Centrals v Eagles Saturday 25 August My Money House Oval

Reserves: 11:30am
League: 2:10pm

The First Time in 26 years that Centrals won't make the finals.

League

The Eagles have been strengthened by the return of three key talls against Central on Saturday.

Co-captain Luke Thompson, star teenager Jack Lukosius and ruckman Marc Borholm have all been included in the 21-player list.

Borholm replaces fellow bigman Seb Guilhaus, who is out with a back injury while defender Joe Heinjus and midfielder James Rowe have been squeezed out of the side.



F: Johansen, N. Hayes, Borholm

HF: Boyd, J. Hayes, Petrenko

C: Hall, Sinor, Lewis

HB: Goldsworthy, Thompson, Rowland

B: Giuffreda, Von Bertouch, Stewart



R: Redden, Sharrad, Gray

INT: Haylock, Poole, Lukosius

IN: Thompson, Lukosius, Borholm

OUT: Guilhaus (back), Heinjus, Rowe



Reserves
Cook, Hawkins, Sibley, Minney, Weidemann, Schmusch, X.Redden, Martin, C.Gaffney, E.Miller, Moore, Rowe, Wood, J.Gaffney, West, McLeod, Westbrook, Heinjus, Firns, Wehr, Lee, McKay.

Under-18
F: Coff, Francis, McNeil
HF: Pratico, Armfield, Mead
C: Williams, Miller, Beecken
HB: Hawkins, R. Bruce, Brill
B: Hillard, Carter, McNeilly

R: Michael, Pudney, Tiller
INT: Bennison, Friend, Furler, Jungfer, Morris, Tape, Thompson

Woodville-West Torrens completed its minor round campaign with a confidence-boosting 26-point win against Central District at My Money House Oval.

Coming into the contest with only one win – against bottom-placed Adelaide – from their past four contests, the Eagles were forced to fight off a major challenge from the Dogs during the third term.

Leading by a comfortable margin of 25 points at the main change, the visitors looked set to coast to victory when Jared Petrenko put the lead out to 32 points with the first of his two goals of the afternoon.

But the Bulldogs refused to roll over in front of their faithful as they rattled on the next four goals in succession as Justin Hoskin’s first major cut the deficit to just seven points, 23 minutes into the third term.

It was a spirited surge to upset the more fancied Eagles but by the time Petrenko kicked his second – 11 minutes into the final quarter – they found themselves in another 25-point hole.

With one eye on the Qualifying Final match up against Sturt on Sunday week, Michael Godden’s men would have been satisfied with their efficiency given they had 13 fewer disposals yet 14 more inside 50 entries and six more scoring shots.

Petrenko is continuing to play himself into peak form and fitness at the right time of the season after tallying 26 disposals and six marks to go with his two goals while ball magnet James Boyd led the way on the stats sheet with 38 touches.

The Eagles also had 11 players on the goal kickers list which would have also pleased Godden, with exciting teenager Jack Lukosius making a welcome return to the line-up to finish with 14 disposals, four marks and 1.2.

Central’s Travis Schiller helped himself to one more does of leather poisoning in his last game of the year, registering 38 disposals, seven marks and five tackles while veteran Luke Habel continued his strong second half of the season with 28 touches.

The Dogs finish their 2018 campaign with a rare non-appearance in September, currently placed seventh on the ladder with a 7-11 win-loss record under premiership coach Roy Laird.

EAGLES 2.5 7.6 9.8 13.11 (89)

CENTRAL 2.1 3.5 7.7 9.9 (63)

LEADING DISPOSALS – Eagles: Boyd 38, Petrenko 26, Stewart, Lewis 25, Sharrad 22, Rowland 21, Goldsworthy 20, Haylock 18.

Central: T. Schiller 38, Habel 28, Dew, Nietschke 23, F. Fort 22, Hoskin, Hanna 21, Goodrem 20, Presbury 19.

GOALS – Eagles: Petrenko, N. Hayes 2, Borholm, Sharrad, Boyd, Poole, Lukosius, Johansen, Gray, Lewis, J. Hayes.

Central: Jenner 2, Butcher, Barmby, Gillard, Goodrem, Habel, Hoskin, Presbury.