Woodville-West Torrens win 2021 SANFL Grand Final over Glenelg by 67 points
Woodville-West Torrens has thrashed favourites Glenelg for the SANFL premiership, restricting the Tigers to just four goals in a one-sided match.
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Woodville-West Torrens has won consecutive SANFL premierships for the first time, sensationally thrashing warm favourite Glenelg by 67 points in the grand final at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
The Eagles, who fielded 10 different players from last year’s grand final team, rode brilliant first quarters from the Menzel brothers, Daniel and Troy, to open up a three-goal lead and then ripped the minor premier apart in the second half.
With state captain Jack Hayes leading from the front and winning the Jack Oatey Medal as best afield, the Menzels kicking seven goals between them and a tough, no-nonsense defence restricting the Tigers to only four goals, a game that promised so much turned into a one-sided affair.
It was the Eagles’ fifth flag since the amalgamation of West Torrens and Woodville at the end of 1990 while the margin was the biggest in a grand final since the Eagles beat Central District by 76 points in 2006.
Glenelg’s 4.8 was the lowest grand final score since North Adelaide booted the same score against Norwood in 2013.
Displaying more class, composure, toughness and a better structure than the Tigers, who won their first 17 games this season and entered the grand final with an 18-2 win-loss record, the Eagles’ superb off-season recruiting paid big dividends.
Key pick-ups, the Menzels, Riley Knight (27 disposals, eight clearances, 10 tackles) Tyson Stengle (three goals) and Kobe Mutch (26 disposals, 11 tackles, two goals) were all influential on the big stage as coach Jade Sheedy, a Magarey Medallist with Sturt, led the team to back-to-back flags in his first two years as coach.
It was the first time a second semi-final winner had won the premiership since 2014.
The result was a disaster for Glenelg, which went within victory in the final minor round of completing the first undefeated home-and-away season since Port Adelaide in 1914.
Celebrating their centenary year, the Tigers won the reserves and women’s premierships but after the opening 15 minutes against the Eagles they looked completely rattled.
After kicking two of the first three goals, Glenelg, chasing a second flag in three years, looked clueless, saving its worst performance of the season for last.
It played without any system and made one comical error after another in an embarrassing display following a superb home-and-away season.
In the first grand final meeting between the clubs, Glenelg fielded 11 2019 premiership players while the Eagles featured 12 members of last year’s flag side.
Magarey Medallist James Tsitas threw his weight around as the teams lined up for the opening bounce, sparking plenty of pushing and shoving.
The Tigers, with 2019 Magarey Medallist Luke Partington back in the side after missing the losing second semi against the Eagles with a hamstring injury, won the first clearance and dominated the early exchanges, recording six of the first seven inside 50s.
It took a clever piece of roving close to goal from retiring Tiger Marlon Motlop to chalk up the first major.
But after stemming the territorial tide, Daniel Menzel quickly turned the game on its head, breaking clear of opponent Max Proud to kick two goals in five minutes.
When his brother Troy got into the act to kick two himself and Stengle bobbed up with his first, the Eagles were out to an 18-point quarter-time lead.
The Tigers were getting their hands on the ball but with key forwards Liam McBean, Luke Reynolds and Lachie Hosie well held and kicking only one goal between them for the game, they trailed by 23 points at the long break, despite leading the inside 50 count 28-23.
The match was all over as a contest nine minutes into the third term when Angus Poole, Hayes and Mutch hit the scoreboard, stretching the Eagles lead to seven goals.
EAGLES 5.2 6.2 10.5 15.9 (99)
GLENELG 2.2 2.3 3.4 4.8 (32)
BEST – Eagles: Hayes, Knight, D. Menzel, Mutch, Redden, Stengle, Toumpas, T. Menzel. Glenelg: Snook, Turner, Landt, Partington.
GOALS – Eagles: D. Menzel 4, T. Menzel, Stengle 3, Mutch 2, Poole, Hayes, Comitogianni. Glenelg: Motlop. Hosie, Turner, Allen.
INJURIES – Glenelg: Martini (ankle).
UMPIRES – Bryce, Bowen, Harris.
CROWD – 22,956 at Adelaide Oval.
JACK OATEY MEDAL: Jack Hayes (Eagles).
A crowd pleaser as Eagles soar
- Lydia Kellner
The Woodville-West Torrens colours will soar over Torrensville this week after a convincing 67-point defeat of Glenelg in the SANFL grand final at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
The Eagles’ blue, green and gold will adorn the chimney of the Brickworks shopping centre from Tuesday, marking a back-to-back win for the “community minded” team.
The traditional chimney stack display at West End’s Thebarton brewery was cancelled due to the factory’s closure in June.
In Sunday’s grand final, the Eagles set the tone early on, taking an 18-point lead at the first quarter.
Eagle domination continued for the remainder of the game – much to the delight of their fans, who could not contain their excitement at the back-to-back premiership win.
Almost 23,000 spectators attended Sunday’ grand final, 6000 more than last year.
SANFL chief executive Darren Chandler said the victory came at the back of a “terrific” footy season.
“It’s a great celebration of what has been a terrific year given the circumstances,” he said.
“Woodville-West Torrens is a great footy club. They won it last year and their football club is just run really well.
“They are also very community minded and do a fantastic job … but both clubs … deserved to be out here.”
Longtime Eagle supporter Kerry Ashwin was among the many fans cheering from the sideline and was looking forward to celebrating the win at Woodville Oval after the game.
“I’ve been a supporter all of my life,” she said.
“It’s the team my mum and dad went for when I grew up, so even as a kid, I used to go to the football with them every Saturday.
“These days I don’t go to as many games any more because it’s a little harder to get around but that’s why today is so special.
“There was no way I was going to miss the grand final, no way, as I just love (the game).”
For Bernadette Gersbach, Sunday’s grand final was a family affair.
She attended the game with her husband Jarred and children Lewis, 9, and Willow, 5.
“We’ve been longstanding supporters for over 10 years. It’s nice to see a community minded club surviving Covid, so it’s really nice to be here today and to support the team,” she said.
“This is really exciting and something that we love to share with the kids.”
Also ready to party was seven-year-old James Mowday who perhaps summed up his team’s winning spirit the best.
“I like that they never give up,” he said.
Despite barracking for the losing team, Tigers supporter Renee Groffen made sure she stood out from the crowd.
With a strong family connection to Glenelg – her grandfather formed part of the Smedley press dynasty – Ms Groffen said Sunday’s grand final was all about having fun and giving back to the community.
“I dressed up in 2019 and see it as a bit of a performance as I’m a belly dancer,” she said.
“So I make myself do it to have a bit of fun and support the community.”
Also making an impression was Tigers supporter Brenton Kane, who came dressed for the occasion in a black and yellow checkered suit.
But it was the man behind the mask of Tiger Tail, the official mascot of Glenelg, who, despite his team’s loss, went home with a major childhood dream fulfilled.
“When we started the season, I said to the girl who does the marketing for Glenelg that if the Tigers made the grand final, that I wanted to be the mascot,” he said.
“So here we are. Win or lose, it’s been a childhood dream of mine to represent Glenelg as its official mascot.”
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