Great Southern Netball Association - Round 18Victor Harbor has completed the minor round undefeated for the second season in a row after a comprehensive 64-17 victory over Langhorne Creek at Victor Harbor. Victor are hunting down a fourth consecutive premiership and it would take a brave person to bet against them doing it. Langhorne Creek finished with five wins for the season, a good improvement  on their two wins from 2018. Victor Harbor will now take on Willunga in the second semi-final for a place in the grand final.Willunga travelled to Strathalbyn needing a win to secure second spot on the ladder and that’s just what they did recording a comfortable 49-31 win. Willunga will need a big improvement to challenge Victor Harbor in the second semi-final but at finals time, anything is possible. Strathalbyn finished the season in sixth position.Mount Compass finished their season in style with a tight one goal victory at home over bottom side Yankalilla. Mount Compass improved from just one win in 2018 to notch four victories for their 2019 campaign. It was a tough year for the Tigers as they finished without a win.Goolwa warmed up for finals action with a 54-44 victory at Myponga. The win for Goolwa puts them into a knockout semi-final against McLaren Vale next week. Myponga finished in fifth position for the season with seven wins.McLaren Vale had the bye. Final LadderVictor Harbor 32 points , Willunga 25, Goolwa 24, McLaren Vale 18, Myponga 14, Strathalbyn 13, Langhorne Creek 10, Mount Compass 8, Yankalilla 0.

Kangaroo Island Netball Association - Round 15Dudley United secured the double chance with a tight 44-40 win at Penneshaw over Parndana. It was the seventh win on the trot for the reigning premier after they won just one of their first five games. Dudley United will now take on minor premier Western Districts in the Second Semi-Final next week. Meanwhile Parndana will take on Kingscote in the knockout First Semi-Final.Kingscote warmed up for finals action with a good 52-36 win at bottom side Wisanger. Kingscote will be looking forward to going further in this year’s finals after being knocked out in week one of the major round last year. After a Grand Final appearance last year, Wisanger unfortunately could only manage two wins this season.Western Districts had the bye. Final LadderWestern Districts 18 points , Dudley United 16, Parndana 12, Kingscote 10, Wisanger 4.

Kangaroo Island Football League - Round 18Parndana has forced its way into second position at the end of the minor round my a mere 1.10% after crushing Dudley United at Penneshaw Oval in the final round by 114 points, 23.13 (151) to 5.7 (37). They will now face minor premier Western Districts in next week’s Second Semi-Final. Dudley United had a wretched season taking out the wooden spoon without registering a victory. Nathan Trethewey made sure of the leading goalkicker award as he bagged 11 goals to finish the minor round on 58. Clayton Willson played a lone hand up forward for the Eagles kicking three goals to finish on 41 for the season. Best for Parndana were Nathan Trethewey, Trad McMulkin and Zac Trethewey while for Dudley United Jake Lee, Sam Howard and Ryan Boers battled valiantly all day.Wisanger and Kingscote played out a thriller at Wisanger with KIngscote overcoming a nine-point half-time deficit to win 13.8 (86) to 12.8 (80). The two times will meet next Sunday in the First Semi-Final and hopefully the game will be as good as this one. Koby Cockshell kicked four goals for the victorious Hounds while Nick Berry kicked three for the Panthers. Rory Lovering, Paul Green and Rhys Lovering were best for Kingscote while for Wisanger Scott Hutchins, Patrick Hure and Sam Snowball were named in their best players.Western Districts had the bye. Final LadderWestern Districts 18 points , Parndana 18, Kingscote 18, Wisanger 16, Dudley United 0.

