The Western Districts Football Club (“The Saints'') were meant to celebrate their 50th anniversary last weekend. Instead they have had to postpone their celebrations until next year after the devastating bushfires that hit Kangaroo Island last summer destroyed the Western Districts Community Club. Club President, Tony Nolan, said the club had hoped to recognise the 50-year anniversary by erecting a Marquee for the event but sadly the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to those plans as well.The club affectionately known as “The Club in the Scrub”, have an enviable record in the Kangaroo Island Football League (KIFL) since joining the competition in 1970 with 13 ‘A’ grade flags, including a 15-point victory over Parndana in the 2019 decider last September. It was also a great year for the Netball club who snared an incredible five of the seven premierships on offer! Unfortunately the club's joy was short lived with the catastrophic bushfires followed by the COVID-19 outbreak which has deeply affected the community.Hopefully the club will get to defend it's 2019 titles but no decision has been made as yet on what form, if any, the 2020 season will take. But as Mr. Nolan says, “we'll keep on marching”!

Julian Farkas has had a very interesting football journey over the past 25-plus years. From school football to the Willunga Football Club, South Adelaide Football Club and then to Canberra where he played with the Eastlake Demons. The move to Canberra opened up a chance for Julian to follow his passion to work in the football ‘industry’ and get involved in coaching and junior development as he coached the Eastlake U/18’s and later the ACT U/16 team.Returning to Adelaide in 2009, ‘Jules’ worked with the Port Adelaide Football Club as Talent Development Manager until 2013 before moving back to South Adelaide as Zone Development Officer. Since 2016 Farkas has worked at the SANFL as the Talent Pathways Manager and has coached the SA U/16 team since 2018. 2018 would prove to be a great year as the Croweaters won the U/16 national championship with Farkas being named coach of the All-Australian team.So as you can see it's been a long and successful football journey for Farkas. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented some new challenges with no games being played and an unsure landscape for young players looking to come through the elite SANFL pathways. Hopefully things will return to ‘normal’ soon and Farkas can get back to identifying, developing and coaching the fantastic young football talent we have in this state.Playing careerWillunga:115 Senior gamesSouth Adelaide: 80 League & Reserves gamesEastlake: 90 Senior games1996 All-Australian Country team1996 & 1998 South Australian State Country Representative1998 Willunga Football Club 'A' grade Premiership2000 Captain of the GSFL - winners of the Lovelock Shield2000 Best & Fairest Willunga Football Club2002 AFL Canberra Team of the year2002, 06, 07 AFL Canberra Representative team2006-07 Eastlake Football Club Leading Goal Kicker Coaching career2003 Eastlake Football Club U/182008 ACT U/16 State Team2013 Port Adelaide Football Club U/182014-15 South Adelaide Football Club U/162018-Current South Australia U/16 State Team2018 All Australian U/16 CoachHow did you first get involved in Football?I was very interested in sports as a kid and our back fence was shared with the primary school oval.  I played for the primary school initially as there was no Auskick back in those days.Who have been the biggest influences on your Football career?My dad initially was very influential even though he never played a game but he showed me the basics and then let my coaches coach which was great.  The late Leith Renney who coached me at Willunga in juniors. Ken Applegarth who coached me at under 17’s, under 19’s, Reserves and League, and in recent years in a management and coaching influence it has been Tony Bamford. But the biggest influence on me as a player and coach is Nathan Clarke who was a young playing coach at Eastlake and we both worked at the footy club so had lots of time to influence each other.What did you enjoy most about playing for Willunga?The people and the feeling of community are the things that stand out. What was the transition to league football with South Adelaide like and who were some of your toughest opponents?It was a progression as I was involved in the junior programs at South but also played a fair bit of ‘A’ Grade footy in the Great Southern Football League (GSFL) which gave me a great grounding for the much tougher SANFL competition. Randall Follett and Jamie Brown were a couple of the best players I played with and against in the GSFL.What are some of your favourite sporting memories?Obviously team success. Premierships at any level are special, even the ‘B’ Grade cricket premiership I played in at Old Scotch. Representative success was always special. The representative trips were fantastic to be involved with because the best players were involved and the vast majority are outstanding blokes that just wore different colours than you so when you were on the same team for a short but concentrated period with little other distractions (due to usually travelling away), it made for some fond memories.What’s the best thing about coaching elite junior talent and what are some of the biggest challenges?You get to coach not only good footballers but great young men.  Ensuring that the best talent is captured and allowing them to be showcased with the best opportunity to succeed.  Also telling a great kid and a good player that he hasn’t made the team is difficult.You’ve been involved in the SANFL for over a decade in junior development, coaching and talent pathway management, what have been some of the biggest changes in that time?Just the sheer scope of the industry and the amount of people involved. At a SANFL club you have approximately 25 zoned clubs. At the SANFL we have eight SANFL clubs and there are 18 AFL clubs which have recruiting departments, development staff, etc...The AFL talent department is an enormous beast which makes it a challenge to work with so many stakeholders. This is also the reason why it’s a great industry to work in because of the people.How do you see the future of Football in the Fleurieu region?With a growing population hopefully it booms as we have seen the explosion of female football across the nation.  However we are dealing with a green space issue which is affecting sports everywhere.  The Covid pandemic has shown us all just how important sport is to our health and wellbeing, both physically and mentally but also socially so I very much hope we see an increase in participation off the back of this current situation. 

The Yankalilla Football Club has decided not to participate in the Great Southern Football League in season 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a statement from club President Bob Williss.....Hi Everyone, I know you're probably all wondering what is going on at the YFC so I will do my best to bring you all up to date. It has certainly been an unsure and unpredictable time.Firstly can I say I am very proud of the way the Committee and Leadership Group have handled this constantly changing situation. It has also been very impressive how our new Coach, Lindsay Thomas, has conducted himself and constantly has the YFC's best interests at heart.The GSFL held a Zoom meeting which all clubs were present. Various issues were raised and discussed. One of the points raised were they were still intending to start the season on 20th June as a 9 round season with finals. However there would be limited numbers allowed through the gate with no bar or canteen. Having said that, there is still so many variables and potentially things could change at any given point. It is still very uncertain and a big unknown to say exactly what will happen over the next few weeks and months.As a result of this meeting it was decided that in the best interest of our club and our community, the YFC will not participate in season 2020. This decision was not made lightly but we feel it is the right one. We believe that playing a half season with restrictions will be a detriment.So moving forward, what does this mean? YFC will not commence training immediately until we have established correct protocols & hygiene levels for all players, women's, men's and juniors. We will be using this opportunity to grow as a club and develop relationships making our club more united. We will be running a Junior Academy so our Junior players do not miss out completely, coordinated by the Senior Playing Group. As restrictions get lifted there is also a possibility of scratch matches and lightening carnivals. We will also be using this time to do some fundraising to put YFC in good stead for season 2021.The YFC would sincerely like to thank our valued sponsors and members who kindly donated to the club, it is greatly appreciated! We would also like to thank you for your understanding in these difficult times. Please don't hesitate to call us if you have any concerns or queries. Watch this space for updates on restrictions and upcoming events.PresidentBob Williss

