SA Footy

Richmond Oval | Sunday 3rd May | 2:10pm.

Need to win this one helps with Lewis & Emmett coming back in.

West have improved but not enough to beat the Blues.

Sturt by 23 points

The weather might stop this one from being a blow out.
Their second half last week was weak!
They have improved but are still a bottom 3 side.
Sturt by 40

WEST

League

F Jye Sinderberry, Hamish Ellem, Callum Park

HF Benjamin Ridgway, Tom Scully, Cade Kennedy

C Sam Frost, Joel Parker, Brady Searle

HB Tom Morrish, Jonti Schuback, Dylan White

B Harvey Bock, Oscar Talbot, Lachlan Slattery

R Caleb May, Kobe Ryan, Jesse Thackeray

INT Chris Burgess, Hamish Dow, Harvey Griffiths, Judd Hansen, Jonty Koehne, Michael Laudato, Archie Walsh

IN Chris Burgess, Hamish Dow, Michael Laudato

STURT

League

F Joshua Hone, Oliver Grivell, Daniel Schoell

HF Jed McEntee, James White, Sam Conforti

C Charlie Parker, Tom Lewis, Luca Slade

HB Willa Taylor, Will Coomblas, Thomas McCourt

B Rory Illman, Sam Waltham, Luke Edmonds

R Amos Doyle, Martin Frederick, Will Snelling

INT Lachlan Burrows, Charlie Fryer, Ash Johnson, Louis Kellaway, Loch Rawlinson, Nick Sadler, Ned Walter

IN Lachlan Burrows, Ash Johnson, Tom Lewis, Ned Walter

OUT Zac Becker (Foot)

NEW Ash Johnson (Collingwood)

Strut by 58pts.

Sturt by 5 goals

While back-to-back losses were something Blues fans hadn’t had to endure for quite a while, the reigning premiers still have a couple of long-standing winning runs they will put on the line against the Bloods.

Sturt has won its past 20 games in succession against West, not having been beaten by the Bloods since their 2015 premiership season.

And the Blues have also won their past 15 away games in succession, not having lost at another club’s ground since Round 3, 2024 against North at Prospect.

Their record under Martin Mattner has simply been spectacular and even though they have lost to the Eagles and Glenelg in the past two rounds, they were a chance to win both late.

It’s not that surprising the Blues haven’t been having it all their own way with 11 players from last year’s grand final – skipper and Magarey Medallist Tom Lewis, dual best-and-fairest Casey Voss, Alex Holt, Daniel Fahey-Sparks injured and Tom Emmett suspended, Jack Oatey Medallist Angus Anderson and Flynn Perez recruited to the AFL, and Henry Carey, Luke Giacometti, Connor McFadyen and James Mathews having either retired or left – missing against the Bays.

Clearly there’s work to be done after last season was almost too good to be true, coach Martin Mattner saying “it’s about getting the mix of the team right”, looking for consistent four-quarter performances – and probably the chance to consistently pick his best team.

Westies slipped off the pace for the first time this season in a 41-point loss to the ladder-leading Eagles but they will feel now is as good a chance as ever to break their hoodoo against the reigning premier.

The equal-top clearance-winning team in the league with Glenelg – averaging 37 – the Bloods’ midfield is stepping up as one of the best going around, led by dynamic Kobe Ryan – who racked up 19 handballs, 10 clearances and 11 tackles against the Eagles to show how hard he was at the coalface – and powerhouse ruck Caleb May, who won 40 hit-outs last week.

His battle with the No. 1 knock ruckman in the comp, burly Amos Doyle, who is averaging 39 per game, will be a ripper that will set the tempo for the game.

By Peter Cornwall.

West are in with a chance here ... but some good ins for Sturt and the Bloods haven't beaten them for 10 years.

Sturt by 43

Cracking game … Sturt by 2 at lemon time.

Great to see the improvement in West, and also South, this year.

Bloods steal it by 4, first win against the double blues in 138 years.

Fantastic result for the Blood & Tars and the competition overall

As u stated dedja, great to see huge improvement from West and south.

Anyone seen Brodlach

Bass can seriously coach so great to see him turn it around

dedja wrote:Bloods steal it by 4, first win against the double blues in 138 years.

You saying Sturt won the 1983 GF?

You must fixated on Jackie Love legs….

In this round, last year's grand finalists have both been knocked off by last year's bottom two teams.*

* if you were to order equally ranked teams alphabetically rather than by percentage.

am Bays wrote:

dedja wrote:Bloods steal it by 4, first win against the double blues in 138 years.

You saying Sturt won the 1983 GF.

You must fixated on Jackie Love legs….

Well saw that coming credit to west wanted it more in the end.

Well done West no wooden spoon for you this year
We will get that with a likely loss to Port next week .

Well done Bloods! Bassett clearly moulding a competitive team together already. Enjoy the win Westies fans.. I’ll just have to suffice with reminiscing about Jackie’s magnificent pins…