ROUND NINE
SATURDAY 21ST OF MAY

CENTRAL 9.10 (64)
GLENELG 7.5 (47)

Suffice to say, it was a disapointing day for the club, with all four sides being defeated. Due to the work committments I was unable to attend the game, so I will leave it to "The Sunday Mail's" Doug Robertson to tell you how the game unfolded. The photo is also extracted from "The Sunday Mail".

DOGS SHOW REAL GRIT.

Several moments of free running spark engineered a valuable 17-point win for, a renewed Central District over Glenelg and marked the Bulldogs' turning-point in an otherwise lack-lustre contest at Elizabeth Oval yesterday.
The Dogs showed glimpses of its stylish best to win 9.10 (64) to 7.5 (47) and breathe life into its season to be 4-4 and improving at the first major juncture of the season. With at least 10 senior players expected off the injury list after next week's -bye for the SANFL-VFL interstate clash at the MCG and sitting at the foot of the five, Central has a base from which to relaunch its season.
But yesterday's performance in slightly slippery conditions was not a win for the purists.
Central had to slog it out against a competitive Tigers' outfit. It hit the front for the first time eight minutes into the second quarter but slipped behind 10 minutes later.
The lead change three times more before Central banged on four goals in 16 minutes to secure the points. Importantly the Bulldogs had the skill and composure to punish Glenelg when a loose ball was in the offering.

Brett Higgins under pressure against the Dogs

Central coach Peter Jonas was aware of Glenelg's running-style and potent midfield - again when Martin Mellody did not line up after jagging a hamstring three weeks ago - going into the match but Jonas became acutely embarrassed by its sting in the opening term.
But when he put out the guard dogs to Stop Glenelg's Rod Jameson, Brendon Feddema and Allan Bartlett from rotating unchecked through the midfield and to man-up on the industrious Matthew Kelly, Nick Chiggwidden, Sudjai Cook and Josh Carr across centre things evened up dramatically.
Glenelg lined up on the defensive side of the centre ball-ups to feed off Central's winning ruckman Damian Arnold and after the adjustment Central centreman Rick Macgowan squeezed every advantage from Arnold's dominance.
Michael Stevens, Daniel Hulm and Marco Bello in turn fed of Macgowan's slick hand-skills and Centrals forwards had clean delivery. Full forward Damien Hicks and Sean Chambers further out provided strong targets and the expienced Scott Lee took several pressure grabs when the game was hot, after being touchless in the third term. "I think the Bays play close-in type of footy and if you can close their little blokes down inside, which we did, you start to hurt them," Jonas said.
"If we're man-on-man even if they get it we're pretty close and can put pressure on them."
How the team handled the pressure was the definitive factor in the result. Glenelg failed badly in attack and had no strong marking focus - its 7.5 total is testimony. Only ageing 192 game warborse Allan Bartlett, 31, (three goals) worried Centrals settled defence in the air. Kelly, follower James Byrne and, to a lesser extent, extent Simon Hele and Luke Ellis kept the ball pushed forward - although usually hurriedly- but when Central's squeezed up the Tigers free-flow several midfielders became noticeably frustrated.
The loss did not hurt second placed Glenelg's position, in fact, it probably -helped by reopening the debate on how to structure its outfit.
It was always going to be a difficult game to win because they are an improving side," coach Tony McGuinness said. "Despite the way we played, we still had chances to win. Yes, they gave us a couple of chances in the last quarter by missing shots and that's normally a sign to seize on, but we didn't seize on it. So I'm disappointed from that that respect."
McGuinness said Central was "cleaner" and run more around the ground. Glenelg had enough of the ball to win but didn't finish off anywhere near we enough- or anywhere near as well has it has earlier this season.

BEST PLAYERS: Byrne, Kelly, Burke, Bartlett, Higgins, Jameson.
SCORERS: Bartlett 3.0, Jameson 2.0, Byrne, Winstanley 1.0, Cook, McEntee, Chigwidden, 0.1, rushed 0.2.
INJURIES: Mellody (hamstring) replaced in selected line up by Gigney, Burke (cut eye).
CROWD: 1993.

RESERVES:Central 24.9 (153) defeated Glenelg 7.5 (47)
UNDER 19:Central 23.17 (155) defeated Glenelg 7.5 (47)
UNDER 17:Central 30.17 (197) defeated Glenelg 5.5 (35)