Woodville-West Torrens miserly defence faces West Adelaide’s hot attack in SANFL grand final

WE’VE seen it all before — the classic battle of attack against defence. And it's the struggle that will decide Sunday’s SANFL grand final between the Eagles and Bloods.

WE’VE seen it all before — the classic battle of attack against defence.

Woodville-West Torrens has been miserly this season, conceding an average of just 55.6 points per game to lead the SANFL.

West Adelaide is the league’s most attacking team, averaging 90.7 points per game.

In the AFL, history shows a potent attack is crucial to winning premierships.

Fifteen of the past 16 premiers have averaged 100 points or more a game.

But in the SANFL, defence has ruled in recent times, which means the Eagles must go into this match as favourite.

Norwood won a three-peat of premierships from 2012-14 despite never having the league’s best attack. Each year it boasted the SANFL’s best defence.

The Redlegs conceded 52 points a game in their first two premiership year and 63 points a game last season. The Eagles (55.6) are firmly in that range this season.

Norwood was ranked second in scoring in 2012, third in 2013 and only seventh last year, showing a team doesn’t need a dominant attack to win the SANFL flag.

The Eagles’ defence has held firm against the attacking Bloods for most of this season, restricting West to 77.6 points a game, 13 less than its season average.

The Eagles hold a 2-1 record against West, but two quarters of football will concern coach Michael Godden coming into this match — both were final stanzas.

The first was in round two, when the Bloods kicked six goals to two to pinch victory, and the second in round 12 when West stormed home with seven goals to one, but fell short.

On both occasions the Bloods broke the shackles with all-out attack. Players gambled on their teammate winning the football and ran forward of the bal, l allowing them to get through the Eagles’ zone.

Whether fitness was a factor time will tell but Godden is confident his side can stand up for quarters on Sunday.

“We’re fit as a fiddle,’’ he said.

“We’re fresh and ready to roll. We know that they have some young guys that can really run but we’re not unfit.”