Prince Alfred College and St Peter’s College set to meet in 150th First XVIII Intercol football match

A “grand final-like” atmosphere will come to Prince Alfred College on Saturday when the Reds host arch rival St Peter’s in a milestone clash 150 years in the making.

Prince Alfred coach Matt Slade and captain Harry Tunkin with St Peter's coach Sam Elliott and captain Morgan Ferres ahead of the schools’ historic clash this Saturday. Picture: Michael Marschall

The 150th First XVIII Intercol football match between Prince Alfred and St Peter’s could be the biggest yet, according to Reds coach Matt Slade.

Princes will be seeking revenge during Saturday’s milestone event after losing the silverware last season – the college’s first Intercol loss in eight years.

Slade said they were not fazed by the occasion, and would relish the opportunity to oust their rivals at home.

“It’s hard to put a finger on it all – the history and tradition involved – it’s grand final-like and for those competing it’s the absolute ultimate,” Slade said.

PAC captain Harry Tunkin with St Peters skipper Morgan Ferres. Picture: Michael Marschall

“Everyone’s excited about it, not just the team, but the whole college and PAC community. There’s a lot of respect for St Peter’s and the rivalry grows each year.

“We put a lot of focus into them last time. They’re a strong team with a lot of talent but this time we’re just focused on ourselves and our game plan – the boys are in a great space.”

PAC captain Harry Tunkin said this weekend presented the perfect opportunity for the team to redeem itself.

“We’re extremely motivated to make amends after last year’s heartbreaking loss and it would mean that little bit more to win on the 150th anniversary,” Tunkin said.

“We’ve put in the hard work in our preparation but we know Saints are a great team. We’re going to have to bring our best for the full four quarters.”

While the Reds head into Saturday’s clash having just beaten Trinity by 126 points, St Peter’s comes off a closer affair with Westminster.

Saints players and coaches celebrate after defeating PAC in last year’s Intercol. Picture: Brenton Edwards

The 20-point win was the test Saints needed according to coach Sam Elliott, who was confident his side could repeat last year’s success.

“This fixture means a hell of a lot to the St Peter’s community and our boys obviously rate it as their biggest game of the year,” Elliott said.

“We’re in a good spot right now and as a team of routine we’ll just stick to what we do to prepare every week. There’s high pressure with this one but we’re treating it as business as usual.”

Saints co-captain and key forward Morgan Ferres said his team needed to set the tone early in front of a PAC crowd.

“It’s a massive occasion but we know that if we bring the intensity early, we’ll be a hard team to beat,” Ferres said.

“Trying to find our rhythm quickly is very important in bigger games like this – it’ll allow us to settle in and play our brand of footy.”

Sacred Heart were victors in their match against rivals Rostrevor last year, and are hopeful they can have a repeat on Saturday. Picture: Supplied, Claude Beltrame

In college footy’s other big Intercol game, Sacred Heart will host Rostrevor in the schools’ 98th meeting.

Hearts won the spoils last year and are prepared for a fired-up Rostrevor.

“We’re well aware of the many people who have played this fixture before us and the boys are excited to play it at home,” coach Jon Symonds said.

“It will be a great atmosphere and we’re ready for the situation. We love playing important games.”

Rostrevor coach James Allan (left) will be hoping team captain Jayden Gale (right) can lead his side to success on Saturday.

Rostrevor coach James Allan said his team might not be able to prepare for the away game atmosphere, but will be ready to give it their all on the field.

“I don’t think you can do too much to prepare the boys for the atmosphere so we’re just locked in on our footy,” Allan said.

“There’s a really healthy respect for Sacred Heart at Rostrevor. They’re a great side but we think our best footy stacks up.”

The rest of Intercol Saturday will see Immanuel take on Scotch, St Michael’s host Trinity and Westminster do battle against Pembroke, all of which should be high-quality games.