Rick Drewer

THE Tanunda Magpies hosted the Willaston Donnybrooks at Tanunda Oval in the last home-and-away round of the Barossa Light & Gawler Football Association A-grade season, and with its 8.14 (62) to 13.14 (92) loss, the reigning premiers finished the 2020 season winless.
Kicking with the breeze, Tanunda won the opening centre-throw up courtesy of retiring Magpie legend Luke ‘Billy’ Wells, got the first clearance through Ben Schiller, and then scored the first major of the game after Trent Goers’ fine pass found Wells, who kicked accurately, all inside the first three minutes.
Alas, that was to be the only goal for the Pies until the 11th minute of the third term, after another Wells tap found Leigh Westhoff whose bullet-like pass hit Josh Trembath, lace-out, 30-out, who converted, to give them the much-needed goal.
After the initial Tanunda opening, the Donnybrooks, through tight and accountable football, got on top with greater efficiency and slicker movement at the stoppages.
When Lee Sutton's 50-metre free-kick sailed through the big sticks at the half-way mark of the first term to take the lead, the Donnys never surrendered it for the remainder of the game.
Michael Howson and Adrian Mills both scored late in the term to give the Donnys a 12-point break at the first change. As the side’s changed ends, with Willaston now kicking with the wind, the writing was on the wall for last year's premiers.
The second term was a one-way street heading towards Willaston and, but for some wayward kicking on goal, its 27-point lead could have been greater.
Harrison Elbrow seemed to have his own ball, Tyson Irlam was being the usual dominant Tyson Irlam, while Michael Clinch resembled a slingshot in repeatedly rebounding the ball from defence.
After Lee Sutton found Deakin Davis at centre-half-forward, who goaled within the two-minute mark of the third term for the Donnys, it was beginning to resemble a Christmas parade as the lead ballooned to 35 points at the final change.
After Aidan Ponton's gather off hands and great snap goal, it was followed up by one better from Michael Howson's amazing pirouette – which would have an Australian ballet dancer proud – and conversion, stretching the lead to eight-goals early in the last term.
Magpie player-coach Dean Terlich provided the only other highlight by launching an incredible 'torp' from outside the 50-metre arc on the boundary line, for it to sail through half goalpost high. Too little, too late.