A tremendous game of uncompromising football which was frustrating for yielding no result but successful on Angaston’s behalf as it gives them some hope for the season, while Barossa would rightly regard it as a loss and will be mean on the rebound.

Best for the home team were Michael Danielle, Ashley Clarke, Craig Harvey, Kim Reimann, Stewart White and Brett Woodards.

Barossa’s best were Heath Commane, Darren Sharp, Matt Stelzer, Michael Taylor, Paul Stelzer and Aaron Spicer.

Freeling’s close call

Freeling’s strong opening term at home was a major reason for its victory over Nuriootpa.

The Redlegs were as much as 40 points up halfway through the second term, but the Tigers showed some grit and courage and kicked the last four goals of the first half.

And for the majority of the second half, the Tigers competed strongly with the highly-rated Freeling.

Nuriootpa actually hit the front during the last quarter, but two late goals from Scott Leal sealed the first premiership points of the season for the Redlegs.

“We were a bit lacklustre after the first term,” Leal said.

“The start was good, but we took the foot of the pedal and to the credit of the young Nuri side they had a great third term.”

Keys to the Redlegs’ victory included hardworking, fearless and skilful captain Darren Leske, coach Scott Leal who is perfectly suited to the small forward’s goal-kicking role, where he kicked six goals and Troy Haseldine who took over from the departed Simon Riddle’s position at full back and excelled. Luke Copley started his career with Freeling with a booming 70-metre goal (the first of the game) and will be a valuable addition to the team. Ben Parish gave a contest all day at centre half forward, while around the ball both Brad Muster and Kris Barry were constructive.

Adam Pearce also gave the Redlegs engine room some grunt.

Regarded by many as the best man on the ground was Tiger import Matthew Cragg-Sapsford.

The ruckman won 28 of 29 hit outs in the first half and continued to dominate the game in the second half. Other catalysts to Nuriootpa revival were returning former premiership player Chris Gerhardy, diminutive recruit from the BBH Rams Jason Rodda and Billy Nicholls.

The versatile Ryan Foulis kicked four goals, while Nicholls finished with three in the match.

Freeling certainly looked underdone in this first outing of the season while the young Tigers outfit were better than most expected.

Willaston’s late burst

Challenged in the third term, Willaston regrouped with six last quarter goals to one to collect an impressive first-up win over Kapunda at Eldred Riggs reserve.

The Donnybrooks’ 10-point three quarter time break was extended to a convincing 43-point victory.

“The pleasing thing is there is still plenty of improvement,” winning coach Darrin Wilson said.

“The way they hung tough and were committed impressed and the defensive six were great. Our tackles and harassing were features.”

In the last quarter Lee Coghill became an important target in attack and finished with four important goals, while the aggressive Les Baker collected a match high five majors in the win.

Willaston 2007 under 17 premiership player Luke Cahill displayed confidence and kicked three goals.

But as expected first and second in last year’s Schluter medal Shaun Baker and Chris McLean exerted a telling influence while the returning Jason Carter showed poise.

For Kapunda, Brodie Cox impressed giving plenty of drive off half back, while Michael McCarthy’s work ethic and skills could not be questioned. Mark Cussadia ran hard all day on his wing and Adam Turrell was productive either in ruck or up forward. In fact, between him and his big brother Andrew, they kicked half of the Bombers’ score.

Defender Conner Browne showed plenty of dash from defence and Lachlan Mickan was a useful defender. Former Port Lincoln player Damien Bourke is one to watch for the Bombers.

Magpies way too classy

A talented Tanunda combination easily accounted for an alleged resurgent Gawler Central at Tanunda Oval in the first round of BLG centenary football.

Tanunda are also claiming 2008 as their centenary year and have strongly targeted the premiership with some hectic off-season recruiting.

Gawler Central, perennial finalists in the 90s and early 2000s, were targeting an improvement on some poor recent results.

A mixture of returning players from injury and other sources plus some recruiting has seen them lifted to possible finalist status for the centenary year.

It is almost inexplicable then, that they should hit the first game of the season without Kirk Heberle, Casey Thomas and Graeme Cook amongst others.

Tanunda also had some high profile absentees, but through injury only. The presence of Jon Kieboom and Mal Greenwood on the park for the home team would have made the substantial margin only greater.

The Tigers paid severely when after a competitive showing in the first quarter, Tanunda just blew them away for the remainder of the game.

Central were actually in the lead at the first change but could only score two majors to Tanunda’s 12 in the next two quarters and even when the game was over in the last stanza with the pressure off they could only manage three while the Magpies piled on six.

New player Matt Underwood got best for Tanunda in an even team effort rebounding off half back and causing major damage in the midfield.

Young ‘veterans’ onballer Tom Schiller and ruckman Luke Wells added to the Magpies’ dominant performance. Others to do well were Alex Kennedy with six goals and another onballer in Ben Newberry while Andrew Prior brought Scott Hahn under control after an initial first quarter burst of three goals.

