AARON DEGREEF
KAPUNDA bombed the Barossa Bulldogs
with a 11.13 (79) to 5.4 (34) away
win in Barossa, Light & Gawler Football
Association A-grade action on Saturday.
Despite the dismal conditions of Williamstown
oval, both teams managed to remain
remarkably clean with their ball skills.
Kapunda peppered its forward line with
penetrating kicks from the midfield early on,
which culminated in Fraser Evans and Justin
Zanandrea each putting up an early major
score on the board.
Barossa’s Jake Tobin provided some
much-needed momentum for the Dogs with
a tough pack mark, which he finished off
with a perfect set- shot. However, Kapunda
continued to drive home the fact that it
will be a serious contender in the finals with
Zanandrea taking a solid chest mark and
kicking a strong set-shot to head into quarter
time up 4.6 (30) to 1.0 (6).
In the second term, Barossa was starting to
move the ball around confidently, with Oliver
Riggs stabbing a pass to Brady Griffiths,
who then went on to snag the set-shot.
Tobin was again a stand-out by keeping
his cool while running blind for a reaching
mark, which he then quickly converted for
his second major score.
Despite the accurate Barossa ball movement,
Kapunda still had the superior fire
power up forward, which was obvious when
Jay Meaney capitalised on a quick entry with
a long, picturesque kick for goal. Zanandrea
continued to tear up the defence, slicing
through a tight-angle set-shot and also performing
a tough snap from the boundary line
for his fourth.
Josh Dodd finished the quarter with a
bang, somehow finishing off a no-look snap
that managed to find its target between the
big sticks as everything was going right for
the Bombers.
After reaching half-time with a 39-point
lead, Barossa showed fight in the third, with
the quarter finishing after one goal apiece in
a tight struggle.
The goal drought was ended by Barossa
after a chain of clean ball movement.
Lochlain Young passed to Griffiths in the
pocket, who then sent a nice centring ball to
Riggs who took the body and secured the
chest mark, leading to another goal.
The Bombers managed to counter with
Hayden Robinson snapping a goal with a
rocketing kick that hit the goal umpire directly
on the chest.
Kapunda extended its lead in the final
quarter, with Zanandrea making yet another
appearance down forward after receiving
the footy from a turnover, but the Bombers
would only kick three goals in the entire second
half.
Barossa’s game ended on a positive note,
despite the score, with Ethan Gant striking
the ball perfectly for a pass to Leigh Ryswyk,
who bombed it through. The Bulldogs
lost by 35 points, but looking on the bright
side, the second half was only a narrow 3.3
(21) to 2.3 (15) result.
After the game, Kapunda player-coach
Fraser Evans said it wasn’t perfect from his
side, but it was a step in the right direction.
“It was a good hit out between two pretty
young sides… I think we were able to move
the ball the way we would like to at times,
but there is still room for improvement
here,” he said.
“Our ability to be more composed with the
ball in hand is also an area we can improve
in.”
Kapunda plays Angaston this Saturday,
and Evans said “if we keep playing our style
of footy and bring our pressure, then we will
put ourselves in a good position to win”.