Adelaide Footy League clubs battle to avoid relegation including Adelaide University, Seaton Ramblers
Six Adelaide Footy League clubs have been officially relegated – but who else will join them? Another 12 teams are still in the mix as a tense final day of the season looms.
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Welcome to One-Percenters – a wrap of the quirky talking points from the round in the Adelaide Footy League.
Each edition we will bring you eight or so titbits from the latest weekend – they might be eye-catching results, milestones, comebacks, big wins, broken droughts or inspiring stories.
If you have heard about something quirky in the Adelaide Footy League, email us your suggestions or photos to patrick.keam@news.com.au
From the quirky to the inspirational, the weird, wonderful and everything in between here are the things which caught our eye in round 17:
RELEGATION BATTLES
Six Adelaide Footy League clubs have now had their worst fears realised after being relegated from their respective divisions.
Unley Mercedes (division one), Portland (three), Kilburn (four), Fitzroy, West Croydon (five) and Mawson Lakes (six) are the teams no longer able to climb out of the bottom two as the final minor round looms for the majority of the competition.
For another 12 sides the fight to avoid the drop is still alive – albeit only mathematical for some.
While the league and its clubs are considering a proposal to cut each division to eight teams, we’ve taken a look at which are in the firing line as a tense final day of the season looms.
In the top flight, Adelaide University will need to travel to Payneham Oval and beat the Falcons on Saturday if it is any hope of staying in division one for a 10th straight season.
But the Blacks are masters at escaping the drop having finished between sixth and eighth on the ladder the past nine years.
A glimmer of hope remains should they not beat PNU but it would require eighth-ranked Brighton a suffering significant blow to its percentage in its final two matches.
Division two is very much alive with three clubs – Seaton Ramblers, Scotch Old Collegians and Athelstone – battling to avoid the drop.
Percentage is tight between the trio but the Rams are a win behind and the most likely to take one of the demoted positions.
Seaton visits Henley, Scotch hosts SHOC and Athelstone is home to Salisbury North in the last minor round.
Plympton faces arguably the toughest battle of any side in the relegation spots.
The division three Bulldogs are a win behind Westminster Old Scholars and trail the Dragons on percentage – 49.17 to 42.26.
But the major positive for Plympton is its round 18 opponents.
The Dogs will be at home to winless wooden spooner Portland, which has lost 17 games by an average of 171.5 points.
Kilburn was officially relegated from the fourth tier last Saturday and will be joined by one of Woodville South, Gepps Cross or Pulteney.
All three are locked on 10 wins but the Cats and Rams play off this Saturday with the loser to be demoted.
Pulteney, which has the best percentage of the three, can only be relegated if the other two draw and it loses to Walkerville.
Fitzroy and West Croydon’s fate is already sealed as the bottom two in division five and the sixth tier appears all but done.
Mawson Lakes has been officially relegated and will likely be joined by Ingle Farm.
The Farmers are a win plus percentage behind seventh-placed Para Hills.
The Big Reds will be safe if they beat Marion in the final round, however if they lose, it could come down to percentage with Ingle Farm playing Mawson Lakes.
Both divisions five and six are nine-team competitions and places could be determined depending on how each is structured next season.
GRAND FINAL FEVER
September is still a week away but some teams have already tasted the ultimate success in the Adelaide Footy League.
The women’s division two, three and seven premiers were decided on Saturday with the top flight, division one reserves, four, five and six to play their grand finals this weekend.
In a festival of footy at St Mary’s Park, Old Ignatians claimed the second tier flag by handing previously undefeated Happy Valley its first loss of the season.
Laura Magliaro, Eirini Vrodos and Niamh Leahy starred for Iggies in the 5.6 (36) to 1.9 (15) triumph.
Blackfriars Old Scholars completed a perfect season as it continued its unbeaten run to smash Tea Tree Gully 10.9 (69) to 1.2 (8) in the division three decider.
And in the first game of the day, Modbury proved just too strong for Goodwood Saints winning the division six flag 4.6 (30) to 3.4 (22).
This Saturday defeated 2020 grand finalist Payneham Norwood Union plays Morphettville Park for the crown in the top flight.
In the reserves, the Roos are also in action and face SMOSH West Lakes.
Goodwood is up against Henley in division four, Gepps Cross and Old Ignatians do battle in the fifth tier while Lockleys and Brighton clash in the division six decider.
GRAND FINAL FIXTURES
Saturday, August 28
■ Division one: Payneham Norwood Union v Morphettville Park, 3pm at St Mary’s Park
■ Division one reserves: SMOSH West Lakes v Morphettville Park, 1pm at St Mary’s Park
■ Division four: Goodwood Saints v Henley, 3pm at Price Memorial Oval
■ Division five: Gepps Cross v Old Ignatians, 1pm at Price Memorial Oval
■ Division six: Lockleys v Brighton Bombers, 11am at St Mary’s Park
PERFECT EAGLES
It does not come around often at men’s A grade level but the Elizabeth Football Club has officially put together a perfect home and away season.
Wearing a special guernsey for the club’s past players day, the dominant 16-0 Eagles faced one of their toughest tests yet in the final round – at home to second-placed Trinity Old Scholars – but were up to the task once again to claim yet another victory in division six.
Two more wins and Elizabeth will have its first A grade flag in 16 years.
MARKS AND GOALS OF THE WEEK
MAGPIE MOVES
In case you missed it, Port District coach Simon Maddern is set to step down from his role at the division one club following the Magpies’ final game this Saturday.
Maddern made the decision earlier this year before he helped secure Port’s status in the Adelaide Footy League’s top flight for 2022 last round.
And the Magpies’ search for a successor has already begun.
Given Maddern gave the club notice, president Craig Brown said the club had informally started the process of searching for its next coach.
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