LIAM PHILLIPS
AFTER nine rounds of the
18-week Barossa, Light &
Gawler Football Association
home and away season,
it is South Gawler sitting
alone atop the A-grade ladder,
earning premiership
favourite status by reaching
the bye on a five-game winning
streak.
Since losing to Willaston
by 13 points in round three,
the Lions have beat Freeling
(by 220), Gawler Central (by
88), Kapunda (by 56), Barossa
District (by 81) and Angaston
(by 83).
Leading the way is veteran
Dean Cutting, who leads
all A-graders with 28 goals
in his eight matches, while
captain Jackson Dare and
multi-position weapons Josh
Wittwer and Jackson Press
run the show.
Behind South Gawler is a
six-team group consisting of
Angaston, Nuriootpa, Tanunda,
Willaston, Kapunda and
Gawler Central, who can all
beat each other on the right
day, meaning it is a six-horse
race for the last three finals
spots.
Angaston controls second
place on the ladder with a 6-2
record, but will play the remainder
of its schedule on the
road after opening its season
with eight consecutive home
games ahead of scheduled
works at Angas Recreation
Park.
Willaston and Nuriootpa
seem to be settling into some
form after taking a few weeks
to become fluent in their new
coaches’ game plans, with
the Donnybrooks producing
an eye-opening 75-point
smacking of Tanunda, and
Nuriootpa rattling off four
straight wins heading into the
break.
Tanunda sits in fourth but
has to be considered South
Gawler’s stiffest test despite
the Lions handling the Magpies
comfortably at South
Gawler in round two, because
when it has all of its stars
suited up and clicking, it is
a truly scary country football
team.
Reigning premier Gawler
Central sits in the next tier
down with Kapunda as sides
that are capable of beating
anyone, but have produced
too many poor performances
to be considered likely finalists
at this point.
Barossa District occupies
eighth spot, with its only win
coming against the winless
Freeling as both sides struggle
to bounce back following
many players leaving in
2020.
RESERVES
Nuriootpa is a strong favourite
to take out the Reserves
flag after reaching the
halfway point undefeated,
with seven wins and a draw
against Angaston.
Nuri’s Nathan Salter has
been carrying the forward
line, kicking 32 goals in his
eight games to sit 13-clear
atop the goalkicking race.
Along with Nuriootpa and
Angaston, Gawler Central
and South Gawler make up
the rest of a relatively set topfour,
with the four sides all
registering impressive percentages
above 62, leaving a
gap to fifth-placed Tanunda.
All of the top sides have
been enjoying big percentage
boosts against Freeling,
with the last-placed Redlegs
scoring 60 points so far this
season, and conceding 1040.
COLTS
Barossa District leads both
the Senior Colts and Junior
Colts ladders, sitting at 7-1
in both divisions, having only
lost to Gawler Central in Senior
Colts, and Angaston in
Junior Colts.
In the Senior Colts, Bulldog
Nathan Dyer leads the
goalkicking race with 32,
nine clear of Willaston’s
Shannon Willis, while Brock
Farrugia is the only Bulldog
to be named in the top side’s
best players six times.
Nuriootpa is second, with
Tyler Billing, Kade Rorhlach
and Kane Materne leading
the charge, while Toby Burk
and Max Gray have helped
lead Gawler Central into
third place.
South Gawler sit outside
the top-four by only percentage
in as Boyd Worden and
the Eeles brothers – Saxson
and Bronson – will try to
force the Lions into the finals
picture down the home
stretch.
In Junior Colts, Angaston
sits second thanks in large
part to the scoring power of
Kaleb White, who is third
in the goalkicking race with
20 majors, while Dempsey
Ward and Harry Hayes have
been solid contributors all
year.
The Panthers are tied on
6-2 with Tanunda and Nuriootpa,
creating a three-win gap
to fifth-placed Gawler Central
at 3-5.
Mason Feltus has carried
the Tanunda scoring load –
leading the league in goals
with 24 – Jacobus Houston
has been named in the best
players in all eight Magpie
games, and Ryan Lane-Ellis
was a standout in the Zone
Championships in Clare.
Nuriootpa’s Joshua Reichelt
trails Feltus by one
goal, with 23 in his eight
matches to provide a dominant
presence further up the
ground from reliable contributors
Tailan Rosenzweig and
Cooper Linke.