Sawtell claim long awaited Under 17 crown

The Sawtell Toormina Saints turned in a comprehensive performance that matched their overall season to be crowned Premiers of the Under 17 competition.

The Saints scored a 62 point victory over the Grafton Tigers to claim their first title in the age group since 2010.

The first quarter got underway as a tight affair with the two teams feeling each other out, but it soon opened up as both outfits got used to the open spaces and started to move the ball well. The Saints shaded the quarter to head to the first break with a 12 point lead, but it was in the second quarter where they blew the match wide open.

Six goals in the second term, with four to Buckley Jarvis including two snaps across his body, whilst holding the Tigers scoreless meant that the lead had extended to 49 points by the main break.

Poor finishing in the third quarter from Sawtell meant that they didn’t completely extinguish the Tigers hopes, but the Saints did still win the quarter and increase the gap on the scoreboard by another 10 points.

With the Saints holding such a commanding lead the intensity was always likely to go out of the last quarter, especially as the players got tired. Although the last term was a much more even contest the Saints did manage to round out the day by winning the last stanza to round out an excellent four quarter victory.

Angus Anderson was a standout and was deservedly awarded the Nathan Harris Medal for Best on Ground. Buckley Jarvis led the goal kicking with five for the match, while Anderson kicked three and Sam Elder added two.

Grafton had four individual goal kickers who each managed one major, in Noah Swarski, Harry Anderson, Mikey Luxton, and Caleb Lamberth.

Sawtell Toormina Saints 14.12 (96) defeated Grafton Tigers 4.4 (28)

The presentation of the end of season awards saw Angus Anderson cap a stellar year when he was named as the League Best and Fairest. Grafton Tigers co-captain Mikey Luxton was runner-up in the Best and Fairest, whilst Ned O’Neill (Grafton Tigers) and Kyan Upsall (Sawtell Toormina Saints) jointly claimed the Goal Kicking Award.

Click here to see the top six in the Under 17 Best and Fairest vote count.

Click here to watch a replay of the match.