Supertigers Claim Premiership...
The long anticipated match of the year between league heavyweights, Hills Supertigers and the Sacred Heart Old Collegians was played at the home of the Tigers, Lobethal, last Sunday.
Sporting bet agencies around Australia went into meltdown due to a last minute plunge on the Hill's team. Starting as even money favourites SHOC had to withhold an early barrage from the previously unbeaten Tigers outfit who went to an early 4 goal lead half way through the first term before pegging back the margin at quarter time with 2 late goals.
(Luke Norman SHOC)The Hill's centre line players were always going to have to work hard due to the quality of the SHOC opponents. Lining up in the middle for SHOC included, former AFL first round draft pick Chris Groom (ex Adelaide, Fremantle, North Melbourne, Sth Adelaide) together with former West Adelaide captain, Melbourne player and now current Sturt coach Luke Norman.
Undeterred by the classy SHOC lineup, the Hill's engine room continued it's high standard delivery and scintillating run from the stoppages. Mark Jaensch and Simon Kemp showed why the Hill's team has dominated the 2009 season with fine placement and reading of the ball.
Fronting up after a 3 goal performance on the previous day for Kersbrook, Richard Kleemann continued to break lines and deliver to forwards up the ground. Again emulating his hero, Chicken Man', Kleemann was everywhere and finished up with another 3 goals to add to his AFL Masters tally in 2009 and again moved up in the club's Foreman Legal Leading Goal Kicker Award.
Tiger's big man Aleks Bojanic found the going difficult in the early stages losing his footing in the body clashes and being outreached by the taller Groom, but through strong second efforts recorded an assist in the first Hill's goal. His tactic of taking the dominant SHOC ruckman out of the game by attempting to give him a 'corkie' worked with Groom playing the majority of the 2nd half at centre half forward.
The structure of the Hill's forward line was tested by supercoach Dave Piro.
Piro sat regular full back Andrew Frohling at full forward in the first quarter. When quizzed on this in the after match interviews, Piro said it was due to Frohlings ability to lose his man, something which was certainly evident in the last quarter of the game when he found himself back in the defensive half playing unaccountable football.
The continued rock like structure of the Tiger's defence was again a feature of the match. The telepathic abilities of Chris 'Fritz' Geraghty were again on display. Geraghty found himself at the drop of the ball on many occasions foiling a number of SHOC forays into the forward lines.
Super spoiling from the tough Paul Zoontjen and the extra reach of Rob 'Maxy' McGregor gave very few chances to the bullocking ways of the Collegean's forwards. Super run from the lanky athlete Dave 'Runt' Wuttke broke the lines and his delivery to a player up field over 40 metres brought the big Lobethal crowd to it's feet. It also brought the drug stewards to their feet ordering Wuttke to submit a sample after the game. Several tests later it was established that Uraidla water was to blame for this sudden improvement in his kicking.
Water from Uraidla is now being shipped all over the world in an attempt to cure the Swine Flu virus but is now regarded as performance enhancing!
Quarters 2, 3 and 4 were tight in all respects.
Last line defensive actions of Damian 'Dom' Ryde and half back rebound provided by Neil Thomson were very valuable as was the 'frontal pressure' by forwards Sean Watt and 'Snappy' Tom Hancock together with the hard working Wayne 'Chucky' Seymour who succumbed to an ankle injury late in the game.
Returning from injury and registering an early goal was Richie Slater who went back into defence later in the game. Coming into the game with a sore back, Slater was to be given the game off but when challenged with the barbecue duties he made an incredible recovery.
Club CEO / President / Treasurer / Team Manager / Owner Ross Wall, delivered again...Wall won the plaudits of the spectators, not only on the field but in delivering a super barbecue!
Scouting the boundaries again were the super fit wingers Alex Tucker and Dave McGill. Tucker's fierce attack on the ball was again evident whilst McGill's face first plunge saw him having to be dug out of the boggy ground. Both players continually found leading forwards Gary 'Specky' Magee and the youthful Chris Hill who did not let them down with their finishing in front of goal.
However, it was reported in the post match analysis that Hill was berated for his treatment of team mate Kleemann. Hill marking 40 from goal was quickly told that Kleemann was on his own in the goal square to which Hill remarked "F@%! him, he wouldn't pass to me".
Strong marking forward Matt Ormsby had a solid game as did the elusive Troy Snooks on the half forward line. Retiring early with a suspected heel injury was Kim Pearce but subsequent scans showed that it was actually his concern as to the well being of the Tiger's esky due to the PHOS Camden players use of the change rooms.
A strong turnout of 25 Hill's players was welcomed by all, in particular by Bojanic's ruck-partner in crime, the returning Damon Wilson.
Supercoach Piro's rotations worked a treat and resulted in a goal when he sent Wilson galloping down the wing off the bench. Wilson's heavy work around the ground was again evident.
In the end it was victory number 9 for the unbeaten Hills Supertigers. Looking forward to the final 2 rounds, the Tigers will look to tie up the premiership against Fitzroy on the 23rd of August.
Final Score
Hills 13 - 5
SHOC 9 - 6
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