gave up 3-5 from turn overs which is very unlike us.

Off ground the final term was now about management. On ground our woes continued having 18-7 inside 50s but still not being able to convert losing the quarter by 2 points, finally losing the game by 24 points.

As a summary to have 9 more possessions, 1 more scoring shot and 12 more entries and lose by 4 goals tells the story of fumbles and poor execution.

We always want to win and we always try to win and Saturday was disappointing but as I have stated previously, in the long run it will mean nothing if we push forward from here. The hard work done by the players earlier in the year gave us a small amount of breathing space at the top of the ladder and this has allowed us to prepare these players perfectly for 2 weeks’ time. So with some really hard work to be done and some finishing touches on the group we are all very excited for the opportunity to have the chance of a direct path to the Grand Final.

Through our experience last year we are under no illusions how hard it will be and believe me we are taking every session we can to be better and make sure we are in the best position possible come Semi Final weekend.

To have the League in the strong position it is and then to have the Under 18’s playing off on Sunday for the chance to go directly into their 5th consecutive Grand Final. Along with the Reserves to have the opportunity next Saturday for their chance to go directly into their 4th consecutive Grand Final is very exciting for everyone at the club so please get behind all grades and as an entire Eagles Family let’s make this season one to remember.



Reserves – Scott Matthews

Our final game for the home and away season against 2nd placed Norwood, provided a physical challenge and was just what our players needed going into the finals.

After an arm wrestle for the first 5 minutes we started the game well, scoring 5 goals to 2 with the aid of a noticeable breeze in the opening term. The forwards did a great job capitalising on our forward 50 entries as were able to score 7 times from our 11 inside 50′s.

The second quarter was more like a game of rugby with multiple stoppages and strong tackling from both teams. Neither team troubled the scorers too much with both teams registering 1 goal a piece. The most pleasing thing during the second term was the ability of our team defence to minimise Norwood to 1 scoring shot for the quarter despite 15 entries into their forward line.

In the third quarter we opened the game up, scoring 4 goals to 0 with some good clearances resulting in opportunities on goal.

Norwood got on top in the last quarter in general play but once again our defence stood tall and reduced the damage on the scoreboard with both teams scoring 4 goals each for the term.

The final result was a hard fought 42 point victory.

Eagles 14.9.93 to Norwood 7.9.51

Claiming top spot after the minor round is a real reward to the playing group for the hard work they have put in throughout the season. Even more pleasing is the number of players putting genuine pressure on the league players to keep performing each week. We look forward to the semi-final in a couple weeks time against Norwood or Glenelg for an opportunity to play in the Grand Final.



Under 18′s – Shane Reardon

The Under 18s had a very good win on Saturday beating North Adelaide by a single point. The win allowed us to go to second position and puts us in a second semi final this weekend against Glenelg for a chance to go into the Grand Final. Our first half was very good and we took a 30 point lead into half time. North responded like the good side they are and kicked 6 unanswered goals in the third quarter to have a 6 point advantage at the break. A tight last quarter was played out with North early on kicking out to an 18 point lead but we slowly reduced that margin with a Ben Goold goal with just 50 seconds on the clock being enough to put our noses in front.

It was a good even team effort by all players – Ethan Miller and Based Baqueri battled away in ruck against some very good opponents, Lachlan Smith found a bit of the ball in the centre along with Isaac Moller and Matty Longbottom. Nick Moore and Billy Creeper were dangerous up forward and Ben Goold was also lively across our forward line. We debuted Isaac Brill another of our state under 16s and he did some nice things including a very brave smother in the dying seconds of the game.

So to this week against Glenelg at Football Park – should be a good game of football against the top team



Girls Football – Darren Hames

The U14 and U16 Girls kicked off their Macca’s Talent Shield campaign against Norwood at Elizabeth Oval on Sunday.

The U/14’s began well & lead by nearly 5 goals at Half Time, lead by Amy Meo who kicked 4 goals was amongst it all day. The team ran out victors by 2 goals. With Nikita McRostie, Latiah Huynh, Shakira Fuller Olivia Hunt and Jazz Bailey also contributing to a good first up team performance.

