Jack Toft
Years ago

ABA Grand Final

The end of the season is here and what a night it will be on the BMC.

WOMEN
West-Eagles
The cream always rises to the top and both these teams are worthy contenders in the grand final. Both have a right to have one hand on the cup. Forget elbow sharpeners at Officeworks, this is going to be one tough game from the start.
Minor premiers Eagles had a hiccup in the first week of finals, but came back strongly to book their deserved place. Splitting the captaincy hasn't hurt them and all season they have had solid performers across the board. 3 girls in the All Star 5 and suprise, surprise, the Eaglettes pulled the most Halls votes (80) with Westies coming second (69). Two Eaglettes even polled more votes than an entire team.
West have been lead by the ever reliable Sam Woosnam both on and off court. Is there anything she can’t do? The return of last season’s MVP looked like it would add a dimension to the team, but she only played 5 games. Imagine if she played a full season. Nikita-Lee finished second in Halls and I reckon she will be looking to prove why she deserved an All Star 5 spot. This will be a battle of attrition with only the fittest standing at the stripe in the final quarter. Eagles deserve to win, but I reckon the battle of the stripe will decide the winner and considering the Eagles FT%, irony says that Nikita-Lee sinks them from the stripe in the dying seconds. OMG wouldn’t the feathers fly if that happened!

MEN
West-Sturt
Both teams did well last week in the Woollacott. Sturt polled 64 votes and West 63. Both pipped by Nor-would who got 70 and are conspicuous by their absence in the GF. West finished minor prems and have been well coached by COTR Paul Bell, who last week out-foxed the master to snuff out the flames. Coach has be relegated to U14 boys? West are a big team and have a physical presence on court that can be intimidating. Minor Prems always deserve a GF spot and it wouldn’t be South Australia if Sturt weren’t in the GF. It’s like not having frog cakes on Popeye after a fritz sandwich drinking Woodies lemonade, then whinging about progress, on a public holiday with no open shops in Rundle Mall. Sturt go into the GF looking to make ammends for last year. The Sturt team is nothing but class across the board and it’s hard to pick a weakness in their armoury.
Like the election, there will be some upsets, some close calls, and of course some swingers - we all love them! The key to this game will be Jacob and how well Westies can tame him, or even foul him out. No knuckle dusters allowed on court. If they forget about the rest of the team, then then Ninja and Co. will sink their merry ship beyond the arc. To have any chance, Sturt will need to contain Davo, who is showing those young lads how the game should be played, and the "curly haired Frisbee Fetcher".
Like the women’s game, it’s hard to see either side dominating the other and so just like a fortnight ago, this should get down to the last play. If Jake pulls off another buzzer beater, he’ll be as popular at West as Tony McGuinness is at a bikie’s BBQ.
West have some big scalps this year and tonight might just be a rare West double “magic” act.

Topic #23617 | Report this topic


Anonymous  
Years ago

"He'll be as popular at West as Tony McGuinness is at a bikie’s BBQ."

GOLD!

Reply #286514 | Report this post


SSTomatin  
Years ago

I like the Frog cakes in lemonade on rundle mall comment.
Im more nervous than a virgin in the showers at Mobilong.A rare double header.
Its going to be anyones game at the 1 minute left mark of the final quarter"s". Both Teams men and Women are equally balanced .
(just waiting for refs names to come out)
PS Does anyone know of the hotels the teams are at?I want to get my Vesuvula out at 2am in the morning,snigger,snigger.

Reply #286518 | Report this post


Shotclock  
Years ago

Hey rumour going round ,even my kids heard it from facebook,Rupe Sapwell got cut from the ABA Coach of Flames position.Can Anyone confirm this?

Reply #286520 | Report this post


rocket  
Years ago

Rupe was going to pull the plug last year, then went around again.
I think he got talked into coaching again this year but I believe he is training to be a teacher and that is his focus into the immediate future.

Reply #286531 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Referees:

Mens - Nathan Wieland & Nathan Durant

Womens - Benn McDonald & Andrew Just

Reply #286546 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Lets hope we see two good games at the Dome tonight good luck too all teams and play hard......


