2024 Finals – Week 2 Semi Finals

After a strong week of preparation and the positive vibe from our Reserves advancing to the Preliminary Final on Saturday morning, our 1st Semi Final against a very good Sturt Football Club presented unusual challenges. Unfortunately, Will Gould suffered back spasms just minutes before the game and had to be ruled out. We had opted not to hold any players over, allowing everyone to play on Saturday, which meant our only option was to field someone who had already played a full game. Liam Wisdom was the perfect candidate for this and managed to prepare himself quickly, joining the contest 10 minutes in—a great credit to him. This situation sums up our season: it’s about finding a way through, not dwelling on the uncontrollable, but getting on with it. We’re proud of how the team handled the disruption early on.

The game unfolded as expected, with two strong teams battling in what was, for the most part, an open, free-flowing contest. While there are areas to improve heading into next week, it was pleasing to see our ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, an important area of growth for us. Another key takeaway, and a message I stressed at half-time, was that although Sturt came at us hard at different points and looked capable of gaining an advantage, we were able to stay composed, withstand the pressure, and be the next to score. As the game progressed, we gained more ascendency around the contest, securing more forward territory in our favor. In the last quarter, we were highly efficient, finishing our work on the scoreboard. Our final 25 minutes were among our best all season—our defensive group won critical moments, our midfield applied relentless pressure, and our forwards executed on the scoreboard. We have a brand of football that holds up in big games, and that was evident over the last two weeks. We’ll need to bring that same intensity against Central Districts Football Club this Sunday.

It was also a really pleasing effort from our Reserves on Saturday morning as they worked their way past Woodville West Torrens and into a Preliminary Final against Norwood this coming Saturday. It was a much-improved performance from the previous week. While it wasn’t pretty, it was a solid, finals-type brand of football, and the group showed resilience over four quarters to get the result. Playing in these high-stakes games is invaluable for the development of our younger players, and we look forward to seeing them in action again this Saturday.

As we head into the Preliminary Final against Central District Football Club on Sunday afternoon, our focus is on diligent recovery before diving into our preparation. We have confidence in where we are as a group but are fully aware of the challenges ahead. We can’t wait for the opportunity. Yesterday’s energy and support from our fans were fantastic. Our playing group often says, “Relentless for 120”—it might take until the last second to get the result, but we are relentless in our pursuit until the final whistle. This is much easier to chase when we have the noise and energy from the crowd behind us. We’re looking forward to seeing a big turnout next Sunday afternoon.

Go The Bays

– Darren Reeves, Senior Coach

Goals: Reynolds (4), McBean (4), Allen (2), Holder (2), Chandler, Curran

Best Players: Proud, Reynolds, McBean, Martini, Scharenberg, Bell, Gerloff