To say this has been the one we’ve been waiting for is quite the understatement. There’s been all sorts of talk all week about the former premiership team-mates who are battling each other as rival coaches and about the old grand final that still brings back so much emotion – that’s what we love about our SANFL, isn’t it?
Now it’s time for action. There’s only one place that counts now – that’s out on Adelaide Oval on Sunday from 2.30pm. Forget all the history, there’s so much to like about the contest ahead.
Minor premier Norwood has swept all before it in winning its past seven games – and 16 of its past 17. Reigning premier Sturt has had a run of its own, winning nine of its past 10. The Blues had won eight straight before Norwood beat them by 19 points in the second semi-final.
That means Jade Sheedy’s Redlegs start as worthy flag favourites, although Sturt fans know as well as anyone being the hot tip doesn’t mean anything when you’re out there on the big day.
But Norwood’s form has been sensational. Its only three losses in the minor round were to Sturt (five points in the opening round) and Glenelg (eight points in rounds 2 and 13) as it has had winning runs of nine games and now seven.
The Redlegs had the best attack (1668 points for, with Sturt next-best with 1631) and the best defence (just 968 points against, with Glenelg second on 1076). Their percentage was a stunning 63.3, with Sturt next-best with 57.6.
The Legs also had the most dominant player in the comp, midfielder Nik Rokahr winning everything you can possibly win in the minor round while averaging a remarkable 32 disposals a game – eight per quarter for a full year.
Norwood had plenty of the ball, averaging a league-best 369 possessions per game, with Sturt second on 326. The Legs also remarkably topped the tackle count (61 per game), with the Blues sixth (59). Their pressure has been intense all year, rarely an easy kick to be picked up by the opposition.
Hard-at-it Kade Dittmar has added an extra dimension to the midfield this season and he racked up 24 disposals and 10 tackles in the second semi-final win against the Blues – also hitting the scoreboard with two goals when there were only 13 goals kicked in total in the game.
Norwood has plenty of big-man power with Magarey Medal-winning ruckman Harry Boyd already a Jack Oatey Medallist and when he was out injured for a long stretch early in the season Finn Heard stepped up magnificently. Heard looms as a real X-factor for the grand final up forward and in ruck.
And the Legs also have a couple of key forwards who can take a game by the scruff of the neck, Tristan Binder and Jackson Callow both in the SANFL’s top half-dozen goalkickers for the year, with 78 between them.
Sturt’s Ash Johnson looms as a forward who can win the game off his own boot, while Magarey Medallists Tom Lewis and Will Snelling will be getting the ball heading in his direction.
Sturt has had two finals wins this season – and Johnson was a key to both. The forward excitement machine took the qualifying final against Glenelg by the scruff of the neck and finished with four goals, while he bagged a cool six as the Blues finally kicked clear of the Eagles in the preliminary final. He will have a point to prove against Norwood after kicking just one goal in the second semi-final.
Lewis and Snelling this year again have remarkable stats that are remarkably similar. Lewis has averaged 26 disposals, eight tackles and seven clearances, Snelling 26, eight and six.
There’s always the debate over too much footy or not enough in the build-up to any grand final.
Norwood has had just one game in the past three weeks but it certainly was impressive as it advanced straight to the decider with a strong contested win against Sturt, while the Blues have had three tough games in a row, beating Glenelg in a thriller by two points, losing to Norwood, then powering away from the Eagles by 39 points after having just a nine-point edge after three hard quarters.
Martin Mattner’s men certainly are finals hardened but playing plenty of games increases injury risk and unfortunate Jared Dakin – ruled out of the grand final with a ripped hamstring – and star defender Casey Voss – battling to play after dislocating a shoulder – were casualties of the preliminary final.
And ruckman Amos Doyle faced a fitness test after missing the Eagles win with a neck issue. Premiership big man Daniel Fahey-Sparks stepped up in his place with an outstanding preliminary final performance and will be hard to leave out for the one that counts.
Sheedy was confident in the Redlegs’ build-up. “Our preparation has been good, we feel … the players are fresh,” he said. ”We’ve tried to train them for as much combat as we can for a grand final.”
Mattner said: “We talk about improving every week and we feel like we’ve got better each final.”
It all points to another classic.
Courtesy SANFL & Peter Cornwall
NORWOOD VS STURT
Sunday, 20 September, 2:30pm – Adelaide Oval
Live & Free on Seven & 7Plus | Live radio on 1629 SEN SA, SEN App, FIVEAA, Triple M, ABC Sport
NORWOOD
F Tristan Binder, Jackson Callow, Jacob Kennerley
HF Jayden Gale, Finn Heard, Alex Swinnerton
C Declan Hamilton, Nik Rokahr, Connor Ling
HB Matthew Ling, Jack Heard, Alastair Lord
B Cooper Murley, Aaron Francis, Alec Wright
R Harry Boyd, Baynen Lowe, Kade Dittmar
INT Noah Daw, Thomas Donnelly, Daniel Gauci, Matt Harms, Liam Ling, Charlie Molan, Mitchell Nicholas
IN Noah Daw, Daniel Gauci, Matt Harms
STURT
F Ash Johnson, Oliver Grivell, Daniel Fahey-Sparks
HF Joshua Hone, Lachlan Burrows, Sam Conforti
C Loch Rawlinson, Tom Lewis, Luca Slade
HB Alex Holt, Zac Becker, Casey Voss
B Rory Illman, Will Coomblas, Luke Edmonds
R Amos Doyle, Will Snelling, Martin Frederick
INT Tom Emmett, Isaiah Faddoul, Charlie Fryer, Kobe McEntee, Jed McEntee, Nick Sadler, Sam Waltham
IN Amos Doyle, Isaiah Faddoul, Charlie Fryer, Jed McEntee
OUT Jared Dakin (Hamstring)
MILESTONE Tom Emmett (50 games)
BY THE NUMBERS
Grand Final Meetings
1978 – Norwood 16.15 (111) d Sturt 14.26 (110) in front of 50,867 at Football Park
1941 – Norwood 14.16 (100) d Sturt 10.11 (71) in front of 30,742 at Adelaide Oval
Head to Head – Overall
Played – 296
Norwood – 164
Sturt – 128
Drawn – 4
Head to Head – Finals
Played – 25
Norwood – 12
Sturt – 13
Last Finals Meeting
2026 2nd Semi Final – Norwood 8.10 (58) d Sturt 5.9 (39) at Adelaide Oval
2026 Meetings
Round 1 – Sturt 10.11 (71) d Norwood 9.12 (66) at Coopers Stadium
Round 9 – Norwood 13.4 (82) d Sturt 12.7 (79) at Thomas Farms Oval
Courtesy SANFL & Zac Milbank