Demons Twice Dig Deep

Willunga FC players wore black armbands to commemorate the off-season passing of club legend Barry McDonald. Renney won the toss for the home side on their home ground and kicked with a slight breeze. The veteran Haskett got the Demons off to a flier when he booted the season opening goal. Ten minutes later, the first-gamer Saunders read a ball off the back of the pack and ran into an open goal. It took till the 20-minute mark of the first quarter for Encounter Bay to open their account. Davis, Pettitt and Kreuger combined to break through the Willunga defence. Davis was solid in defence for the Bays as were Dumesne and Nye for the Demons. White snapped a left foot goal after several scrambled minutes of play in the Bay’s forward lines. Willunga’s Carnevale did likewise one minute later to register his first goal in senior footy. In time-on, Hayter was freed and goaled to put the Bays in front for the first time then Bass was freed at the other end and kicked truly to give Willunga the lead at quarter time.

The second quarter was hard fought with only one goal scored – to Encounter Bay. Walker showed dash in defence for the Bays and helped run the ball out of the danger zone. Encounter Bay’s defence combined efficiently all day with short, sharp handballs to find a running player who could use the ball without pressure. Willunga’s defence was equally as solid. The ball bounced from one end of the ground to the other. The sole major came when Brown found space and kicked to Davis who used his bodily skilfully to take a chest mark and kick accurately from 40 metres.

The visitors won the premiership quarter convincingly and seemed to put the game beyond Willunga’s reach. The Demons tackled hard and smothered desperately but eventually the Bays were able to find Neale in space. He nailed the kick. During the next ten minutes Willunga panicked in defence and overused the handball. From the forward line pressure, the Bay’s Fyle, Neale and White each found space and converted. Willunga steadied and competed fiercely on the ground but Encounter Bay’s superior overhead marking caused the Demons lots of problems. When Neale kicked the team’s ninth, his team appeared to have a match-winning lead.

Willunga dug deep, however. Hoffman blasted a ball from the centre. Nye and Starke combined and kicked long to Bass who marked under strong pressure, went back and goaled. Willunga’s spirits lifted, especially after young Saunders floated high, marked and kicked a 40-metre goal. When Renney read a ball off-hands at 30 metres and snapped truly the home crowd came to life. Encounter Bay’s lead was less than a goal. Willunga’s hope seemed dashed when Neale kicked two goals in two minutes to take the lead out to 15 points at the 20-minute mark. But Willunga dug deep for a second time. They kicked the next three goals through Bass, Saunders and Dumensy. Mills into ruck and Bass to full forward proved the match-winning move. Mills won the tap, Renney (who was everywhere in the last quarter) drove the ball forward. Bass was freed 35 metres from goal, took his 30-seconds and kicked the match winner with less than a minute on the clock.