Coaches Report: U16s/U18s – Round 16

U18s – Round 16 

West Adelaide (22.8.140) Vs Norwood (2.2.14)

In our Round 16 clash we hosted Norwood at Hisense Stadium on Saturday morning in ideal conditions.

We had multiple changes to the side from the previous week, which presented some challenges for the group across training and into game day. To the boys’ credit, they adapted really well and the players were confident they’d prepared well.

We started strongly, locking the ball in our forward half for most of the first quarter and were able to capitalise on the scoreboard, a great reward for our effort and method. The second quarter followed a similar pattern. Norwood had a few periods where they were able to shift the ball into their forward half, but our group stayed composed and stuck to task well. By halftime we had built a strong lead and had executed well.

The second half played out in similar fashion, with our method holding up and allowing us to keep control of the game. The last quarter gave us the opportunity to try a few players in different roles, which was both refreshing for them and provided the staff with some good insight moving forward.

The coaching group judged Logan McCabe as our best player on the day. His work in traffic was outstanding and played a big role in setting us up through the middle of the ground. Will Thomas was recognised as our best inside mid, using his positioning well and creating opportunities for others. Up forward, Nick Dessmann stood out with his ability to get separation, take a few contested marks and finish off strongly with six goals.

There were plenty of others in the mix too as most players won their position and played a role in a solid team performance.

We now look ahead to our Round 17 clash against Central District at X convenience Oval. It’ll be a great test for the group and one we’re really looking forward to.

See you then.

Best players: McCabe, Thomas, Dessmann, Dillon and Marsh

Goal kickers: Dessmann (6), Millar (4), Marsh, Thomas, Rankine and Burgoyne all kicked 2 while Martinella, White, McAulay and Wooldridge all kicked 1 each.

– Russell Godson (U18s Coach)

U16s – Round 16 

West Adelaide (12.8.80) Vs Norwood (12.3.75)

Round 16 loomed as a critical clash for our Under 16s as we faced Norwood at Hisense Stadium. Both sides entered the contest in good form, Norwood on a four-game winning streak and our boys having won four of our last five. With just one game and percentage separating us on the ladder and only two rounds remaining, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. A win would give us breathing space inside the top four; a loss would drag us back into the congested mid-table mix.

Despite our clear intent to start strong, the early 9:30am bounce saw us caught flat-footed. Our fundamentals let us down, and our transition defence was well below standard, failing to man up and stop Norwood’s spread. Costly turnovers in dangerous areas gave Norwood repeated chances, and to their credit, they capitalised, kicking 6 goals to our 3. We trailed by 18 points at quarter time.

My message at the first break was clear: don’t panic, and don’t let the scoreboard dictate our mindset. The goals Norwood kicked were born from our own skill errors, poor decision-making, and lack of defensive accountability. If we cleaned up those areas, we’d turn the tide.

The second quarter was exactly the response we needed. We arguably played our best defensive quarter of the year, holding Norwood to just one behind while registering 2.5 ourselves. Though our conversion let us down, the fact that we went into the main break just two points down was a testament to the group’s resolve and their commitment to the process.

We carried that momentum into the third term, controlling all aspects of the game. Our pressure, structure, and ball movement clicked as we added 4.3 to Norwood’s 1.1 to open up a 17-point lead at the final change.

Heading into the last quarter, the message was about composure, being calculated with the ball, maintaining control, and avoiding the kinds of costly turnovers that hurt us early. The boys responded perfectly in the first 10 minutes, kicking the opening two goals and stretching the lead to 29 points.

However, in a lapse reminiscent of the first quarter, we started playing too fast and too loose. Norwood seized the opportunity, kicking four unanswered goals from our skill errors and rushed play to reduce the margin to a single kick. With the game back on the line, our boys dug deep. We slowed the game down, played to our identity, and were rewarded with a match-sealing goal in the final minutes to claim a thrilling 5-point win.

It was a gritty, high-stakes contest that reinforced the importance of sticking to our system. We take valuable lessons forward into next week’s huge test against ladder-leaders Central Districts on their home deck next Saturday afternoon.

Best Players: C Jones, W Mackie, L Andriani, A Crispe, L Piggot

Goal Kickers: C Jones 3, P Burgoyne 2, L Price 2, A Crispe, D Hatedakis, H Hudson, L Piggot, T Seagar

– Jeff Sochaki – (U16s Coach)