The Under 16 Girls began well by leading at quarter time & scores even at the main break. But the third quarter was not so productive and Norwood kicked 4 unanswered goals. To the girls credit they picked up their effort in the last quarter and finished the game showing a lot of character to unfortunately go down by 35 points. Kelsey Preece battled hard in the Ruck, Louise Spezzano kicked 2 goals while onballers Chloe Forby and Kerina Del Borrello won a lot of contested footy, with Nicola Dangelo also having her moments.

This week we take on Central Districts at Prospect Oval. Good Luck

The Under 18s lost their Second Semi final to Glenelg on Sunday going down by 36 points. It was a disappointing end to the game as we had control with a four gold buffer at the 10 minute mark of the third quarter but Glenelg lifted their intensity, caused us to make a few errors and they created momentum as they finished off the game strongly, kicking the next 12 goals to just 2 from us.

Cooper Gaffney and Tyson Stengle did well in our midfield all game and Jack Lukosious was a strong defender. Andy McPherson battled hard in both the midfield and defence and Jake Weidemann and Luke Hoare gave us something to kick to up forward for most of the day.

We play North Adelaide this week in our Preliminary Final and they have come off a good win against Sturt. We are very much looking forward to the game this week.

Shane Reardon

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Match Reports – Semi Finals
Semi Finals

League – Michael Godden

Coming off a weekends rest I was very pleased with the way the players executed the first term. What it showed me was the attention to detail in the players preparation was spot on and this will give us a lot of confidence going forward.

With a slight reshuffle of our midfield this week it was disappointing to lose the clearances 9-4 in the first quarter. When you lose stoppages by that much it puts pressure on the back half and doesn’t normally give you enough entries to score well. To the players credit they found a way to have 6 scoring shots from 10 inside 50’s netting us 5-1, giving us a handy 16 point lead.

The second quarter saw us get on top at the restarts winning them 10-5. This made the game more in our control as we could set the pace of the match through some good field position. After a lot of hard work it was nice to go to half time with a strong 26 point lead.

Once again in the 3rd we struggled at stoppages and even though we did lose the quarter by 4 points we did have 7 to 6 scoring shots but unfortunately we could only manage 2-5 which was disappointing.

The last quarter was played reasonably slowly and once again we were inaccurate with our kicking, finishing with 2-5 for the term to end up winning the game by 24 points and a direct path for the opportunity to compete in the 2016 Grand Final.

Our 4 goal 10 behind second half was the only downside in which was a good day for the club. I thought our stoppage work wasn’t great and some of our field kicking needs some work but other than that the endeavour was superb, our efficiency going forward was good and some of our defensive work was excellent.

So now we get back to work for two more weeks in preparation for one more big effort for this season. With our opponent being Sturt or Adelaide there is one thing that is certain and that is they will bring a huge amount of support, so as a true Eagle please grab your family and friends and get to Adelaide Oval for the big clash, don the colours and cheer loud because every little bit helps. Enjoy the week off and remember our Reserves will be playing in their 4th consecutive Grand Final so please get there early to support the future of our club. See you at the GF.

Eagles 12.12 84 def Sturt 8.12 60



Reserves – Scott Matthews

Facing a full strength Norwood Reserves team on their home deck was always going to provide us with a real challenge and what an intense game it turned out to be.

Norwood jumped out the blocks early and dominated the first 10-15mins. We really struggled to get the ball in our hands and when we did, we made some uncharacteristic turnovers in dangerous parts of the ground. To our boys credit though, they kept working hard and managed to get some late goals to only be 7 points down at the first break.

The second quarter felt as though we began to get on top. We managed to keep the ball in our forward part of the ground for long periods of time and our zone began forcing them into slow ball movement from their back half, which allowed us to get numbers behind the footy and rebound with speed from half back. Our tackling was also a highlight with a huge 25 tackles being laid for the quarter. We held a narrow 3 point lead in our favour at the main break.

