LIAM PHILLIPS
TANUNDA held onto its spot in the Barossa,
Light & Gawler Football Association
A-grade top-four with a 18.16 (124) to 12.6
(78) road win at Gawler Central on Saturday,
led by Port Adelaide legend Justin
Westhoff with five goals.
Gawler Central kicked the first goal of the
game when William Serle received a 25m penalty,
bringing him 35-out straight in front, before
Tanunda fired straight back as Justin Westhoff
added to a long history of running into an open
goal after sneaking out the back of a contest.
He then made it two in a row after a big contested
grab 25-out straight in front, and Tanunda
added another when Matthew Westhoff
found himself in prime position one-out in the
goal square, holding off his direct opponent
to take a comfortable chest mark and convert.
Magpie ruckman Todd Falkenberg played a
terrific game, but had a classic ruckman moment
after winning a ruck free kick deep in defence.
Falkenberg turned immediately and gave
a hospital handball to his passing teammate,
who immediately handballed it straight back,
forcing Falkenberg to jam it on his boot, travelling
25 metres sideways into the waiting arms
of Nick Hooker, who lowered the eyes and
found Tom Phelps for a much-needed steadier.
It showed what needed to go right for Gawler
Central to hit the scoreboard, while Tanunda led
7.4 (46) to 3.1 (19) without too much trouble.
The Tigers had far too many shallow entries
inside 50, which continually went back the other
way twice as fast, with one being run up the
wing uncontested before finding Riley McFarlane
on an easy hit-up lead with his defender
caught in no-man’s land. As was the theme on
the day, as the Tigers’ defenders stopped, Bailey
Smith continued to run, overlapping and
getting a little chip over the top to make sure
of it.
Tanunda’s lead didn’t grow in the second quarter,
holding the same 27-point margin as quarter
time. But when Magpie Hugh Smart bombed in a
side-spinning shank from 40-out to start the third
quarter, the game felt like it was done.
Gawler Central showed plenty of pride in
front of the home fans, never completely rolling
over, but it also never had 18 players going
at 100 per cent at the same time.
Justin Westhoff finished with five goals, as
did Riley McFarlane, who was named beston-
ground. Charlie Molyneux was again nearly
faultless for Gawler Central, trying to carry
the midfield, but he needed more help.
The result sees Gawler Central fall to seventh
on the ladder, turning this weekend’s
clash against Willaston into what can almost
be considered a must-win.