The Blackwood Football Club recorded its fourth defeat of 2018 going by 20 points to the Mt Barker Football Club in Round 14 of the Mortgage Choice Hills Football League. Mt Barker Oval had not been the happiest of hunting grounds for the Woods since 2006 recording a winning percentage of 58.3 percent from the 14 matches it has played at the venue.
Speaking post match coach Damien Salievic said it was a disappointing result today. “We didn’t capitalise on the scoreboard when we had the momentum in the match. We kept them in the match with our skill errors.”
Making three changes the Woods welcomed back Scott Bricknell, James Catford and Steve Woods from the previous weekend the Woods started kicking towards to old scoreboard end of the oval in the first time. Star player Nick Homburg got the first major of the match after 4 minutes. Moving the ball down the canteen wing, Homburg was able to find space at the top of the 50 metre arc to convert truly on the run. With Blackwood defence repelling any attack of the Barkeroos, the Woods controlled the match for much of the opening quarter. They got their second major of the term in the 12th minute through James Catford. Finding space in the pocket, Catford snapped the ball off the outside of his right boot to give the Woods a two goal lead. When the quarter time siren blew, the Woods lead by 11 points and were ontop in the match.
Going with the breeze in the second period, the Barkeroos gained control of the play in the early period of the second term. Winning the ball around the contest, they were able to hold the ball inside their forward 50 for the first 10 minutes of the term. Poor kicking infront of goal saw them record six behinds before their first majorin the fourth minute of the term. The Woods got the immediate reply kicking their third major in the seventh minute of the term. Kicking the ball long and deep into the 50, James Catford crumbed the ball to snap his second goal. The sides went goal for goal in the term with inaccuracy costing the Barkeroos the lead at the main break with scores locked at 25 points all when the half time siren blew, this was despite the Barkeroos having double the scoring shots of the Woods.
Coming out after half time, the Woods lost veteran Troy Edwards with a lower leg injury picked at the very second of the first time. The home side got the first major of the term after three minutes with Simon Nunan kicking his first of goal of the game. Kicking the ball long to the goal line, Nunan used his body to advantage to out position the Blackwood defender to take the mark and kick truly. Blackwood managed to control most of the attacking play for the next 15 minutes of play but were unable to captalise. With plenty of numbers behind the ball, the Barkeroos were able to keep the Woods to only three behinds in this period of play. The Woods didn’t use the ball well going into the forward 50 kicking the ball long to where all the numbers were on regular occasion. In the 20th minute of the term, the Barkeroos turned the ball over moving the down the ground with good kicking. Forward Henry Johnson managed to find space on the lead to take a nice mark. Going back and kicking straight the Barkeroos kicked their second goal of the term to extend their lead to 13 points at the final break.
Urging his players to lift in the last term, coach Damien Salievic said we must take the game on as we have nothing to lose. “This is the time where we need to come out and take the game on. We must play our way, execute our skills and win the game.” It didn’t go to plan in the first minute with Mt Barker kicking the first goal of the term inside the opening minute of play. Continuing to fight hard, Jake Atkinson kept the Woods in the match kicking a goal on the third minute. Taking a nice catch 30 out directly infront he went back and kicked straight to keep the Woods within touching distance. The vistors had the opportunities to draw closer but were unable to kick straight having the margin at 11 points. Mt Barker managed to hold the Woods off and move the ball down their end in the 10 minute of the quarter. Kicking the ball long into the 50, veternan Simon Nunan backed into Blackwood skipper Kurt Thompson and was awarded a free kick, much to the dismay of the travelling Woods supporters. Kicking truly from the top of the square, the Barkeroos extended their lead. James Catford got his third major of the match late in the term but it was to no avail at the Woods went down by 20 points at the final siren sounded.
Overall it was a battle of the defences in this match. Statistics showed that sides making the grand finals since 2006 need to concede 60 or less points and this is what these sides looked to focus on today. Both sides play a heavy press behind the ball making it hard for the oppositions to score. Scoring has been an issue for the Woods all season and it was the same today with the Barkeroos able to keep the Woods to an equal season low 12 scoring shots whilst they were able to have 22 shots on goal, the tenth match the Barkeroos have had over 20 scoring shots in the match.
Post match coach Damien Salievic said the side let themselves down today. “We have some skills errors which allowed them to score goals. We need to get back to being the hardest working side in the competition.”
With Round 14 over, all sides have played each other on two occasions. The Woods find themselves sitting in third place with matches to come against Mt Lofty (sixth), Echunga (fifth), Uraidla (fourth) and Hahndorf (first) in the remaining four minor rounds.
Final scoreboard
Blackwood 2.1 4.1 4.4 6.6 (42)
Mt Barker 0.2 3.7 5.11 8.14 (62)
Goals – Catford 3, Atkinson 1, Homburg 1, Macreadie 1
Best – Catford, Bennetts, Waldron, Anderson, Woods
Other HFL results
B Grade – Blackwood 8.7 (55) defeated Mt Barker 7.6 (48)
Under 18s – Blackwood 17.11 (113) defeated Mt Barker 4.10 (34)
Under 16s – Blackwood 8.15 (63) defeated Mt Barker 4.7 (31)
Under 14s – Blackwood 1.0 (6) defeated by Mt Barker 9.8 (62)
