Round 4 Preview

Courtesy of Chris Kendall, SANFL and SportsBeat

2015 SANFL ROUND FOUR PREVIEWS
Port Magpies v Norwood (Adelaide Oval) – Friday 7.10pm
HEAD TO HEAD: Port 162, Nwd 129, Drawn 4
LAST THREE ENCOUNTERS:
2014 GF: Nwd 12.10 (82) d Port 11.12 (78)
2014 2nd SF: Nwd 13.14 (92) d Port 12.7 (79)
2014 Rnd 17: Port 9.6 (60) d Port 6.15 (51)

The Anzac Day blockbuster that has not been seen since 2000, with the most traditional of rivals squaring off at the home of football. Port were in control for most of the day against a gallant North Adelaide, led by a brilliant performance from Paul Stewart and another solid game from Sam Colquhoun. Their pace was hard for the Roosters to contain and pace is a slight issue for Norwood, who were belted by a rampant Woodville/West Torrens. It would be easy to write the match off as an aberration, but too many players went completely missing for most of the game and it will be a real learning curve for coach Ben Warren, who has not had to deal with such a huge loss in his coaching career.
Five of the last six games between the clubs have had margins of 19 points or less, and it is hard to see a major blowout here despite the Redlegs poor match last week. That said, there would need to be a real turnaround in attitude, after Warren noted that many didn’t seem to turn up mentally last week and another such lapse would be punished hard by the Magpies. Port’s ability to spread quickly and find space could really test Norwood, who will want to lock the game down into their trademark style and cut the room for Port to move. The small forwards could be the turning factor in the match, with Jake Neade’s three goals and Steve Summerton’s two majors being vital, so Norwood will be hoping that Simon Phillips will be fit to return from his shoulder injury. The Magpies, however, look set to remain undefeated here, particularly with one day more rest than Norwood.
TV: 7Mate
TIP: Port Magpies 25-36






Glenelg v Adelaide (Gliderol Stadium) – Friday 7.10pm
HEAD TO HEAD: Glen 1, Adel 1
LAST TWO ENCOUNTERS:
2014 Rnd 16: Adel 15.12 (102) d Glen 13.8 (86)
2014 Rnd 4: Glen 17.21 (123) d Adel 13.8 (86)

The Tigers continue to play bursts of excellent football mixed with lengthy fadeouts that leave them sitting 0-3 to maintain the frustration at Brighton Road. The better players from last season, such as Matthew Snook and Sam Lonergan led the way, but Christian Howard, Jake Johansen and Willie Rioli are also slotting neatly into the system and finding their niche. Adelaide have started strongly in both matches before being reeled in by the opposition to remain winless. Their more seasoned players such as Mitch Grigg (20 disposals in a half against West) and Ian Callinan continue to step up and their topup players are also contributing, but they need to work on running out full matches.
Glenelg’s efforts are largely not to be faulted, but great efforts are not winning games and until they can start building more entries in the “W” column, their rebuild will continue. They are on the right track overall and will only improve by building game time into select youngsters and continuing to keep the faith in the recruits. Their outside run will be a challenge for Adelaide to contain, but their ruck combination of Riley O’Brien and Jack Osborn will be an imposing task for Bays coach Matthew Lokan to contain, particularly when they drift into attack. This throws the impetus on his defenders to work at quick ball transition from the last line to get the spread moving quickly to break the lines and isolate their own talls. Fair case for both teams, but will back Glenelg to open their 2015 account.
RADIO: 5RPH
TIP: Glenelg 1-12








Central District v Woodville/West Torrens (Playford Alive Oval) – Saturday 2.45pm
HEAD TO HEAD: CD 40, W/WT 30
LAST THREE ENCOUNTERS:
2014 Rnd 14: CD 10.8 (68) d W/WT 7.5 (47)
2014 Rnd 1: W/WT 12.11 (83) d CD 8.4 (52)
2013 Rnd 16: W/WT 10.8 (68) d CD 8.8 (56)

