Australian Football

Match Report

The opening match of the finals was the Elimination Final between the Double Blues and the Tigers. Sturt had a really bad run coming into the finals this year, since August they only managed one win from five games and were in second position before it all went wrong and dropped to fourth. Glenelg on the other hand were running hot in August with four wins and a draw, rising to fifth and out of reach of Port Adelaide by five premiership points. This was also Glenelg's first appearance in the finals since 1999.

The Double Blues started off best, despite a slightly wet pitch after a little rain early on in the day. They bagged 3.5 to the Tigers' two behinds to lead by 21 points at quarter-time. The Tigers have been known this season for their average beginnings to a match and it was happening again here, but the Bays finally found the big sticks in the second term though and drew the Blues back to a 14 point gap at the half time break. The attitude the Tigers displayed in the last couple of months was about to be placed on show again in the second half , restricting the Double Blues to just 1.2 while putting though 2.3 for themselves in the third quarter to reduce the margin to seven points at the final change despite their poor ball handling. It was probably mainly to do with a mixture of Sturt's frustration and poor officiating. The final term was shaping up to be a shootout, Glenelg's inaccuracy could have cost them badly had it not been for the efforts of their full backs. But the last shot on goal for the game was the one that counted most. Simon Feast had an opportunity to pinch victory from the jaws of defeat from 20 metres out but sunk a behind instead, consigning Sturt to elimination by just one point. 

Ruory Kirkby was named best for the Tigers, while Sturt named Andrew Whiteman as their best afield. See you next year Sturt.