RICK DREWER

FREELING returned to winning form, defeating South Gawler by 29 points in Barossa, Light & Gawler A-grade football on Saturday.

The Lions were taken to the cleaners by a very impressive Redlegs outfit, led and inspired by their coach, Scott Dutschke, colossus Adam Cockshell, captain Lachlan Heinrich and ball magnet Josh Hand.

Played in near perfect conditions, this was a most impressive, entertaining and high-quality game between two sides both desperate for the win, thus explaining the numerous spot-fires that occurred throughout the match.

Taking advantage of the breeze, Dutschke got his side on the board with the first major, within three minutes, followed by another from Tyson Ruediger.

Immediately, Cockshell was dominating in the ruck and around the ground, and with Hand collecting possessions willy-nilly Freeling looked good.

It always helps when a side has a big, strong target to focus on up-front, and Sam Carmichael did that job for the Redlegs, potting the first of his seven goals at the 12-minute mark.

Freeling was faster, fiercer and deserved its 15-point lead at quarter-time.

But could it keep it up and adjust its game plan going into the windy conditions?

Coach Dutschke instructed: “it’s a different game now, keep it low, lock them down, short kicks, and hold the game up”.

The Lions, having been outplayed in the first term, accepted the challenge and won the second quarter by 12 points, courtesy of a hat-trick of goals to Dom Costanzo and, indeed, they actually hit the lead, momentarily, at the 29-minute mark.

However, it was soon cancelled out as Carmichael scored his third goal for the ‘Legs to take a three-point lead into the long interval.

However, it was the third term performance from Freeling that won it the game.

Dutschke, Cockshell and Hand were inspirational, while Michael O’Malley, as the rock in defence, was impassable.

Carmichael kicked a lazy four goals for the quarter, while a very impressive young left-footer, Austin Poulton, provided the magical first major of the term to get the ball rolling.

For South, Jackson Press, Darcy Judd-Smith, Leslie Baker, together with Costanzo, did their best to keep their side in the game, but Freeling’s five-goal lead at the final change suggested that it was Freeling’s game to lose.

The three-quarter time statistics of inside-50s (50-29) and stoppages (40-22), both in favour of the ‘Legs, was a true reflection of the match.

Dutschke’s instructions of “be defensive, man-up, pressure, play congested football” were successfully carried out, despite going into the wind, with Freeling conceding the quarter by one-point to run-out convincing winners.