ROUND two of the APFL season saw Bute host, and win, its first game as part of the league, with United being the side to make the long trip up to the Yorke Peninsula.
The Roosters appeared slightly shell-shocked early, heading into the first break down 1.2 (8) to 3.3 (21), but whatever adjustments were made in the huddle, and perhaps taking the scoring end, produced immediate results.
Bute rattled off six unanswered goals in the second term to get into halftime up 49-23 and were able to hold the lead through until the end, finishing with a 9.15 (69) to 7.10 (52) win.
Bute president Jarrod Cock said the town was buzzing and, given the unknown about the side they were about to face, to come away with a win was a home-run.
“We didn’t really know what to expect given it being the first match and playing a side we hadn’t previously, but we think we had around 500 come through the gate plus children – which is well above average for us in a minor round game,” he said.
“Club legend John Power presented guernseys to two of our young local lads in Jordan Taylor and Trent McCauley on the ground at quarter time of the B’s ahead of their A-grade debuts, and both lads played very well.
“Jack Dalgliesh played on ball for us and had his best game for the club so far, and he’s only around 20 years old so it’s great to see him coming along.”
Elsewhere, Angle Vale avoided a massive scare against the visiting Hamley Bridge after the Bombers came flying out of the gates, taking a 5.7 (37) to 1.4 (10) lead into quarter time.
To the Owls’ credit, when the side needed to stand up and wrestle back the ascendancy, it did so, only conceding one point into the breeze while kicking 5.6 for the quarter to lead 46-38 at the half.
While Hamley Bridge could have lay down and taken another beating (its 54th in a row), it kept fighting, even leading by three points at three-quarter-time, but just couldn’t hold off the home side coming home with the wind, losing 8.18 (66) to 7.13 (55) in a great game.
The league’s two premiership favourites met in the last game of the round, with Two Wells making a statement during its trip to Mallala, winning by over 10 goals.
While Mallala only had five fewer scoring shots (3.12 to 15.5), the game was never in the balance after quarter time as poor kicking meant the hosts could only register 11 points in the first half.
The APFL’s original Roosters ran away in the third, with the trio of Luke Barnett, Ned Seccafien and Caleb Edmead combining for 10 of the side’s 15 goals, and the 82-17 three-quarter-time score leading to a final of 95-30.