AARON DEGREEF
ANGASTON has reached the Barossa, Light & Gawler A-grade grand final by defeating Nuriootpa by 29 points in Saturday’s preliminary final at Williamstown Oval.
The Panthers opened their account in style, with tall timber Marc Borholm scoring from long range.
Ryan Carnelly soon followed up with a set shot, before Nuri’s Sam Gordon got his side on the board.
Angaston took a two-point lead into the quarter-time break, and was fortunate to be ahead as the Tigers had booted 2.5. After the break, both sides seemed to slow down the scoring, with more congestion around the ball.
However, the Tigers gained the upper-hand as Beau Shinnick bombed the footy through the big sticks.
Ango soon hit back through player-coach Jay Shannon and then Ryder Eberhard, who ensured their side led by eight points at the main break.
Gordon opened the term with two more goals to help his side hit the front, but it was all Angaston from then on in, as the minor premier kicked six unanswered goals.
Jake Hood, Steve Summerton, Ryder Eberhard and Ben Antonie all booted majors to help the Panthers take an insurmountable 32-point lead at three-quarter-time.
The Tigers needed to find an answer quickly after the main change, and Aseri Raikiwasa, Gordon, player- coach Henry Slattery and Carson Clark were all trying hard.
Unfortunately for the reigning champs, Angaston’s forward pressure was electric, as Summerton added his fourth, and Borholm his second.
The Tigers kicked five goals to four in the final term, but it was far from enough, as the Panthers booked their place in the grand final against Tanunda.
Post-match, Angaston mentor Jay Shannon was delighted with his side’s efforts.
“(Steve) Summerton and (Marc) Borholm were influential throughout the guts, Blenkiron, Falland and Paprotny were solid down back,” he said.
“(Dylan) Tuckwell played his best game for a while too.”
The Panthers were beaten in the semi-final by the Magpies, and Shannon said they’ve learned from the defeat.
“All year our focus has been on our game style and how we want to play,” he said.
“We may make a few positional changes from last time we met, but we won’t change the way we play, just execute it more effectively.”