Hills Football League (Division 2) - Week 1 Finals previewQualifying Final (2.30pm Saturday 24 August @ Kersbrook Oval)Reigning premier Ironbank Cherry Gardens will make the long trip out to Kersbrook Oval to begin their title defense against a much improved Gumeracha outfit in an intriguing Qualifying Final match-up in Hills Football League Division 2 action. The Thunderers have had another excellent season losing just two matches (both to Kersbrook) on their way to second position at the end of the minor round. After missing the finals in 2018, Gumeracha have hit back hard and finished the minor round well with three consecutive victories. The last time these two sides met it was a high scoring encounter at Ironbank with the home side prevailing by 24 points in a game that saw a whopping 34 goals kicked. The crowd will be hoping to see a similar game for the Qualifying Final on the wide open expanses of Kersbrook Oval. The Thunderers have plenty of forward options with five players kicking 20 or more goals this season and they are well led by Will Muirden. The Magpies have Brendon Moon up forward with 35 goals and he’s been well supported by dual mail medalist Ben Hanna who has kicked 28 goals this season and been named best player for the Magpies on six occasions. It should be a great game but finals experience should count for the reigning premier. My tip...Ironbank Cherry Gardens.Elimination Final (2.30pm Sunday 25 August @ Meadows Oval)Macclesfield will make their first finals appearance since 2015 when they head down the road to Meadows Oval to take on 2016 premiers Bridgewater-Callington in the knockout Elimination Final. Maccy had the bye last week to freshen up while the Raiders went down to Ironbank Cherry Gardens, costing them the double chance. Maccy playing coach Denis Iljcesen looms as the major threat for the Raiders with the key forward kicking 42 goals so far this season. He has been well supported by Daniel Noble with 35 majors. Isaac Lallard and Ben Flood will look to continue their excellent 2019 campaigns and push the Blood ‘n Tars into week two of the finals. Youngster Jamie Drew has had a good season for the Raiders with 37 goals and Jackson Hooper holds the key through the midfield and has been handy up forward kicking 23 goals as well. The teams shared the spoils in their two clashes this year with Macclesfield winning in round five by 35 points before Bridgewater-Callington hit back with a comprehensive 66-point victory in round 13. Finals experience could be a key for the Raiders so I think they’ll win a tight one. My tip...Bridgewater-Callington.

Great Southern Netball Association - Round 18 previewVictor Harbor will look to complete the minor round undefeated when they clash with Langhorne Creek at Victor. Victor are hunting their fourth successive flag and would be odds-on to do so after another dominant season where their average winning margin has been 26 goals. Langhorne Creek has shown improvement this season with five wins after just two victories in 2018. It will be a big day for Victor Harbor's Kelly White as she celebrates her 300th senior game in the GSNA! My tip...Victor Harbor.Willunga travel to Strathalbyn knowing a win will shore up the double chance and a crack at Victor Harbor in the second semi-final. The Demons have dropped their past two games so they’ll be keen to get back on the winners list heading into the major round. The Roosters should be fresh after winning their past two games before the bye last week but Willunga should have too much to play for. My tip...Willunga.Goolwa travel to Myponga needing a win to have any chance of claiming second spot from Willunga. The Magpies need to win and hope Strathalbyn can knock Willunga off to grab the double chance. When these two sides met back in round nine Goolwa were too strong winning by 20 goals. My tip...Goolwa.Mount Compass will be chasing their fourth win of the season when they host winless Yankalilla on Saturday. It was a tight affair when they met back in round nine when Compass prevailed by six goals. My tip...Mount Compass.McLaren Vale have the bye.

Southern Netball Association (A1) - Week 1 Finals preview1st Semi-FinalAldinga will take on Meadows in the knockout semi-final at Morphett Vale tomorrow. Aldinga finished in third position with a 7-4 win/loss record while Meadows were fourth with a 5-6 win/loss record. Meadows have shown good improvement this season after finishing second bottom last season while Aldinga will look to bounce back after finishing minor premier in 2018 before going out in ‘straight sets’ in the finals. The last time the two teams met was back on August 3 and in a close tussle, Aldinga prevailed by six goals. Expect another tough game tomorrow. My tip...Aldinga.N.B. There is a Go Fund Me page (Rebuild Aldinga Netball Club) that has been created to help the Aldinga Netball Club after their clubrooms were destroyed by fire early Friday morning (23/8/19). Please get behind them after this terrible incident. Click HERE to help.2nd Semi-FinalPerennial powerhouse and reigning premier Clarendon face off against minor premier Pulse in the second semi-final at Morphett Vale tomorrow. Pulse only lost one game in the minor round and had success against Clarendon in two tight clashes by a combined eight goals. Pulse will be seeking to avenge their Grand Final defeat at the hands of Clarendon last year but Clarendon have amazing finals experience and success to draw on. It should be a cracker! My tip...PulseBoth games will be played at Southern United Netball Association (SUNA) (Wilfred Taylor Reserve, Sports Park Drive, Morphett Vale)

