SANFL FINALS 2019 -- Week 1 Wrap-Up

raboyle

Norm Smith Medallist
May 8, 2001
5,661
803
X Convenience Oval, Elizabeth
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
CDFC (SANFL), Port Melb (VFL)
Hi Footy fans...

The 2019 SANFL Finals series has taken on a whole different dimension this year, in amongst the five teams descending on Adelaide Oval, for the first time we have both AFL reserves teams participating in the major round and qualifying for the double chance. Of course with that being said, something had to give for one of them to be put into sudden death after this past weekend. Awaiting the victor would be the minor premiers of Glenelg, who finished a game ahead of the Magpies on the ladder and also secured the Lewis Trophy. On the other side of the coin, awaiting the vanquished of the Qualifying Final would be the winner of the Elimination Final. Its that time of year again, people... get around it! This is Finals Football.

Welcome to the Week 1 edition of the SANFL Finals Wrap-Up.

First up it's the Elimination Final, with the Double Blues facing the Redlegs in a battle of the affluent inner suburbs. The Redlegs have seen their fair share of the SANFL's last chance saloon, having played 18 games and winning 12 of them. They could be considered the specialists of the eliminator, but their last couple of appearances have seen them turfed from contention at the hands of the Bulldogs in 2015 and 2017 by a combined total of 94 points. The Blues' entries into this phase of the finals are far less successful, with only one victory from eight games. Ironically that one win was at the expense of the Redlegs back in 2000 when they hammered them by 65 points. In regards to overall records in Elimination Finals, the record score was set by the Tigers in 1987 when they smashed Woodville by 17 goals with a score of 24.22 (166). Ultimate success has only been achieved on 13 occasions, but only two of those premierships were won by the team in fifth spot. After going 34 years alone having achieved that feat, the Redlegs of 1984 were joined by the Roosters of 2018, who won their eighth Elimination Final from 10 appearances at the expense of South Adelaide on their way to the flag.

The Redlegs won both matches during the minor round, starting with a five-point win at The Parade in Round 3 where both sides had much difficulty finding the big sticks. A combined 41 scoring shots with 14 goals between them. Only the Redlegs accuracy would have improved come Round 16 at Unley, Norwood brushing the horribly inaccurate Blues aside with a 59-point win. The Redlegs started off with some wayward goal-kicking this time around, they would go into the first change with a four-point lead after kicking 2.4 to Sturt's two goals. Norwood looked to break the game open in the first half of the second term, kicking toward a 35-point lead with their 5.2 to one behind. But the Blues recovered late in the term with their 3.3 to set a 14-point gap in favour of the 'Legs come half-time. The third quarter seemed to last an eternity, stretching to just over 33 minutes in a score-laden term of football. The Redlegs could have killed off the contest right here, but a five-goal gap at three quarter-time would still be within the Blues' reach with the Redlegs scoring 6.5 to 4.1. The Blues did respond in the final term, but despite outscoring the Redlegs 6.1 to 3.3, it was not enough to prevent their finals exit. Norwood would add another win to their eliminator tally and book a 1st Semi-Final place with their 14-point win. Dom Barry scored three goals and was named best on ground for Norwood, the Blues voted in Jake Sutcliffe as their best.

Next up was the Qualifying Final between the Magpies and the Crows in a first-time finals showdown at SANFL level. This was to be Adelaide's first exposure to the double chance, whereas the Magpies have had plenty of experience with Qualifying Finals. Port have played in 16 previous qualifiers for 11 wins, their most recent was in 2017 against the Double Blues by 15 points. However in that year, the Blues would overturn the result three weeks later in the decider. That being said, the loser of the Qualifying Final has rebounded on three other occasions to win the premiership. The Double Blues have done it twice, first in 1976 and then in 2017, with the Eagles the only other club to pull it off back in 2011. In the history of the qualifier, 40% of the winners have gone on to win the flag. The highest score recorded was by Port in the 1989 series, they scored 23.17 (155) against Centrals' 9.16 (70). Both sides were also participants in the only match where extra time was required after scores were tied in 1994, with Port winning by 13 points over the two five-minute halves. To date, the Panthers are the only team never to have won a Qualifying Final, losing all three games they've been part of.

