2024 Finals – Grand Final Match Wrap

Back-to-Back has quite a nice sound to it, it was what we set out to achieve. From my own perspective it was from the moment the sun came up the day after last years grand final, for the players they were locked in from the beginning of November when they were training in small groups in readiness for preseason to get started. Right from that time though the urgency we could see in those individual sessions suggested we were up for the fight and when we get to the last stages of the Grand Final with it all on the line, that is when the work put in comes back to reward and it certainly did. I couldn’t be prouder of every single person in our football club for what they were able to achieve on Sunday afternoon.

It promised to be an epic Grand Final with two outstanding football teams at the peak of their power. Norwood have been the best team all year and presented a huge challenge. They were fantastic over the day especially through the first half of the game where they were a little cleaner than us, were able to get the ball on the outside of the contest and were forcing us to scramble to stay in the game. As we have been able to do, we scrambled pretty well for most part except the last 5 mins of the 2^nd quarter conceding 3 goals to be that margin behind at half time. While we were disappointed with that, the energy and composure in our group was strong and it was about reinforcing what we do well and just tidying up a few things that we felt could help us get back into the game. The third quarter didn’t start great and we found ourselves 25 points behind and some work to do, but this group have been remarkable in finding a way all year and the last 15 mins of the 3^rd quarter were critical in setting up the last for us. Some big moments and plays allowed us to get back within touch at the last break.

One of our key messages at 3 quarter time was about how good we have been in last quarters of games over the season, especially through the finals series. We have great confidence in our fitness and how match hardened we are. But it was going to come down to moments and being able to grab as many of them as we could. The Glenelg Football Club supporters can be incredibly proud of the 22 guys that represented us as every one of them had a big moment in the last quarter. Some of those will go down in history and even now, there are goose bumps thinking back about some of them. While at the time it was a bit of blur, after having been able to sit down and watch the last quarter back, it was an amazing contest with both teams incredibly desperate and neither team deserved to lose. Thankfully we found ourselves in front at the right time and held on to win in what was the best game of football I have been a part of.

This season has had it all, it has been a struggle at times, there have been plenty of challenges over the year. Externally we were written off a number of times, internally we had some doubts also but the one thing that never waived was our belief in what we were capable of. What we get to see is a group of men in our playing group that work harder than any group I have been a part of; It isn’t just the group training sessions, it’s the recovery sessions, the weight sessions, the physio sessions and the extra work all of our players are doing in their own time, the sacrifices the players and their families make to be able to play SANFL football are huge but it is all worth it when we have this outcome. Back-to-Back premiers and our club’s 7^th Premiership. Pretty bloody special.

Thank you to all of our staff, both football club staff and the volunteers that do an amazing job, thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors and partners, a big thank you to all of the wives, partners and families and most importantly thank you to our amazing supporters that turn up and support us like no others. I hope every one of you have got some great joy out of what we have been able to achieve. What I can assure you all is nothing has changed from my perspective; the sun came up on Monday and my mind has been racing about how we get back there again. The players have some more celebrating to do and then some down time to enjoy but we will be back and looking to be better again in 2025!!!

Go The Bays

– Darren Reeves, Senior Coach

Goals: McBean (7), Hosie (2), Reynolds, Gerloff, Lyons

Best Players: ALL WERE AMAZING!!!