Rohan Reid has been the best cricketer in the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) this century and quite possibly, the best ever in the long history of the HCA. His statistics for his beloved Meadows Cricket Club are quite frankly, hard to believe! Reid has made 13,077 runs (39 x 100’s, 74 x 50’s) and taken 425 wickets (17 x 5-wicket/inns) for the Bulldogs in ‘A’ grade competition since making his debut as a 14-year old. He has also made over 1,500 runs for the HCA in Meyer Shield competition plus he has been a South Australia Country Representative on five occasions and a regular in the Fleurieu & Districts teams in the annual SACA Country Carnival.Team success has always been the main focus for Reid and Meadows has had plenty of that winning an amazing 12 premierships in the past 15 seasons. The Bulldogs have also won three SA Country T20 Championships at the Adelaide Oval. In representative cricket, Reid has been involved in 10 Meyer Shield winning HCA teams (seven as Captain) and two SACA Country Carnival winning sides with Fleurieu & Districts.It’s a real ‘family affair’ for the Reid’s at Meadows with brother Haydn a very successful ‘keeper/batsman, Father, David was a long time Bulldogs player while Mum, Val is the ‘A’ grade scorer as well as looking after the Grandchildren on game day! Despite playing 20 years of ‘A’ grade cricket, it appears there’s plenty more runs and wickets left in Rohan Reid! How did you first get involved in Cricket? It all started watching the old man (David) play on Saturday's and in the backyard with my brother (Haydn). I debuted at 8 playing under 13’s (no helmets back than either) and by then it was just what the family did on the weekend. My brother and I would play in the morning and watch dad in the afternoon until I was able to play my first senior game at 12 and then ‘A’ Grade at 14. Who have been the biggest influences on your Cricket career? If Dad and Haydn didn’t play when I was growing up I might not have played cricket at all. Through representative cricket you meet some wise heads. Travis Bahr (player) and Jeff Vaughan (SA Country Coach) were two that taught me an enormous amount about the mental and strategic side of cricket.What do you enjoy most about playing for Meadows? Family and friends. The majority of our senior group has played cricket together since we were kids. Now our kids play together on Saturday afternoon. We have a very tight group on and off the field and we have a lot of fun.What are some of your favourite sporting memories? I have been extremely lucky to grow up with a group of mates that love playing cricket and that has seen us enjoy a massive amount of success on the Football (2 ‘A’ Grade Premierships) and Cricket field (12 ‘A’ Grade Premierships) at Meadows. This has flowed onto representative cricket with a core group of us playing representative cricket together. I would rank premierships above all individual accolades or awards but above all the premierships is the mates (family) I have made and continue to make, and the memories we have made on and off the field.Who are/have been some of your toughest opponents? I think of my cricket differently than most and I hate losing. So my HCA toughest opponents are/have been guys that were good enough to beat you by themselves regardless of how well you as a team played. Two guys that come to mind with the bat are Ben Kemp and Dylan Brown. They certainly went about it differently, but on their day are unstoppable but also good to watch. Ryan Hunter as an all-round threat with the bat, ball and in the field is another tough opponent.You’ve achieved a great deal but are there still any aims left for you to achieve? At 35 I have dialled down any personal goals and it's now about handing control over to, and teaching the younger players at Meadows and at Representative level whilst still winning premierships. I will continue to play cricket until I no longer care if I win or lose. You’ve been a strong advocate for Meyer Shield* competition. Where does this drive come from? Ultimately I want to win, but I also enjoy the challenge of playing competitive cricket against the best players, where you arrive at the game not knowing if you are going to win and when it comes down to the last five overs of a game and it's in the balance. I would love to play against the best cricketers in our zone every week if there was a way.How do you see the future of sport in the Fleurieu region? To be honest, I think sport is dying across the board. I’m scared for the future of all sports, everyone is time poor now, whether through work or other commitments. Sport used to be the number one priority placed above all other things on the weekend. It now sits at second or third priority for most and I fear it will keep slipping down the list. However, I will be doing my best for as long as I can to keep Meadows Cricket Club going on field and off field.

The Goodwood Handicap is the most keenly sought after sprint race in South Australia, with a $400,000 prize pool. It is a highly regarded Group 1 race, attracting horses both locally and from interstate. Strathalbyn boasts an excellent chance in the big race this coming Saturday (16/5) with David Jolly Racing’s 4 y/o Gelding, Behemoth. One More Jack, trained by another local, Shane Oxlade, unfortunately just missed out on a start in the Goodwood.Behemoth is David’s stable star and finished a narrow second behind Despatch in the 2019 edition of South Australia’s headline race, after enduring a checkered path up the Morphettville straight. He also ran a brave fourth in the inaugural $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill in November. The Golden Eagle was taken out by Kolding, which overcame South Australian star Sunlight close to home. Mizzy edged Behemoth out of third by a nose, a remarkable effort by the Adelaide visitor given his wide passage throughout the 1500m race and his less than ideal preparation. “He’s a very talented horse and obviously he was a bit unlucky in last year’s Goodwood, said Jolly. “He’s had a good break now and he’s a little bit more mature.”As mentioned earlier, Shane Oxlade Racing’s Four-year-old Gelding One More Jack was nominated for the Goodwood but sadly missed out on a spot. He’s been racing in great style recently with six wins in a row before finishing fourth at his last start. The majority of his six victories have come in emphatic fashion, but at one stage he was a horse that was staring at a career over the jumps. "I did what any trainer does with an incredibly slow and lazy horse, I put the blinkers on and just hoped," said Oxlade. It’s been a fairytale story for this small stable with Oxlade and his daughter, Cassie, putting in the hard yards at the Strathalbyn Track.“There were 10 Strathalbyn Trainers represented in all fields across last weekend’s Autumn Carnival and this weekend there are nine,” said Strathalbyn Racing Club Manager, Kristy Martin. “It was great to have Terry McAuliffe from Racing.Com come to the club this week to conduct his weekly track talk segment, gaining great exposure for our club to a wide audience.”“I couldn’t be more delighted with the success of the hard working stables and their teams. Strathalbyn has continued to prosper as a club and with a big weekend on the big stage ahead, we couldn’t be any prouder,” said Martin. 

