SANFL 2012 GRAND FINAL -- End of Season & SACFL Wrap-Up

Hi Footy fans...

History was made this past weekend, not only were we guaranteed a new SANFL premier but for the first time since 1999, there would be no barking Bulldogs in the mix. This time, it would come down to two old hands of the competition to fight it out for the 2012 flag, both with over a century of football behind them. This season, it would come down to the Redlegs and the Bloods. For most of this year, it has looked like a one horse race but even during the long reign of the Bulldogs at the top of the league, they had their moments of sorrow as the flag escaped them three times during the previous 12 seasons. Would the Redlegs juggernaut roll on, or would there be Blood? The Thomas Seymour-Hill Trophy awaited the victor.

Welcome to the last installment of the SANFL Wrap-Up for 2012... the Grand Final.

The Norwood Football Club has a long, proud history in the SANFL. From the late 19th century through to the post-War eras, as well as some breakthrough years in the latter half of the 20th, the Redlegs have dominated the competition to take out 27 premierships. They have finished last on just six occasions and in addition to their collection of flags they have taken two Australian Championships in 1888, 1907 and the 1977 Ardath Cup from the now defunct National Football League. The 1984 year is the most talked about in SANFL and Redlegs lore, coming from fifth spot and an Elimination Final to take the flag from their biggest rivals Port Adelaide. At this point, Norwood is the third most decorated club in the nation, behind the aforementioned 36-time premiers in the Magpies and 28-time Western Australian premiers in East Fremantle. Norwood's time at the top dwindled from the 1950's onwards, their most recent success came in 1997 when they defeated their bitter rivals. Their following two appearances were met with defeat in 1999 to Port and in 2010 to the Bulldogs. This season, the Redlegs suffered just two losses in the minor round, one of those being against their opponents in Westies. But just like Centrals in previous years, they strolled straight into the decider.

West Adelaide is definitely no stranger to success, with eight premierships in their possession and two national titles from the early 20th century. A great deal of their success came during that period, five of those eight flags coming during the pre and post-World War 1 eras. The 1983 premiership was the Bloods' last time at the top of the mountain, since then they have made just two grand final appearances with no success. The infamous 1991 Grand Final against North Adelaide where several brawls erupted, then the 2003 appearance where they fell victim to the Central District rampage. Grand Finals against the Redlegs are nothing new to the Bloods, in fact the Westies mob took out the 1961 premiership at their expense during the Neil Kerley years at the club after a six goal victory at Adelaide Oval. After some early season embarrassment on the national stage in the Foxtel Cup, the Bloods would make a serious challenge for this year's premiership race after embarrassing repeat-finals contenders Central District and taking it up to the Redlegs in the later stages of this season. After a hiccup in the second week of the finals against Norwood, they disposed of the Roosters in the Preliminary Final to ensure their chance at the premiership.

In Round 8, the Redlegs made short work of the Bloods to take out a 47-point victory at The Parade and then broke their hearts at Richmond in Round 13 with their mark-and-goal-at-the-death one-point win. But a measure of revenge was exacted at City Mazda Stadium in Round 21 when the Bloods took down the 'Legs by 23 points. The pundits were expecting a dour contest like the one seen two weeks previous, and they weren't far from the mark when the game started with a low-scoring first term in which the Redlegs scored just 1.1 to West's three behinds to take a four-point lead at quarter-time. But then it was the Norwood show in the second term as they took control of the match. Their miserly defence negated the Bloods' forays into their attacking zone, allowing just 1.1 to Westies whilst adding a further 3.3 to their own tally. At the half-time break, the Redlegs were ahead by 18 points. All of a sudden, the Bloods that tore Centrals and North apart had been made to look rather weak. Indecisiveness and poor kicking allowed the Redlegs to do as they pleased. Only Norwood's choking up of the back-lines allowed the low scoreline. This was probably the reason the Bloods were late returning to the field, coach Andrew Collins must have had some choice words and the players were left pretty rattled.

But that was nothing compared to what was coming in when play resumed. No pre-third term warm up for West, they had to go straight back to their playing positions thanks to their tardiness. The Redlegs immediately went back to work and blew the game open as they kicked 5.1 to practically ensure their victory in the rightly-named Premiership Quarter. West could manage just two behinds as their fans hearts sank, at three quarter-time the Redlegs' lead was out to 47 points. The Bloods' made an effort in the final term to give their final score some respectability, but horrible shooting on their part to score 2.6 and Norwood's 3.2 would not change the final deficit. The 47-point gap at the final change would remain, the Redlegs taking out their 28th league premiership and moving them up to equal second in the nation next to the Sharks of the WAFL. The Jack Oatey Medal would go to Norwood's Dean Terlich, the former Sydney Swan who took 14 marks and 32 disposals for the afternoon. Westies would name Chris Schmidt as their standout in an afternoon to forget for the Bloods' faithful.

