Glenelg to play Port Adelaide in SANFL grand final after overcoming Adelaide Crows in preliminary
Glenelg is into its first grand final since 2008 — and will be chasing its first flag since 1986 — after fighting off a stubborn Adelaide outfit in the SANFL preliminary final.
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Glenelg will challenge Port Adelaide for the SANFL crown after conquering Adelaide by 27 points in the preliminary final at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
The Tigers, who will make their first grand final appearance since 2008 and play for their first premiership since 1986 — overcame a shaky second quarter to keep their flag hopes alive with a brilliant second half.
Magarey Medallist Luke Partington and Brad Agnew had an influence on the ball and Liam McBean, Luke Reynolds and Josh Scott combined for 11 goals.
The Tigers were on fire early in the warm conditions, bagging four goals inside the first eight minutes.
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Just a minute into the game, ruckman Jesse White kicked long to the goalsquare and Reynolds pulled down a strong mark and nailed the shot. Reynolds had a quiet game against Port Adelaide in the second semi-final, but he was back to his best with his second goal after only five minutes.
The Tigers were doing to the Crows what the Crows had done to Norwood in the first semi-final with the blistering start. The clearances favoured the Tigers 6-0 when Ken Farmer Medallist McBean gave his side a 24-point buffer.
The Tigers were ferocious at the contest and it took the Crows time to settle into the rhythm of the battle.
Luke Reynolds takes a spectacular mark and scores the first goal for @glenelgfc in this Prelim final at the Adelaide Oval pic.twitter.com/p8PWGmQE3T
— 7SANFL (@7SANFL) September 15, 2019
As the first quarter lengthened, so too did the composure of the Crows. Tyson Stengle produced an Eddie Betts impersonation to cut the deficit to 12 points and give the Tigers plenty to ponder.
The Crows turned up the heat in the second term to take control, getting their hands to more ball and using it effectively to dominate territory.
The Tigers were struggling to get their hands to the ball, they started to fumble and their defence was under the pump.
But for all their supremacy, they added just one goal, before the Tigers steadied with two of their own.
Patrick Wilson was his usual self and racked up disposals for the Crows and Darcy Fogarty worried the Tigers defence, having a significant influence in their side bagging the final four goals of the second quarter. Shane McAdam has also been a positive for the Crows in attack in the finals.
Tyson Stengle with a magnificent weave, securing another goal for @adelaide_fc as they begin to settle in to the game here at Adelaide Oval. pic.twitter.com/aurMyctP1R
— 7SANFL (@7SANFL) September 15, 2019
The Tigers had 10 more tackles for the first half, but it was the missed tackles which were punished by the Crows.
Needing a spark, the Tigers got tremendous service from Agnew on the ball as he secured some crucial clearances to drive the side into attack.
The Tigers also started to use McBean far more effectively deep in the forward line, and he rewarded his teammates’ improved delivery with three goals for the third quarter to give his side a handy 18-point lead.
In a repeat of the first and third terms, the Tigers put a goal on the scoreboard just a minute into the final quarter when Matthew Snook snapped truly.
The goal inspired the Tigers, fuelled their confidence and gave them belief as they took control to stretch the advantage to 32 points on the back of outstanding enthusiasm and ball movement.
The Crows wasted several prime chances to eat into the gap, but they were being challenged by a side hungry for the lucrative prize.
“We were playing our way and getting some field position, locking the ball in,” Crows coach Heath Younie said.
“Even in the third quarter we had our opportunities.
“To their credit, they squeezed the vice and were too good in the end.”
Glenelg coach Mark Stone said he was “enormously proud’’ of his troops after they rose from the canvas against Adelaide to storm into their first SANFL grand final in 11 years and a shot at their first flag for 33 years.
The club’s stunning revival — which has set up a grand final against arch-rival Port Adelaide — comes just three years after it was fighting for its survival.
“I’m enormously proud,’’ an emotional Stone said.
“We had a few sore boys and all we could ask them to do was to hang in, hang tough, and they did.
“We didn’t have a lot of rotations at the end of the game and some of the individual efforts I thought were unbelievably tough.
“There was a Josh Scott tackle, Marlon Motlop when he beat three (opponents), Aaron Joseph to bring a guy down in the goalsquare in a tackle.
“I’m probably going to do a couple of our guys an injustice but I’m just enormously proud of their ability to fight and fight through any adversity.’’
Stone said the grand final was a “massive thing for this footy club’’.
“Because it was only a few years ago they had the tins out and were battling to survive,’’ he said.
“You can see the support, there are a lot of passionate Bays fans out there and we bring hope.
“There are a few (Glenelg) teams in the past that have tried to win that elusive flag since 1986 and haven’t been able to do it.
“We are certainly not over the line yet and we know it’s not going to be easy — it’s going to be a massive challenge — but we’re up for the fight.’’
SCOREBOARD
GLENELG 4.3 6.4 11.7 16.9 (105)
ADELAIDE 2.2 7.6 8.7 11.12 (78)
BEST — Glenelg: Agnew, Reynolds, Partington, Scott, White, McBean, Joseph. Adelaide: Wilson, Fogarty, Boyle, Sholl, McHenry.
GOALS — Glenelg: Reynolds 5, McBean 4, Scott 3, Motlop 2, Snook, Partington. Adelaide: Gallucci, Stengle, McAdam, Fogarty 2, Hunter, Davis, Mathews.
UMPIRES — Crosby, Hundertmark, Bryce.
CROWD — 8974 at Adelaide Oval.