There was a share of the spoils over the two games between the AFL reserves sides, the Crows winning in Round 7 at Alberton by 16 points in a match that yielded 34 goals from 56 scores. Then in the Crows-hosted country game at the Memorial Oval in Port Pirie in Round 13, it was the Magpies that came out on top by five goals. This year with the AFL in recess for a week before their finals, the SANFL programmed a night-time start to try and take advantage. It was an arm-wrestling first term to begin with, both teams scoring 3.1 to tie at 19 points each at quarter-time. The lack of a tall in ruck began to bite the Crows from here, the Magpies managing to put a little space between them on the scoreboard with a 3.2 to 1.2 second quarter to take a two-goal lead into the long break. Port had to contend with a spell of inaccuracy in the third quarter, a swag of prime opportunities going begging as the Crows drew the gap back to within a single straight kick by the final change. Adelaide scored 3.3 to the 'Pies 1.6 to reduce the gap to three points by three quarter-time. But the Crows didn't have anything left in the tank in the final term, the Magpies recovering from that third term funk to bag 5.4 to 1.1, running out five-goal winners and setting up a meeting with the Tigers next week. The Magpies named Trent McKenzie was their best afield, the Crows named captain Matt Wright as their best player.

FINAL SCORES IN WEEK ONE OF THE SANFL FINALS...

Saturday August 31
ELIMINATION FINAL

Norwood 16.14 (110)
Sturt 15.6 (96)

QUALIFYING FINAL
Port Adelaide 12.13 (85)
Adelaide 8.7 (55)
12,473 @ Adelaide Oval


INJURIES
None known at time of post.

REPORTS
None known at time of post.


U-18's -- EAGLES INTO DECIDER, PANTHERS SCRATCH OUT TIGERS
The Eagles have claimed the first spot in the Torrens University Cup Grand Final, defeating the Bloods by 26 points in the 2nd Semi-Final at Woodville on Saturday. The Bloods were up by three points at quarter-time but couldn't sustain the intensity from there onwards as the Eagles slowly but surely broke away for the win. There were a couple of times where Westies had their surges, even drawing even halfway through the third term. The Eagles just had all the answers from here, keeping the Bloods to just 1.1 to their 4.3 for the remainder of the game. The Bloods will now face the Panthers, who disposed of the Tigers in their cut-throat 1st Semi-Final by 25 points. The Panthers probably could have been more convincing of their efforts, after keeping the Tigers scoreless in the first term and kicking to a 45-point lead, Glenelg then reeled that gap back to just nine points by half-time. South broke off again in the third term, but still left the door ajar with their 4.5 to one goal third term. South held on though, winning through to the Preliminary Final at Adelaide Oval.

1st Semi-Final -- South Adelaide 13.10 (88) def. Glenelg 10.3 (63)
2nd Semi-Final -- Woodville-West Torrens 14.8 (92) def. West Adelaide 10.6 (66)

RESERVES -- BLUES TO MEET MINOR PREMIERS, TIGERS BOUNCED
With the senior Blues side playing the league finals, the Reserves game against the Eagles was shifted to the earlier start at Unley where they outlasted the Eagles by 17 points, setting up a Grand Final playoff against Norwood next weekend. The Eagles were ahead up to the long break, but early inaccuracy would come back to haunt them as the Blues kicked off the second half with a 7.1 to 3.1 third term to lead by 16 points at the final change. Sturt were forced to defend hard against the Eagles in the final term in order to hold on for the win, sending the Eagles towards the Bulldogs next week at Richmond after they tossed the Tigers out of the running in their Elimination Final by 50 points. A more energetic Centrals outfit kept the Tigers goal-less for the bulk of the first half, leading by 35 points at half-time with a scoreline of 7.3 to 1.4. Inaccuracy set in for the Dogs during the second half, but the Tigers weren't doing that much better at the other end. Glenelg added just two more goals to their tally for the rest of the game, Centrals romping into the 1st Semi rather easily.

