Redtails Rep Game Results in SA
Between the 13th and 15th of March 2015 the Redtails flew South to play against Encounter Bay and Edwardstown.
The entire SA trip was instigated and driven by Bryan Littlely and Rob Clarke.
Bryan, originally as manager of the Centralian Advocate, met Rob and learnt of his vision for the Redtails and was captivated by the whole story and concept. When he moved back to Adelaide at the end of 2013 for a position with The Advertiser he was keen to help Rob secure some games in SA. So, Bryan started making enquiries with his old club Encounter Bay and, together with Rob's contacts from Port Adelaide, 2 games were secured to expose the Redtails to South Australia.
On Friday the 13th of March the Redtails group headed to Adelaide. The flight was delayed by 40 minutes, so we didn’t arrive until 4:40pm. We were greeted by Bryan, Crissina and their 5 year daughter Mahli. They handed the bus keys to Rob and we loaded up all the gear and headed out of Adelaide towards Encounter Bay Oval with Bryan giving Rob directions. Right next to our hired Coach bus was a stretched limousine, so we got the group to surround it for a photo opportunity after they did some stretches. The Coach bus was a bit old and lacking in good maintenance. Thankfully Rob is a mechanic by trade and was able to drive without very efficient brakes or grunt when trying to climb the hilly sections. This kind of took the player's minds away from their nerves. Due to our flight delay we were running a little late and didn’t get to the ground until 7pm, which only allowed us 30 minutes to prepare for the match with strappings, warmup and team instructions. It was "Game On" at 7:30pm! It took the lads the first quarter to settle and get adjusted to the cooler, dewy conditions. The lads then unleashed and controlled the game with their pace and agility. It was an exciting game to watch with a great crowd of locals, family and friends of some of our players. The final winning score read: Redtails 11-14-80 to Encounter Bay 2-7-19.
On Sunday the 15th of March at 12.00pm, the Redtails team took on Edwardstown. Redtails got off to a cracking start kicking 5 goals and 3 points, leaving Edwardstown yet to score after the first quarter. Our pace and intensity continued for the next two quarters, dominating and adding a further 6 then 7 goals to the total, while Edwardstown could only manage the 1 goal and 3 points in the second quarter. The intensity backed off a little in the final quarter as we added 1 goal and 5 points to Edwardstown's 5 minor scores. The damage had already been done and Redtails sealed thier second victory for the trip. The team gelled like they had been playing together for years. It was inspiring to watch and well worth the trip to see such comradery and respect for each other, as well as their officials. 3 of the players were from Tennant Creek and 6 players were residing in Adelaide and surrounding suburbs at the time. The rest of the 24 playing squad came from Alice Springs and surrounding communities, all playing for different local clubs. To come together like they did without any practice games was something quite unique and special. Captain Tyson Carmody had to leave the field late in the last quarter with a suspected hamstring injury, while Lachy Summers sustained a cut to his lower lip that required medical attention. An amazing all-round effort by everyone involved!