Below is the latest update from Netball SA regarding COVID-19 and their Return to play Roadmap.....Netball SA received approval from the State Government on Saturday morning, May 9, for a structured return-to-training plan for Community Netball across the state.From Monday, May 18, clubs and associations can commence outdoor training for junior and senior teams in groups of 10 people per court, including coaching and support staff.All trainings will be held under strict protocols, in line with government guidelines to ensure the safety of the netball community.At this stage, indoor training will not be permitted and Priceline Stadium, along with all other indoor stadiums, will remain closed until June 8.However, the outdoor courts at Priceline will be reopened.A comprehensive return-to-play proposal by Netball SA was submitted the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (ORSR) earlier this week in response to eased restrictions around COVID-19.The approved proposal included the following protocols, in line with current advice permitting netball trainings to return at ‘Level B’ restrictions as per the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 environment:Small group trainings of no more than 10 athletes/staff in totalTraining activities will be strictly non-contactChangeroom facilities not to be usedSocial distancing of 1.5 metres to be upheldSome sharing of sporting equipment permitted, such as throwing a netball, using a skipping rope, weights and matsPlayers must not arrive more than 15 minutes prior to training commencingSpectators are not permitted. For juniors, one parent/caregiver is permitted for supervision purposes and if feasible they are encouraged to wait in car/outside venue to avoid gatheringsEach club to determine an individual within each team to be responsible for ensuring all patrons adhere to the protocolsHand hygiene available at all facilities and increased hygiene practicesFor more detail, please see the documents that were submitted as part of the proposal:Community Netball GuidelinesReturning To Netball From COVID-19: Community Netball Level BPriceline Stadium Ingress/Egress MapNetball SA CEO Bronwyn Klei said as eager as netball was to get back on the court, it was paramount that a return-to-training plan was enforced in a structured manner to ensure safety.“We all just want to get back out on court, but it’s so important that we get this step right to ensure we can progress from the return-to-train to a return-to-play plan as soon as possible,” Ms Klei said.“Although outdoor training for groups of 10 is permitted from Monday, May 11, we want to give our clubs and associations the time to digest these new protocols and put the required safety measures in place ahead of May 18.“We will work closely with our clubs and associations to ensure they have the resources they need to adequately protect their athletes and staff.”“We’re thrilled our players can start training in groups of ten - this is a significant step towards seeing the sport we love return in full,” Klei said.“Netball, and sport in general, is so important to the health and wellbeing of not just our junior players, but all our athletes across South Australia.”Netball SA will continue to work with SA Health and ORSR towards ‘Level C’ of the plan, which would allow for full training and competition.

Below is the latest statement from the SANFL regarding the Return to play Roadmap.....SANFL has received State Government approval for a structured return to training in groups of 10 for SANFL and Community Football, with training to commence under strict protocols from Monday, May 18.The first phase for football’s return from this Monday (May 11) will be to plan, implement and communicate to members hygiene protocols and enable the delivery of an education program to all 257 SANFL and community clubs across the State to ensure clubs undertake the necessary preparations for returning to play in a COVID-19 environment.Following the Government’s announcement of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in South Australia, SANFL has been advised by SA Health and the Office of Recreation, Sport and Racing that senior and junior football teams are permitted to train in three groups of 10 divided across three areas of an oval under strict conditions.Note: each area is approx 5,000m2SANFL Chief Executive Officer Jake Parkinson said despite outdoor sport training for groups of 10 being allowed from Monday, it was imperative for football – the most participated club sport in South Australia – to return in a structured and safe manner to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 community transmission.“Appreciating that we have some 54,000 registered club players in the State with a minimum of 20 players in every football team – together with the number of teams at each club – it’s important to return to play under strict guidelines and protocols which ensure the health and safety of participants and the broader football community,” he said.“Furthermore, we have to consider that many of our dedicated volunteers at football clubs are in the vulnerable cohort and therefore are at a greater risk of serious illness if they are infected with coronavirus.“Measured and controlled SA Health-approved return to play protocols are therefore the responsible and only way to ensure football has the opportunity to return to normality with a continuous season.”SANFL earlier this week submitted a comprehensive Return to Play document to the State Government, developed in accordance with the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport in a Post COVID-19 Environment as well as the Federal Government National Guidelines for the Resumption of Sport and Recreation activities.The protocols outlined in the document, now approved by the Government, for a return to football training under the current ‘Level B’ AIS framework include:Club staff and medical officials (including trainers) required to undertake COVID-19 infection control training in advance of training returning.Mandatory education briefings in advance of training returning for all players/coaches/staff/officials at every club to outline protocols.Applying the AIS framework principle of ‘get in, train and get out’, with no access to changerooms, gyms or wet areas.Temperature checks of all participants before trainingTraining (both SANFL and community football) to be conducted in groups of 10 across three divided areas on the oval. The groups are not to mix or cross over at any timTraining activities to be non-contact and social distancing of 1.5 metres between coaches/players/club officials required at all times.Limited use of equipment with sanitised footballs allocated to each player during ball drillsStringent hygiene practices to be applied, including no sharing of towels/water bottles/food.Mr Parkinson said he acknowledged that the return to play under strict protocols would be a significant undertaking for all clubs, especially small community clubs, but was essential to ensure the protection of their communities.“Our grassroots community clubs undoubtedly still have a very challenging time ahead of them, which is why we need return to training in a timeframe to ensure they can do this effectively,” he said.“However, SANFL will provide as much support and resourcing as we possibly can to educate and assist clubs, to ensure they have the capabilities to implement these protocols and get their players back on the field and re-connect local communities.”Mr Parkinson said he was pleased that the State Government and SA’s Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, had recognised the importance of local sport resuming in a controlled manner.“Resumption of community football can contribute many health, economic, social and cultural benefits to South Australia as it emerges from the COVID-19 environment,” he said.“There are also the physical and mental wellbeing benefits for participants – men, women, boys and girls – across regional and metropolitan South Australia, along with their coaches, plus more than 2,500 umpires and members of over 250 community clubs.”SANFL will continue the process of consultation with SA Health and the Office of Recreation Sport and Racing for commencement of competitive training followed by matches from June 8 onwards, understanding the current restrictions will be groups of 20 people.