Elimination Final -- Central District 11.12 (78) def. Glenelg 3.10 (28)
Qualifying Final -- Sturt 11.9 (75) def. Woodville-West Torrens 8.10 (58)


BLUES PREMIERSHIP QUARTET CALL FULL TIME
While Jack Stephens had already announced his imminent retirement from SANFL football a week earlier, he will be joined in retirement by fellow players John Greenslade, Aidan Riley and Fraser Evans. All four players were involved in one or both of Sturt's 2016 and 2017 premiership teams, with Stephens and Evans both winning the Jack Oatey Medal as best on ground in those years respectively. Riley, Stephens and Evans also have representative football in their honours lists with their appearances for South Australia over the last few years. Greenslade has spent 15 years at Oxford Terrace, before being part of the 2016 senior premiership side, he was among those who won the last U-17 premiership back in 2008 before the SANFL formed the U-18 division in line with the other states.


Next weekend's finals action across the grades...

Saturday September 7 @ City Mazda Stadium, Richmond
RESERVES 1st SEMI-FINAL

Woodville-West Torrens vs. Central District; 11am

RESERVES 2nd SEMI-FINAL
Norwood vs. Sturt; 1:30pm


Sunday September 8 @ Adelaide Oval
U-18 PRELIMINARY FINAL

South Adelaide vs. West Adelaide; 9:30am

LEAGUE 1st SEMI-FINAL
Adelaide vs. Norwood; 12:15pm

LEAGUE 2nd SEMI-FINAL
Glenelg vs. Port Adelaide; 3:15pm


So until next weekend... see you at the Footy!
 

VicPark Bitter

Team Captain
Apr 9, 2016
426
717
Bottom of the Barrel
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
West Adelaide
Hi Footy fans...

The 2019 SANFL Finals series has taken on a whole different dimension this year, in amongst the five teams descending on Adelaide Oval, for the first time we have both AFL reserves teams participating in the major round and qualifying for the double chance. Of course with that being said, something had to give for one of them to be put into sudden death after this past weekend. Awaiting the victor would be the minor premiers of Glenelg, who finished a game ahead of the Magpies on the ladder and also secured the Lewis Trophy. On the other side of the coin, awaiting the vanquished of the Qualifying Final would be the winner of the Elimination Final. Its that time of year again, people... get around it! This is Finals Football.

Welcome to the Week 1 edition of the SANFL Finals Wrap-Up.

First up it's the Elimination Final, with the Double Blues facing the Redlegs in a battle of the affluent inner suburbs. The Redlegs have seen their fair share of the SANFL's last chance saloon, having played 18 games and winning 12 of them. They could be considered the specialists of the eliminator, but their last couple of appearances have seen them turfed from contention at the hands of the Bulldogs in 2015 and 2017 by a combined total of 94 points. The Blues' entries into this phase of the finals are far less successful, with only one victory from eight games. Ironically that one win was at the expense of the Redlegs back in 2000 when they hammered them by 65 points. In regards to overall records in Elimination Finals, the record score was set by the Tigers in 1987 when they smashed Woodville by 17 goals with a score of 24.22 (166). Ultimate success has only been achieved on 13 occasions, but only two of those premierships were won by the team in fifth spot. After going 34 years alone having achieved that feat, the Redlegs of 1984 were joined by the Roosters of 2018, who won their eighth Elimination Final from 10 appearances at the expense of South Adelaide on their way to the flag.

