Page 65 - AFL QUEENSLAND 2013 YEAR IN REVIEW

SOUTH AUSTRALIA TOO GOOD FOR A GALLANT QUEENSLAND/ NT
After trailing by just eight points at half-time, a stoic Queensland/NT side was overrun by 82 points by South Australia in Adelaide.
The best of South Australia’s state league kicked 14 second-half goals to three to run
out 21.14.140 to 9.4.58 winners, and underline the widely-accepted notion that the SANFL is the second best football competition in the country, behind only the AFL.
While they were outgunned in the last hour, there were plenty of positives to take out of the game for the side comprised of the best of QLD and NT.
Brisbane Lions rookie Sam Michael followed up his Andrew Ireland Medal in last year’s Grand Final with the Zane Taylor Medal as the NEAFL’s best player, with Andrew Boston and Scott Clarke other youngsters to stand out.
Ryan Davey was best on ground up to half-time and finished with 22 touches and a goal, while fellow veterans Paul Shelton, Daniel Dzufer, and Cheynee Stiller were outstanding all day.
Morningside’s Shelton amassed 30 classy disposals and kicked a booming goal from outside 50 in the final term, while Dzufer and Stiller played their defensive rebounding roles with aplomb, collecting 26 touches each.
Skipper Cam Ilett tried hard all day, Brisbane Lions rookie Nick Hayes did some good things, and NT spearhead Chris Dunne took nine marks and kicked two goals.
West Adelaide’s Ryan Ferguson won the Fos Williams medal as best afield for his sterling effort across half-back, while former Brisbane Lion Leigh Ryswyk bagged a game-high six goals, but the SANFL had contributors across the board.
The winners will now look to next year’s blockbuster against the VFL, while the NEAFL will no doubt learn from this year’s experience, with Ilett adamant his side will “build on the result going forward.”
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SANFL VS NEAFL