RICK DREWER
TANUNDA hosted the
annual interleague clash
between junior sides representing
Barossa, Light
& Gawler Football Association
and Riverland
Football League (RFL)
on Saturday, with the
BL&GFA going down in
the headline senior colts
fixture after winning the
younger grades.
Having won the toss
in the senior colts to kick
with a breeze, RFL made
its presence felt early with
its high-intensity approach
on the ball and opposition.
This was a classic
arm-wrestle opening, with
neither side giving an inch
in the numerous ball-ups
and body clashes.
RFL’s Wes Frankel immediately
stood out in defence
and continued to do
so throughout the match,
while Riley Menzel
scored important touches
for BL&G.
It took seven minutes
to register the first score,
courtesy of a good ball
from BL&G’s Bailey Pink
finding Tom Giles, marking
strongly, and converting.
The reply from RFL
came shortly after, the result
of a strong tackle from
Caleb Koehne, rewarded
with a free, and kicking
accurately.
It was an entertaining,
high standard and even
opening as Riverland took
a six-point lead into quarter
time.
It took 30 seconds for
RFL to get the second
quarter scoring started,
winning the centre clearance
through Dan Westley,
who found Koehne
for the conversion. This
seemed to inspire Riverland
who was harder,
faster, quicker and significantly
cleaner in their ball
use, leading to Koehne
collecting his third, before,
against the trend of
play, Tom Giles, collected
a ball off hands from the
pack and snapped accurately
for a much needed
BL&G goal.
RFL was dominating
the ball-ups and winning
the clearances, applying
greater pressure with their
defence impenetrable
on the way to a 16-point
halftime lead that perhaps
should have been even
bigger.
The third quarter proved
to be a one-way street
with everything heading
towards the Riverland.
Big RFL ruckman Jake
Durdin continually gave
his on-ballers first look at
the cherry, and the defenders
were magnificent, with
their job made easier by
the relentless pressure applied
to any attempted forward
delivery by BL&G.
Angus Arthur gave
BL&G its only goal of
the third quarter as RFL
opened up a 38-point lead,
taking its foot off the gas
in the last to comfortably
cruise to a 25-point final
margin.
It was a morale-lifting
win for RFL, with BL&G
starting off the day by
collecting its first ever under-
13s win between the
two leagues led by captain
and best-on-ground, Tanunda’s
Mason Feltus.
That win was followed
by another BL&G win
in the junior colts, by an
identical margin of 41
points.