Flagstaff Hill wins most lopsided grand final in Southern Football League history, claims three-peat of flags with trouncing of Reynella
Flagstaff Hill broke the Southern Football League’s record for the biggest winning margin in grand final history in claiming its third straight flag. Outgoing club president Brett Charlesworth couldn’t contain his pride after the game [SEE VIDEO]
A THIRD A-grade premiership in a row, the biggest grand final win in Southern Football League history and three other club flags.
Outgoing Flagstaff Hill president Brett Charlesworth cannot think of a better ending to his and senior coach Rod Mitchell’s tenure.
The Falcons capped another impressive season with the most one-sided SFL A-grade grand final result on record (dating back to 1919) – a 21.16 (142) to 6.6 (42) thumping of Reynella at Hickinbotham Oval on Saturday.
That triumph followed Flagstaff Hill’s premierships in the under-15s, Cs and B grade.
“It’s pretty bloody good,” said Charlesworth, the club’s president for 16 years.
“It is a bit of a fairytale.
“The job was always to build a really strong footy club and we built it brick by brick over the years. I’m so proud.”
When Flagstaff Hill and Reynella last faced off, in round 16, the Falcons prevailed by 126 points and the Wineflies did not kick a goal.
It was almost as much of a hiding this time around.
Flagstaff Hill burst out of the blocks to lead 8.5 to 1.0 at quarter-time as its pace, class and defensive discipline proved too much for Reynella.
After a more even second term, the Falcons kept the Wineflies goalless in the third, while pushing out to an 83-point lead by the last change.
Flaggies had 11 goalkickers and stacks of contributors but tough-as-nails captain Michael
Shearer snared his second grand final best-on-ground medal.
Lightning quick Sam Osmond was just as impressive, while Jake Vandermeer slotted four goals.
Shearer said the players were desperate to send Mitchell and Charlesworth out on a high.
“They’ve just been the benchmark and set our whole club up with their work on and off the field,” Shearer said.
“Us players always play for each other – we’re a really tight-knit group – but having those guys to play for meant a lot for us and seeing them after the game was unreal, the tears and emotion.”
The Falcons became the first team to win a three-peat of SFL flags since Morphett Vale, which won four in a row from 2004-07.
“I walked off the ground today with the coach I took over from, John Ramage, and nine years ago we interviewed 50 players and only got three because nobody wanted to come to us,” Mitchell said.
“Now we’re a club of choice and have built something so special.”
Mitchell was confident the Falcons could continue their success next year under incoming senior coach Darren Vanzetta, who has been his assistant.