Great Southern Football League - Round 18 previewIt’s been one of the closest seasons in recent memory in the GSFL with just five points separating top of the ladder Willunga and fifth placed McLaren with just one round to go.The match of the round sees reigning premier Langhorne Creek travel to Victor Harbor with the prize of a double chance on the line. To underline how tight the competition is in 2019, Victor would’ve entered the round on top had they won last week (lost to Willunga by a point) and if they fail to knock off the Hawks they could slip as slow as fifth! Sam Basham has been in excellent goal kicking form for Victor Harbor with 28 goals in his last five games and 67 for the season. Langhorne Creek have plenty of avenues to goal with three players kicking 25+ goals for the season including Jarrod Kellock with 40 majors. When the teams met back in round nine it was an absolute cracker with the Kangaroos prevailing by nine points. A real toss of the coin to pick a winner. I’ll go with the home team. My tip...Victor Harbor.Mount Compass could pinch top spot with a win against Yankalilla at home tomorrow. They’ll need some help from Strathalbyn to beat Willunga though to make it possible. The Bulldogs sit second on the ladder and can draw level with Willunga if results go their way and with a superior percentage they’d take the minor premiership. Tom Pinyon has had an amazing season and brought up the magical ‘ton’ of goals last week when he bagged 11 majors. Expect more of the same tomorrow. My tip...Mount Compass.Willunga need to beat Strathalbyn to sew up the minor premiership and the week’s rest ahead of the second semi-final. It won’t be an easy trip for the Demons with the Roosters still an outside chance of making the finals. It’s out of Strath’s hands though as they’ll be relying on Encounter Bay upsetting McLaren and they’ll need a major swing in percentage as well to have any hope. My tip...Willunga.Last years runner-up McLaren can make sure of their spot in next Sunday’s Elimination Final at Langhorne Creek with victory at home against Encounter Bay. McLaren have been in excellent recent form having won four of their past five games. Encounter Bay have been inconsistent in 2019 and will miss the finals after finishing fifth last season. McLaren have too much to play for so I think they’ll win. My tip...McLaren.Pride is on the line as Myponga-Sellicks host Goolwa-Port Elliot in the last game for these sides in 2019. The Mudlarks are yet  to taste victory so they’ll be desperate to knock off the Magpies and sing their song for the first time in 364 days. Goolwa-Port Elliot have had a couple of wins this season and I think they’ll get their third victory. My tip...Goolwa-Port Elliot.Ladder (after 17 rounds)Willunga 27 points, Mount Compass 25, Victor Harbor 24, Langhorne Creek 24, McLaren 22, Strathalbyn 20, Encounter Bay 14, Yankalilla 10, Goolwa-Port Elliot 4, Myponga-Sellicks 0

South Coast Hockey - Men ‘A’ GradeVictor Grey 1 (Goals: Locky Threadgold)Victor White 0 Victor Blue 6 (Goals: Kym Smith 2, Matt Leaney 2, Dylan Pryor, Mike  Leaney)Goolwa 0 Final LadderVictor Blue 29 points, Victor Grey 29, Victor White 20, Goolwa 14South Coast Hockey - Women ‘A’ GradeVictor Blue 1 (Goals: Natt Gibbs)Goolwa 1 (Goals: Airlie Waller)Aldinga Blue 2 (Goals: Nelly Langford 2)Aldinga Black 2 (Goals: Emma Gregg, Karen Rockicinski)Yankalilla 5 (Goals: Kate Irvine 2, Carole DeBricassart, Christine  Filsell)Aldinga Gold 0 Victor White had the bye.Final LadderGoolwa 30 points, Yankalilla 27, Victor Blue 24, Victor White 18, Aldinga Gold 12, Aldinga Blue 10, Aldinga Black 2

