- May 8, 2001
- 5,667
- 818
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
- Other Teams
- CDFC (SANFL), Port Melb (VFL)
Hi Footy fans...
The finish line is in sight and we are now one week away from crowning a new champion. There was still one last order of business to conduct, with the Roosters already booked in, we needed a second challenger for the title of 2022 SANFL Premiers. The Preliminary Final is the last chance saloon and the Roosters must be cautioned, as they have fallen victim to this following scenario. Until last year, the outfit that ended up taking the prize was those that won the Preliminary Final for six successive seasons. It started in 2015 with the Bloods and ended in the Covid-affected 2020 season, when the Eagles rebounded from a 2nd Semi-Final loss to return the favour on Roosters to win the title. That streak was broken last season, the Tigers unable to top the Eagles who would take back-to-back flags for the first time in their history as a merged team. For those six seasons that the underdog came out on top, it serves as a warning about over-confidence. You can be the best team all season, but come the day... well, I reckon you know the rest. So who was going to forge on and challenge the Roosters next week? I think the real question is, especially in this Preliminary Final, who has more desire?
Welcome to the Week 3 edition of the SANFL Finals Wrap-Up.
Another week, another trip across the Torrens River Bridge and into the Adelaide Oval for the Preliminary Final where the Redlegs and the Crows would face each other once more. It was just a fortnight ago that these two teams last clashed in the Qualifying Final. Adelaide dominated the day, especially in the second and third quarters where they kicked a combined 11 goals to Norwood's miserly three. The Crows would emerge victorious by 55 points, but then dropped their guard just enough the following week to go down to the Roosters by 10 points in their 2nd Semi-Final. The Redlegs redeemed themselves with a 28-point win over the Tigers to earn a second chance at the Grand Final. The third term was a test of their defensive mettle, keeping the Tigers to four behinds before kicking away in the final term. As stated earlier, for six seasons from 2015, the winner of the Preliminary Final has gone on to win the premiership. The Bloods of 2015 started the trend, ending with the Eagles of 2020. In between, the Blues went back-to-back in 2016 & 2017, along with the Roosters (2018) and Glenelg (2019). The Tigers' eventual loss in the 2021 decider broke the streak. The Redlegs have participated in 40 Preliminary Finals and have won 20, while the Crows have yet to take victory in two previous outings in 2016 against Sturt, then 2019 against Glenelg. Norwood have been successful on several occasions in going through a Prelim and winning the lot, the most recent case being their 1997 season. There is also their famous 1978 and 1984 premiership seasons, both of which they were never truly expected to win against seemingly superior opposition. Of course with this in mind there have been some forgettable matches, including the Redlegs' previous PF appearance back in 2011. The Eagles kept them to just 3.5, winning by 44 points on their way to that year's flag, which at the time was 13 years since the last PF winner that won a title. That was Port Adelaide, who thumped the Bloods by almost 13 goals and went on to defeat Sturt in the 1998 decider.
Norwood were exposed in several areas two weeks ago and no doubt there were some extra things being worked on in training sessions at The Parade. The word from the 'Legs camp on that loss to the Crows was that they didn't play "the Norwood way". And speaking of training, there was the initial lockout from training on the Adelaide Oval before the media got wind and then the Redlegs were allowed onto the hallowed turf eventually. If they needed some real motivation, they got it. There was a difference in mentality for the Redlegs this week and although the Crows did have more chances in the opening term, they fluffed their fair share. The Crows would be just one goal up at quarter-time, a last-minute major before the siren had the scoreboard showing them with 4.3 and the Redlegs' with 3.3. Less than half a minute into the second term and the Crows would find that the Redlegs did indeed mean business this time and though Adelaide did hit a patch of form in the middle of the term to kick out to a 19-point lead, the Redlegs closed the quarter in fine fashion to keep that one-kick gap going into the rooms at the long break. The Crows scored 3.2, the Redlegs had 4.1, at half-time it was a one-point lead to Adelaide. Stat check now, the Redlegs' attacking zone was seemingly easier to break out of going by the rebound 50 count. Obviously for the most part, Norwood's defenders were making life difficult for Adelaide's attack to make up for that, despite the Crows winning the clearances. In the centre, the Redlegs' ruck was doing quite well against an AFL-caliber opponent. The Crows threatened to break away in the third term, but their shooting kept the Redlegs well and truly in it. It could have been a four-kick deficit, but instead it would be just two. A last chance to make it just one went astray for the 'Legs in the last minutes and at three quarter-time, Adelaide were holding onto a seven-point lead. For over three quarters, the Crows were either in front or level. Six minutes into the final term, the Redlegs drew level once more. After 15 minutes, Norwood got their breakthrough. They took the lead and didn't let go. The question about desire was answered as the Redlegs forged onward, altogether scoring 4.3 to Adelaide's 1.3. Two of those Crows behinds were in the dying stages as they desperately tried to wrestle back the lead, but the Redlegs weren't to be denied as they emerged 11-point winners. Magarey runner-up Nik Rokahr was named Norwood's best, with 30 disposals, 11 tackles and six clearances to his name. For the Crows, it was Brett Turner with 26 disposals, 11 clearances and 10 tackles.
