LIAM PHILLIPS
SOUTH Gawler is doing everything
it can to prove its status as
flag favourite, pummelling topfour
side Nuriootpa 19.11 (125)
to 6.3 (39) behind a six-goal
masterclass from Josh Wittwer.
The game was neck-and-neck
at quarter time, with South Gawler
leading 3.1 (19) to 3.0 (18),
but the Lions turned it on in front
of their home fans in the second
term, kicking nine unanswered
goals to head into the main break
up 12.3 (75) to 3.3 (21).
As the rain got heavier in the
second half, play began to slow
down. It devolved into a true
wet-weather game at times, but
the home side kept the ascendancy
and added three goals in the
third term, and another four in the
last.
Since losing to Willaston in
round three, South Gawler has
now won five straight games, and
had back-to-back wins by more
than 80 points against top-four
sides.
Wittwer’s six goals moves the
mercurial talent up to fifth in the
league with 23 goals. He showed
incredible scoring power from all
over the ground, having spent a
chunk of the season playing in
the midfield and backline.
Nathan Bartsch added three
goals, while Jackson Press and
Dean Cutting contributed two
each, bringing Cutting to a
league-leading 30 goals so far.
For Nuriootpa, William Nicholls
and Scott Bentley were
named in the best players along
with coach Kyle Jenner and defender
Ryan Foulis in a game the
Tigers will want to forget quickly
after heading into last week’s bye
on a four-match winning streak.
Nuri has a good chance to
get back on track this weekend
against Barossa District, but will
face a Bulldogs side high on confidence
after pulling off an unlikely
win against Angaston.