The Redlegs won both matches during the minor round, starting with a five-point win at The Parade in Round 3 where both sides had much difficulty finding the big sticks. A combined 41 scoring shots with 14 goals between them. Only the Redlegs accuracy would have improved come Round 16 at Unley, Norwood brushing the horribly inaccurate Blues aside with a 59-point win. The Redlegs started off with some wayward goal-kicking this time around, they would go into the first change with a four-point lead after kicking 2.4 to Sturt's two goals. Norwood looked to break the game open in the first half of the second term, kicking toward a 35-point lead with their 5.2 to one behind. But the Blues recovered late in the term with their 3.3 to set a 14-point gap in favour of the 'Legs come half-time. The third quarter seemed to last an eternity, stretching to just over 33 minutes in a score-laden term of football. The Redlegs could have killed off the contest right here, but a five-goal gap at three quarter-time would still be within the Blues' reach with the Redlegs scoring 6.5 to 4.1. The Blues did respond in the final term, but despite outscoring the Redlegs 6.1 to 3.3, it was not enough to prevent their finals exit. Norwood would add another win to their eliminator tally and book a 1st Semi-Final place with their 14-point win. Dom Barry scored three goals and was named best on ground for Norwood, the Blues voted in Jake Sutcliffe as their best.

Next up was the Qualifying Final between the Magpies and the Crows in a first-time finals showdown at SANFL level. This was to be Adelaide's first exposure to the double chance, whereas the Magpies have had plenty of experience with Qualifying Finals. Port have played in 16 previous qualifiers for 11 wins, their most recent was in 2017 against the Double Blues by 15 points. However in that year, the Blues would overturn the result three weeks later in the decider. That being said, the loser of the Qualifying Final has rebounded on three other occasions to win the premiership. The Double Blues have done it twice, first in 1976 and then in 2017, with the Eagles the only other club to pull it off back in 2011. In the history of the qualifier, 40% of the winners have gone on to win the flag. The highest score recorded was by Port in the 1989 series, they scored 23.17 (155) against Centrals' 9.16 (70). Both sides were also participants in the only match where extra time was required after scores were tied in 1994, with Port winning by 13 points over the two five-minute halves. To date, the Panthers are the only team never to have won a Qualifying Final, losing all three games they've been part of.

There was a share of the spoils over the two games between the AFL reserves sides, the Crows winning in Round 7 at Alberton by 16 points in a match that yielded 34 goals from 56 scores. Then in the Crows-hosted country game at the Memorial Oval in Port Pirie in Round 13, it was the Magpies that came out on top by five goals. This year with the AFL in recess for a week before their finals, the SANFL programmed a night-time start to try and take advantage. It was an arm-wrestling first term to begin with, both teams scoring 3.1 to tie at 19 points each at quarter-time. The lack of a tall in ruck began to bite the Crows from here, the Magpies managing to put a little space between them on the scoreboard with a 3.2 to 1.2 second quarter to take a two-goal lead into the long break. Port had to contend with a spell of inaccuracy in the third quarter, a swag of prime opportunities going begging as the Crows drew the gap back to within a single straight kick by the final change. Adelaide scored 3.3 to the 'Pies 1.6 to reduce the gap to three points by three quarter-time. But the Crows didn't have anything left in the tank in the final term, the Magpies recovering from that third term funk to bag 5.4 to 1.1, running out five-goal winners and setting up a meeting with the Tigers next week. The Magpies named Trent McKenzie was their best afield, the Crows named captain Matt Wright as their best player.

FINAL SCORES IN WEEK ONE OF THE SANFL FINALS...

Saturday August 31
ELIMINATION FINAL

Norwood 16.14 (110)
Sturt 15.6 (96)

QUALIFYING FINAL
Port Adelaide 12.13 (85)
Adelaide 8.7 (55)
12,473 @ Adelaide Oval


INJURIES
None known at time of post.

REPORTS
None known at time of post.