FINAL SCORES IN WEEK 4 OF THE SANFL FINALS

Sunday October 7
2012 SANFL GRAND FINAL
Norwood 12.7 (79)
West Adelaide 3.12 (30)
29,661 @ AAMI Stadium

REPORTS
West -- N. Caruso (striking)


DOGS AND EAGLES TAKE SECONDS AND JUNIOR TITLES
The other grade Grand Finals saw two extremely close contests, in the morning match the U-18 Maccas Cup would find its way to Oval Avenue as the Eagles defeated the Double Blues by a goal in their decider with Matthew Appleton winning the Alan Stewart Medal as the best afield. And if their reserves are any indication, the Bulldogs of 2013 may be a better outfit after they outlasted minor premiers Norwood with a seven-point win in their Grand Final with David Haydon taking the best on ground Bob Lee Medal.

U-18's MACCAS CUP GRAND FINAL
Woodville-West Torrens 9.10 (64) def. Sturt 8.10 (58)

RESERVES GRAND FINAL
Central District 12.9 (81) def. Norwood 11.8 (74)


SOUTH AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY FOOTBALL LEAGUES -- Premiers & B/F Medallists
Listed below are the Division 1 Grand Final results and Pfitzner, Dutschke & Mail Medal winners from the various competitions that make up the SACFL family including the Amateur, Womens and Country leagues respectively. The Sunday Mail Medal has been awarded to the best player in each of South Australia's various rural competitions since 1933, while the Amateur League's Eric Pfitzner Memorial Medal was named so in 1983 after a former SAAFL tribunal member and Adelaide Teacher's College principal who lost his life in the devastation of Ash Wednesday. The Dutschke Medal is awarded to the best player in the Womens competition. The finals results will be followed by the B&F Medallist of that league with the two metropolitan leagues first then the country leagues in alphabetical order.

SA AMATEUR LEAGUE
St. Peters OC 15.13 (103) def. Henley 13.15 (93)
Josh Hand (Gepps Cross)

SA WOMENS
West Adelaide 6.8 (44) def. Greenacres (2.2 (14)
Cassandra Hartley (West Adelaide)

ADELAIDE PLAINS
Two Wells 15.7 (97) def. Virginia 11.11 (77)
Joel Montgomerie (Mallala)

BAROSSA, LIGHT & GAWLER
Barossa District 13.11 (89) def. Tanunda 8.15 (63)
Sam Agars, Luke Wells (Tanunda) & Jason MacKenzie (Kapunda)

BROKEN HILL
Norths 8.9 (57) def. Souths 8.6 (54)
Marc Purcell (Souths)

EASTERN EYRE
Eastern Ranges 16.12 (108) def. Kimba Districts 14.6 (90)
Nick Cunningham (Ports)

FAR NORTH
Hornridge 11.11 (77) def. Roxby Districts 8.6 (54)
Daniel Pegler (Roxby Districts)

FAR WEST
Konnibba 24.17 (161) def. Ceduna 12.9 (81)
David Wright (Ceduna)

GREAT FLINDERS
United Yeelanna 18.7 (115) def. Cummins/Kapinnie 15.12 (102)
Brad Hazelgrove (Cummins/Kapinnie)

HILLS CENTRAL
Mt. Barker 10.10 (70) def. Uraidla Districts 8.7 (55)
Lucas Block (Mt. Barker)

HILLS COUNTRY
Kersbrook 14.10 (94) def. Echunga 11.8 (74)
Daniel Miller (Kersbrook)

KANGAROO ISLAND
Parndana 14.8 (92) def. Dudley United 7.13 (55)
Nathan Trethewey (Parndana)

KOWREE/NARACOORTE/TATIARA
Bordertown 13.13 (91) def. Kaniva Leeor United 12.12 (84)
Jared Greenbank (Kaniva Leeor United)

MALLEE
Border Districts Tintinara 16.14 (110) def. Karoonda 4.7 (31)
Michael Worsman (Murrayville)

MID SOUTH-EASTERN
Port MacDonnell 23.6 (144) def. Mt. Burr 12.10 (82)
Dylan Gamble (Mt. Burr) & Chris Perry (Tantanoola)

MID WEST
Elliston 14.9 (93) def. West Coast 7.10 (52)
Jake Bruce (Central Eyre)

NORTH-EASTERN
Mintaro/Manoora 15.14 (104) def. RSMU Hawks 9.13 (67)
Ryan Darling (Blyth/Snowtown)

