Strong performance from The Bays in Round 11

After a well-earned mid-season bye, the second half of the season got under way with a Sunday afternoon clash with West Adelaide. We were really pleased with how our playing group had returned to training during the week and had prepared strongly for what we were aware would be a physical battle. For the supporters in attendance, they will agree that it was every bit that.

The first half of the season we had felt that our defensive method was the area we had been pretty pleased with and that our growth could come on the offensive side of the game. This is the pleasing aspect out of the game on Sunday with some of our ball movement fluency returning and creating some excellent scoring opportunities throughout the day. As always this is built off how we are able to pressure and therefore defend, that was the start point again in this game with the opportunity to get the ball out into the open providing some exciting passages of play coming of the back of that. Equally pleasing was the even contribution across our group both in general and certainly on the score board with 11 different goal kickers over the day. The contribution of all has been a strong part of the first 10 games of the season with no real reliance on any individuals. This will continue to be important as we get deeper into the season.

There was a little bit of frustration on how we finished the game conceding some cheap goals late, I’m certainly one not to say too much straight after games as you generally see it a little different once you have watched it back. That is the case in this one and while we need to improve a couple of defensive lapses in this period, there is some credit to the opposition who were able to lift their intensity and work rate also. The quarter did finish with the same amount of scoring shots and unfortunately, we didn’t finish our work in front of goals as well as we had over the day to that point. As always, we will get stuck into our work and look to continue to improve.

Our Reserves group played the earlier game against Norwood at Norwood which is not ideal for anyone. The group has put together a really solid period of football over the last month or so and we like what we are seeing across the young group. Against the undefeated Norwood team, they were not able to continue on with that good form. There are some really strong learnings to come out of it for the group and they will look to bounce back against Central Districts this Saturday.

Saturday shapes up as an exciting day with our Reserves starting the day followed by our Women’s team taking on Norwood in the Preliminary Final after which our League team take on the Adelaide Crows in another important step in the season. To top it off, Chris Curran will be playing his 150^th game, an outstanding achievement for an outstanding player, person and representative of our club. We hope to see a huge crowd here for what should be a great day of footy at Stratarama Stadium.

Go The Bays

– Darren Reeves, Senior Coach

Goal kickers: Allen (4), McBean (2), Holder (2), Bell, Gerloff, Gould, Lovelock, Lyons, McLeod, Reynolds, Stagg

Best Players: Scharenberg, Allen, Walker, Holder, McBean, Stretch, Bell