U-18's -- EAGLES INTO DECIDER, PANTHERS SCRATCH OUT TIGERS
The Eagles have claimed the first spot in the Torrens University Cup Grand Final, defeating the Bloods by 26 points in the 2nd Semi-Final at Woodville on Saturday. The Bloods were up by three points at quarter-time but couldn't sustain the intensity from there onwards as the Eagles slowly but surely broke away for the win. There were a couple of times where Westies had their surges, even drawing even halfway through the third term. The Eagles just had all the answers from here, keeping the Bloods to just 1.1 to their 4.3 for the remainder of the game. The Bloods will now face the Panthers, who disposed of the Tigers in their cut-throat 1st Semi-Final by 25 points. The Panthers probably could have been more convincing of their efforts, after keeping the Tigers scoreless in the first term and kicking to a 45-point lead, Glenelg then reeled that gap back to just nine points by half-time. South broke off again in the third term, but still left the door ajar with their 4.5 to one goal third term. South held on though, winning through to the Preliminary Final at Adelaide Oval.

1st Semi-Final -- South Adelaide 13.10 (88) def. Glenelg 10.3 (63)
2nd Semi-Final -- Woodville-West Torrens 14.8 (92) def. West Adelaide 10.6 (66)

RESERVES -- BLUES TO MEET MINOR PREMIERS, TIGERS BOUNCED
With the senior Blues side playing the league finals, the Reserves game against the Eagles was shifted to the earlier start at Unley where they outlasted the Eagles by 17 points, setting up a Grand Final playoff against Norwood next weekend. The Eagles were ahead up to the long break, but early inaccuracy would come back to haunt them as the Blues kicked off the second half with a 7.1 to 3.1 third term to lead by 16 points at the final change. Sturt were forced to defend hard against the Eagles in the final term in order to hold on for the win, sending the Eagles towards the Bulldogs next week at Richmond after they tossed the Tigers out of the running in their Elimination Final by 50 points. A more energetic Centrals outfit kept the Tigers goal-less for the bulk of the first half, leading by 35 points at half-time with a scoreline of 7.3 to 1.4. Inaccuracy set in for the Dogs during the second half, but the Tigers weren't doing that much better at the other end. Glenelg added just two more goals to their tally for the rest of the game, Centrals romping into the 1st Semi rather easily.

Elimination Final -- Central District 11.12 (78) def. Glenelg 3.10 (28)
Qualifying Final -- Sturt 11.9 (75) def. Woodville-West Torrens 8.10 (58)


BLUES PREMIERSHIP QUARTET CALL FULL TIME
While Jack Stephens had already announced his imminent retirement from SANFL football a week earlier, he will be joined in retirement by fellow players John Greenslade, Aidan Riley and Fraser Evans. All four players were involved in one or both of Sturt's 2016 and 2017 premiership teams, with Stephens and Evans both winning the Jack Oatey Medal as best on ground in those years respectively. Riley, Stephens and Evans also have representative football in their honours lists with their appearances for South Australia over the last few years. Greenslade has spent 15 years at Oxford Terrace, before being part of the 2016 senior premiership side, he was among those who won the last U-17 premiership back in 2008 before the SANFL formed the U-18 division in line with the other states.


Next weekend's finals action across the grades...

Saturday September 7 @ City Mazda Stadium, Richmond
RESERVES 1st SEMI-FINAL

Woodville-West Torrens vs. Central District; 11am

RESERVES 2nd SEMI-FINAL
Norwood vs. Sturt; 1:30pm


Sunday September 8 @ Adelaide Oval
U-18 PRELIMINARY FINAL

South Adelaide vs. West Adelaide; 9:30am

LEAGUE 1st SEMI-FINAL
Adelaide vs. Norwood; 12:15pm

LEAGUE 2nd SEMI-FINAL
Glenelg vs. Port Adelaide; 3:15pm


So until next weekend... see you at the Footy!
a massive burden now falls upon the shoulders of Glenelg and Norwood.
140 years of SANFL integrity and sovereignty now sits on the precipice.
don't let us down.
 
May 26, 2017
20,813
42,868
Uruguayana, RS (BRA)
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Grêmio, DC United, Pistons
CARN THE MAGGIES!


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