BRENDAN LINES
FREELING missed an opportunity to secure finals football after it lost to Willaston by 13 points in Barossa, Light & Gawler A-grade football on Saturday.
The defeat keeps the door ajar for South Gawler, which sits one win behind the Redlegs in sixth place with one minor round game to play.
Freeling faces ladder leaders Angaston this weekend, while the Lions must beat Willaston to have any chance of featuring in finals.
In a season stymied by the loss of premiership points after last year’s salary cap saga, Saturday’s win would have seen the Donnybrooks vying for a finals berth, had they not started two wins behind the rest of the competition.
Despite the setback, Willaston can still take some confidence from its recent winning form, according to coach Shaun Baker.
“There’s a bit of confidence back in the group, you know obviously with all the stuff that’s gone on from last year, it’s taken a while to get their confidence back, they are doing the little things right which makes the big things happen,” he said.
“So, we’re starting to have a bit of consistency in the way we play.”
A stiff breeze didn’t stop Freeling getting off to a competitive start, as majors to Alex Stengle and Ben Heinrich put the pressure on the scoreboard.
Star Donnybrook defender Michael Clinch (19 possessions) set up plenty of forward opportunities, and as Chad Norsworthy slotted the goal-of-the-day from the boundary, with a check-side, the Donnys briefly grabbed the lead.
As Clinch was sidelined with a blood rule, Freeling took advantage of Willaston’s depleted backline to snare a late goal, through Josh Hand, and a fourpoint lead at quarter-time.
A buoyant Freeling kept up the forward pressure, as Willaston conceded goals to Ashley Selleck, Aaron Cocks and Hand in the second term.
But the Donnys were able to fight back, and a late goal to Michael Howson closed the margin to just 12 points at the main change.
Willaston continued to turn the tables in the third, winning the contest in the middle with clean transitions from midfielders Harrison Elbrow (16 possessions), Tyson Irlam (19 possessions) and
senior colt Deakin Davis.
This helped the Donnys win 11 inside 50s to Freeling’s five for the quarter.
The midfielders were able to drift forward and slot majors, with Irlam and Elbrow converting, and Howson getting another.
Willaston led by 21 points at three-quarter-time, but the game was still in the balance.
An unchecked Clinch and Shaun Childs’ four defensive marks controlled the game, wearing down Freeling in the final term.
Fittingly, Donnybrooks captain Josh Waldhuter finished the day with his second major as they shutdown the game and celebrated.
As consistency and confidence builds in Willaston’s ranks, Baker said there are some encouraging signs.
“I just think the young fellas are really starting to stand up and for extended periods of time, you can keep them in the team for longer and don’t have to make too many changes,” he said.
“Last time we got beat up on the inside, so I put it on them all week to be better on the inside (this week).”