Great Southern Netball Association - Round 17 McLaren Vale has secured their spot in the finals with a 60-44 victory at bottom side Yankalilla. The Eagles have been in good form with four wins from their past five outings and will freshen up for their knockout semi final on 31 August with a bye in the final round. Goolwa has moved within a point of second position after a comfortable 47-33 win over Mount Compass at Goolwa. The Magpies will need to win next week against Myponga and hope second placed Willunga falter against Strathalbyn to grab the double chance and a clash in the second semi final against Victor Harbor.Undefeated Victor Harbor showed their class with a 42-26 win at second placed Willunga. The Kangaroos have won the past three premierships and with an average winning margin this season of 26 goals, it will take something special to stop Victor making it four flags on the trot. The Demons will need to bounce back against Strathalbyn this week to hang on to second spot on the ladder.Langhorne Creek put paid to Myponga’s slim finals chances with a tight 39-34 win at home. It was just the fifth victory of the season for Langhorne Creek and it leaves Myponga in fifth spot with just one round to go in the 2019 season.Strathalbyn had the bye.Ladder after 17 RoundsVictor Harbor 30 points, Willunga 23, Goolwa 22, McLaren Vale 18, Myponga 14, Strathalbyn 13, Langhorne Creek 10, Mount Compass 6, Yankalilla 0.

Kangaroo Island Netball Association - Round 14 Reigning premier Dudley United has gone a long way to securing second spot and the all important double chance after a 49-39 victory at Kingscote. Dudley United have got on a roll after only winning one of their first five games and have now won six in a row and face Parndana in the final round with a win guaranteeing them second position on the ladder. Kingscote will finish fourth and face a tough task to progress past the first week of finals.Western Districts secured the minor premiership with a tight 38-34 win at home over bottom side Wisanger. The Saints will enter the finals with three wins on the trot and have a bye in the final round to freshen up before a tilt at the premiership. It’s been a tough season for the Panthers after making the grand final in 2018.Parndana had the bye.Ladder after 14 RoundsWestern Districts 18 points, Dudley United 14, Parndana 12, Kingscote 8, Wisanger 4.

Southern Hills Netball Association - Round 15 Reigning premier Clarendon has snatched the double chance after a 16-goal win (52-36) at Meadows on Saturday. Clarendon needed to win and hope Aldinga lost to league leader Pulse, and that’s exactly what happened. Clarendon has been a bit inconsistent this year but are hitting their straps at the right time of the year with four wins in a row heading into finals. Meadows finished fourth at the end of the minor round and will now take on Aldinga in the knockout semi final this weekend.McLaren Flat finished their season on a high with a 49-43 away win over bottom side Kangarilla. It was a tight opening quarter with the scores locked at 14-14 at the first break. McLaren Flat edged clear in the second term to take a slender three-goal lead into half-time. The game continued to be tight with Kangarilla pushing hard for their first win of the season but McLaren Flat held on to win by six goals.Pulse warmed up for their premiership tilt with a comfortable 47-24 victory over Aldinga at Port Noarlunga. The loss dropped Aldinga to third spot and into a knockout semi-final against Meadows. Pulse will take on Clarendon in the second semi final with the winner to go straight through to the Grand Final on September 7.Final Ladder for 2019Pulse 20 points, Clarendon 14, Aldinga 14, Meadows 10, McLaren Flat 7, Kangarilla 1.

