2025 Hostplus SANFL League Second Semi Final Preview

Second Semi Final

Sturt v Glenelg | 3:15pm | Live and free on Seven and 7Plus | Live radio on 1629 SEN SA & SEN App and FIVEAA

Head to Head – Overall
Played – 273
Sturt – 148
Glenelg – 123

Head to Head – Finals
Played – 20
Sturt – 8
Glenelg – 12

Recent Form
Sturt has won four of the last five matches

Last Finals Meeting
2024 1st Semi Final – Glenelg 14.5 (89) d Sturt 9,4 (58) at Adelaide Oval

2025 Meetings
Round 10 – Sturt 13.9 (87) d Glenelg 9.13 (67) at Stratarama Stadium
Round 5 – Sturt 10.13 (73) d Glenelg 9.11 (65) at Thomas Farms Oval

It’s not necessarily how many you win. It’s when you win them.

SANFL powers Sturt and Glenelg have remarkably similar records over the past four seasons. The Blues have won 59, lost 20. The Tigers have won 61, lost 20. But in finals under Darren Reeves, Glenelg has a stunning 7-0 record.

In grand finals, it’s 2-0. Sturt in finals over the past four seasons is 2-5. In grand finals 0-1.

That loss was to Glenelg by 24 points in 2023 and the Bays also KO’d the Blues in 2022 – by 16 points in the elimination final – and last year – by 31 in the first semi-final.

That all undoubtedly gives the Tigers, on a roll with nine successive wins, heaps of confidence to go hand-in-hand with their powerful self-belief – how did they get out of that qualifying final against Adelaide?

But it’s a new year and a brand new ball game. And, for Sturt, all year it’s been about preparing for a finals assault, last year’s straight-sets exit burning within.

Even as there’s been talk of records and the possibility of a perfect season and they won their first 17 games, the Blues have maintained a steely focus on the end game.

Sturt won both clashes against Glenelg in the minor round but both were hard fought, both clinched only in time-on of the last quarter. And you can’t help but feel it’s going to be tough and tight this week.

The Bays showed what they can do when it’s tough and tight last week against the Crows. It wasn’t exactly pretty – in conditions you’d expect at an Old Trafford Test match – but the pressure was enormous and the Tigers kept on their winning roll after trailing at every break and for the entire second half until time-on in the last quarter, when Luke Reynolds’ fancy footwork – that would have created a huge roar at Old Trafford – tied the scores, before Matt Allen sealed the deal with his poster.

The stats show how good these sides have been. Sturt has been No.1 in attack, averaging 107 points per game, Glenelg second with 101. And Sturt also has the stingiest defence, conceding just 60 points a game, the Bays second at 66.

Sturt has been No. 1 for scoring shots – 27.7 – and Glenelg No. 2 on 26. When it comes to accuracy, Glenelg’s deadly attack leads the way with 57.7 per cent, while Sturt is third on 57.1.

The stats emphasise the new Sturt model is greatly improved on last season, when it was lacking the quick ball movement, attacking connection and ability to take its chances that have been keys to this year’s premiership assault.

The Blues are having six more scoring shots per game but it’s what they are doing with them that’s more significant. Sturt was last in the league for goalkicking accuracy last year, at 47 per cent, a dramatic 10 per cent better this year. And their forward efficiency – shots per inside-50 entry – is up from 46.8 to 51.4 per cent.

While Glenelg’s Lachie Hosie and Liam McBean are as good a one-two forward punch as you could wish for, Sturt had three players in the top eight goalkickers of the minor round, Josh Hone and Sam Conforti joining Hosie and McBean in the SANFL Team of the Year and Connor McFadyen a strong-marking danger.

While both attacks have reeled off big scores this season, clearly it’s who gets on top in the midfield that will set the scene. Tom Lewis and Will Snelling’s Magarey Medal wins over the past two seasons show just how much punch they pack, while Angus Anderson has been a revelation this year and the Blues have plenty of depth to cover the loss of dynamic Jared Dakin, who has been ruled out with a groin injury.

But Glenelg’s Jarryd Lyons and James Bell finished top-10 in the Medal for a reason, Luke Partington is a Medallist, Corey Lyons a proven big-game player and Allen – top 10 in the Medal this year as usual – can turn a game. Or seal it.