The 3rd quarter was when it really opened up on the scoreboard. Our 9 scoring shots to 3 gave us the ascendency and our running game made it difficult for their defenders to get settled and provided our forwards with some much better opportunities.

The final quarter was a bit of a contrast to the rest of the game, which had been extremely physical. The play became much more open and both teams were able to attack the goals regularly, with 4 goals a piece the result for the quarter and our team holding on to a 24point victory.

It was really pleasing to see how the players responded to the early challenge from Norwood and I was proud of the support that the players showed for each other in a contest that was extremely physical and intense.

Final Score: Eagles 14.11.95 to Norwood 11.5.71

I couldn’t be prouder of the playing group up to this point and I know how much they are looking forward to the last 4 quarters of the year, knowing that if they work hard enough for long enough, they will achieve the result they are after.



Under 18′s – Shane Readon

The Under 18s lost the preliminary final to North Adelaide on Saturday, going down by 44 points. We started poorly with North Adelaide being too strong and skilful for us and they took a 38 point lead into quarter time. After that we squared the goals with them but of course the damage had been done and North Adelaide were very worthy winners. It was pleasing to see the players respond so positively to the situation we had got ourselves into and I am sure that this attitude will hold us in good stead for the future.

Cooper Gaffney was tireless in our midfield, amassing 33 possessions and 8 tackles, Jack Lukosious was used in a variety of roles in defence in our midfield and up forward and did well in all of them, Jackson Lee battled hard in our defence that was under pressure all day, Will McPherson was another midfielder who found a bit of the ball and went forward in an unfamiliar role and got our scoring kick started for us with a goal. Mitch Mead came into the team this week and also did some nice work for us kicking 2 goals and winning his share of the ball in our midfield as did James Rowe, and Michael Bondarenko did some good work defensively for us.

So whilst a disappointing way to end with two finals losses, I am sure that all of the players who played will be better for the experience of playing in the finals as they all learned what it takes to be successful in finals. In both games we didn’t play four quarters of good finals football but we showed some patches of really good football but weren’t quite able to sustain it. We can look forward to coming years with great confidence.

Final Score: Eagles 9.7. 61 to North Adelaide 15.15 105



I would like to thank all the players that played with us through the year for their efforts, their commitment and their trust – they are a great group who are attentive, respectful, professional and care for each other. Similarly I would like to acknowledge the support they get from their families. The medical and support staff we have at the Eagles Centre of Excellence are brilliant and do a wonderful job for us every week and finally a big thank you to the coaches that I work with in Dean Kerrison, Bec Goddard, Darren Hams, Chris Robinson, Troy Ledo, Damir Sukno and Mark Furler - all very professional and passionate people that we are lucky to have. I also wish Bec all the very best with her role as the inaugural Adelaide Football Club Women’s AFL Head Coach – a great testament to her skills and passion.

With both the Reserves and League teams in Grand Finals the club is well positioned for success in 2016 and I wish Mick Godden, Scott Mathews and all the players every success in a fortnight’s time.



Girls Footy – Round 3

After a slow start the under 14s found some spirit lead by Jazz Bailey and Laitiah Huynh in the second quarterfought back well and by half time the deficit was only one point. Astrid Gooley playing her first game & kicked 3 goals capitalised on the some good work from Caitlan Byrne and Shakira Fuller. The team with many contributors in the second half, amongst them was to Chloe Lammond, Chloe Scott and Natalie Speranza went on to win by 11 points.

In a tight tussle where there was rarely more than a few points between the sides, the u/16 girls eventually wore down North Adelaide to win the game by nine points. Chloe Forby played well across the four quarters, finishing the game with three goals. Nicola D’Angelo, Kelsey Preece, Kerina D’Borrello and Olivia Cochrane also contributed to the teams performance.

It’s encouraging to see both grades improve throughout the program as we enter the Finals conference, being the last round of the Girls Talent Shield.

