2024 Hostplus SANFL League Preliminary Final Preview

Sunday September 15
Central District v Glenelg | 3.15pm | Live and Free on Seven & 7plus |  SANFL Now  | AFL.com.au & AFL Live App | Live radio on 1629 SEN SA & SEN App

Head to Head – Overall
Played – 147
Central – 76
Glenelg – 69
Drawn – 1

Head to Head – Finals
Played – 6
Central – 3
Glenelg – 3

Recent Form
Glenelg has won 11 of the past 12 matches

Last Finals Meeting
2009 Second Semi-Final – Central 12.9 (81) d Glenelg 11.13 (79) at Adelaide Oval

2024 Meetings
Round 18 – Central 6.9 (45) d Glenelg 6.8 (44) at X Convenience Oval
Round 8 – Glenelg 11.12 (78) d Central 10.11 (71) at Stratarama Stadium

Isaiah Dudley (Central) v Alex Martini (Glenelg)
One of the competition’s most dangerous small forwards in Isaiah Dudley faces a tough test against Glenelg’s disciplined defender Alex Martini, inside the Bulldogs’ attacking 50m arc. Dudley was electric during the Dogs’ wonderful fourth quarter against Sturt in the Qualifying Final, hitting the scoreboard and creating opportunities for his teammates. But he was more subdued against the Redlegs, something Martini will be aiming to replicate, after quelling Sturt’s Josh Hone after quarter-time in the First Semi-Final.

Aiden Grace (Central) v Max Proud (Glenelg)
When Central last met Glenelg in Round 18, Aiden Grace was the difference-maker in the final term as he booted two of his three goals while helping his team snap an 11-game losing streak. Incredibly tough to match up on given his ability to crumb like a goalsneak whilst also competing strongly in the air, Grace can expect in-form Tigers veteran Max Proud to come his way at some point on Sunday. Proud, Glenelg’s 2023 premiership captain, was in stunning form against Sturt in the First Semi-Final, tallying 24 disposals and eight marks.

The Tigers juggernaut has an ominous look as they charge towards another grand final with their sights set on back-to-back flags. But surely no-one can be thinking of writing off preliminary final opponent Central after their 59-point second semi-final loss at the hands of Norwood.

Have people forgotten less than a month ago the Doggies set up the finals double-chance by beating the Bays in a classic comeback by a point? Or that a fortnight ago they stunned Sturt, on a run of 13 successive wins and possibly joint flag favourites with Norwood, in another fightback triumph by 11 points in the qualifying final at Adelaide Oval?

This Glenelg team knows what it takes to win flags and imagine the psychological boost – and the roar from the passionate Tigers fans – when last year’s Jack Oatey Medallist Lachie Hosie runs back out onto Adelaide Oval after recovering from knee surgery that has sidelined the spectacular forward since Round 7.

The thing the Central team knows best is making a fight of it, even in the unlikeliest scenarios. Their wins against the Bays and Blues are already the stuff of legend out Elizabeth way – in both games they looked all but out of the running as late as in the third quarter, trailing 0.5 to 5.4, then 1.2 to 5.8.

The first Central-Glenelg clash of the season, in Round 8, also was hard fought and could have gone either way in a frenetic finish. The Bays, in the middle of a six-game winning run, just hung on for a seven-point win, Luke Reynolds booting the last goal of the game at the 13-minute-mark of the final quarter but the Dogs having four shots at goal after that, all for behinds.
A concern for Central this time around is the Tigers’ firepower, set to ramp up with Hosie’s imminent return. They booted 21.22 against South Adelaide to round out the minor round, then 19.17 in dismantling the Eagles by 71 points in the elimination final. Sturt led Glenelg by a goal at three-quarter-time in the first semi-final but the Bays stepped it up when it counted with a withering burst of six goals to none in the final quarter against the league’s most miserly defence for the minor round. It was possibly their best footy of the season – and what a time to play it.

Skipper Liam McBean and Reynolds each bagged four goals and they are standing tall when it counts – McBean has kicked 11 goals in the past three games and Reynolds 15 in the past five. While the Bays kicked away in style, key defender Max Proud was more important than anyone in their win. “I don’t know if I’ve seen Max play a better game,” Glenelg coach Darren Reeves said of Proud, who was swung onto dangerous Sturt forward Connor McFadyen when Will Gould pulled out late with back spasms, playing an outstanding game on him and having “some huge moments in the last quarter that were critical”.

Classy Matt Allen has chipped in with five goals so far in the finals and, fresh from his second fifth placing in a row in the Magarey Medal, clearly is another big danger.

But Reeves knows it all starts again on Sunday at 3.15pm. “It’s all about turning up again and being able to go again for 120 minutes … we respect what Central are able to do, they have been an outstanding team over the course of the year,” he said. “It’s going to be a huge challenge.” He remembers the clash at the Ponderosa less than a month ago – as does Paul Thomas.

The Central coach said the Bulldogs had “lots of confidence” from their thrillers against the Tigers. “Down at Glenelg earlier in the year it was a seven-point ball game – we thought we played pretty well but didn’t take our chances in front of goal late,” he said. Taking your chances is critical in finals. The Dogs did against Sturt but against the Redlegs, after leading by eight points at quarter-time, they won the final inside-50 count 46-44 but didn’t make it count. Looking for better ball movement into attack and “sometimes it might be taking an extra stoppage instead of keeping the ball alive” were keys to Central capitalising against the Tigers. With the ball locked in their forward line there are opportunists like the SANFL’s leading goalkicker, Aiden Grace, Isaiah Dudley and possibly Jake Gaspar to make the Tigers pay.

Like Reeves, Thomas is sure this will be a tough, tight contest. “We feel it will be a really good prelim final,” he said. We know his men will be competitive and combative from go to whoa in this do-or-die clash, with the chance last year’s Magarey Medallist Harry Grant could return for the grand final if they make it.