Reply #286624 | Report this post


WestBearcub  
Years ago

Double west team win in double overtime by 2 points

Reply #286640 | Report this post


er.. no.

Forestville Women barely challenged after 1/2 time, and West will lose the Mens game too - they've played Sturt in 3 GF's and never won yet. Don't think tonite will be different.

Reply #286657 | Report this post


air jordan  
Years ago

Hey pickles, doing better than what eastern girls have EVER DONE in a GF!!!!

Reply #286659 | Report this post


Jack Toft  
Years ago

Well done to the Eagles

Reply #286661 | Report this post


Sturt won Mens 91-82.

Holmes triple double, 22points, 24rebs 10assists.

MVP lock?

Reply #286663 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

dam jacob luck not to be ejected for hitting spud, refs too scared to act.

Reply #286668 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

West Adelaide didnt have their heads in the game and this cost them significantly tonight. Complaining about things completley out of there control, and Truslove should have been dragged out of the game by Paul much earlier than he was. Blakes antics caused West to lose the plot in general.

Sturt werent that great tonight, but Jacob masterminded getting inside their heads and he done it very well. On top of the indecisions under the basket by the West boys, meant they were never going to get into the game.

Bond kept them in early, but lack of contibution from Molitor and Davidson early on meant they were fighting from behind all game. Needed to have a better mental edge to claw back the lead, but Sturt never looked like losing the game after the 1st quater. I believe that if West had kept their heads about them for a full 40 minutes of game time they would have come out on top. Jacob starred for the Sabres, with solid contributions from Daly and Maynard.

Double unsportsmanlike foul midway through the third period, after a heated first half. Holmes crashed the pack on a rebounding contest then got tangled, with arms flying, then Spud came in for a push and shove with both guys receiving the fouls. West bench pleading for Jacob to be ejected, and this was a telling point as you felt that whilst he was on the court West didnt believe in themselves that they could win the game. Spud went on to receive his fifth foul and another unsportsmanlike foul.

All in all a good contest, but i have no doubt that we will here some criticism and complaining about this one in the weeks to come.

Reply #286671 | Report this post


Dear Airness,

Whats your actual point? I shoulda sat on the fence rather than have an opinion?





Reply #286672 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Spud came in for a push and shove????

He held Jacob on the rebounding contest, Jacob elbows then him in the face and draws blood! A proportional response?

The fact that he wasn't thrown out of the game or even T'd up was an absolute joke. Spineless referees, both were particualrly pathetic tonight...

Credit to Sturt, they did deserve it and were the better team on the night. But the protection policy on the Sixer players tonight was an absolute joke.

Reply #286675 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Refs with stars in their eyes...... Never

Reply #286680 | Report this post


Podman  
Years ago

And did I hear correctly?....B Davidson kicked the ball at ref after the game?

Reply #286688 | Report this post


Ceres 51  
Years ago

Thought that the refs had no choice but to call a double foul after West's ditry play all game.

Spud was tackling Jacob and deserved as much credit for the incident as he was the instrigator.

Davidson was a thug all game and winged whenever the refs called against him. Should have had at least 2 techs, as should the west bench. He's the kind of guy who you can only like if hes plaing on your team.

And truslove's brain snap probably cost West the game. Should have been teched as well before Belly ws smart enough to drag him before he blew up.

If the refs weren't going to stop Wests behaviour, they weren't able to throw jacob for reacting.



Reply #286691 | Report this post


KB3  
Years ago

Held Jacob on the rebound? WTF are you talking about he tunneled holmes on the tip in . West were dirty all night. No one mentioning truselove shoving Jacob in the back with both hands at a dead ball without any recourse

Reply #286692 | Report this post


anon  
Years ago

Says it all when the MVP gets boooooooed by the crowd.
Everyone there knew jacob is a protected spiecies and can do what he likes. If anyone from west had acted like him they would of been thrown out.
One sided ref contest. check the box score for foul shots. says it all.
PS. Nathan Durant referee of the year my arse. Shows how bad the refs are in this state.

