‘We’ve moved on’: Tribunal skirmish in past as Port Adelaide and Glenelg eye premiership
Port Adelaide and Glenelg’s coaches are expecting another tough contest in Sunday’s grand final but insist they have moved on from their physical semi-final and its spiteful aftermath. GET YOUR FREE PORT GRAND FINAL POSTER HERE
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Their thrilling second semi-final featured two striking reports that led to a lengthy tribunal hearing but Glenelg and Port Adelaide’s coaches have insisted that game and its aftermath would not add any extra spice to the premiership decider.
The Tigers and Magpies will face off at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, just two weeks after Billy Frampton and Aidyn Johnson were cited for hits on Glenelg captain Chris Curran in Port’s four-point win.
Frampton last week had his two-match ban downgraded to a reprimand and fine at four-hour tribunal meeting, allowing him to play in the grand final.
But Johnson’s suspension was upheld, ensuring he would be unavailable for the clubs’ first grand final meeting since 1992.
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Both coaches said their teams had moved on from the “physical” second semi-final.
“There was a couple of incidents that got looked at and the tribunal did its job, the process was taken and we move on,” Glenelg mentor Mark Stone said.
“We see ourselves as a head-over-the-ball team, go through the line of the footy — that’s your first priority — but if you get an opportunity to apply some physical pressure, you do it, that’s the nature of the game … and it’ll be no different Sunday.”
Stone did not believe Port targeted Curran, rather it simply tried to nullify his influence.
“I think that’s part and parcel of the game and sometimes players run into each other — that just happens,” he said.
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Magpies coach Matthew Lokan said “what happened last week, happened last week”.
“We know both sides play tough, contested football — it’s certainly Glenelg’s strength and we think it’s our strength as well,” Lokan said.
“You don’t get too caught up in that stuff.”
Glenelg is seeking to end a 33-year premiership drought, while the Magpies are chasing their first flag since 1999.
Port has beaten the Tigers in five of its six grand final meetings but Glenelg is 2-1 against the Magpies this season.
Lokan, a former Magpies defender, and Stone both said they felt the weight of supporters’ expectations but were excited by the week ahead.
“Both sides haven’t won a grand final for a long time now and to be able to play out on Adelaide Oval against Glenelg is exciting,” he said.
“I grew up a Port Adelaide supporter so to be able to coach them in a grand final is pretty special.”
Stone added: “I think it’s terrific. There’s some long-suffering Bays fans who are thrilled with the way the season’s gone for us and they’re all on board.”
Port will decide between Martin Frederick, Kai Pudney and Riley Grundy to replace Johnson, while Glenelg is considering bringing ex-Fremantle tall Matthew Uebergang back into the side to combat the Magpies’ height.