Here's the latest 'return to play' update from the SANFL regarding COVID-19...SANFL Community Football | Return to Play Update (as at 5 May 2020)Following the Prime Minister’s announcement last Friday of the likely easing of social restrictions within the next week, SANFL is currently reviewing the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport in a post COVID-19 environment and preparing a return to play framework for both State League and Community Football in South Australia, including training.As part of this comprehensive return to play road map, this week we will be making a submission outlining protocols for the resumption of training to SA Health, as required by the Office of Recreation, Sport and Racing. These protocols also must meet requirements of the Federal Government National Guidelines for the Resumption of Sport and Recreation activities.As a result of low levels of COVID-19 transmissions, outdoor community sport in South Australia is currently at ‘Level B’ under the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport, allowing non-contact group training of no more than 10 people (including coaches/staff) once specific protocols are approved by State Government. Progression into ‘Level C’ of safe activities would enable resumption of full training and competition, subject to compliance with all government directions, regulations and restrictions.Appreciating the number of participants associated with every football team – and the number of teams at each club – it is important to return to play in a structured manner which ensures the health and safety of participants and the broader football community.Approved return to play procedures are the only way to ensure football has the opportunity to return to normality with a continuous season.We therefore ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work through these protocols and continue to play our part in ensuring the health and wellbeing of not only our participants, but the broader community.As previously communicated, we are hopeful of providing a detailed announcement about both SANFL Community Football and State League’s return to play by mid-May. Until such time that specific protocols are approved by State Government, formal club training and organised group activities cannot commence.We also request that your football community download the COVID-SAFE App to ensure we are able to quickly trace and manage any outbreaks in the community. The App also will be critical in a return to play framework.Links to both of the above mentioned documents are available here:• AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport in a Post COVID-19 Environment• National Guidelines for the Resumption of Sport and Recreation activitiesTake care and stay safe.Kind Regards,Tom HurleyHead of Community FootballSANFL

Jason 'Junior' Scarff is one of the finest country cricketers in South Australia. His record for his beloved Noarlunga Cricket Club (The Shoes) is exceptional. Jason is currently Noarlunga's 'A' grade Captain, a position he has held since 'The Shoes' moved from the Southern Cricket Association (SCA) to the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) at the end of the 2013/14 season. In that time he has captained the club to two GSCA 'A' grade premierships in 2016/17 and 2018/19 and his side were due to face off with Goolwa for a spot in the 2019/20 decider against Willunga, before COVID-19 brought the season to an untimely end.As I mentioned, Jason's record is exceptional.....12,000 runs, 350 wickets, 3 x 'A' grade hatricks, 10 x Peter McPherson club champion awards, 6 x Association Player of the Year awards (4 x SCA, 2 x GSCA), 5 x 'A' grade premierships (04/05, 05/06,11/12,16/17,18/19), 5 x 'A' grade T20 premierships (3 as captain), Meyer Shield winning captain 2017, SA Outbacks State representative 2011/12. Talking with 'Junior', I get the impression there's plenty more to come!How did you first get involved in Cricket? I first got involved in cricket growing up idolising my brother as I think most young brothers do. My brother and his mates watched and played cricket all the time, so I wanted to play. I followed them all out to Noarlunga. It was funny, I remember being young and Dave and his mates Olli, Hodgy and Rahe would sit on the couch watching the cricket, we especially loved watching Mark Waugh, and I was always saying "come on get up guys, let’s play backyard cricket", and they’d always yell out "shut up 'Junior', chill out, we’ll have plenty of time to play". I hated it! All I ever wanted to do was play. We had about four different grounds set out around our house. Mum and Dad loved it! Who have been the biggest influences on your Cricket career? The biggest influences in my life with cricket would definitely be my brother David and Mick Irvine (Ratsy) who played in the 'A' grade and was our club coach at the time when I started playing for Noarlunga. The man was tough and left a great foundation to make us what we are today and I have so much respect for him.  What do you enjoy about playing for Noarlunga?The thing I love about playing for Noarlunga the most is the mateship over all grades which I think is special. We still do after match presentations at the club and we all get back for a feed and a beer. That was drilled in to us when we were youngsters. I love to see the support still from the old faces that used to play when I was young. It’s great they still come out and show there support, especially Jon & Tim Head who rarely miss a game and do so much for the club. It’s got harder as the years have gone on but people still make an effort. It’s even better now that a lot of us have kids of our own and they all run amok together around the place and our wives all get along and have a good time. On the playing field our culture is very strong. We play hard and never give up. I’ve been involved with Noarlunga since under 14’s and still to this day I’ve never missed playing in the finals. What are some of your favourite sporting memories?That’s a tough one because there’s been so many. The ones that come to mind the most would be making the State Country team in 2011 and playing on Adelaide Oval in the Les Favell Cup. I was lucky enough to get a few runs and win player of the match. My first season in the 'A' grade we were undefeated and won the premiership. I got to share that with my brother and that was pretty special. We went on to win the following season to make it three flags in a row. But probably the most special memory would be last season's premiership win against an unbelievable Willinga side, one of the best I’ve played against in my time. Just from where we came from and what we built as a side was special and so pleasing to see how much we stuck together and played for each other, which I think is the biggest key in any sport. We had to win the last two games just to make finals so coming from fourth to bring it home really was something special and I couldn’t of been prouder of the lads. Who are some of your toughest opponents?I’ve played against some tough bastards (lol)! John Hopkins (Reynella) was an absolute legend and Shaun Tanner (Port Noarlunga) was very good. But Travis Bahr would be my 'number one'! That man refused to lie down, refused to give up and pulled off things that not many can pull off, especially with some of the situations. He made the hairs on your neck stand up and brought the best out of everyone. I played against him for four years and played with him for five years.  You’ve achieved a great deal but are there still any aims left for you to achieve?I’d love to play a game of cricket with my son, Jack. I think that would be really special. Of course I want to win more premiership’s because that’s what we play for and those nights are some of the best nights of your life.  How have you found the change to the Great Southern Cricket Association after Southern disbanded?It was pretty sad when the SCA folded. We held on for as long as we could and in the end the right call was made. Gary Bilney did an amazing job. Great Southern is a really well run competition with some very handy talent. The last six years have been awesome and Noarlunga haven’t looked back, so a big thanks to the Great Southern Cricket Association. The junior competitions are strong and I can’t wait to see some of those youngsters over the next five years. Even some young talent making their debuts in the 'A' grade have showed great signs. The 'A' grade is very strong at the top but it drops off a bit with depth but I think all associations would say the same thing. Additions like Simon Roberts (Willunga) are awesome. Playing against guys like that is unreal for the competition and he's an absolute champion of a bloke, I hope more guys like that come out and play when they can’t commit to grade cricket anymore. The grounds are incredible, absolutely incredible an that’s one thing we all noticed straight away when we crossed from the SCA. We were all like "Wow how good are these grounds lads!". Port Elliot, Goolwa, Encounter Bay and Burgess (Mt Compass) to name a few are excellent. It's even better having Encounter Bay and Burgess with turf wickets. It always makes it feel better playing 'real' cricket. The only thing I can fault in Great Southern is everyone is too nice and everyone is mates on the field. Leave it 'til after the game lads (lol). Southern was so brutal, fantastic but brutal and it was tolerated and accepted and I loved it. Such hard cricket but we all came together and at the end we shook hands, looked each other in the eye and had a beer after the game. The toughness is one thing I really miss. In saying that, the GSCA is getting better.How do you see the future of sport in the Fleurieu region?I think it’s only going to get better, especially with all the effort everyone makes with all the junior programs. Getting all kids involved in sport at an early age is awesome. We had coaching but not like these days. It’s not easy and we wouldn’t be strong like we are if it wasn’t for all those amazing volunteers and workers that make it happen. Sport really is an amazing thing and it brings us all together. 

