Flagstaff Hill stuns previously unbeaten Noarlunga to win fourth consecutive Southern Football League premiership
One team won its fourth premiership in a row, beating a club that had not lost this year until Saturday. See our full grand final wrap from a huge Saturday across the state.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Flagstaff Hill inflicted Noarlunga’s first loss of the Southern Football League season with a 33-point grand final triumph on Saturday and in doing so became the competition’s first team in 12 years to win four consecutive flags.
The Falcons entered the game as the underdogs despite being three-time reigning premiers because the Shoes had not lost in 2019 and won all three of their previous meeting this season - by 50, 62 and 44 points.
But a stunning second quarter, when Flagstaff kicked 5.2 and kept Noarlunga scoreless, helped spearhead the Falcons to yet another flag.
Only two other SFL clubs - Morphett Vale (2004-07, 1978-81) and Willunga (1948-52) - have claimed four successive A-grade premierships since World War II.
Making Flagstaff’s latest achievement more special was that it came with a new coach, captain and president after Darren Vanzetta, David Kearsley and Neil Williams replaced Rod Mitchell, Michael Shearer and Brett Charlesworth at the end of 2018.
“It’s just unbelievable - the boys played their heart out today,” Vanzetta said.
“We knew it’d take 120 minutes to beat this mob – they’re a bloody good side – and our boys just executed the plan perfectly.
“Once we put pressure on, they turn the footy over a little bit.”
Noarlunga trailed by as many as 44 points after Ben Rossi kicked the opening goal of the third quarter but fought back with three successive majors.
Then when dual Mail medallist Nick Mott roosted a goal from just beyond 50m late in the term to cut the margin to 21 points, it looked as though the Shoes might storm home.
But Mark Hollis, who booted three goals for the game and won the best-on-ground medal, halted Noarlunga’s momentum with the first major of the final term.
“I spoke to the players at half-time and said ‘good teams will come at you, we’ve just got to embrace that’ and the guys did,” Vanzetta said.
In a gutsy performance, West Adelaide premiership big man Daniel Webb played out the game after copping a knee in the back and coughing up blood early in the contest.
“His game was absolutely phenomenal,” Vanzetta said.
Vanzetta, a Collingwood supporter, said maintaining the high standards had been a challenge for the club this year but joked its coaching transition plan had been “a bit smoother” than Mick Malthouse handing over to Nathan Buckley after the 2011 grand final.
The Falcons will now try to become the first club since Willunga in 1952 to snare five flags in a row.
“The fire in the belly is already in these guys and they want to go again,” Vanzetta said.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be there next year – I haven’t signed anything – but they’ll probably have to kick me out I reckon.
“And I might be the last one leaving tonight.”
Shoes coach Barry Pilmore was shattered at the result.
“We played so well all year and then gave up a performance like that, so it’s very disappointing,” Pilmore said.
“But Flagstaff played very well, you have to give them a lot of credit.”
In the Hills Football League, undefeated Hahndorf took its dominance to new heights with a fourth premiership in five years on Saturday.
The powerful Magpies out-muscled a valiant Onkaparinga Valley by 34 points at Echunga Oval to cap a perfect 18-0 season.
The 9.13 (67) to 4.9 (33) victory made it back-to-back flags for Hahndorf and added to dual premierships in 2015-16.
But it did not come easy against the battling Onkas, the surprise packet of the 2019 HFL season who were aiming to break a 25-year title drought.
Star-studded Hahndorf held sway at quarter and half-time but the Dogs bit back after the break and dominated the third term.
They could not make it pay on the scoreboard however as the Magpies skipped away to another September triumph.
Mail Medallist Dylan Matsen set the match up for the Magpies in the first half while ruckman Daniel Roberts flexed his muscle throughout to win the best-on-ground medal.
Hahndorf was just too strong in the contest but credit must go to an admirable Dogs side.
It was the first time since 1984 in the HFL with dual Magpie flags, after Gumeracha won the division two premiership last weekend.
In other regional grand finals on Saturday, Langhorne Creek went back-to-back by beating Willunga by 32 points in the Great Southern Football League grand final.
Former AFL big-man James Sellar kicked four goals in the third quarter to give the Hawks control and they were never headed after that, winning 14.13 (97) to 9.11 (65).
It was a big day for ex-Crows with James Moss kicking eight goals to win the best-on-ground medal in Mypolonga’s grand final win over Ramblers in the River Murray League.
The win, 12.7 (79) to 7.11 (53) was just Mypolonga’s second premiership since 1994.
In the Spencer Gulf, South Augusta won their fourth flag in a row with a five-goal win over Solomontown, 11.11 (77) to 5.13 (43).
In the Adelaide Plains, the Hummocks Watchman Eagles broke an 11-year premiership drought by beating reigning premier Two Wells 9.12 (66) to 4.7 (31).