Rick Drewer

THE Kapunda Bombers flew into Tanunda to take on the reigning premiers at Tanunda Oval, hitting the scoreboard within a minute of landing courtesy of a Justin Zanandrea diving mark and finish.
For the hosts Ben Biagi registered the first of his three goals to put the Magpies momentarily ahead, before Sam Pratt crumbed well in the goal-square to wrestle back the lead for the Bombers.
From the get-go, it was the very in-form Kapunda duo of Aaron Whistler and Josh Dodd that set the pace for the Maggies to chase, and it proved to be that way throughout the match, with the pair dominating.
Kapunda appeared faster, more determined, and harder at the ball and body than its favoured opponents, and its seven-point lead at quarter-time didn't accurately reflect the overall dominance – squandering a number of scoring opportunities.
Dodd bagged the first of his four goals for the Bombers to get the second term underway, before a timely, opportunist snap from David Wilmott went through to keep the Pies in touch.
Despite possessing the majority of the ball, Kapunda missed easy shots on goal, while Tanunda, courtesy of Josh Trembath, Andrew Prior and Biagi were far more efficient in front of the big sticks to take a less-than-convincing three-point lead into the long break.
The third term belonged entirely to the Bombers.
Led impressively by coach and commander Fraser Evans, together with fine support from Brad Williams and the continued influence of Whistler and Dodd, the Bombers outscored the Magpies by 29 points – with 11 scoring shots compared to just two from Tanunda – to take a commanding 26-point lead at the final change of ends.
Alas, with the light fading and the drizzling rain approaching, the final quarter finished up being 'much ado about nothing', with both sides kicking 1.3 for the quarter and all wishing for the final siren.
The final score of 11.16 (82) to 8.8 (56) gave Kapunda its first win over Tanunda since 2017, in a year that saw the Bombers lose a close grand-final to Barossa District.
To be fair to Tanunda, this is a mere shadow of its premiership side, with many missing and retired from the action.
This situation, sooner or later, occurs to all teams that have been at the top of the ladder, but to cushion the blow, the remaining experienced players must put their collective hands up and make huge contributions in an attempt to remain competitive.
Unfortunately for the Pies, despite efforts from the likes of coach Dean Terlich, Leigh and Matt Westhoff, Aron Fechner and Ben Schiller, the task would appear almost insurmountable in 2020.
There is always next season, and for the Bombers, with the proviso of a gun forward or two, the future looks very promising.