Hills Football League Division 2 - Round 18Kersbrook have finished the minor round undefeated after a 127-point victory at home over bottom side Torrens Valley. The Brookers went 16-0 in the minor round with an average winning margin of 86 points. They now have a week off before playing for a grand final spot in the second semi final to be played at Kangarilla on Saturday 31 August. Their opponent will be either Gumeracha or Ironbank Cherry Gardens. Torrens Valley endured another winless season after dropping from division one at the end of 2017. After a scrappy first term where Kersbrook kicked 2.8 to 0.0, the Brookers got going in the second quarter to kick eight goals to three and extend their lead out to 54 points at half-time. A further 12 goals to one in the second half saw the final score blow out to 22.21 (153) to 4.2 (26). Charlie Graeber kicked six goals for the Brookers to take his season tally to 48 and with that Graeber clinched the leading goalkicker award. Graeber was one of 10 different goalkickers for Kersbrook while Dylan Rowe and Mark Mueller kicked two goals each for the Lions. Lachlan Peter, Josh Laube and Graeber were named best for the minor premier while Robbie Young, Shaun Higgins and BaileyCaire were best for Torrens Valley.Gumeracha have clinched the all important double chance with an 89-point win at home against Kangarilla. The Magpies won every quarter in the 19.12 (126) to 5.7 (37) victory. It’s been an excellent turnaround from Gumeracha after they won eight games last season and finished sixth. Matthew Armstrong kicked six goals for the Magpies and he was ably supported by young Jeremy Hackett who kicked three goals. Hackett has kicked 14 goals in ‘A’ grade competition this year and a whopping 98 goals in the senior colts! Tom Evans was the only multiple goalkicker for the Double Blues with two majors. Birdwood have finished their season on a high with a 27-point away win at Meadows. The Roosters jumped out the blocks and could have put the game away in the first term but for inaccurate kicking which saw them lead 3.8 (26) to 0.0 (0) at the first break. Meadows managed four goals in the second quarter but still trailed by 30 points at the long break. An even second half ensued with Birdwood running out winners 12.15 (87) to 9.6 (60). Jed Russell kicked three goals for the Roosters while Meadows had all individual goalkickers. Birdwood were best served by James Neale, Jarred Jones and Brandon Ashby while Luke Smart, Ben Cracknell and former Mt Lofty player Josh Tink were named in the best for the Bulldogs.Reigning premier Ironbank Cherry Gardens put paid to Bridgewater-Callington’s chances at a top three finish with a powerful 43-point win at Callington. It was a tight first half with the Thunderers leading by just nine points at half-time. 10 goals to four in the second half from Ironbank Cherry Gardens put paid to the Raiders as the score finished at 17.13 (115) to 10.12 (72). Jeremy Johncock led the way up forward for the Thunderers with four goals and he was ably supported by Ari Diamandopoulous who kicked three. Stephen Branson, Jackson Hooper, Nathan Rowlands and Sam Foutoulis kicked two goals each for the Raiders. Joel Van Paridon, Todd Pfeiffer and Elijah Ware were best for the reigning premier while Hooper, Steven Smith and Rowlands were named best for Bridgewater-Callington. Macclesfield had the bye.Final Ladder for 2019Kersbrook 32 points (undefeated), Ironbank Cherry Gardens 28, Gumeracha 22, Bridgewater-Callington 20, Macclesfield 16, Birdwood 12, Kangarilla 10, Meadows 4, Torrens Valley 0.

Southern Football League Women’s - Round 15Top of the ladder Aldinga defeated Reynella by 38 points to rack up their 10th win in a row on Sunday at Aldinga. It was a tight opening quarter with the Sharks leading by just six points at the first change but from that point on it was one way traffic as they kept the Wine Flies goal-less to run out winners 7.3 (45) to 1.1 (7). Jasmine Smith was a livewire up forward kicking three goals while Rebecca Denyer was the only goalkicker for Reynella. Sophia Flanagan-Sjoberg continued her outstanding season to be named best for the Sharks along with Jemma Looyestyn and Amy Stone. Zannah Loxton, Shanique West and Emily Woods were best for Reynella.Cove stayed in second position after a commanding 11.13 (79) to 0.0 (0) victory over bottom side Hackham at Hallett Cove. Felicity Oliver kicked three goals and Jaime Norup and Emma Fitzgerald slotted two majors for the Cobras. Norup, Oliver and Lauren Pattimore were best for Cove while Emily Cooper, Chelsea Deeth and Belinda Macrow battled hard for Hackham.Flagstaff Hill bounced back from last week’s loss to Aldinga with a grinding 14-point win at home over Morphett Vale. Three goals were kicked in the first term and just one more major was added after that by Flagstaff Hill to make the final score 3.5 (23) to 1.3 (9). Alana Baker was the only multiple goal kicker with two goals for the Falcons while Renee Harrison kicked the only goal for the Emus. Soriah Moon was named best for Flagstaff Hill. It’s the ninth time this season Moon has been named best or second best for her team! Shannon Foster was best for a gallant Morphett Vale.Ladder after 15 roundsAldinga 28 points, Cove 16, Flagstaff Hill 16, Morphett Vale 16, Reynella 14, Hackham 0.

