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Central Dsitrict do it again

All-conquering Central District has once again avoided a preliminary final after disposing of top-of-the-table Glenelg by 30 points in the second semi-final at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

The Bulldogs have contested every grand final since 2000 and has never had to play on the season’s penultimate day, advancing straight to the season-decider on every occasion.

It was a typical Central District outfit in a major round battle – fierce at the contest, committed and relentless as a team unit to claim an impressive 16.9 (105) – 11.9 (75) victory.

With limited finals experience, the Glenelg players seemed overawed, which is not the way to tackle the Bulldogs, especially when they are as focused as they were on the weekend.

Central District’s players, on the other hand, were composed, switched on and hunted desperately in packs to give their opponents the slip early before the Tigers settled to reduce a 19-point deficit to an eight-point margin at the quarter-time.

Glenelg then lifted their intensity further in the second term with big man Trevor Cranston gaining the ascendancy in the middle, Todd Grima standing up in attack, Ruory Kirk mopping up across half-back and Sam Rudolph sparking run from defence.

But the Bulldogs ripped the game apart after the main break, bagging six goals to one, with Jason MacKenzie, Paul Thomas, Ryan Williams and the tenacious Gowans brothers – Chris and James – having a strong influence on the result.

It led to the Tigers, once again, becoming timid, more hesitant and indecisive, but their cause was not helped when Rudolph was stretchered off after a crunching tackle from five-goal Centrals star Daniel Schell.

The modern power of the SANFL competition can now add to their six premierships in the past eight years and equal Port Adelaide’s record of seven titles in a decade.

The Advertiser/Stephen O’Loughlin