In May, the Board approved and announced a new organisational structure that would best benefit the Woodville West Torrens Football Club Inc. and the Eagles Club Inc. in the future. The structure identified two streams of business being football and commercial operations with the positions of Football Manager and General Manager Commercial Operations taking the lead roles. Luke Powell has been admirably undertaking the role of Football Manager since October 2015.

The Board is now pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Chris Branson as the new General Manager, Commercial Operations. Chris comes to the Woodville West Torrens Football Club with a wealth of knowledge and experience in banking, finance, hospitality and the hotel/motel industries. Chris’ responsibilities include overseeing the licensed premises, marketing and membership and will commence on 19th September 2016. The Board and staff welcome Chris and his wife, Ann to the Club and look forward to working with them

Michael Godden Grand Final Match Report

Once again I write this report with frustration and disappointment. This season was another dominant performance by our club, but as we know without the ultimate prize there is a real sense of failure.

From last year’s Grand Final we have worked very hard on our deficiencies and felt we had improved a lot, but when it came to the big game we once again didn’t perform. The definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing over and over and you will get the same result. Knowing this we did change a lot of things but unfortunately we still did get the same result. Premierships are not handed out easily and all we can do is keep fighting and make sure we come back in the right frame of mind to challenge again in 2017.

We played better in this Grand Final than last but still not to the level we have been accustom to. Sturt played very well and proved that in 2 hours you can achieve anything.

To give up 4 of Sturts 12 goals in time on is very frustrating and shows a slight drop in concentration and in a Grand Final that’s all it takes. Other than that the game was very even. A major strength of our team this year is the ability of our mids and backs to score and not leave it all to the forwards. In this game we were unable to get the run forward of centre and create those scores we have been so good at all season.

As individuals we all have things we didn’t do perfect on the day and that is something we have to live with. One aspect I am very comfortable with is our preparation, it was as perfect as we could have made it and there are certainly no excuses.

Football is an emotional game and I am sure everyone has their theories on what happened. All I can say is as a football department we put in an enormous amount of work and the players were outstanding in getting back to the Grand Final which is a lot harder than people generally understand. These experiences are only making this group stronger and hungrier and I have no doubt in all of our ability to keep moving forward, get back to training and fight for the opportunity to challenge for next year’s Premiership. One of my favourite quotes is “success is inevitable in this environment” we have the environment conducive to success we just have to keep our head down and keep working.

As Members I know over the last 26 years you have suffered some terrible losses on the final day and you have always stuck with us. Sometimes in life the greatest achievements come from when you have had to work through challenging times and that is what we intend to do because when we do get the win it will be even more special.

When tough times come tough people stand up and we are lucky within the Eagles Family we have a lot of tough people on and off the field so I am very excited to be a part of what we will achieve together. Thank you very much for your unwavering support throughout the season. We get a huge thrill from producing football you can be proud of and we obviously hurt like you wouldn’t believe when we let you down.

From all of us within the football department thanks again and please have a great summer with the knowledge that this group isn’t finished, it’s only beginning and we are not going anywhere.

Hi Michael,

The Woodville West Torrens Football Club wishes to advise all it members, sponsors and supporters that after one season with the club Nick O’Brien has decided to head home to Victoria be closer to his family.

While the club is bitterly disappointed with the result we thank Nick for his services for the 2016 Season. On Nick’s departure Luke Powell said ‘It is an extremely disappointing outcome for the football club and more importantly the playing group. Nick has stated a desire to head home to be closer to his family and we fully understand his reasons. As a club we have done everything possible to keep Nick with the Eagles. We thank Nick for his commitment to the club in 2016 and wish him all the best in his future’.

The Club will send out an email to all members on Monday with a current list update heading into the 2017 Pre-season.

Hi Michael,

The WWTFC club would like to update all its members on player movement thus far since the end of the 2016 Season.

