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Finals, Week 3

Team Score SC
West Adelaide 88
North Adelaide 67SC

Premiership season 2012 - Finals, Week 3 Review

Total Crowd 5,238 (Avg 5,238)

The Preliminary Final is the last chance for that one shot at immortality. This is one stop on the bumpy road that is the finals that the mighty Bulldogs have never had to run on in their 12-season streak of Grand Final appearances for their nine premierships... but that means that three times, they have fallen to the victor of the third week finals contest. History shows that this match can more often than not be the bump that prevents premiership glory, but it isn't impossible. This is the final piece of the 2012 puzzle... it all comes together next week for one team.

Welcome to the Week 3 edition of the SANFL Finals Wrap-Up

From the 78 preliminary finals played in SANFL history, there have only been 27 occasions that the victorious side has gone on to win the premiership. The Bulldogs aren't one of them, from six appearances they have had only one preliminary final win against Norwood in the 1995 season where they eventually went down to the Magpies in the decider. In recent times of preliminary final winners going on to win the title, you need only look at last season where the Eagles took the hard road to the 2011 flag where they humbled the Redlegs by 44 points. They did it a little easier in their 2006 premiership year, only losing a 2nd Semi-Final before defeating Sturt in that year's prelim. Whilst on the subject of the Double Blues, they did it in similar fashion only four years previous in their breakthrough 2002 premiership year when they sent the Redlegs packing before ambushing the Bulldogs in the Grand Final. In the post-AFL era, the Magpies have done it three times in 1994, 1996 and 1998. 60 preliminary finals have been contested by the Magpies and the Redlegs, with appearance and win/loss record shared equally at 50/50 all around. The Roosters and the Bloods have met in two previous preliminary finals, the Bloods taking a win in the first meeting in 1956 by 20 points and the Roosters took an 11-point win in 1985 with neither managing to win a premiership in those years. In all time records for preliminary finals, the Roosters have won seven from 15 matches, while the Bloods have taken six wins from 14.

In this year's contests between these two clubs, the Roosters have outlasted the Bloods in both encounters in 2012. In Round 4, North escaped City Mazda Stadium with a seven-point win, followed by their Round 18 stoush at Prospect where the Roosters left the Bloods wanting again with a 20-point win. North and West have played each other in 13 finals games all up, the infamous bloodbath Grand Final of 1991 sticks in the minds of the Bloods faithful when the Roosters blasted away with the flag with a 75-point victory. The tall timber that nullified Centrals last week didn't seem to bother West much, they would end the first term with a four-point lead after kicking three goals to North's 2.2. There would be further embarrassment for North in the second term, two long-range goals from their 6.3 tally avoided the Roosters big backs completely. It was the reverse at the other end as North's forwards were kept relatively quiet, they kicked 2.3 as the Bloods extended their advantage to 28 points by the half-time break. Things seemed to slow down for Westies in the third term, but the deficit would remain largely intact going into the final stanza. North outscored them in the third, but three goals to 2.3 would only reduce the gap by three points back to 25. North continued to cling to some hope in the final term, but West's defence and offence did enough to ensure their Grand Final spot in the end. West's 2.4 to North's 3.2 saw the Bloods victorious by 21 points, sending them into their second premiership play-off in 10 years. Chris Schmidt took best afield honours for North, while West named James Bennett as their best. This was to be the final appearance for Clint Alleway and James Allan who have played in over 240 games between them. Both have made appearances for South Australia, whilst Allan made off with three Magarey Medals (2007, 2010-11).

Other Grade Preliminary Finals

The Bulldogs will contest the Reserves Grand Final after defeating the Double Blues in the AAMI Stadium curtain raiser by 15 points, whilst over at Alberton Oval on Saturday morning the Eagles ambushed minor premier Norwood by 42 points. The Double Blues await the Eagles in the Macca's Cup Final, while Centrals face Norwood in the Reserves decider.

RESERVES - Central District 9.14 (68) def. Sturt 8.5 (53)

U-18's - Woodville-West Torrens 10.13 (73) def. Norwood 4.7 (31)

So this is it folks, its Grand Final week! Here's the schedule...

Sunday October 7 @ AAMI Stadium

MACCA'S CUP U-18's GRAND FINAL

Sturt vs. Woodville-West Torrens - 9:05am

RESERVES GRAND FINAL

Norwood vs. Central District - 12:10pm

2012 SANFL GRAND FINAL

Norwood vs. West Adelaide - 3:10pm

R-26, Ladder

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.