Adelaide Footy League rivals Brighton and SHOC to face off for first time in 22 years

ONLY 2.5km separates these two football clubs. Their proximity, local pride and players switching between the teams should mean there is a healthy rivalry – but they have not faced off against each since 1996.

Brighton captain WIll Rivers and Sacred Heart OC captain Lachlan Button will renew a rivalry on Saturday, April 14. Picture: AAP/Brenton Edwards.

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ONLY 2.5km separates Brighton and Sacred Heart Old Collegians football clubs.

Their proximity, local pride and players switching between the Brighton Rd-based teams should mean there is a healthy rivalry – but they have not faced off against each other in 22 years.

Brighton has been in the Southern Football League for the past two decades before joining the amateurs at the start of last season.

The Bombers earnt promotion to this year’s division two competition by winning the third-tier flag, ensuring the battles with SHOC would resume this season.

Brighton players celebrate a goal in last year’s division three grand final win against Golden Grove. Picture: AAP/MATT LOXTON)

They will meet for the first time since 1996 at Brighton Oval this Saturday.

“There’s a bit of talk in the local pubs about who’s going to hold the mantle for this first match, so there’s a lot of anticipation and a buzz around the game,” Bombers president Kym Steer says.

“We’re literally a couple of kilometres up the road, so the players, parents, supporters all know each other from social circles and things like that over the years.”

Steer says the connection between the two clubs goes beyond their locations because many SHOC players have played juniors at the Bombers.

SHOC’s Nick Forster in action last year. Picture: AAP Image/James Elsby.

SHOC president Scott Collins hopes the match will be the first in a series of local derbies between the clubs in coming years.

“It will be good to renew that rivalry and good to get one on the board against them first up,” Collins says.

“We kept an eye on Brighton when they came across from the SFL last year and we it was always an anticipated match when we knew we would be in the same division this year.

“I hope we’ll be facing them for a number of years to come, given the depth of Brighton I think they’ll be a force in the years to come.”

The clubs won one game each when they last faced off during the 1996 season.

Both enter this match with 1-1 records.