Kangaroo Island Football League - Round 17Wisanger have knocked off top team Western Districts at Gosse by 38 points in round 17 of the Kangaroo Island Football League on Saturday. It was the Panthers’ eighth win of the season and puts them just one win behind the ladder leading Saints. It was a tight opening half with just five goals kicked between the teams with the home team Western Districts holding a narrow five point lead at the long break. With the game evenly poised, Wisanger produced a barnstorming third quarter kicking 8 goals to zero and took an unassailable 46-point lead into the final term before winning 11.11 (77) to 5.9 (39). Khyal Stead was a star up forward for Wisanger with four goals and he was supported by Luke Stewart, Gavin Mason and Reece Boulden who all kicked two goals each. Henry Riggs, Damon Weatherspoon and Cameron Florance were best for Western Districts. Kingscote kept their double chance hopes alive with a crushing 78-point win at home over winless Dudley United, 20.11 (131) to 8.5 (53) The reigning premier were untroubled in notching their eighth win of the season and will face off against Wisanger next week looking to snatch the all important double chance. Paul Green kicked seven goals for Kingscote and Koby Cockshell slotted five. It was the Clayton Willson show up forward for the Eagles as he kicked seven of his sides eight goals to be named best player for Dudley United. The Hounds’ best were Green, Cockshell and Rhys Lovering.Parndana had the bye. Ladder after 17 roundsWestern Districts 18 points, Wisanger 16, Kingscote 16, Parndana 16, Dudley United 0.

Southern Football League - Round 17Three-time reigning premier Flagstaff Hill are warming up nicely for a tilt at a fourth flag in a row after dismantling third placed Christies Beach to the tune of 57 points at Christies on Saturday. The Falcons opened up a match winning 60-point lead at half-time, kicking 11.5 (71) to 1.5 (11). The Saints put a bit of respectability back on the scoreboard by winning the second half by three points but ultimately went down 19.11 (125) to 10.8 (68). Miles Sumner kicked six goals for Flaggies and Daniel Webb slotted five majors. Jamie Dunn, Rhys Mundy and Shaun King kicked two goals each for the Saints. Ben Rossi continued his excellent recent form being named best for the Falcons along with Bradley Patterson and Sam Smith. For the Saints it was Dunn, Josiah Sheppard and Nathan Stock named in the best players. The two sides will face off again in less than two weeks in the Qualifying Final at Aldinga.Happy Valley won their fifth game for the season with an upset 10.9 (69) to 9.7 (61) victory over Reynella. Reynella started the game well to lead by 10 points at quarter time but the Vikings fired back in the second stanza kicking five goals to one to take a 17-point lead into half-time. In an even second half Happy Valley did enough to hang on by eight points. Ryan Matthew and Nick Frisby-Smith each kicked two goals for Happy Valley while Ryan Mahony, Callan Semple and Bradley Potter also kicked two for the Wine Flies. Best for the Vikings were Justin Schurgott, Frisby-Smith and Scott Rademacher while for Reynella Steven Farrelly, Bailey Marshman and Mahony battled hard all day.Port Noarlunga won their third consecutive game with a convincing 66-point victory at Cove. The Cockle Divers led at every change by 18, 35 and 39 points before kicking six goals to two in the final term for a final scoreline of 21.15 (141) to 11.9 (75). Nathan Hedger kicked six goals and was named best for Port Noarlunga. He was well supported by Jake Veide and Philip Brown. Ryan Need was a lone hand up forward for the Cobras booting five goals and he was named in the best alongside Dean Hancock and Ben Charlesworth.An extremely inaccurate Morphett Vale have clung on for their fifth win of the season with a 7.21 (63) to 8.5 (53) victory at Aldinga. The Emus opened up a handy 24-point lead at half-time before the Sharks kicked three goals to zero in the third term to be just six points in arrears and eyeing off just their second victory of the season. With the bye next week in the final round, this was Morphett Vale’s final quarter of the season and they dug deep to claim the 10-point victory. Nathan Bayly and Tyron Bennetts kicked two goals each for Morphett Vale. Nyaningu Thomas was the only multiple goalkicker for Aldinga also with two goals. Bodie Sowter was named best for the second week in a row for Morphett Vale while Bryan Sienes was best for a brave Aldinga side.Noarlunga had the bye.Ladder after 17 roundsNoarlunga 30 points, Flagstaff Hill 26, Christies Beach 24, Port Noarlunga 20, Reynella 12, Morphett Vale 10, Happy Valley 10, Cove 2, Aldinga 2.