Below is a statement from Tom Hurley, Head of Community Football SANFL, released yesterday (27/4/20).....We recently provided an update about the work underway to determine a roadmap for a return to community footy.Our intention was to provide a more detailed outline at the end this month, following the release of a roadmap for the return of AFL.Whilst we all want clarity around when the game will return to our fields, this area of work is constantly changing. The announcement by the Prime Minister late last week that the National Cabinet will develop a guiding set of principles for sport at all levels reinforces the extensive work both the AFL and SANFL have been doing to refine our protocols and processes on how and when our seasons will commence.Federal, State and Territory Governments have also indicated the possibility of easing of some restrictions by around mid-May, should the current low trend of transmission continue. In addition, the National Cabinet has indicated that they will review restrictions at a meeting on May 10, provided the curve is still flattening and testing rates are increasing.As a result of these developments and reviews, the timetable we will now work to has been revised.In the week beginning May 11, there will be an announcement from the AFL regarding the elite level with a proposed date for a resumption of training and return to play. An update around timings for a resumption of activity at Community and State League level will be provided once the roadmap for the AFL competition has been announced.Until such time, the current postponement date for training and matches of May 31 remains the same.Pleasingly, the Federal and South Australian Government are well aware that it will be vital for local sport to resume and re-connect support networks that are currently stretched or not operating.We continue to focus on being aligned with the advice of the Government and the relevant medical authorities and are ensuring everything we do protects the health and safety of our participants and wider community.We thank you for your patience and ongoing collaboration as the planning continues to evolve, and we look forward to being able to provide a more robust update to you following the planned announcement regarding the AFL competition in the second week of May.In the meantime, we ask that you continue to support each other and keep footy alive in your households and communities.Take care and stay safe.Kind Regards,Tom HurleyHead of Community FootballSANFL

