Watts the star as Eagles progress

Woodville/West Torrens  110  defeated  North Adelaide   99

Courtesy of a 10-goal bag by Crows-listed Fergus Watts, Woodville/West Torrens have avoided bowing out of the SANFL Finals in straight sets for the first time in 15 seasons following a hard-fought 11-point victory over North Adelaide at AAMI Stadium this afternoon.

From 14 possessions and 12 marks, Watts' career-best bag was the cornerstone in the Eagles' 16.14 (110) to 15.9 (99) victory, after trailing by 12 points at the final change.

His partner in crime was Adelaide team-mate Chris Knights, who provided Woodville/West Torrens with attacking run with a game-high 33 possessions. Luke Powell and John Floreani also provided run, speed and forward drive with over 40 possessions combined.

North captain Darryl Wintle was a shining light for the Roosters, particularly in the third quarter, as he gathered 26 possessions and booted three goals, while forward Damon White played a more defensive role in collecting nearly 20 possessions and 10 marks.

The Eagles progress next week to play the loser of this afternoon's Centrals-Port clash, before the Grand Final at AAMI Stadium in a fortnight.

North Adelaide did all the attacking first and in stark contrast to last week, yielded the early results when Shaun Gatto and Matthew Krieg set them alight with two early goals.

Though, the Eagles responded to the challenge courtesy of three long-range goals through Watts, Tim Inkster and Knights, then Watts pouncing on a Stephen Gilham mistake for his second.

Late goals to either side saw the Eagles, who had the advantage of a three-goal breeze, leading by only eight points at quarter time.

In contrast to the opening quarter, Woodville/West Torrens started to run the ball more and create attacking run, setting themselves up for the first three goals of the second stanza through Watts (two) and captain Gavin Colville.

Trailing by 27 points, North forward Damon White was pushed into defence to create a rock, and the plan had worked, with the match developing into an arm-wrestle for the next 10 minutes.

Furthermore, the Eagles had lost all ascendancy as the Roosters fought back with three goals through Gill, Wintle and Scott Bamford, reducing the deficit to 13 points.

A late goal to Watts - his sixth for the half - saw Woodville/West Torrens extend their lead to 20 points and the main break.

In a 15-minute onslaught, led by the run of Wintle and Campbell, the Roosters had turned a half time deficit of over three goals to a lead of 15 points after six consecutive majors - two through Wintle.

Sandwiched amid a flurry of North behinds, Watts attempted to arrest the Roosters momentum in kicking his seventh goal from a tight angle, with the Eagles trailing by 12 points at the final change.

The first goal was crucial in the final term and it was Watts who stepped up for Woodville/West Torrens to thread through his eighth major and reduce the deficit to a goal.

After second-gamer Chris Martin coolly leveled the scores with his first major, Watts continued to chalk up goals when he handed the Eagles a 12-point lead with his tenth mid-way through the final term.

Heath Younie snagged a quick one back for North to keep their aspirations alive, but Mark Passador, with his second for the afternoon, ensured Woodville/West Torrens would progress to next week.

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