Marlon Motlop snap shot on final siren sees Glenelg upset premier Sturt to win sixth straight match
A MARLON Motlop goal with the final kick of the game saw Glenelg upset premier Sturt by five points and win six consecutive matches for the first time since 2010 at the Bay on Sunday.
A Marlon Motlop goal with the final kick of the game saw Glenelg upset premier Sturt by five points and win six consecutive matches for the first time since 2010 at the Bay on Sunday.
In a remarkable finish, Motlop goaled with a snap shot as time expired after Double Blues defender Guy Page was penalised for running out of the goalsquare from a kick-in.
The Tigers gained possession from the ball-up and Motlop brilliantly snapped over his left shoulder from 20m as he was running away from goal.
Page’s mistake came after Carl Nicholson had missed a regulation 30m set shot from directly in front that appeared certain to cost Glenelg the game.
The final siren sounded as the Tiger players were celebrating Motlop’s goal.
Glenelg, which will miss the finals with a 9-9 record despite being one of the form teams of the competition, had surrendered a 14-point lead in the last quarter to fall eight points behind after back-to-back premier Sturt illustrated its premiership qualities.
But powerful key forward Josh Scott imposed himself on the game in the final few minutes to kick a major and set up Nicholson’s shot before Motlop’s last gasp heroics.
The last time the Tigers won six games on the trot was from rounds 15 to 22, 2010.
Sturt’s upset loss saw it fall from second to third but it was due to play Woodville-West Torrens in next Sunday’s qualifying final at Adelaide Oval regardless of the result.
The biggest downside to its sixth defeat of the season was injuries to key pair Fraser Evans (ankle) and Aidan Riley (hamstring tightness) which has them in doubt for the final.
Jack Stephens (corked thigh) and John Greenslade (ankle) also finished the match on the bench but coach Martin Mattner said they were taken off for precautionary reasons and should play against the Eagles.
The Double Blues played out the final few minutes of the game with only 17 men on the ground.
Glenelg however will take the win and some good momentum into next year with new coach Mark Stone delighted with the progress his side made in the back-end of the year.
“Sturt is a really good team which had some bad luck with injury but for us our whole game plan has been based on effort and a way of playing, never giving up, never backing down and having belief in each other and today was one of those days,’’ he said.
“We were probably gone and to get up from the position we were in was a credit to the guys who are really starting to action the type of behaviours we want to be known for.
“We talked four weeks ago about a dress rehearsal for 2019 and we want to be in the finals next year and this was a dress rehearsal for the type of games we want to be involved in.
“It was a great learning game for how we have to play right to the finish and I was really proud of the boys.’’
Clever Sturt forward Mark Evans kicked two goals to win the Ken Farmer Medal as the SANFL’s leading goalkicker with 40 — five ahead of Scott.
Fellow Double Blues forward Shane McAdam did his draft chances no harm with four goals and a towering mark of the year contender while dual Magarey Medallist Zane Kirkwood had 31 disposals.
Midfielder Matthew Snook was Glenelg’s best with 32 touches.
Mattner was more concerned with the injuries than the result but praised Glenelg for its comeback.
“The injuries are annoying, not ideal, but our goal was to finish top three and we’ve done that and look forward to the Eagles next week,’’ he said.
SCOREBOARD
GLENELG 3.3 8.5 10.6 13.7 (85)
STURT 5.4 6.6 8.9 11.14 (80)
BEST — Glenelg: Snook, Nicholson, Motlop, Scott, Curran, White, Sawford, Uebergang. Sturt: Kirkwood, McAdam, Colquhoun, Battersby, M. Evans, Crocker.
GOALS — Glenelg: Scott, Motlop, I. Milera, Uebergang, Reynolds 2, Snook, Bailey, Hosie. Sturt: McAdam 4, Taggert 3, M. Evans 2, Dodd, Hone.
INJURIES — Sturt: F. Evans (ankle), Riley (hamstring), Stephens (corked thigh), Greenslade (ankle).
UMPIRES — T. Philp, S. Morgan, M. Scott.
CROWD — 3461 at Glenelg Oval.