While it has been known that the club will be losing the services of long time club great Luke Jarrad after such a stellar career and yesterday’s announcement of Nick O’Brien returning to Victoria, we also would like to announce the departures of three high quality league footballers and outstanding characters in Phil Raymond, Jarrad Redden and Jake Von Bertouch.

Phil Raymond had decided to retire after playing 118 games after being recruited from St.Kilda (AFL) in 2011. Phil has was a member of our 2011 Premiership team and a Club Champion in 2013. Phil’s passion and commitment to this football club will be missed by all. Phil has decided that he would like to concentrate on other interests outside of football and start setting up the next phase of his life. A courageous hard running defender the Woodville West Torrens Football club is proud to have had Phil Raymond pull on an Eagles Guernsey. On Phil’s retirement General Manager of Football Luke Powell said “Phil has been a wonderful ambassador for our Football Club. His record speaks for itself in being a past Premiership player and Club Champion. Phil’s skill, poise and courage were his outstanding attributes. Phil developed into one the club’s main leaders over the last 5 years and was highly respected not only in the club but the SANFL competition. As a club we will miss him but we wish Phil all the best in pursuing his interests outside of football. We thank Phil for his tremendous service to the Eagles Football Club”.

Jarrad Redden has announced that after 49 League games, he is steeping away from SANFL football for the meantime to concentrate on his working career. Jarrad was a welcome addition to the Club last season after originally being recruited from the club to Port Adelaide (AFL). Jarrad played all 20 games this season and was one of the premier ruckman in the competition. Luke Powell said “We were very fortunate to have Jarrad come back to us last season after his stint with Port Adelaide. While it was only for one season, Jarrad’s influence on our midfield in the ruck and his enthusiasm within the playing group has left a lasting impression. We hope after Jarrad settles down with his working life he will come back to call the Eagles home again. We wish Jarrad all the best for the immediate future.”

Jake Von Bertouch has committed to having a year away from football to take up an opportunity to finish his financial studies overseas. Jake, who has played 58 League games since his debut after progressing through the junior ranks, had established himself as a strong marking consistent key defender and a highly valued teammate. “Jake has an opportunity to study overseas that could essentially set the rest of his life up and as a club while disappointed in losing Jake’s services next season, we are fully supportive with his decision. Jake has shown an indication to come back in twelve months and reignite his career with his beloved Eagles. We wish Jake all the best and look forward to his return.” said Luke Powell.

The Woodville West Torrens Football Club would like to sincerely thank Phil, Jarrad, Jake Nick and Luke for their outstanding service and commitment to our Club and we wish them all the very best in the future.

In terms of recruiting the Woodville West Torrens Football club wishes to advise that we are currently undergoing a full list review at present and will advise of coming changes in due course. We are actively speaking to a number of potential recruits, while also very confident that the development of players coming through the system are very capable of taking the next step.

Of our 2016 Senior playing group, the majority of the squad has committed for next season and are already looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

Dear Michael,

The Woodville West Torrens Football Club wishes to advise all it members, sponsors and supporters that Andrew Ainger after 106 SANFL games has decided to retire. Andrew a SANFL State representative and one of the premier key forwards over recent years is moving on to concentrate on interests outside of football. After finding his way to the Eagles in 2013 Andrew’s commitment to the club and playing group has been exceptional and he will always be a part of the Eagles family.

On Andrew’s departure General Manager of Football Luke Powell said ‘as a club we thank Andrew for his outstanding service, Andrew has been an integral part of this team since 2013 and in this time his courage and skill has really shown through. Andrew has developed into a very strong leader on and off the field which has been evident in his working life and was very much a loved teammate. We wish Andrew all the best for the future and thank him for his commitment.

