FOOTBALL: The Willunga Football Club continued its domination in the Great Southern Football League by comprehensively defeating Strathalbyn by 66 points at Mount Compass to win its fifth consecutive A Grade Grand Final.
What was anticipated to be a tough and close affair proved to be the most one sided contest this decade, with the team that has been there so many times before giving the Roosters a football lesson.
However Strathalbyn did have a moment when they thought they were in the game when Duffield got away from Langford and set up Thorpe for the first goal and the lead.
It was the only time, as the champion full forward of this decade and possibly the best of any era in the GSFL, David Hams, stood up and took the game by the throat and played one of the best games a forward has played on Grand Final day.
The Demons kicked the next five goals with Carnevale and Dobson controlling the middle and Ryan squaring the ball at every opportunity to their focal point Hams.
The lead was 26 points at quarter time and it got worse by half time with the Roosters only managing one goal for the term with a four goal breeze, Willunga on the other hand kicked three more to lead by 38 points.
McDonald was trying hard for Strath, as was Thorpe, Cousins and Eatts, but the forward line that worked so well in the Preliminary Final was playing from behind and not applying any forward pressure and the likes of Alexopolous, Glass, Haskett and McDonald could run forward with ease.
The Roosters were missing the drive of Eagleton and Sanders in ruck was battling hard against Steele and at times breaking even.
The third term is called the premiership quarter and it was won and celebrations began during this term.
Willunga exerted its powerful muscle in this term with McGowan continuing to take Hickey out of the play and allowing an easy path to key forward Hams.
Strath youngster Callum Low was sticking tight to Hams, but with every touch the champion forward was kicking goals and using his experience to great effect and the margin was blowing out.
Portlock was enjoying the procession and Langford continued to put the stops on Duffield who surprisingly stayed in the forward lines.
Strathalbyn did not have a winner, as Willunga kicked four more goals to Strath's one to lead at the last change by 56 points.
With the game effectively over the Roosters had to battle out the match with pride and coach Peter Simmons asked for one big effort.
The Demons had other ideas and again out scored Strathalbyn against the wind with Garrett taking a gutsy mark and goaling and Portlock doing his annual celebratory goal to stir the Willunga faithful into raptures.
Ellis kicked a long goal for Strath, but it was too little too late, as Willunga were enjoying the final minutes on the ground and their fifth successive premiership.
Final scores were Willunga 16.8 defeated Strathalbyn 5.8 and Hams clearly best on ground with a magnificent 10.1 in windy conditions.
Langford, Steele, Dobson, McDonald, Alexopolous, Portlock and Glass were also very good in a team that always plays well together, especially in grand finals.
Strathalbyn was disappointing, but McDonald, Elliott, Cousins, Thorpe, Eatts and Ellis tried hard.
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