Eagles win 2020 Reserves Premiership

By ZAC MILBANK

Woodville-West Torrens claimed its first Reserves premiership in five years after overrunning North Adelaide by 15 points in Sunday’s Grand Final at Adelaide Oval.

Leading by just two points at the final change, the Eagles broke free of the Roosters in the fourth quarter by booting 3.3 to 1.2 en route to winning their first seconds’ sliver ware since their undefeated season in 2015.

Eagles forward Mitch Mead, the son of Port Adelaide great Darren Mead, was awarded the Bob Lee Medal as best afield, chalking up a staggering 15 tackles to go with his 15 disposals and match-sealing goal.

Mature-age Eagles goalsneak Tristan Carcuro booted the first two goals of the final term to give his side an important edge following the three-quarter time break.

Carcuro’s sharp-shooting from his two set shots put the Eagles up by 13 points, seven minutes into the final term before Mead steadied nicely on the run from 40m to give his side a 20-point lead nearing the 20th minute.

North’s only goal after the last change came from a Declan Fahey snap in traffic 25 minutes in and by the time the ball returned to the centre square, all that was left was for the final siren to begin the Eagles’ celebrations.

Ethan Haylock, Jackson Lee and Pierce Seymour, who had been unlucky to be squeezed out of the League team for the Preliminary Final, all reached 20 disposals, with Haylock also kicking a goal.

Former Power rookie Kai Pudney also had a couple of important moments, including a nice snap shot goal in the third term to put the Eagles up by 10 points.

North’s Lee Miniervini, relegated from the League team after playing in the Second Semi Final, registered 20 disposals with Reserves Magarey Medallist Dakota Nixon, while Patrick Davies had 19.

But ultimately, North was always going to find the going tough having lost key midfielder Harrison Magor to a left ankle injury during the first term, leaving them one rotation short for the majority of the match.