FINAL SCORES IN WEEK 3 OF THE SANFL FINALS...
Sunday September 11
LEAGUE PRELIMINARY FINAL
Norwood 12.9 (81)
Adelaide 10.10 (70)
Adelaide Oval
INJURIES
None known at time of post.
REPORTS
None known at time of post.
OTHER GRADE FINALS -- Eagles into juniors decider, straight sets exit for 'Legs Colts and the Bloods twos fall asleep again
The Eagles will take on the Tigers in the U-16 Grand Final, after accounting for the Panthers in their Preliminary Final at Thebarton Oval on Saturday morning. The Eagles were having goal-kicking problems in the first half, which was keeping the Panthers in the game. They led by four points at quarter-time, then two goals at half-time when they could have been more than double that figure had they been more true in their shooting. But then the Panthers would find themselves under assault by the inaccuracy bug in the third quarter, kicking a string of behinds mid-term. The two-goal deficit was still there at the final change, South having a big chance to nick the result after the Eagles again found the big sticks hard to find. But it wasn't to be, the Eagles emerging victorious by seven points. After that match it was the U-18's Preliminary Final, with the result putting yet another Glenelg side into a decider after they downed the Redlegs. This was one that the 'Legs let get away, after matching almost everything with the Tigers and only being adrift by three points at the long break, their goal-kicking boots went missing in the third term. The Tigers kicked 4.1 to the Redlegs' 1.7, setting up a 15-point lead going into the final change. Norwood kept coming in the final term, which became an arm-wrestle. They got to within a point at the 12th minute, but the last goal for the game to the Bays made the difference as they set up a meeting with North Adelaide with a six-point victory. Finally in the reserves, once more West Adelaide just went missing in the second half as the Double Blues put their season to the sword in their Preliminary Final on Sunday morning at Adelaide Oval. The Bloods kept step with the Blues for the first half, only nine points separating the two at the long break. But then the rot set in once again, although they weren't kept silent like they were against North two weeks ago it would still have a feel like that Qualifying Final capitulation. Only three minutes into the third term, the gap was out to 21 points after two quick Sturt majors. It got to as much as 31 points at 17 minutes before West kicked a goal before the final change. Sturt added another four goals in the final term to put it beyond doubt, the Bloods wasting several big chances to reel them back in as they went down and out by 40 points. The Blues will now face the Roosters in the Grand Final which is to be held prior to the league decider on Sunday.
Saturday September 10 @ Thebarton Oval
U-16 PRELIMINARY FINAL -- Woodville-West Torrens 9.13 (67) def. South Adelaide 8.12 (60)
U-18 PRELIMINARY FINAL -- Glenelg 10.7 (67) def. Norwood 8.13 (61)
Sunday September 11 @ Adelaide Oval
RESERVES PRELIMINARY FINAL -- Sturt 14.6 (90) def. West Adelaide 7.8 (50)
So next weekend... it's all or nothing. Its Grand Final week!
Friday September 16 @ Adelaide Oval
U-16 TORRENS UNIVERSITY CUP GRAND FINAL
Glenelg vs. Woodville-West Torrens @ 4:50pm
U-18 TORRENS UNIVERSITY CUP GRAND FINAL
North Adelaide vs. Glenelg @ 7:30pm
Sunday September 18 @ Adelaide Oval
RESERVES GRAND FINAL
North Adelaide vs. Sturt @ 11:25am
2022 SANFL HOSTPLUS LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
North Adelaide vs. Norwood @ 3pm
So until next weekend... see you at the Footy!