Ben Warren is one of the most successful sportsmen from the Fleurieu Peninsula in the past 20 years, playing both Cricket and Football with Langhorne Creek. Warren also played 205 games in the SANFL (163 South Adelaide, 42 Norwood), kicking 414 goals. At South Adelaide, he was leading goalkicker on six occasions before ‘retiring’ at the end of the 2010 season due to a recurring hip injury and returned to Langhorne Creek in the Great Southern Football League (GSFL). That move proved fruitful as Warren captained the Hawks to the 'A' grade premiership in 2011, kicking 94 goals.With his hip issue sorted, Ben was recruited by Norwood where he enjoyed great success, playing in the Redlegs' 2012 and 2013 premierships before taking over the reins as coach at the Parade as Norwood completed a hat trick of flags with a thrilling four-point win over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in 2014. After his tenure at the Parade ended in 2016, Warren was an assistant coach at Sturt and this year he is back ‘home’ at South Adelaide. There was one more piece of on-field glory for Warren as Langhorne Creek won another GSFL premiership in 2018 with Ben playing alongside brother Nick in another ‘A’ grade flag for the Hawks.Ben has been one of the best players in the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (A&EHCA) over the past 20 years, winning four A&EHCA ‘cricketer of the year’ awards along with an amazing 11 ‘AJ Potts cricketer of the year’ awards at Langhorne Creek. Along the way he has amassed a whopping 8,275 runs and 626 wickets in all competitions since the 1994/95 season. Ben was captain for three seasons from 2005/06 to 2007/08 with the highlight being the 2006/07 premiership win over Wistow. This was a second flag for Warren after earlier success in 2003/04. A third premiership was forthcoming after Langhorne Creek won a thrilling grand final against Hahndorf in 2018/19. Ben’s all-round prowess was a key in the 'Creeks' first flag in 12 years as he scored 541 runs and took 41 wickets.How did you first get involved in Sport? We lived on a dairy farm at Mulgundawa on the eastern side of Langhorne Creek and I started in the mini colts (U/11) in 1988 for the Langhorne Creek Football Club (LCFC) Hawks as a six year old. Dad played over 450 games for the LCFC and my brother Nick and I always followed him to training and games, so it was ingrained in both of us. I can remember having a football in my hands every day when I was a kid. I loved Hawthorn and the Port Adelaide Magpies. I started playing cricket at the start of the 1993/94 season as an 11 year old in the U/13’s. It was a good way to be involved in our small community but I had a great love for both football and cricket from a young age. Who have been the biggest influences on your sporting career? No doubt as a kid it was Dad and my brother. We played backyard football or cricket every day and we watched just as much on the television. Nick and I enjoyed watching Dad play for the Hawks and we played alongside him in the mid/late 90’s with cricket. You are a product of your environment and Dad loved playing, coaching and administrating and we followed suit. I was pretty lucky John Griffen (assistant coach SAFC) pushed hard to get me to South Adelaide at the end of 2000 otherwise I probably would not have gone. It was a bridge too far for myself and family but 'Griff' made it happen with Greg Anderson for which I am very grateful. Later in my career as a player and coach Nathan Bassett, Robbie Neill and David Oatey were great influences and they have become great friends, mentors and sounding boards. What do you enjoy about playing for Langhorne Creek?I still love the club now as much as I did as a kid, I have never grown out of it. It's a small club built on community and good people all chipping in. We are really grateful for the facilities, oval and turf wicket we have. Since I finished football at Norwood the desire to play has waned even though I pushed through around 20 games in 2017 and 2018 to get 100 senior games for the Hawks.I enjoy playing cricket probably more than ever. We have a good group of men that keeps me going and we have fun every week. Matty Tonkin, Nathan Wundersitz, Daniel Cleggett, Benny Mcleod, Troy Blackwell and we added Brodie O’Dea this season (2019/20) and David Mudge still plays when he can. I feel as though I can still improve with cricket, make more runs, win another premiership. We got belted early on in my senior cricket career and that still drives me. What are some of your favourite sporting memories?Football - playing my first A Grade game in 1997 vs Mount Compass was a great thrill. All I ever wanted to do was play for the Hawks. Nick and I were the mascots every week since we could run. We handed the jumpers out to the players and loved being involved. My first league game at South Adelaide was a great time although I probably did not deserve it at the time. The premierships with Norwood were fantastic to be a part of. Bass (Nathan Bassett) built a great team dynamic which was just as enjoyable to be a part of as winning. Coaching in 2014 was as good a feeling as I have ever had. The players were great in 2014 and we looked down the barrel early in the year but they dug deep, never waivered and we had some fun along the way.Cricket - the premiership in 2003/04 was our first in 24 years and our recent success in the T20 format and our premiership last year was good fun. Making my first 100 at Wallaroo in 1997 was a good feeling at the time. Who are some of your toughest opponents (Cricket & Football)?Football - Corey Ah Chee (Port Magpies) was always difficult. He was 6'4 and athletic, never gave you much room. Steven Hall from the WWT Eagles was also difficult, especially when I was young playing key position in the early 2000’s. I was 80kg and not overly physical and they would hold and block you a lot and often at Full Forward, you were often off a standing start out of the goal square!Cricket - Batting early on in my career, I always found Mark Stokes hard to face (Mount Barker CC), he nibbled the two piece beautifully and knocked me over caught behind most times. There was plenty of good fast bowlers throughout the late 90’s and early 2000’s in the AEHCA. Eckermann, Blake, Pfitzner, Leckie and Ben Slack amongst others. I never liked facing Aaron Galvin (Woodside) and Clint Foster (Nairne) were very similiar, both sharp and nipped the ball away and their bowling lifted on you off a length on hard wicket. I could never score runs or work the ball around off them.Bowling - Ben Judd (Wistow), Wayne Willis (Wistow) and Ben Slack (Mount Barker CC) when they were in full flight. I liked to attack the stumps and had a reasonable bouncer, so I could go for a few runs but Juddy was good off the back foot and Ben and Wayne had all the shots and were particularly strong through the leg side, so if you veered onto middle and leg stump, it was four. In the last few years, Kym Heinrich (Wistow & Nairne) and Benny Matthews (Lobethal) are both difficult to bowl too along with Mitch Weeks (Lobethal), who strikes the ball as good as any. I only bowled to Rohan Reid (Meadows) a couple times but he never looked like getting out. You’ve achieved a great deal but are there still any aims left for you to achieve?No individual goals, other than help the Langhorne Creek Cricket Club (LCCC) 'A' grade win week to week and make sure we leave the LCCC better than when we found it. Updating the LCCC history has been a great thrill, helping induct 17 new life members was great for our club in 2019 and we have a few other projects in the background. I would still like to win another premiership. How did you end up back playing Footy at Langhorne Creek in 2011 and then at Norwood in 2012?I hurt my hip in Round 16, 2008 and missed the last five or so games. It was still giving me issues in 2010 which was Ron Fuller’s first year of a five year deal. He had already indicated he wanted new players and with a hip that was giving me a lot of grief and not being able to train properly and barely getting through games, I decided to retire. The bursa in my hip went undetected despite numerous scans and finally came good in April 2011 when I was playing at LCFC. Norwood had asked if I would be interested in joining them in 2011, so when my hip was sorted I was keen to have another go in 2012. What did you find most enjoyable and also most challenging as coach of Norwood?Playing and coaching are completely different so it was a steep learning curve. Winning the premiership was fantastic and great all round achievement by the club, coaches and players in 2014. Working with players who are passionate about their football to be the best they can be was very rewarding and I really enjoyed running the football program.It was always a challenging role, you never really feel settled. In 2015 we lost seven players from our 2014 premiership team and only recruited a handful but the expectation was, we would win four premierships in a row. We played some very good football in 2015 but laboured badly in the back end with injuries to our key players in Alex Georgiou, Callum Bartlett, Mick Newton, Sam Baulderstone, Matt Panos, Simon Phillips, Mat Suckling and Andrew McInnes came across (Carlton) but never played a game but we did blood some kids in Anthony Giannini, Luke Partington, Davin Ferreira, Luke Rander, Harrison Cross, Dylan Auciello, Lachie Peter, Pat Levicki and Peter Bampton got some game time. It was too much for a young group but the expectation from the board was still there to win so I was frustrated because the amount of players we had out and the lack of speed in 2015, meant we were never really going to challenge and we were bundled out in the Elimination Final. My frustrations flowed over into 2016 and the season never got going and I found myself out the door pretty quickly! Do you think you’ll coach again?It would be very unlikely, you never say never but I am not busting down the door to do it again. I have enjoyed being an assistant at Sturt (2017-19) and this year back at South Adelaide (2020). Our children Emmerson and Ashton are 8 and 7 and are enjoying starting their sport, so I would like to support them and still play a bit of cricket whilst I can! My wife Kelly has enjoyed seeing a lot more of me in the last four years with football not really getting in the way! How do you see the future of sport in the Fleurieu region?Really positive. We have seen Victor Harbor and Goolwa get grants and upgrades with their facilities, along with Myponga and Strathalbyn a few years ago. Modern coaching techniques are starting to flow through from AFL and SANFL which is positive for local football to close the gap from football at SANFL & SANFL junior level. Clearly kids have greater opportunities across a variety of activities in the 2000’s but football is still the foundation of a lot of communities. The GSFL is a great competition, one of the better ones outside the SANFL. The opportunities have never been better with the pathway the AFL/SANFL provide through to the top level.With Cricket, the A&EHCA has been great the last 5 years with the introduction of one day cricket. No doubt it was a challenging decision for the A&EHCA to reduce it from two day cricket (which I enjoyed) but for the future of cricket in our area it was great move. T20 cricket still has a bit to go but from a LCCC point of view, we have really enjoyed and embraced it and you can see that in the results by winning 4 of the last 5 T20 cups. 

The Great Southern Cricket Association has come to a decision on awarding premierships for season 2019/20….. GSCA PREMIERS DECISIONThere were three options the GSCA executive considered :a. Declare no premiers as the finals series was incomplete.b. Award the premierships to the minor premiers.c. Award the premierships to the teams which won the qualifying finals.While there are no GSCA rules that exactly cover these circumstances Rule 14.1.a. and b. guides us on drawn/abandoned finals:14. FINALS1. In the event of a drawn or tied final, the team finishing higher at the end of the minor round is declared the winner, except in the case ofa. A tied grand final, where both sides are declared winners.b. An abandoned grand final where the two sides have previously met in that finals series – the winner of that previous match being declared the winner.The GSCA executive has decided to adopt option c and award the 2019-20 premierships to the teams which won the qualifying finals. This is based on Rule 14, where the loser of the qualifying final would be declared the winner of the drawn preliminary final in each grade and the qualifying final winner would be declared the winner of the drawn grand final in each grade.PREMIERS 2019/20A Grade - Willunga CCB Grade - Yankalilla CCC Grade - Rapid Bay & Districts CC1 Day - Pt Elliot CCSenior Colts - Noarlunga CC (Blue)Junior Colts - Encounter Bay CCCRICKETERS OF THE YEARCongratulations to Jason Scarff (Noarlunga CC) and Rilee Endersby (Mt Compass CC) on being awarded the Senior and Junior Cricketers of the Year respectively.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, all community cricket competitions have been cancelled for 2019/20. The Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) had commenced their finals series and will make a decision shortly regarding awarding of premierships. The Hills Cricket Association (HCA) were due to start their finals this week so the decision has been made to award the minor premiers in each grade the premiership.Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA) were due to play their Grand Finals this Saturday and have made the decision to award the premiership to the highest ranked teams in the Grand Finals.Hills Cricket Association PremiersA1 - MeadowsA2 - Scott Creek IronbankA3 - KangarillaU/16 - StirlingU/14 - UraidlaAlexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association PremiersA - HahndorfA2 - MacclesfieldB - Langhorne CreekC - StrathalbynU/16 - Nairne MaroonU/14 - Woodside

