Round 7 - Sturt v Central @ Unley (Sat 21/5)

I'm calling this game on the Digital Pass on Saturday and, thanks in part to Phil Herden's stats, have worked out the following:


ALL RECENT ENCOUNTERS:
Sturt have won the last 11 encounters*
Central's last win v Sturt at any venue - Round 17 (August 8th) of 2015 @ Elizabeth**


AT UNLEY OVAL:
Sturt have won the last 6 encounters
Centrals' last win v Sturt at Unley  -  Round 15 (August 3rd) of 2014 @ Unley***

*Current record for longest run of wins is 11, held by Sturt over West Adelaide.
The Bloods last win against Double Blues back in Round 16 (August 1st) of season 2015.

**Should they win this Saturday, it would be 2,113 days since Central have defeated Sturt at any venue.

***Should they win this Saturday, it would be 2,483 days since Central have defeated Sturt at Unley Oval.

Zane Kirkwood, dual Magarey Medallist, Premiership and State Captain, has advised the Club of his retirement following this weekend’s match against Central District.

An ongoing back issue has affected the 30-year old’s fitness. After discussions with coaches, medical staff, and family, he has decided to call time on his 222-game career.

Kirkwood joined Sturt in 2014 after playing 85 games for Port Magpies. Named Vice Captain in his first year, he was Captain from 2015-19.
Accolades include:

2017 & 2016 League Premierships
Captain (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)
P.T. Morton Medal (2017, 2016, 2015, 2014)
Runner Up P.T. Morton Medal (2018)
Magarey Medal (2016, 2014)
Fos Williams Medal (2018, 2016, 2014)
Senior State Team (2018, 2016, 2015, 2014)
Senior State Team Captain (2018, 2016),
The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year (2018, 2016-Captain, 2015, 2014, 2013)
2009 State Under 18’s Team

Senior Coach Martin Mattner said of Kirkwood,
“There are few players who have achieved what Zane has. He will go down as one of the best players in the history of the competition and certainly one of the greats of Sturt. It has been a pleasure knowing and coaching Zane. We wish him and his family all the very best.”

I would add that in this modern era of sanfl football, a list of achievements like that is pretty rare and happens more and more infrequently these days.

A sanfl career of 200 games is also becoming increasingly rare.

It was said elsewhere, that if Zane had stayed at Port he wouldn't have achieved the same level of success. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but that is probably true.

There have been some wonderful number 9's for Sturt over the years and several becoming captains and Magarey Medallists. Viz, Greg Whittlesea and Jade Sheedy, but Kirky is up with the best of them.

Well done, Dogs.

We done, Zane.

I went to this game & given the occasion for Zane Kirkwood & a win to stay in touch with the top 5 I thought the intensity or lack of it that Sturt put out was appalling, I’d suggest they (collectively) thought it’d be a walk in the park, this is not being disrespectful to Central who were ready for the contest

Very interesting bayman. It's curious sometimes to see efforts like that on those types of occasions. Makes you wonder if they might have a dampening effect on players.

bayman wrote:I went to this game & given the occasion for Zane Kirkwood & a win to stay in touch with the top 5 I thought the intensity or lack of it that Sturt put out was appalling, I’d suggest they (collectively) thought it’d be a walk in the park, this is not being disrespectful to Central who were ready for the contest

This was also the consensus by Blues supporters who were pretty disheartened by the effort shown.

Chambo Off To Work We Go wrote:

bayman wrote:I went to this game & given the occasion for Zane Kirkwood & a win to stay in touch with the top 5 I thought the intensity or lack of it that Sturt put out was appalling, I’d suggest they (collectively) thought it’d be a walk in the park, this is not being disrespectful to Central who were ready for the contest

This was also the consensus by Blues supporters who were pretty disheartened by the effort shown.

I knew Central were setting themselves for this game when I was contacted in the lead in by one of the senior players, asking me if I knew the stats for how long the Dogs had beaten Sturt and when they last won at Unley.

I think from the outset, the Leadership Group were extremely determined to put in a strong showing and from watching the highlights of the game, from what I saw, I would agree that although Central were impressive in patches, the Double Blues lack of intensity probably made the Dogs look better.