Great Southern Football League - Round 17Willunga has hung on to top spot with a thrilling one-point victory over Victor Harbor at home on Saturday. The Demons jumped out the blocks to hold a 23-point lead at the first change. The Kangaroos hit back hard in the second term to trail by just four points at the long break before they came out firing after half-time, kicking six goals to two in the third quarter to turn for home with a handy 21 point lead. With top spot on the line, Willunga attacked from the start of the last stanza kicking 4.5 to 1.1 in the final term to win 14.10 (94) to 14.9 (93). Sean Beath and Daniel Lee kicked three goals for the winners while for Victor, Sam Basham took his season tally to 67 with another five majors. Best for the Demons were big man Daniel Bass, Cameron Hutchens and Lachlan Scott while for the courageous Kangaroos, Ryan Fletcher, Sam Basham and Michael Ross were major contributors.Langhorne Creek are just percentage behind third placed Victor Harbor after a convincing 78-point home victory over Myponga-Sellicks. The Hawks extended their lead at every break to win 19.10 (124) to 7.4 (46). Coby Helyar kicked five goals for Langhorne Creek in a best on ground display while Simon Phillips played a lone hand up forward for the Mudlarks with four goals while Damien Hill continued his fine season to be named best for Myponga-Sellicks.Mount Compass kept their chances of winning the minor premiership alive with a percentage boosting 113-point victory at Goolwa-Port Elliot. It was a tight opening to the game with scores level at quarter time at 1.1 (7) each. The Bulldogs exploded after the first break kicking 20 goals to four from that point on to win 21.20 (146) to 5.3 (33). The star for Mount Compass was Tom Pinyon who kicked 11 goals to bring up the magical ‘ton’ with one minor round game plus finals to come. Pinyon has kicked 502 goals in the GSFL ‘A’ grade competition since 2012! He was understandably named best player for the Bulldogs. For the Magpies, James Fry played a lone hand up forward with four goals and was named as their best player.McLaren has all but assured itself of finals action after a 17.8 (110) to 14.3 (87) win at Yankalilla. It was a high standard contest with accurate goal-kicking the highlight. The Eagles led at every change by eight, nine and 16 points before kicking six goals to five in the final term to win by 23 points. James Grimley was a star up forward for McLaren with seven goals while Jed Durdin kicked four goals for Yankalilla. Ashley Goodieson continued his recent good form being named best for the Eagles along with Joseph Carapetis and Grimley. For the second week in a row Jacob Laba was named the Tigers’ best and he was ably supported by Xavier Gotch and Jono Lee.Strathalbyn won their 10th game of 2019 but it probably won’t be enough for them to make finals. The Roosters sit one game and 16% behind fifth placed McLaren. Strathalbyn travelled to Encounter Bay and by half-time had opened up a 22-point lead which the home side tried to reduce in the second half but in the end Strath were too strong winning 14.9 (93) to 10.8 (68). Ben Simounds continued his excellent goal-kicking form with his third ‘bag’ of seven goals in the past five weeks to be named best for Strathalbyn. Nick Marshall kicked five majors for Encounter Bay to take his season tally to 61 while Hamish Tonkin was named best for the Eagles.Ladder after 17 roundsWillunga 27 points, Mount Compass 25, Victor Harbor 24, Langhorne Creek 24, McLaren 22, Strathalbyn 20, Encounter Bay 14, Yankalilla 10, Goolwa-Port Elliot 4, Myponga-Sellicks 0.

Hills Football League Division 2 - Round 18 previewThe final round of the HFL Division Two competition is here and there’s a couple of very important games to determine the finals makeup.The match of the day sees Bridgewater-Callington host the reigning premier Ironbank Cherry Gardens. The Raiders are clinging onto third spot by percentage from Gumeracha and need a win to guarantee the double chance. The Thunderers were brought back down to earth last week going down to undefeated Kersbrook so they’ll be looking to bounce back before their Qualifying Final date next Saturday. It should be a high quality clash at Callington in fine conditions. My tip...Bridgewater-Callington.Gumeracha has the chance to snatch third spot on the ladder and with it, the all important double chance if they can defeat Kangarilla at home and Bridgewater-Callington lose. The Magpies have been in great form recently having won eight of their last 10 games while Kangarilla will be buoyed by a gutsy win last week over finals bound Macclesfield. My tip...GumerachaMeadows will look to finish their season in style by winning their second game in a row when they host Birdwood at Meadows Oval. Birdwood have had a disappointing season with just five wins after 12 wins in 2018. Both sides are playing for pride in this one. My tip...BirdwoodIt could be a long day for winless Torrens Valley as they travel to undefeated Kersbrook for the final minor round. The Brookers have been imperious this season with a 15-0 record and an average winning margin of 84 points. It’s been another long season for the Lions but hopefully they can put up a show in their last game for 2019. My tip...KersbrookMacclesfield has the bye.Ladder (after 17 rounds)Kersbrook 30 points, Ironbank Cherry Gardens 26, Bridgewater-Callington 20, Gumeracha 20, Macclesfield 16, Kangarilla 10, Birdwood 10, Meadows 4, Torrens Valley 0