For the winners it was the same old same old as Brad Taylor, Clint Hill, Aaron King and Jason Wozniak did most of the hard work.

BL&GFA Scoreboard

Barossa, Light and Gawler Football Association

Played April 19

A Grade

Freeling 5.4 8.6 11.8 14.13(97)

Nuriootpa 1.2 5.4 11.5 13.6(84)

Best: Free – T Haseldine, D Leske, A Pearce, B Parish, B Muster, K Barry; Nuri – M Cragg-Sapsford, R Foulis, J Rodda, B Nicholls, C Gerhardy, D Vickery.

Goals: Free – S Leal 5, P Fowden 2, B Parish 2, S Lamond, L Heinrich, B Muster, M Haseldine, L Copley 1 ea; Nuri – R Foulis 4, B Nicholls 3, J Rodda 2, A Kaesler, A Fiegert, A Hall, G Falkenberg 1 ea.

Angaston 2.5 7.7 11.8 14.12(96)

Barossa 4.5 6.13 7.20 12.24(96)

Best: Ang – M Danielle, A Clark, C Harvey, K Reimann, S White, B Woodards; Bar – H Commane, D Sharp, M Stelzer, M Taylor, P Stelzer, A Spicer.

Goals: Ang – M Danielle 4, G Bain, A Pech, B Bascombe 2 ea, B Hughes, K McLean, J Rathjen, M Doecke 1 ea; Bar – D Thomas 4, G Cockram 4, D Sharp 2, A Amber 1, M Stelzer 1.

Tanunda 3.2 10.8 15.10 21.15(141)

Gawler Central 4.2 5.5 6.9 9.10(64)

Best: Tan – M Underwood, T Shiller, L Wells, A Kennedy, B Newberry, A J Prior; Cent – B Taylor, L Howard, Daniel Hillebrand, Damien Hillebrand, C Hill, A King.

Goals: Tan – A Kennedy 8, B Britton 4, B Wall 3, B Newberry, G Gann, T Shiller 2 ea; Cent – S Hahn 4, T Corneliusen 2, A King, L Howard, J Asher 1 ea.

Willaston 3.2 9.8 11.10 17.13(115)

Kapunda 4.3 5.8 9.12 10.12(72)

Best: Will – C McLean, Josh Carter, Jason Carter, S Baker, D Brooks, L Baker; Kap – B Cox, M McCarthy, M Cussadia, A Turrell, C Browne, L Mickan.

Goals: Will – L Baker 5, L Coghill 4, L Cahill 3, S Walton 2, M Treloar, C McLean, M McLean 1 ea; Kap – Andrew Turrell 3, Adam Turrell 2, S Ryan, B Taylor, M McCarthy, N Brady, D Bourke 1 ea.

Reserves

Nuriootpa 1.1 4.2 8.9 10.12(72)

Freeling 4.0 5.4 6.8 7.10(52)

Best: Nuri – C Burgess, D Fogden, D Romeo, B Lydeamore, R Gerlach, D Nietschke; Free – T Clancy, D Thatcher, K Smith, J O’Leary, D Shaw, M Hancock.

Goals: Nuri – C Burgess 3, B Rohrlach, D Fogden, J Gerhardy, T Jensen, S Nitschke, L Cook, G Taplin 1 ea; Free – D Thatcher 2, S Carmichael, B Stibbs, J Leinert, N Cocks, D Shaw 1 ea.

Angaston 3.2 7.4 8.5 9.7(61)

Barossa 1.2 2.2 3.3 3.3(21)

Best: Ang – D Rainsford, M Zimmerman, C Hann, S Feist, J Talbot, J Schultz; Bar – J Woods, R Wilkin, C McAlpine, M Grgurovic, B Jones, Q Gifford.

Goals: Ang – J Plush 3, T Read 2, P Nagel 2, M Pech 1, J Schultz 1; Bar – T Wigzell, B Bussell, M Brooks 1 ea.

Tanunda 3.0 9.6 11.7 14.8(92)

Gawler Central 1.0 2.0 4.1 7.1(43)

Best: Tan – I Kalleske, C Samain, K Falkenberg, B Kaesler, B Pech, A Ey; Cent – A Wharton, J Chester, J Harris, T Foreman, P Davis, C Wilson.

Goals: Tan – B Pech 3, K Falkenberg 3, B Smart 2, I Kalleske 2, S Pech 2, D Bergen 1, B Kaesler 1; Cent – C Elson 2, J Speck 2, T Foreman, A Frackowski, T Schillabeer 1 ea.

Willaston 4.4 6.4 10.5 13.6(84)

Kapunda 1.1 3.1 5.4 5.8(38)

Best: Will – All played well; Kap – B Higgins, C Prior, N Gregor, M Johnson, A Nitschke.