Reply #286695 | Report this post


Crap  
Years ago

The foul count was one sided because one team was playing rugby. If anything the refs let it go too much and they could have been called for more. The crap that Jacob had thrown at him was unsportsmanlike on so many more occasions than was called. In the end the team playing basketball won. Thank God!

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Any youtube stuff up and running of this at all...

Reply #286697 | Report this post


West  
Years ago

I agree in both games we screwed ourselves over in the beginning by letting eagles and sturt get easy lead but every ref came out with the idea west cant win!!
And i cant believe you people are defending jacob you obviously didnt see the elbow he threw at davidson before spud then confronted him (ofcourse this is when he jumped on josh 5 seconds after the play), or when two sturt players decided to pick spud up and chuck then chuck him too the ground but wait no its spud's foul because he tried to grab something to brace his fall, or all the shit he was giving molitor the whole game.
I didnt realize Jacob Holmes was more protected then the endangered parrots on kangaroo island.

Reply #286702 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Acob Holmes hit Paul Rankin in the face and no one complains about that, refs just looked and did nothing, its acob can't get him in foul trouble.

Reply #286703 | Report this post


West  
Years ago

and i forgot something the only west players that didnt get fouled (TWICE) were the ones who didnt step on the court!!! And Jacob only got one foul what a load of rubbish and i dont care if you are from sturt or not you cant agree with that

Reply #286705 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Pretty easy to predict what some people were going to post on here. West lose both games off their own backs but then need to find a scapegoat for their loss.

Reply #286707 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Bahaha - get over the bad loser rants ("neutral" of course) against the 2 Nathans. How about dissing some blame on the unwashed potatoe who tunnelled an airborne Holmes and caused the spill and the temperature rise.
A couple of the more desperate Port players were so dirty last night the Port sewer was overflowing. Double bangers in Holmes back on a dead ball by an out of control player, tech fouls for the West bench, spud digging, shoving and burrowing all over the place, and role model Davidson leading the pack with his screeching at the refs - West got off light in the tech and unsportsmanlike fouls in my book.
Some of these players think the best way to neutralise talent like Holmes and Ng is to hammer them week in and week out – and when the refs call it, they are accused of “protecting” them? Get real! No amount of crutching, legging, shoulder dragging, etc., will get some of you overawed lesser talents into that league. So you West crowd, boo Holmes' MVP if that makes you feel better. Fact is he full ripped a win off you to get Sturt into the GF and played a mighty leadership game last night. You lost! Get over it.

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Kent Brockm  
Years ago

Reply #286712 | Report this post


The West Mens hoodoo continues. As I said to the missus last night, if West's women lose, so will the West men. Not right often, but I was last night.

Reply #286713 | Report this post


and the MVP being booed by the crowd is prolly more related to the fact that West had two teams in the Grand Finals and therefore twice as many supporters at the games than Sturt, particularly when Forestville supporters had already headed back to Wayville to celebrate?

Sorry for being so logical, rather than emotional.

Reply #286714 | Report this post


durantula  
Years ago

so who won the mvp I never saw him play, thought his name was Acob Holmes none of this jacob holmes stuff people were saying.

Reply #286720 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

so shoulder charging a player running backwards down the court is ok in the game hmmmmm thought that sort of rubbish was for social basketball then again the ref was right there and OH i can foul that one it Jacob 36er Holmes yes Sturt one and was a lil better on the night congrats to them but geeez when will the refs have the balls to stand up to big name players and call the fouls as they are and not think if i foul him or throw him out of the game i mioght get into trouble cos he plays for the 36ers

im more of a footy follower and being involved in the treatment of players being injured i would prefer to see refs protecting players on the court then thinking one player is bigger then the game itself and letting him get away with crap

it will prob take some one getting seriously hurt before the powers to be stand up and make refs and players accountable for these actions

END OF RANT**

Reply #286726 | Report this post




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