Southern Football League - Round 17 previewThe top five is settled with two rounds remaining in the Southern Football League. Noarlunga has won the minor premiership with Flagstaff Hill and Christies Beach securing the all important double chance, while Port Noarlunga and Reynella round out the major round qualifiers.The match of the round gives us an early finals glimpse at the two main challengers to the undefeated Noarlunga when Christies Beach host reigning premier Flagstaff  Hill. These two sides will square off in the Qualifying Final at Aldinga on Saturday 31 August so it will be interesting to see how much each club shows the other. Last time they met back in round eight it was a comfortable 57-point win to Flagstaff Hill. It’s a very hard one to tip as both sides have been in excellent recent form. My tip...Flagstaff Hill.In other matches Port Noarlunga travel to Cove and should have too much firepower for the Cobras as the Cockle Divers prepare for finals. My tip...Port Noarlunga.Reynella will look to bounce back after a hard fought loss to Port Noarlunga last week when they host Happy Valley. The Vikings slim finals chances were extinguished last week when they lost to Morphett Vale so they’ll be playing for pride. My tip...Reynella.Aldinga will attempt to climb off the bottom of the ladder when they host Morphett Vale. The Sharks have had a couple of tough week’s taking on competition powerhouses in Noarlunga and Flagstaff Hill while the Emus clung on for a 1-point win over Happy Valley last week. My tip...Morphett ValeNoarlunga has the byeLadder (after 16 rounds)Noarlunga 30 points, Flagstaff Hill 24, Christies Beach 24, Port Noarlunga 18, Reynella 12, Morphett Vale 8, Happy Valley 8, Cove 2, Aldinga 2

Great Southern Football League - Round 17 previewIt’s a very tight season in the GSFL and with just two rounds to go there’s only three points between first and fourth position on the ladder.The match of the round sees a top of the ladder clash between Willunga and Victor Harbor. Willunga reclaimed top spot last week with a big win over Goolwa-Port Elliot while Victor slipped up with a 29-point home loss to McLaren. The Demons have the most frugal defence in the league, conceding just 63 points a game in 2019. They’ll have to be on their game as the Kangaroos have a potent forward line with Sam Basham (62 goals), Luke Davey (52) and playing-coach Clint Alleway (25) key targets. Willunga will have home ground advantage which might be enough to get them over the line. My tip...Willunga.In other games Mount Compass will look to consolidate their position in the top three with a win at Goolwa-Port Elliot. The Bulldogs let a handy lead slip last week against Langhorne Creek and they’ll be hungry to atone for that loss. The Magpies are playing for pride after copping a 122-point hiding from Willunga last week. My tip...Mount Compass.Strathalbyn face a tricky trip to Encounter Bay needing a win to keep their slim finals hopes alive. The Roosters sit a game out of the top five and need to win their last two games and hope fifth placed McLaren slip up. The home side will be searching for a third consecutive win as they look to finish the season strongly. My tip...Strathalbyn.McLaren travel to Yankalilla knowing a win would all but assure them of a finals spot in 2019. The Eagles had an excellent victory over Victor Harbor last week to keep them in fifth spot. Yankalilla have shown improvement this season winning five games (compared to two in 2018) and could provide an upset. McLaren have too much on the line to let this one slip though I think. My tip...McLaren.Reigning premier Langhorne Creek have put themselves in a position to gain the all important double chance after a come from behind win against Mount Compass last week. The Hawks host winless Myponga-Sellicks and should have a comfortable victory. My tip...Langhorne Creek.Ladder (after 16 rounds)Willunga 25 points, Victor Harbor 24, Mount Compass 23, Langhorne Creek 22, McLaren 20, Strathalbyn 18, Encounter Bay 14, Yankalilla 10, Goolwa-Port Elliot 4, Myponga-Sellicks 0