Australian Football

Match Report

Now its onto the 2nd Semi-Final and to decide the first entrant into this year's Grand Final, the minor premiers in the Tigers taking on the Crows. These sides traded victories against one another during their pair of encounters at Brighton Road this year, the Tigers taking out the Round 8 fixture by just two points, then the Crows in the Round 13 match by 20 points. In the earlier match, the Tigers recovered their accuracy in the second half after squandering a swag of chances in the second quarter, outscoring Adelaide seven goals to five. But the Crows returned the favour in the next outing, though if not for a drop in intensity in the final term could have blown the game apart. In finals football, they have met only once. That being the 2019 Preliminary Final in which Glenelg won by 27 points on their way to the premiership. The Crows first and only appearance in the 2nd Semi was last season in a loss to the Roosters. Glenelg have played in 16, with a disappointing 25% success record. That said, they have rebounded on three of those occasions to take out the trophy in 1934, 1986 and 2019. The Magpies still hold the record for most appearances with 51 games, 28 of them victories. The highest number of goals kicked is shared between the 'Pies and the Bloods with 24 majors, but Port's 24.20 kicked in the 1980 edition is the current overall scoring record in 2nd Semis. Centrals' run of wins during their dominant period forms part of the next best win-loss record, their two losses prior to the 2000's the only blemishes on the 15 appearances they have made.

The Tigers hierarchy were likely watching the game between the Crows and the Double Blues last week, the Round 13 loss and a Round 17 defeat from the Eagles probably sounding some little alarm bells despite a dominant finish to the year against South. Adelaide's win last week was preceded by a pre-finals loss to the Redlegs, so it probably wouldn't have been strange to see Glenelg spies at The Parade either. The first quarter was a goal-fest with both sides bagging five goals each, though the Crows' inability to retain a 19-point lead prior to time-on was concerning for their faithful. A pair of missed chances by the Crows made up the difference at quarter-time, they would lead by just two points. Adelaide kicked the first couple of majors in the second term, but still couldn't break away from the minor premiers. There were a pair of missed chances late on by the Tigers that sandwiched the last goal for the first half, said behinds would see the scores tied going into the changerooms at the long break. Glenelg kicked 2.4 to Adelaide's 2.2, scores were 46 points each at half-time. If the third term is traditionally called the premiership quarter, then the Tigers' dominant showing in said quarter should speak volumes of their premiership credentials as they left the Crows wanting, holding them to a lowly single behind. Glenelg went on to kick five unanswered goals along with three behinds, taking the lead for the first time since the seventh minute of the first quarter. They went into the final change with a 32-point advantage. And that is the way it finished, the Tigers advancing to the Grand Final as they matched everything Adelaide threw at them in the last quarter, both sides scoring 4.1 each. In the best afield department, Glenelg named Matt Snook with his 25 disposals, 10 clearances and eight tackles. Lachlan Hosie and Liam McBean each kicked three goals, while Brett Turner was a handy all-rounder with two goals along with seven tackles and clearances. Sam Berry was Adelaide's best on ground, with 23 disposals, 12 tackles and eight clearances. Jackson Hately was no slouch either with a dozen tackles of his own, while Brayden Cook and Lachlan Gollant combined for six goals.