Coaches Report U16’s & U18’s

Match Report – U16’s Semi Final
West Adelaide vs Central Districts
Friday, August 29 – X Convenience Oval

West Adelaide 3.16.34

Centrals 6.8.44

Friday night’s semi-final clash between West Adelaide and Centrals was played under tough wintery conditions, with strong winds making clean ball movement and accurate kicking a challenge for both teams. Despite the weather, the stakes were high, with a Grand Final berth on the line.

Our boys entered the match with confidence, having been highly competitive in their previous two encounters with Centrals. However, Centrals came out firing, kicking two goals in the first five minutes and putting West Adelaide under immediate scoreboard pressure. Although we responded with four shots on goal, we could only register four behinds. A late red-time goal from Centrals extended their lead to 15 points at quarter time.

At the first break, the coaching staff reinforced the importance of composure and sticking to the process. The boys responded well, controlling much of the second quarter and generating seven shots on goal. Unfortunately, accuracy continued to be an issue, with West Adelaide kicking 2.5 to Centrals’ 2.1. Another lapse in concentration allowed Centrals to sneak in a red-time goal, maintaining a 12-point lead at the main break.

The third term was a gritty arm wrestle, with us kicking into the breeze. Both sides managed just one goal each, and while we built significant pressure, missed opportunities in front of goal meant we still trailed by 12 points at the final change.

In the final quarter, we rallied the troops in intensity and dominated territory, clearances, and possession. However, inefficiency in front of goal proved costly. The boys kicked five behinds to Centrals’ three points, ultimately falling short by 10 points in a game that felt like a missed opportunity.

Despite the loss, the team showed tremendous fight and resilience. For many of the Under 16 players, this was their first taste of finals football at the elite level. They now have the chance to regroup, learn, and respond in the upcoming clash against South Adelaide this weekend.

The focus moving forward will be on continuing the hard work that has brought the team this far and improving goal-kicking efficiency, an area that proved decisive on Friday night.

Best Players: D Hatedakis, L Andriani, L Kennedy, T Seager, H Taintey

Goal Kickers: H Taintey 2, A Comakis

Under 16 Coach

Jeff Sochacki

Match Report – U18’s Semi Final
West Adelaide vs Sturt
Saturday, August 30 – Thomas Farms Oval

On Saturday we travelled to Thomas Farms Oval to play Sturt in our semi final. Conditions were good and we went in confident after a solid two week training block and we had plenty of players training with squad members back from school commitments.

We started the game well by using the wind and were able to gain enough territory to put them under pressure and took a 3 goals to 0 lead at quarter time. The second quarter was harder to make ground against the breeze but the players stuck to task and managed to keep the game on our terms for long enough periods to maintain a lead.

At half time we refocused on our objectives and came out strong in the third quarter. The players made good use of the wind again and we were able to score enough to lead into the final break. The last quarter brought significant pressure from Sturt but to the players credit they showed resilience and confidence to withstand it and come away with a well-earned win.

It was a great contribution from all players on the ground which made it very difficult for the coaches to pick best players. Lincoln Pitt once again played a terrific game, Fletcher Dillon was strong behind the ball and Joe Raphael ahead of the ball. What stood out most was the way the entire group embraced their role and used their attributes well.

We now turn our attention to another two weeks of training as we prepare for the grand final on Sunday 14 September at Adelaide Oval and we hope to see you all there.

Best Players: Lincoln Pitt, Fletcher Dillon, and Joe Raphael

Goals:

Mitch Marsh, 3

Diego Bueti and Lucas White 2

Charlie Bradford, Oliver Charlesworth, Gus Downs and Logan McCabe 1

Russell Godson

U18’s Coach