Below is a letter from Netball SA CEO Bronwyn Klei with the latest update regarding postponement of Netball competitions.....To our Netball SA Members,As you know, the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has presented a number of challenges for our country and the Australian sporting landscape is certainly feeling the effects.With the situation evolving by the hour, we must ensure the health and wellbeing of our entire netball community is at the forefront of any decisions we make.Earlier today, the federal government announced restrictions on indoor mass gatherings exceeding 100 people and outdoor gatherings that exceed 500 people.In light of this advice, Netball SA has recommended our associations postpone the commencement of all regular winter competitions until May 31, with a view that we will continue to monitor the situation.Further to this, we recommend all club training and grading competitions be postponed until two weeks prior to the commencement of the season, provided government advice is adhered to and increased hygiene practices are in place at that time.We advise all coaching, umpiring and bench officials’ accreditation and education be maintained (within current restrictions) with virtual and e-learning options provided where possible.Netball SA is currently reviewing what this means for our programs, competitions and events, with the lens that we need to minimise the impact on our players, staff, members and wider community.Netball Australia yesterday released a statement providing useful information regarding recommended hygiene protocols for our sport.The Netball Australia COVID-19 Taskforce will continue to liaise daily with the Australian Government, World Health Organisation, Sport Australia / AIS and the Chief Medical Officer to ensure they can provide up to date and accurate insights as the advice changes.The federal government released a statement earlier today with updated information on coronavirus measures, including advice specific to community sport.Just like you, we understand the significant impact this unprecedented pandemic is having on our society and the game we love. Thank you for your patience and I will be in contact again once more information comes to hand.We understand this advice will have significant impact on our associations and want to reassure you that Netball SA is here to support you.Please continue to stay safe and look out for each other.Cheers,Bronny

Below is a letter from Netball SA CEO Bronwyn Klei which was released yesterday...To our Netball SA family,As the nature and impact of the coronavirus continues to evolve at a rapid pace, I wanted to touch base with you all about how Netball SA is adapting in such unchartered waters.In my 30 years in the industry, I’ve never seen anything quite like this and, just like you, we are all closely monitoring the situation to help ensure the wellbeing of our netball community.Three months in, 2020 is already looking vastly different to how we imagined and considering how rapidly the situation is changing, it is likely we will have to adapt as the situation continues to evolve.We are working closely with Netball Australia, guided by government advice, to ensure the health of our players, staff and broader netball family are at the forefront of every decision we make.The Adelaide Thunderbirds and Netball SA websites and socials media channels will continue to provide informative content to keep you up to date.As expected, many of you have already contacted us with questions and we will endeavour to respond as promptly as possible, keeping in mind how quickly the situation is changing by the hour.I also wanted to take this opportunity to remind the community that it is recommended players avoid shaking hands at the end of games.Our sport has always upheld strong sportsmanship, but under such unique circumstances, it is okay to display your gratitude verbally.With so much uncertainty about what the future holds, we are currently working through the nature of our upcoming events and will do everything we can to provide you with the latest information as soon as it comes to hand.I want to thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. Your ongoing loyalty and passion is what makes our sport so resilient.Please stay safe and look out for each other.Cheers,Bronny

Fleurieu Peninsula Football competitions have been postponed as community football leagues follow advice from the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Below are statements from the Hills Football League (HFL), Great Southern Football League (GSFL), Southern Football League (SFL) and Kangaroo Island Football League (KIFL) regarding these postponements and changes to fixturing.Hills Football League statementPlease be advised that the SANFL has made a recommendation to Leagues that all Community Football be postponed until after 31 May 2020.The Hills Football League Board strongly supports this SANFL direction in the interest of public safety, and will postpone all HFL matches until Saturday, 13 June 2020 (Saturday after June long weekend).As the COVID-19 situation changes, the HFL will continue to be guided by the direction of the SANFL, AFL, government and public health authorities.Further details and information will be provided by the HFL to affiliated clubs in due course, including a list of frequently asked questions. This will include specific recommendations on club functions and gatherings in the period ahead of the season commencement in June.In closing, the HFL supports the SANFL decision which is in the best interests of all players, coaches, umpires, officials, staff and volunteers at the forefront of community sport. We thank you for your continued patience and support through this challenging period.Great Southern Football League statementFollowing the statement from the SANFL - in regards to Community Football across all Leagues in the State and beyond being postponed until May 31st, including as we stated earlier today, all training, trial games, and Women’s football.The League has decided in light of this to run a 9 game season (Saturdays) – commencing on the 20th of June which would have been Round 10.Every Club will play everybody once in a home and away seriesWe hope that this decision will give clubs an opportunity to train, play trial/s over the first 19 days of June up until the first round.The Women’s/Girls football (Sundays) season will be adjusted to play the last 6 weeks of the season and this should let everybody play everybody else once (including the opening round last weekend) with finals to follow on. This should, at this stage, commence the same weekend.We are still at the mercy of where this thing goes but we need to be aware that this is, of course, the biggest thing to hit Australia in living memory and we all must play our part in holding off the virus from the general population for as long as possible.We thank you for your support and understanding in this matter.As always our concern is with the safety and wellbeing of our players, support staff, club members and supporters. Southern Football League statementBased on the strong recommendations from the AFL, SANFL and Community Football, and the understanding of clubs at last night's meeting, all training and games within the SFL are suspended until May 31st. There will be further communication as information becomes available as this decision will obviously create a number of issues for clubs, but the safety of our members is everyone's number one concern.Kangaroo Island Football League statementWe know that this news will be very disappointing for our footy community - however it can't be helped and we are just as keen as AFL and SANFL in making sure that we do right by the vulnerable in our community. Take the time to build your individual fitness, recover from the fires and to take care of each other and your neighbours. We will scratch out a new plan in the weeks ahead and will be all the more keen for a play after the break! Take care everyone.