The finish line is in sight and we are now one week away from crowning a new champion. There was still one last order of business to conduct, with the Roosters already booked in, we needed a second challenger for the title of 2022 SANFL Premiers. The Preliminary Final is the last chance saloon and the Roosters must be cautioned, as they have fallen victim to this following scenario. Until last year, the outfit that ended up taking the prize was those that won the Preliminary Final for six successive seasons. It started in 2015 with the Bloods and ended in the Covid-affected 2020 season, when the Eagles rebounded from a 2nd Semi-Final loss to return the favour on Roosters to win the title. That streak was broken last season, the Tigers unable to top the Eagles who would take back-to-back flags for the first time in their history as a merged team. For those six seasons that the underdog came out on top, it serves as a warning about over-confidence. You can be the best team all season, but come the day... well, I reckon you know the rest. So who was going to forge on and challenge the Roosters next week? I think the real question is, especially in this Preliminary Final, who has more desire?
Welcome to the Week 3 edition of the SANFL Finals Wrap-Up.
Another week, another trip across the Torrens River Bridge and into the Adelaide Oval for the Preliminary Final where the Redlegs and the Crows would face each other once more. It was just a fortnight ago that these two teams last clashed in the Qualifying Final. Adelaide dominated the day, especially in the second and third quarters where they kicked a combined 11 goals to Norwood's miserly three. The Crows would emerge victorious by 55 points, but then dropped their guard just enough the following week to go down to the Roosters by 10 points in their 2nd Semi-Final. The Redlegs redeemed themselves with a 28-point win over the Tigers to earn a second chance at the Grand Final. The third term was a test of their defensive mettle, keeping the Tigers to four behinds before kicking away in the final term. As stated earlier, for six seasons from 2015, the winner of the Preliminary Final has gone on to win the premiership. The Bloods of 2015 started the trend, ending with the Eagles of 2020. In between, the Blues went back-to-back in 2016 & 2017, along with the Roosters (2018) and Glenelg (2019). The Tigers' eventual loss in the 2021 decider broke the streak. The Redlegs have participated in 40 Preliminary Finals and have won 20, while the Crows have yet to take victory in two previous outings in 2016 against Sturt, then 2019 against Glenelg. Norwood have been successful on several occasions in going through a Prelim and winning the lot, the most recent case being their 1997 season. There is also their famous 1978 and 1984 premiership seasons, both of which they were never truly expected to win against seemingly superior opposition. Of course with this in mind there have been some forgettable matches, including the Redlegs' previous PF appearance back in 2011. The Eagles kept them to just 3.5, winning by 44 points on their way to that year's flag, which at the time was 13 years since the last PF winner that won a title. That was Port Adelaide, who thumped the Bloods by almost 13 goals and went on to defeat Sturt in the 1998 decider.
Norwood were exposed in several areas two weeks ago and no doubt there were some extra things being worked on in training sessions at The Parade. The word from the 'Legs camp on that loss to the Crows was that they didn't play "the Norwood way". And speaking of training, there was the initial lockout from training on the Adelaide Oval before the media got wind and then the Redlegs were allowed onto the hallowed turf eventually. If they needed some real motivation, they got it. There was a difference in mentality for the Redlegs this week and although the Crows did have more chances in the opening term, they fluffed their fair share. The Crows would be just one goal up at quarter-time, a last-minute major before the siren had the scoreboard showing them with 4.3 and the Redlegs' with 3.3. Less than half a minute into the second term and the Crows would find that the Redlegs did indeed mean business this time and though Adelaide did hit a patch of form in the middle of the term to kick out to a 19-point lead, the Redlegs closed the quarter in fine fashion to keep that one-kick gap going into the rooms at the long break. The Crows scored 3.2, the Redlegs had 4.1, at half-time it was a one-point lead to Adelaide. Stat check now, the Redlegs' attacking zone was seemingly easier to break out of going by the rebound 50 count. Obviously for the most part, Norwood's defenders were making life difficult for Adelaide's attack to make up for that, despite the Crows winning the clearances. In the centre, the Redlegs' ruck was doing quite well against an AFL-caliber opponent. The Crows threatened to break away in the third term, but their shooting kept the Redlegs well and truly in it. It could have been a four-kick deficit, but instead it would be just two. A last chance to make it just one went astray for the 'Legs in the last minutes and at three quarter-time, Adelaide were holding onto a seven-point lead. For over three quarters, the Crows were either in front or level. Six minutes into the final term, the Redlegs drew level once more. After 15 minutes, Norwood got their breakthrough. They took the lead and didn't let go. The question about desire was answered as the Redlegs forged onward, altogether scoring 4.3 to Adelaide's 1.3. Two of those Crows behinds were in the dying stages as they desperately tried to wrestle back the lead, but the Redlegs weren't to be denied as they emerged 11-point winners. Magarey runner-up Nik Rokahr was named Norwood's best, with 30 disposals, 11 tackles and six clearances to his name. For the Crows, it was Brett Turner with 26 disposals, 11 clearances and 10 tackles.
