Australian Football

Finals Week 2

1SF

2SF

Premiership season 2019 - Finals Week 2 Review

Total Crowd 22,812 (Avg 11,406)

Hi Footy fans...

There has been one question that a great many SA footy-heads have asked for the last five years and it has bothered the absolute hell out of the died-in-the-wool SANFL fanatics. What happens when the premiership is won by an AFL club? That question could be answered very soon after what happened in this past weekend of finals football, but I guess now the question is how will people react to such an eventuality? Another club has been eliminated from the running and was dumped in such a way that shook most SANFL supporters to their core, leaving many to say that it could very well be that the Grand Final may be contested without a fully-fledged SANFL side. The anti-AFL sentiment is as high as it has ever been since their inclusion and it is now left to one team to thwart that eventuality. Two weeks to go!

Welcome to the Week 2 edition of the SANFL Wrap-Up.

We're back at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday arvo, starting with the 1st Semi-Final encounter between the Crows and the Redlegs. While the Redlegs have been Elimination Final specialists, their record in the follow up match is not as great despite having played in and won more 1st Semis than any other team. Norwood have appeared in this final on 34 occasions for a return of 15 wins, with their last one being back in 2008 which resulted in a loss against Sturt. There have been two drawn games in its history, the 1933 edition between the Redlegs and the Roosters was replayed the following week with Norwood recording a one-point win. It happened again in 1945, but this time the crowd was so loud that the final bell was drowned out and West Torrens kicked a goal before the game was brought to an official end. To rub more salt into the wounds, the Eagles would go on to win the flag! They are among the 11 teams to win the title after a 1st Semi, joining the likes of North last season and the Eagles of 2011. In the records department, the highest score was recorded in 1990 when the Roosters downed the Panthers with their tally of 23.14 (152) although in regards to most goals, that is held by Sturt of 1983 with their 24.7 (151). The biggest loss was copped by the Bulldogs in 2012, humiliated by North by 88 points.

The Crows have played in only one 1st Semi, which was a nine-goal thumping of the Panthers in 2016. They raised more than a few eyebrows that year after the SANFL allowed an otherwise ineligible player to play. This season, Adelaide took all the points against the Redlegs at The Parade, winning by three goals in Round 6 and then by 37 points in Round 12. After the 'Legs went the distance against the Blues last week and the Crows ran out of legs against the Magpies, everyone expected a fight. A nightmare was about to unfold and the blows were very much one sided. By the 13th minute mark, the Crows were out to a five-goal lead. It took until the 26th minute for the Redlegs to score a major, the scoreboard would read 6.2 to 1.3. It was going to get even worse by the long break, the Crows ramming through a further 5.3 to a wasteful 1.1 to set a 55-point deficit come half-time. The Crows' pressure was immense, almost every Norwood goal was answered back... some within seconds of the restart! The tempo of the first half wouldn't let up in the second, the gap only grew as the Redlegs faithful looked on in disbelief. This was a football lesson. Adelaide kicked 5.4 to 3.4 in the third term to take their lead out to 67 points by three quarter-time. The last quarter saw the 'Legs manage to outscore the Crows, but they only managed to cut five points from their eventual winning margin. It was a shootout of sorts, Norwood scoring 6.3 to 5.4 as the Crows won by 62 points to seal a Preliminary Final spot next Sunday. Patrick Wilson was named best for the Crows, the Redlegs named Matt Panos as their standout on a dismal day.

Next up its the 2nd Semi-Final, with the winner advancing straight into the Grand Final. This year was a renewal of old rivalries as the Tigers took on the Magpies. When it comes to this final there is only one specialist... Port Adelaide. 50 appearances with 27 wins, including their most recent outing in 2017 against the Eagles. Port also carry the highest score with 24.20 (164) in 1980 and played 15 out of a possible 16 during the years of 1951 to 1966. That one year missed -- 1958 -- is the only way the Bulldogs trump said feat with 12 consecutive 2nd Semi victories between 2000 and 2011. The Tigers have appeared in 14 Grand Final playoffs, winning just four of them. Their first appearance in finals in 1934 saw them face the Magpies in that year's 2nd Semi-Final, but despite losing by 65 points they would rebound for their inaugural premiership. It would take over 40 years before they faced each other in this situation again, Port getting vengeance in the worst way with four consecutive victories in 1976, 1977, 1981 and 1984. They crossed paths again in 1990, but after dropping that match the Magpies again put one over the Tigers in the Grand Final. Norwood are second in games played with 24 appearances, but have won only nine and also share an unwanted record of lowest score with West Adelaide of 2.5 (17).

