LIAM PHILLIPS
WILLASTON enjoyed a spectacular
start to Andrew Jarman’s
tenure with a 41-point
home win over reigning premier
Gawler Central on Saturday.
Kicking with a three-goal
breeze in the first term, the Donnybrooks
took advantage by
keeping the ball pinned deep in
their attacking 50 for the bulk of
the quarter.
While the Tigers were able to
launch some swift counter-attacks,
they often came undone
whenever the ball hit the deck as
Willaston numbers swarmed to
the footy and overwhelmed the
visiting midfield early.
Willaston fullback Jamie Clark
was all over Tiger spearhead Brad
Mercer from the first bounce and
played a big role in building a
4.4 (28) to 1.3 (9) lead at the first
change.
Needing to fire back in a big
way, Gawler Central heads
dropped as Sam Walton hit a
terrific left-foot snap across his
body while running deep into the
pocket to give the Donnybrooks
a crucial early one into the wind.
While Willaston had the edge
in intensity and running all day,
a number of skill errors in crucial
parts of the ground kept the Tigers
alive.
Nick Hooker had a great second
period for the visitors to bring his
side back into the contest – first
bombing a ball from the back
pocket to beyond halfway where
Tom Phelps could scoop it up out
the back and finish his second
goal after a bounce from 45 metres
out.
Only a minute or two later, after
an intercept mark from Willaston’s
kick-in near the boundary
45-out, Hooker floated in
completely unchecked from the
opposite wing to collect a crumb
and snap one home from the top
of the goal square.
Hayden Moss provided a crucial
steadier for the hosts with a
contested mark in the goal square
to head into halftime leading 6.5
(41) to 4.6 (30).
With the wind at their back
again, the Donnybrooks blew the
game open in the third term as the
Tigers repeatedly opted to kick
high and long into the wind and
get overrun by weight of numbers
when the ball hit the ground.
The skill errors that plagued the
hosts in the first half disappeared
in the premiership quarter as new
signing Oliver Petrohilos stayed
heavily involved on his way to
three goals on the day, which was
equal-best for his side with Michael
Howson.
With a 40-point lead at
three-quarter time and best-onground
Michael Clinch constantly
popping up with intercept marks
in key areas, Willaston cruised to
a 13.14 (92) to 7.9 (51) win in a
statement-making result.
Donnybrook backman Matt
Brooks, who played his 250th
A-grade game for the club, said
the result was no surprise for his
squad.
“We were quietly going in feeling
like we had a good chance of
running away with a win, but to
actually have it happen is such a
great feeling,” he said.
“The boys are buying in,
they’re up and about, and I think
that showed in how we performed
on the weekend.
“We put a lot of effort into our
structures and the way we set up,
and I feel as though we got that
right, and everything went the
way it was planned to go.”