The Woodville West Torrens Football Club also wishes to advise all it members, sponsors and supporters that our Reserves coach for the last two years Scott Matthews will no longer be going on moving forward. It has been mutually agreed that Scott will pursue other opportunities. Scott has done a tremendous job in developing our young players in readiness for League Football, while also culminating in two Grand Final appearances and a Premiership. The club is very grateful for all of Scott’s efforts and the commitment he showed during his time. We wish Scott all the best in his future endeavours

Dear Michael

The Woodville West Torrens Football Club are pleased to announce that the following core group of players have commited to the Club for the 2017 SANFL season – Allmond, Borholm, Boyd, Giuffreda, Goldsworthy, Hall, J.Hayes, N.Hayes, Lewis, McGregor, Petrenko, Poole, Rowntree, Rowland, Sinor, Thompson and Wundke.

Our football department is continuing discussing with the rest of the 2016 playing group and possible recruits for season 2017. The Club will inform our loyal members with any news in this area as soon as possible

The WWTFC is delighted to announce the signing of Paul Stewart.

Stewart, 29, has spent the last 10 years at the Port Adelaide Football Club, where he played 101 games kicking 33 Goals. Paul, an Eagles junior and also a 2006 premiership player will bring a wealth of experience and add plenty of class to our playing group.

On Paul’s signing Senior Coach Michael Godden said “To secure Paul, an Eagles junior to our football club is very satisfying. Paul’s versatility will see him playing an important role through our midfield and defence that will complement our group. Paul, an exceptional person, has great qualities in leadership and has continually played high class football at this level for many years. We look forward to Paul having a prosperous future with us and are excited to have him back home”

Paul, who has signed a two year deal said “To be able to come back to my club the Eagles where it all started is very exciting. I am looking forward to helping my teammates continue to strive for success. We have a great list and wealth of young talent that has us in a great position. My family and I are really excited by this opportunity and are looking forward to the next stage of our lives with the Eagles family”

Paul’s signing strengthens our already strong list and we welcome Paul, partner Kirra-Jae and their beautiful little 11 week girl Arlo to the club.

Please join the WWTFC in welcoming back Paul to the Club.

The link between Fremantle and the Eagles has continued on Friday night at the NAB AFL Draft as Brennan Cox was selected with pick 41. Brennan, a 194cm key position player, joins defender Cam Sutcliffe as a fellow Woodville West-Torrens product at the club, the pair will look to continue the legacy started by retiring legend Matthew Pavlich. Also departing the Eagles into the AFL system is Tyson Stengle who joined the Richmond Football club with pick 6 in the AFL Rookie Draft. Tyson is a small forward/midfielder displaying elite speed and goal sense. The Woodville West Torrens Football Club wish the boys all the best at the new clubs.

Normus Urban Projects (Normus) has been recognised as one of South Australia’s leading medium-density residential building contractors having recently been awarded the builder of choice for the construction of 25 homes at The Square at Woodville West. The team at Normus is currently working in a successful partnership with Renewal SA.

Renewal SA’ ambition for The Square at Woodville West is to create a close and connected community by delivering a diverse mix of housing options including villas, townhouses, apartments and lofts.

Stage 2 Precinct 3 involves the construction of nine (9) design types with a combination of single and double-storey homes. Architectural design, high energy efficiency and construction innovation are key themes incorporated within the individual homes being constructed by Normus.

Mr Darrell Davies, the Company’s Operations Manager, is leading the housing project at Woodville West. Mr Davies is a highly credentialed and experienced professional with in excess of 30 years’ construction experience. Mr Davies says “the housing project at Woodville West is an opportunity to demonstrate our Company’s superior construction capabilities and attention-to-detail”. Mr Davies elaborated that the team at Normus has a clear understanding and high degree of familiarity and knowledge in relation to the specific requirements, regulations and guidelines associated within the construction of medium-density housing. The fundamental objective being, to construct high-quality, affordable, architecturally-designed, energy efficient homes which provide future residents with the ideal living environment to enhance lifestyles.

This year marks a significant milestone as Normus celebrates twenty-five successful years in the South Australian building industry. Throughout this journey Normus has been regular recipients of National and State industry awards – receiving in excess of 20 awards to date. A large proportion of work undertaken by Normus includes medium density housing, independent living and specialised accommodation.

Further details about Normus can be accessed at www.normus.com.au