Goals: Will – M Cotton 7, J Rozman 2, S White 2, T Kreig 1, R Smith 1; Kap – D Burgess 3, P Klemm 1, R Creber 1.

Senior Colts

Freeling 4.2 8.4 10.5 11.6(72)

Nuriootpa 1.1 4.2 6.5 10.8(68)

Best: Free – B Copperwheat, W Ahrens, J Rentz, T Barnes, B Williams, M Humble; Nuri – J Scholz, A Modistach, S Hausler, D Cameron, C McGorman, B Verne.

Goals: Free – B Williams, D Drummond, A Schmidt 2 ea, A Hornby, T Ruediger, J Martin, M Humble, T Barns 1 ea; Nuri – B Verne 3, A Edwards 2, C McGorman, J Scholz, L Jaunay, D O’Neil, D Mowbray 1 ea.

Angaston 2.0 2.5 5.6 9.10(64)

Barossa 2.3 5.6 7.7 8.8(56)

Best: Ang – L Baker, T Adler, A Daken, J Ryan, A Wardlaw, S Rathjen, T Talbot; Bar – A McAlpine, C Page, B O’Driscoll, M Van Dommele, A Stone, J Hanley.

Goals: Ang – S Rusca 3, T Adler 2, A Daken 2, D Jones 1, S Rathjen 1; Bar – M Van Dommele 3, B O’Driscoll 2, N Emes, A McAlpine, S Roberts 1 ea.

Gawler Central 2.2 5.4 10.8 12.12(84)

Tanunda 0.2 1.5 1.7 3.9(27)

Best: Cent – B Smith, M Hutton, R Wenham, C Molyneux, L Hewitt, A Cullen; Tan – A Fechner, S Tscharke, M Grocke, R Kahl, A Rosenzweig, S Dalby.

Goals: Cent – C Bilney 4, B Smith 3, A Cullen 2, L Greenhalgh, A Webster, I Kemp 1 ea; Tan – A Fechner 2, D Abinett 1.

Willaston 6.0 9.1 12.2 15.2(92)

Kapunda 3.0 4.3 5.5 5.5(35)

Best: Will – A Barclay, J Brombal, H McLean, M Gersch, T Rozman, S Haydon; Kap – M Doherty, T McLennon, C Richmond, C Richter, M Ruppelt, L Norman.

Goals: Will – A Barclay 3, J Brombal 3, Z Borgas 3, B McLean 2, C Miller, J Waldhutta, D Thomas, P Daly 1 ea; Kap – M Doherty, C Richmond, L Norman, S Clancy, D Ryan 1 ea.

JUNIOR Colts

Nuriootpa 6.3 10.7 13.13 19.16(120)

Freeling 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0(0)

Best: Nuri – D O’Neil, T Schiller, L Jaunay, J Jaensch, S Lee, D Burgess; Free – J Ashender, M Graham, J Hancock, J Robinson.

Goals: Nuri – S Lee 3, J Baldwin 3, N Galler 3, D O’Neil 2, A Lange 2, C Schneider 2, A Saint, T Laverty, K Schupelius, L Jaunay 1 ea.

Barossa 3.1 6.1 7.4 8.6(54)

Angaston 5.1 3.2 4.5 6.6(42)

Best: Bar – R Sankey, J Madgen, A Thwaites, W Aylett, A Thwaites, D Curtis; Ang – S Rusca, W Falland, J Wilson, J Koch, H Edmead, J Miles.

Goals: Bar – A Thwaites 3, J Madgen 2, J Perdon, D Curtis, E Carpenter 1 ea; Ang – W Falland 2, B Shattock, A Habermann,

T Ryan, R Ireland 1 ea.

Gawler Central 3.4 8.7 14.11 18.12(120)

Tanunda 1.0 2.1 2.2 2.2(14)

Best: Cent – C Edmead, A Cox, M Pike, M James, B Hunt, T Princiotto; Tan – J Mitchell, P Neldner, L Kemp, J Marshall, N Reichelt, L Gann.

Goals: Cent – M Pike 4, J Oxenham 3, T Princiotto, B Hunt, M Horwood, T Mercer 2 ea, C Edmead, J Bernardo, B Thacker 1 ea; Tan – L Neldner 1, J Marshall 1.

Willaston 2.5 5.12 8.15 11.18(84)

Kapunda 2.0 2.0 4.0 4.1(25)

Best: Will – J Waldhuter, T Maple, C Stoll, B Clinton, T Irlam, J May; Kap – T Mathews Brown, A Wilson, T McKinnon, S Pratt, P Keynes, J Foster.

Goals: Will – J May 3, J Waldhuter 2, B Chenoworth, S Winterbotham, J Conroy, B Clinton, C Stohl, B May 1 ea; Kap – P Keynes, S Pratt, D Prior, K Johnson 1 ea.