NORTHERN AREAS
Crystal Brook 12.12 (84) def. Southern Flinders 12.7 (79)
John Nicholas (Orroroo)

PORT LINCOLN
Tasman 15.18 (108) def. Mallee Park 6.15 (41)
Reece Francis (Tasman)

RIVERLAND
Barmera/Monash 14.17 (101) def. Waikerie 14.8 (92)
Michael Bratton (Waikerie)

RIVERLAND INDEPENDENT
Blanchetown/Swan Reach 16.11 (107) def. Paringa 6.8 (44)
Dale Payne (Blanchetown/Swan Reach)

RIVER MURRAY
Ramblers 21.15 (141) def. Mypolonga 21.10 (136)
Phillip Smith (Imperials)

SOUTHERN
Happy Valley 14.16 (100) def. Brighton 7.8 (50)
Jonathan Eagleton (Happy Valley)

SPENCER GULF
South Augusta 15.8 (98) def. Solomontown 9.12 (66)
Graham Cooke (Solomontown)

WESTERN BORDER
North Gambier 17.16 (118) def. South Gambier 9.5 (59)
Gareth Crawford (Hamilton) & Richard O'Grady (North Gambier)

WHYALLA
Wests 8.8 (56) def. Norths 6.1 (37)
Lance Lawrence (Norths)

YORKE PENINSULA
CMS Crows 23.9 (147) def. Kadina 11.7 (73)
Shane Jordan (Moonta)

So that's it people... six months until Season 2013. But we can ask those same old post-season questions anyways. Can the Redlegs keep up their intensity into the new season, or will they once again go several seasons without glory? Can the Bloods go that extra mile, or will they fade into obscurity again? Will the Bulldogs rebound after a reserves flag or is the era truly done and dusted? And what kind of challenge can the Maroon & Ochres bring into battle against the Croweaters? Is the NEAFL ready for the big three? Now begins the countdown, folks.

Until next season... thats a wrap.

NORWOOD REDLEGS -- 2012 SANFL PREMIERS

One of the worst Grand Finals you are ever likely to see. The way West Adelaide lost without even attempting to fire a shot - they didn't risk losing, they ensured it. There's been some bad SANFL Grand finals in recent times (1989 and 2004 immediately spring to mind) but they were a matter of the losing teams being overwhelmed by awesome displays. This wasnt the case here, West refused to take the game on and basically made certain they would lose in exactly the same fashion they did the semi final. Think Andy Collins really has some explaining to do.

Unfortunately I would have to put 2006 up there as well...

Collins is a disgrace. I hope for the good of the game that west don't renew his contract for next year.

As for boring GFs to the neutral supporter... Apart from 99, 2010 and 2011, I can't recall any other exciting sanfl GFs in the last 25 yrs.

1998 - POrt only just got over the line over Sturt after Jarrod Twitt kicked 5 points

From a personal point of view I found 2002 pretty exciting

Yeh I'll give you 98. 2002 was pretty 1 sided though. So it's really only 4 close GFs in 25 years. 1994 looked good until port blew the eagles away in the last.

I wonder whether, when West Adelaide had only one goal on the board entering time-on in the last quarter, commentators spoke about the 1989 game??

In 1989 though, it was that Port Adelaide never let North fire a shot: they were just too hard and applied so much pressure so constantly that North could not avoid making some utterly awful mistakes, not only in attack where they were too intimidated to even go near the ball. It is not easy to tell whether North’s numerous appalling skill errors were simply the result of Port’s super play or their own faults; if Nunan had admitted the former after the game instead of shaming his players’ effort we might have a different perspective. Many commentators deny the brilliant Hawthorn and Geelong attacks of 1989 would have been as intimidated, but I have my doubts they could have done any better the way Port’s defence was working. Looking at the Port Adelaide-influenced West Coast team of early 1991, they never seemed so consistently tough as Port’s Grand Final display was even in their 82-point win over the Hawks in Round 7.

All in all, the 1989 Port Adelaide team does have a place in football history as the last team outside the V/AFL to be of V/AFL standard - or to influence its play (and in a way perhaps unexpected).

1998 was pretty close...

It’s hard to think that two poor performances against a strong defence would be enough to have a coach sacked. Norwood apparently averaged fewer points Against per game than any other AFL side has since 1920!

If Mike Nunan refused to even consider resigning after North Adelaide kicked only one goal against a white-hot Port defence that makes me think Hawthorn could have done no better, then why would Collins want to give up?? He took West from perennial wooden spooners to the Grand Final over the past four years, so there is no reason to assume Collins is at fault for their failure to get more than five goals in two games against the Redlegs!