THE FINAL COUNTDOWN BY PETER CORNWALL
Excitement and pure joy. Passion and camaraderie. These pictures are certainly worth 1000 words. There’s Norwood, taking the direct route to the Big Dance with a super impressive 59-point second semi-final win against Central District. Then there’s Glenelg. The Tigers are hunting back-to-back flags for just the second time in their history but they’ve had to take the long and winding round, via impressive wins in three weeks of full-on finals pressure, sweeping aside the Eagles, Sturt and Central. The joy on these players’ faces is enormous. But there’s still the biggest day of all ahead. Still a mountain of work to be done and pressure to be faced. The Legs and Tigers were so excited after reaching the premiership decider because they know what the feeling can be like when you’ve won the granny, so wait till you see the faces of the winners after the final siren on Sunday. Up to 13 players from Norwood’s 2022 premiership team – and coach Jade Rawlings – can soak up that feeling again. And up to 18 Tigers
premiership players from last year – along with mentor Darren Reeves – can experience the ultimate high again. And there are seven who can create a slice of history and join Glenelg legend Peter Carey as triple premiership players at the Bay – captain Liam McBean, last year’s winning skipper Max Proud, Matthew Snook, Darcy Bailey, Luke Reynolds, Jonty Scharenberg and Brad McCarthy. Up to four players out there on the hallowed turf of Adelaide Oval this year have previously won the Jack Oatey Medal – could Norwood’s Harry Boyd or Matt Panos or Glenelg’s Snook or Lachie Hosie grab themselves a second? Norwood and Glenelg may have had different routes to the premiership decider but it all starts again and they’re both 50-50 chances when the ball is bounced at 2.30pm.
NO DRAW Everyone is expecting a hardfought contest but don’t forget there’s now no such thing as a drawn grand final. If scores are level at full-time, there will be a
five-minute break, then the teams will change ends and play for three minutes plus time-on, then – without a break – change ends again for a second half of three minutes plus time-on. If scores remain tied at the end of the two three-minute halves, the process of playing another two three-minute halves will be repeated until a winner is found. Imagine how much excitement and joy – and the pain of defeat – there would be after that.
GRAND FINAL DAY ADELAIDE OVAL SUN 22 SEPTEMBER 2024
Under-17 Futures Game | 9am Reserves Grand Final | Sturt v Norwood | 11am League Grand Final | Norwood v Glenelg | 2.30pm
sanfl.com.au
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