FINAL SCORES IN WEEK 3 OF THE SANFL FINALS...
Sunday September 11
LEAGUE PRELIMINARY FINAL
Norwood 12.9 (81)
Adelaide 10.10 (70)
Adelaide Oval
INJURIES
None known at time of post.
REPORTS
None known at time of post.
OTHER GRADE FINALS -- Eagles into juniors decider, straight sets exit for 'Legs Colts and the Bloods twos fall asleep again
The Eagles will take on the Tigers in the U-16 Grand Final, after accounting for the Panthers in their Preliminary Final at Thebarton Oval on Saturday morning. The Eagles were having goal-kicking problems in the first half, which was keeping the Panthers in the game. They led by four points at quarter-time, then two goals at half-time when they could have been more than double that figure had they been more true in their shooting. But then the Panthers would find themselves under assault by the inaccuracy bug in the third quarter, kicking a string of behinds mid-term. The two-goal deficit was still there at the final change, South having a big chance to nick the result after the Eagles again found the big sticks hard to find. But it wasn't to be, the Eagles emerging victorious by seven points. After that match it was the U-18's Preliminary Final, with the result putting yet another Glenelg side into a decider after they downed the Redlegs. This was one that the 'Legs let get away, after matching almost everything with the Tigers and only being adrift by three points at the long break, their goal-kicking boots went missing in the third term. The Tigers kicked 4.1 to the Redlegs' 1.7, setting up a 15-point lead going into the final change. Norwood kept coming in the final term, which became an arm-wrestle. They got to within a point at the 12th minute, but the last goal for the game to the Bays made the difference as they set up a meeting with North Adelaide with a six-point victory. Finally in the reserves, once more West Adelaide just went missing in the second half as the Double Blues put their season to the sword in their Preliminary Final on Sunday morning at Adelaide Oval. The Bloods kept step with the Blues for the first half, only nine points separating the two at the long break. But then the rot set in once again, although they weren't kept silent like they were against North two weeks ago it would still have a feel like that Qualifying Final capitulation. Only three minutes into the third term, the gap was out to 21 points after two quick Sturt majors. It got to as much as 31 points at 17 minutes before West kicked a goal before the final change. Sturt added another four goals in the final term to put it beyond doubt, the Bloods wasting several big chances to reel them back in as they went down and out by 40 points. The Blues will now face the Roosters in the Grand Final which is to be held prior to the league decider on Sunday.
Saturday September 10 @ Thebarton Oval
U-16 PRELIMINARY FINAL -- Woodville-West Torrens 9.13 (67) def. South Adelaide 8.12 (60)
U-18 PRELIMINARY FINAL -- Glenelg 10.7 (67) def. Norwood 8.13 (61)
Sunday September 11 @ Adelaide Oval
RESERVES PRELIMINARY FINAL -- Sturt 14.6 (90) def. West Adelaide 7.8 (50)
So next weekend... it's all or nothing. Its Grand Final week!
Friday September 16 @ Adelaide Oval
U-16 TORRENS UNIVERSITY CUP GRAND FINAL
Glenelg vs. Woodville-West Torrens @ 4:50pm
U-18 TORRENS UNIVERSITY CUP GRAND FINAL
North Adelaide vs. Glenelg @ 7:30pm
Sunday September 18 @ Adelaide Oval
RESERVES GRAND FINAL
North Adelaide vs. Sturt @ 11:25am
2022 SANFL HOSTPLUS LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
North Adelaide vs. Norwood @ 3pm
So until next weekend... see you at the Footy!
