UNDEFEATED local rivals Gawler Central and South Gawler met on Saturday, and it became apparent it’s going to take something remarkable to stand in the way of the Tigers winning their fourth Barossa Light & Gawler Football Association A-grade flag.
The game was essentially over at quarter time after the Tigers won the toss and opted to kick with the wind, where they took full advantage, dominating the term 6.5 (41) to 0.1 (1).
The rest of the game was significantly more competitive, but the big moments were generally all had by Gawler Central.
In the second term, Dean Goulding gave the Lions their first goal of the day, before Nathan Barstch capitalised on great forward pressure to intercept a handball 15-out, straight in front to snap home another.
But even against the wind Gawler Central was able to consistently generate marks inside 50, with standout forwards Bradley Mercer kicking six on the day, and Shane Moss getting four.
At halftime the Tigers led 11.7 (73) to 3.2 (20), with the Lions desperate for a forward to take a contested mark.
South Gawler won the third term as the breeze died down, but it still relied on free kicks to generate set shots, and while the nice even spread of goal kickers has been a feature of the side all season, its lack of a genuine pack-marking threat was evident.
Criminally underrated Tiger defender Andrew Wright had a superb showing – repeatedly leaving his man at the perfect moment to impact a contest and repel an inside 50.
The match could be summed up in one moment from the third quarter, as South Gawler continued to apply serious pressure to keep the ball in its attacking 50, and after generating the turnover, Gawler Central’s Robert Long was able to recover and nail the ball-carrier in a perfect arm-pinned tackle to win it back.
The desire, the work-rate and the physicality was all there for the Lions, but the Tigers just always had the answer.
Down the other end, Kyle Wurst could have blazed away on the run from 40-out on a tight angle, but never even looked at the goals, and instead centered to Mercer 20-out straight in front for the easiest of finishes as the well-oiled machine kept rolling.
Both defences tired late to allow a combined 10 goals in the last term, with Lions Jackson Press (four goals) and Nathan Bartsch (three goals) adding to their solid days as the Tigers wrapped up a 18.8 (116) to 11.5 (71) win to remain undefeated with one round to play before finals, and lock up a bye through to the grand final.