SAFCW Match Report

Navy vs Hoops
League Internal Trial Game - Hickinbotham Oval - 02/03/18

Navy Goals: Haren, Fairlie, Fitt 2, Biemans, Noble, Heaslip, Moyle, Sparrow, Whittlesea, Hoey
Hoops Goals: Davis 3, Brooksby 2, Schwarz, Raitt, Mountford
Injuries: nil

South Adelaide's senior's got their trial game series underway with an internal trial game at Hickinbotham Oval on Friday night.

Pleasingly for Jarrad Wright and his coaching panel the two sides reported no injuries and the youth-powered Navy team showcased plenty of promise on the way to a 13.14 (92) to 8.8 (56) win over the more experienced Hoops.

Despite their inexperience (308 senior games to 603), the young Navy side kicked away in the latter stages of the game as they pushed hard to impress their new senior coach.

Up forward, Connor Fairlie and Ben Haren paired well for the Navys, competing in the air and on the ground, while U18s graduate Liam Fitt was impressive, if not inaccurate with 2.3 in front of the big sticks.

At the other end of the ground, Abe Davis (three goals) and Keegan Brooksby (two) were the major contributors on the scoreboard.

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For the Hoops, Joel Cross predictably found plenty of the footy, while Joseph Haines continued grow in his role across halfback, while Matt Rankine remains as elusive as ever with the Burley in his hands.

On the other side it was Tom Fields influencing much of the play on the wing, while Anthony Biemans and Ben Heaslip played with trademark hardness around the stoppages, Tyson Brown looked pleasingly fit and ready for the upcoming season and Mark Noble continued to find the football.

Meanwhile, former Eagles teammates Tom Whittlesea and Jake Summerton enjoyed a competitive battle throughout the game, with the former kicking a goal late in the match and the latter mopping up plenty of the footy across halfback.

Panthers fans should also be excited by the youth that has come through (or is still developing) in South's Talent Pathway.

Young ruckman Cameron McGree did not look out of place in the centre square and neither did Robert Irra in defence, while four U18s were also in action, with Hayden Sampson and Tom Sparrow looking clean across halfback and through the middle respectively and Job Colwell and Bailey Snelling fitting in well at opposite ends of the ground.

Get down to Hickinbotham Oval this Saturday afternoon to catch the League and Reserves sides in action against outside competition for the first time.

Trial Game 1 - South Adelaide vs North Adelaide