A decisive first-term burst established the foundation for Blackwood’s victory in last Saturday’s Hills Football League Senior Colts grand final at Hahndorf Oval.
Facing the challenge of Lobethal, the Woods gained a strong initial ascendancy by piling on seven goals in the opening stanza, which set the tone towards an eventual commanding 18-12 to 8-10 premiership triumph over the Tigers.
The result provided Blackwood’s first Senior Colts title since 2005, after the Woods had endured a few recent losing grand final appearances, including last season against Hahndorf.
Having lost just one previous encounter over the 2011 campaign, minor premier Blackwood moved to remove any chance of another fade out in a premiership decider with a busy first term.
After 2011 HFL Senior Colts medallist Luke Hampton raised the opening goal in favor of Lobethal, centurion goal kicking captain Daniel Philp provided a presence up forward for Blackwood.
Philp became a key target as the Woods regularly launched attacks with the breeze into the 50m arc, with the Lobethal defence battling to stem the early onslaught.

Matt Waldron out marks his Tigers opponent.

David Xian, Michael Minuzzo and Matt Tuck joined Philp in the scoring stakes as Blackwood swarmed towards a decisive 7-2 to 1-3 advantage at quarter time.
Despite working against the breeze, Blackwood were able to further strengthen its claims on an elusive premiership flag by again out scoring Lobethal in the second term.
A rebounding pattern of play developed as the Tigers found a greater share of the ball, but the Woods defence held firm.
Just prior to half-time, a spectacular high flying mark by Matt Waldron and a great intercept by a busy Minuzzo produced further goals, enabling the Woods to hold a 47-point leeway at half-time.
While it appeared Blackwood were well on the way to claiming the premiership, Lobethal forced a much more competitive standing on the scoreboard throughout the second half, adding six goals, while the Woods raised eight.
In a rousing conclusion to its premiership campaign, Blackwood impressively closed out with a further five goals, while Branden Clinton added a solitary major for the Tigers, as the teenage Woodsmen jubilantly greeted the final siren with a resounding 62-point margin.

Michael Minuzzo was judged Best on Ground.

Minuzzo’s consistent input earned him the Trevor Edwards Medal as the best player on the field, while Hayden Slape, Philp (six goals), Max Duncan and Declan Winra were others to play a leading role in Blackwood’s eighth flag in the grade since joining HFL ranks in 1987.

Text courtesy Jeff Pistola, The Courier

See all the action shots taken by Fiona Zevenboom by clicking HERE