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Grassroots: SA footy round-up

May 06, 2015
Crow Dylan Ribbons has had an unusual return to SANFL ranks. Photo: Peter Argent

Crow Dylan Ribbons has had an unusual return to SANFL ranks. Photo: Peter Argent

In our weekly round-up of South Australian football news and characters, Peter Argent reports on a young Crow’s bizarre season start, a unique footy record, and a Central Districts’ player joining a unique AFL “club”.

Young player kept in the dark

Dylan Ribbons has been involved in the past two matches with the Adelaide Crows in the SANFL – his second chance at this level.

The Crows development player comes from a football family in the SA Mallee region – a tough environment – but he can’t imagine a more unusual start to his return to this level.

He was preparing for a clash with the Panthers on Saturday evening when a technical hitch with the Noarlunga light towers forced the game to be moved to Sunday morning at 11.30am.

The previous week, the Crows drew with Glenelg after the lights went off at the Bay midway through the last quarter.

“To be involved in successive games that had issues with lights is certainly a different experience,” Ribbons told InDaily.

“It was quite amazing really.”

In Sunday’s rescheduled game, the Crows were competitive again but fell 14 points short after a slow start.

“On Sunday, in the end we didn’t capitalise on a couple of opportunities at important times,” Ribbons said.

“We needed to ‘come to play’ no matter what the circumstances are in the match preparation.”

The youngest of three siblings from Pinnaroo, Dylan has just turned 23 and was a dual state underage sporting talent.

The batting all-rounder was a member of the Redbacks’ under 15s and 17s programs and played district A grade cricket with West Torrens as a 16-year-old before deciding to concentrate on football.

In 2010 he was a member of Brenton Phillips’ SA under 18s football program, alongside current AFL footballers Chad Wingard, Jared Polec, Brodie Smith and Scott Lycett.

In 2012 Ribbons played a single Foxtel Cup game for West Adelaide against Claremont in Perth.

For the past two years he’s played with Mannum Roos in the River Murray competition, enjoying a flag in 2013 alongside retired SANFL icons Jeremy Clayton and Jade Sheedy.

There is no doubting his football heritage. His father, Lyall played in 10 flags for Ngallo as a tough inside midfielder.

Mum Faye was also a talented sportswoman as well, and her brother, Ray Schroeder was a dual Mail Medallist.

Premiership table irrelevant

Woodville West Torrens coach Michael Godden says he isn’t paying much attention to the premiership table at this stage of the season.

“People most probably don’t believe me, but at this stage of the season I haven’t even bothered to look at the premiership table,” Godden said.

“It’s not to about round eight or nine that it becomes relevant.

“We know if you win 14 games you’re guaranteed a top three spot in final, although we know you can sneak into the top three with 12 games and percentage.

“Then each team has played each other once you can get a true indication of where your group is at.

“At this stage of the season it’s about getting the processes right.

“We’ve changed our game style this year,endeavouring to play a style similar to what is employed by Hawthorn and Geelong.

“There are plenty of other issues to deal with on a weekly basis at the moment.”

For the record, the Eagles are currently sitting in third place, with three wins and a loss to the Bloods.

West Adelaide forward Aaron Fielke attempts a "finger tipper" during the second quarter of the clash with Central District. Photo: Peter Argent

West Adelaide forward Aaron Fielke attempts a “finger tipper” during the second quarter of the clash with Central District. Photo: Peter Argent

Brothers debut as 16-year-olds

Is this a unique SANFL record?

Glenelg lad Jonty Scharenberg has followed his older brother Matthew, now on the Collingwood list, as a 16-year-old debutant in the SANFL.

Back in July 2012, then 16-year-old Matthew made his SANFL league debut in a Friday game against West Adelaide.

He was a member of the inaugural SA under 18s title in 2013, winning back-to-back All Australian honours that year and the season before.

Jonty, fresh from a trip to New Zealand with the AIS Academy, was honoured for his stellar start to the 2015 season, by being promoted to the Glenelg league team for last Friday night’s clash with Norwood. The 182cm, 70kg midfielder, was solid in his initial outing, although he only garnered eight possessions.

Amazingly he doesn’t turn 17 until August 20.

Last year he captained the Glenelg under 16s to the Macca’s shield title.

In more positive news, old Matthew returned to football on the weekend as well, collecting 16 disposals in three quarters for Collingwood in the VFL after an eight month hiatus due to injury.

A brilliant start

This achievement has received very little media, but the achievement of a South Australian player in the AFL deserves recording.

Collected as a rookie by the Gold Coast Suns, Josh Glenn went into an AFL program this year after two years playing with Central District, having previously played with Elizabeth in division four of the SA Amateur league.

Many football people had reservations about whether he was capable of handling the step up, but he has proved the doubters wrong so far. Glenn has been a shining light in what has been a modest start for most of the Suns.

The 21-year-old, who won the 2013 rookie of the year award in the SANFL, debuted for the Suns in their inaugural win for the season in the Q-clash last Saturday

Kicking a goal with his first kick, he follows fellow Central District products Shannon Hurn and Justin Westhoff into this special club.

Glenn finished with 21 disposals in an excellent first up effort, with the Suns defeating Brisbane by 64 points.

He has a chance to deliver again this week against Adelaide.

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