Round three winners, but in completely contrasting styles. Central played in fits and starts to overcome Glenelg, despite the late withdrawals of Bryce Retzlaff and Trent Goodrem, with Jacob Gilbee bobbing up for three majors. Woodville/West Torrens were in complete command all day against Norwood, led by James Boyd, Sam Martyn and Lachlan McGregor, who could have had a field day with straighter kicking (3.4). Their speed of transition, moving the ball long and directly down the middle and isolating multiple attacking options was simply too much for the Redlegs to contain and the Eagles looked like a team with the pressure valve released after the announcement that coach Michael Godden had been reappointed until the end of 2017.
Woodville/West Torrens have not won at Elizabeth since 2004, and seem to find the wider expanses a challenge, but after last week, they will really fancy their chances of shifting the monkey from their back. No doubt Central mentor Roy Laird will study the tape very carefully to see how the Eagles were able to break the lines so easily last week against a team that is renowned for dictating games on their own terms. Careful ball use was the Bulldog trademark last week, winning despite 90 less disposals than Glenelg, and with all but two players registering a tackle, he will hammer home the need to focus heavily on closing the contest down. The temptation is high to pick Central here, but surely the Eagles won’t have that big an emotional letdown from last week.
RADIO: 5RPH
TIP: Woodville/West Torrens 13-24







North Adelaide v South Adelaide (Prospect Oval) – Saturday 2.45pm
HEAD TO HEAD: NA 172, SA 77, Drawn 3
LAST THREE ENCOUNTERS:
2014 Rnd 12: SA 20.9 (129) d NA 8.3 (51)
2014 Rnd 2: SA 18.8 (116) d NA 12.10 (82)
2013 Rnd 17: NA 26.11 (167) d SA 8.14 (62)

After losing Lewis Johnston in the opening minutes, it was always going to be tough for North to overcome Port, but their efforts could not really be faulted despite a 38 point loss. Max Thring and Daniel Kulikowski were industrious, but when a team has 127 less disposals than the opposition, then ball use has to be pinpoint and some errors from defence handed the opportunity back to the Magpies to capitalise, South were evenly matched with Sturt for much of the day, but a devastating third quarter burst blew the game apart, led by a sensational best afield game by Joel Cross and a number of lesser lights such as Matthew Rankine finding the ball at will and using it well.
Difficult to see this being a defensive struggle, with all of the last four encounters between the teams featuring the winner kicking at least 18 goals, but a wet forecast for Saturday may stymie the flow slightly. The Panther midfield generally plays well at Prospect and North coach Ken McGregor will look to the likes of Jay Shannon and Joe Anderson to play more of a lockdown role on Cross, Nick Liddle and Matthew Rose to minimise their clearance opportunities at the feet of Daniel Bass. The Roosters need to take an attacking mindset into the game, particularly with the likes of Darren Shillabeer and Michael McMahon in the forward 50 and capable of quickly rewarding the midfield, and they will also need James Craig to close down the influence of his opposing ruck in Bass, particularly around the ground. Toss of the coin game, but will just lean toward South.
RADIO: Life FM
TIP: South 1-12







Sturt v West Adelaide (Peter Motley Oval) – Sunday 2.10pm
HEAD TO HEAD: ST 130, WA 115, Drawn 1
LAST THREE ENCOUNTERS:
2014 Rnd 14: WA 9.9 (63) d ST 8.11 (59)
2014 Rnd 7: ST 20.12 (132) d WA 8.5 (53)
2013 Rnd 18: WA 10.17 (77) d ST 2.9 (21)

Sturt will be ruing a 15 minute lapse against South in the third quarter that blew an otherwise even game open to a 45 point three quarter margin. With Zane Kirkwood’s influence reduced by Jake Veide, Ben Hansen playing his game in patches and an attack that looked too tall at times, it was hard for the Double Blues to completely counter the South onslaught when it unleashed, and coach Seamus Maloney will carefully dissect that period to see how the Panthers were able to control the stoppages so effectively. West were able to wrest control back from Adelaide last week, particularly with Chris Schmidt continuing from his brilliant opening round and Brad Helbig playing the bullocking role expected upon his return from the AFL.
Matches between these clubs have tended to be fairly clearcut, with five of the last seven margins being 21 points or over, but this looks poised to be a thriller. Sturt should hold a general advantage in ruck hitouts through Angus Kurtze, so West mentor Mark Mickan will look to Ryan Willits to try and run Kurtze around out wider and take more contested marks to negate the influence somewhat. This is where the smaller men for both teams will be so critical, working at their feet and especially in the clearance department to try and push the ball forward quickly to isolate the taller forwards. With wet conditions expected, the stage is set for a medium forward to be the difference on the day, with a Hansen or a Taite Silverlock poised to take the mantle. Home ground advantage would ordinarily lean to Sturt, but West have won seven of their last ten games against the Double Blues, so will give them the nod here.
RADIO: Life FM BUT through www.lifefm.net ONLY
TIP: West Adelaide 1-12