Meadows have completed an undefeated season (12-0) in the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) with a comfortable eight-wicket victory at Heathfield Oval against Mount Lofty. The home side batted first and posted a competitive 4/132 on a slow outfield. New recruit Aaron Smith (54 not out from 61 balls) was the standout with the bat for the Redcaps and he was supported by skipper Jordan Neis-Beer (25) and Brad Hutton (21). Max Buckley (2/38) was the multiple wicket taker for Meadows. The visitors run chase began in disastrous fashion as Luke Tonkin was removed first ball by Adam Carthew (1/17). Haydn Reid (16) and Rohan Reid then put on an important 48 runs for the second wicket before skipper Brad Dawe (33 not out) combined with Rohan Reid for an unbroken 85-run third wicket stand. Rohan Reid finished with an excellent 76 not out from 118 balls (6 x 4’s) as the Bulldogs completed an undefeated minor round. Meadows will now face Kanagrilla at home in the semi-finals.Aldgate wrapped up second spot with a third consecutive victory after a tight 12-run victory against Stirling. Aldgate batted first on a slow Stirling Oval outfield and posted a moderate total of 5/133 from their 40 overs. The innings was dominated by Frank Clements who came in at 2/51 and made 58 (5 x 4’s, 4 x 6’s). Clements finished the minor round with 467 runs at 77.83 to take out the A1 batting trophy. Clements was well supported by a patient knock of 32 from opener Angas Wauchope. Veteran fast bowler Chris Shaw (3/24) was the pick of the Stirling bowlers. The Eagles run chase began well with Myles Collins (34) and Daniel Gonzalez (31) combining for an opening partnership of 36 before Kosta Sinodinos (18) joined Collins to add 37 for the second wicket. Skipper Jack Pick joined Collins and this pair took the Eagles along to 2/100 before a dramatic collapse of 8/21 saw Stirling bowled out for 121 in the 39th over. Pick was left stranded on 18 not out as five of his teammates failed to trouble the scorers. Matty Hansen was the pick of the Aldgate bowlers as he snared 3/14 (7.2). Hansen finished the minor round with 28 wickets at 12.07 to win the A1 bowling trophy. These two teams will now face off at Aldgate Oval in a rematch of last season’s semi-final.Flagstaff Hill lifted themselves off the bottom of the ladder, leaving Bridgewater with the wooden spoon, after a crushing eight-wicket win over a disappointing Kangarilla outfit. Kangarilla opted to bat first on their home deck and would’ve been confident of posting a good total but it wasn’t to be as they were rolled for a paltry total of just 57. Steve Featherstone (29) was a shining light with the bat as no other batsman reached double figures. Jack Walton (4/13), Kyle Petty (3/3) and Jacob Lemon (2/14) were the chief destroyers for the Falcons. Flagstaff Hill made light work of the run chase finishing on 2/62 after 26 overs. Matt Emes (25) and Will Goulding (21 not out) led the way for the Falcons while Jack Evans took 2/11 (5) for Kangarilla.Semi-Final fixtures (21/3/20 & 22/3/20) (home team named first).....Meadows v KangarillaAldgate v Stirling

Onkaparinga Tennis Association - SeniorPreliminary Final resultMacclesfield 14 - 100 defeated John Wesley 2 - 52Grand Final (21/3/20)Strathalbyn v MacclesfieldGreat Southern Tennis Association - Division 1Preliminary Final resultPort Elliot v The Valleys (Match Abandoned due to COVID-19)

Mount Lofty kept their finals hopes alive after a nail-biting one-run win over Stirling in round 13 action of the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) at Heathfield Oval on Saturday. The game was dominated by the bowlers with no batsman able to make more than 25. The home side batted first and were in deep trouble at 5/25 before Brett Hill (24) and skipper Jordan Neis-Beer (19) added a valuable 39 runs for the sixth wicket. Adam Carthew (15) batted sensibly to help the Redcaps bat out their 40 overs to finish on what appeared an under-par total of 9/96. Four Stirling bowlers took wickets with Jacob Gonzalez taking his best figures of the season with 4/16 from eight overs. His opening bowling partner, Chris Shaw, was the other multiple wicket taker with 2/25 (8). Stirling started their run chase reasonably well as they reached 2/40 with Daniel Gonzalez the standout with 25 from 42 balls (1 x 4’s, 3 x 6’s). Once Gonzalez was dismissed the visitors slipped to 6/59 and Mount Lofty had a ‘sniff’. Skipper Jack Pick was still in and he was joined by Jacob Kemp with this pair adding 19 runs for the seventh wicket before Kemp was dismissed for 10, followed shortly afterwards by Pick for 21 as the Eagles slipped to 9/87, still 10 runs short of victory. With Shaw and Josh Cox at the crease, Stirling edged their way towards victory before Will Healey (2/14) removed Shaw to give the Redcaps an unlikely victory. Aaron Smith (4/20) and Max Hawke (2/12) were the other multiple wicket takers for Mount Lofty.Aldgate consolidated second spot on the HCA ladder with a comfortable eight-wicket win against Flagstaff Hill at Aldgate Oval. The visitors batted first and got off to a good start through Will Goulding and Matt Emes (20) who added 72 for the first wicket. Emes’ dismissal brought about a mini-collapse as the Falcons slipped to 4/94 with Goulding dismissed for a fine 53 from 72 balls (10 x 4’s). It was Goulding’s second half century of the season. This brought Stephen Wheatland (26 not out) and Max Renfrey (46 not out) together and this pair lifted Flagstaff Hill to a competitive total of 4/165 with an unbroken fifth wicket partnership worth 71 runs. Dale Stephens was the pick of the Aldgate bowlers with figures of 3/21 (8). Aldgate started their run chase slowly and when opener Josh Callaghan was dismissed in the 12th over with the score at 1/21, the Falcons were right on top. Callaghan’s dismissal brought Frank Clements to the crease to join Mitch Thomas (19) and this pair added 71 runs for the second wicket before Thomas was run out. Liam Winskill (23 not out) joined Clements to see the home side to victory in the 38th over. Clements finished on 109 not out from just 75 balls (5 x 4’s, 10 x 6’s). It was Clements’ third ‘A’ grade century for Aldgate and continues his fine season where he has scored 409 runs at an average of 81.80.Meadows remains undefeated with one round to go after a three-wicket win at Bridgewater. The home side batted first and they got off to a good start to reach 1/91 after handy contributions from Justin Summerill (33), Luke Hoyle (31) and Jackson Hooper (24). From that point on it was all Meadows as the Raiders lost 9/31 to be bowled out for 122 in the 40th over. Five Meadows bowlers took wickets with Aaron Parry (2/8), Rohan Reid (2/18) and Thomas Bevan-Giles (2/22) leading the way. Despite losing opener Luke Tonkin for a duck, Haydn Reid (36) and Anthony Hughes (26) added 51 for the second to put the visitors in a strong position. Max Buckley made a hard hitting 27 from 29 balls (1 x 4, 2 x 6’s) as the winning runs were knocked off in the 38th over. Hoyle (2/12), Summerill (2/20) and Jackson Hooper (2/33) were the multiple wicket takers for the Raiders.Round 14 (14/3/20) fixtures (home team named first).....Mt Lofty v MeadowsStirling v AldgateFlagstaff Hill v KangarillaBridgewater has the bye