The Tigers won both minor round outings this season, the first being a 49-point win at Glenelg in Round 8, followed by a three-goal win at Alberton in Round 14. Interesting fact about this game, the Tigers have not won a final for quite some time... their tally is on the cusp of 4000 days. Their last victory was the 2008 Preliminary Final against Sturt, but would become just another victim of the Dogs' premiership run. Very little would separate these sides at the breaks, the Magpies taking the first couple of goals only for the Bays to get a couple of their own. It was only a single miss by the Tigers late in the term that allowed Port to lead at quarter-time, the board reading 3.2 to 2.3. A few missed opportunities by the Magpies in the second term allowed Glenelg to stay within a couple of kicks at the long break, but there were signs that Port were perhaps starting to hit their stride. They scored 3.3 to the Tigers' three goals without a miss to stretch the lead to eight points by half-time. The Magpies would manage to take their lead out to 16 points going into the final change, but in a quarter that went for over 30 minutes perhaps they could have made more of their chances after scoring 3.3 to 2.1. The Tiger charge was expected and deep into time-on, they were able to wrestle the lead out of Port's hands with the first three goals to lead by three points half-way in. But the Magpies held firm and with a piece of brilliance later in the term, scored 2.2 to 1.2 to nick the first Grand Final spot with a four-point win. Trent McKenzie was named best for the Magpies, the Tigers named Jesse White as their best.

FINAL SCORES IN WEEK 2 OF THE SANFL FINALS...

Sunday September 8
1st SEMI-FINAL
Adelaide 21.13 (139)
Norwood 11.11 (77)

2nd SEMI-FINAL
Port Adelaide 11.10 (76)
Glenelg 11.6 (72)
11,406 @ Adelaide Oval

INJURIES
None known at time of post.

REPORTS
Adelaide -- Fogarty (striking)
Port -- Frampton (striking), Johnson (striking)


U-18's -- SOUTH TO CHALLENGE FOR FLAG
The Panthers have won through to the U-18's Torrens University Cup Grand Final, downing the Bloods in their Preliminary Final at Adelaide Oval on Sunday morning. The Panthers had some accuracy issues in the opening term, leading by eight points at quarter-time after scoring 4.3 to 3.1. But by the end of the second term, that issue was in the rear view mirror and so were Westies. Seven goals without a miss to 2.2 had the Panthers out to a six-goal lead at half-time, from there they only needed to limit any Bloods' attacks. The second half was more subdued in the goals department, the Panthers scoring 5.1 to the Bloods' wasteful 6.6 to seal their spot in the decider. South finished 25-point victors and will face the Eagles in the mid-card game at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Preliminary Final -- South Adelaide 16.4 (100) def. 11.9 (75)


RESERVES -- REDLEGS INTO GRAND FINAL, DOGS BOW OUT
It was a day of low-scoring scrappy football in the Reserves Semi-Finals at City Mazda Stadium in Richmond, no more than eight goals were scored per team. It started with the Eagles eliminating the Bulldogs, despite the Dogs being the more accurate on goals it was the Eagles that had the higher tally of shots on goal. The Dogs led at quarter-time, but was overturned by the long break with the Eagles peppering their goals. After scoring two more goals in the third term, the Eagles were held goalless from here. The constant exchange of turnovers in the final term and the Eagles multiple entries into their 50 was probably what saved them in the end, finishing seven point winners. They will now face the Double Blues in Sunday morning's Preliminary Final at Adelaide Oval, after they were beaten in extra time by the minor premiers in Norwood. It was equally as scrappy as the game before, both sides struggling to make any real impact on the scoreboard. The 'Legs were in front at every change, but their inaccuracy threatened to bring them unstuck. One last rushed behind to Sturt locked the scores at 48 points each at full time, but the Redlegs would emerge with a one-point win with a 1.1 to one goal two-halve added time score.

1st Semi-Final -- Woodville-West Torrens 6.16 (52) def. Central District 7.3 (45)
2nd Semi-Final -- Norwood 8.7 (55) def. Sturt 7.12 (54)


2019 MEDALS -- Partington wins rare double individual honour
Glenelg mid-fielder Luke Partington made some history at last night's Magarey Medal count, not only taking out the league's best and fairest honour but also winning the R.O. Shearman Medal as voted by the coaches of the league teams. Partington polled 26 votes, five ahead of nearest rival Patrick Wilson of Adelaide and nine ahead of Norwood's Lewis Johnston. He is the Tigers' 10th winner of the medal and the first for 13 years, their last being Brett Backwell in 2006. For the Shearman Medal he bagged 76 votes, four ahead of Wilson and seven ahead of Port Adelaide's Jackson Trengove. Still on Glenelg, the Ken Farmer Medal was won by Liam McBean who kicked 46 goals this season, just one ahead of team-mate Luke Reynolds. The Reserves Magarey Medal was won by Norwood's Jed Spence who polled 15 votes from 13 games, two points ahead of Sturt's Ed Allan and the Eagles' Jake Comitogianni. And finally we come to the U-18's McCallum-Tomkins Medal, which was taken by North Adelaide's Harrison Magor on 17 votes, followed by the Eagles' Luke Barnett (15) and Westies' Beau Nunan (14).


Next weekend's schedule for Week 3...

Sunday September 15 @ Adelaide Oval
RESERVES PRELIMINARY FINAL
Sturt vs. Woodville-West Torrens; 9:20am

U-18 TORRENS UNI CUP GRAND FINAL
Woodville-West Torrens vs. South Adelaide; 12:10pm

LEAGUE PRELIMINARY FINAL
Glenelg vs. Adelaide; 3:15pm


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

R-18, Ladder