2025 GRAND FINAL - Sturt vs Glenelg

[locky801]

Glenelg by 3 points

[Booney]

They’re a resilient group, these Tigers. 7 gone from last year’s flag side, losing 2 key defenders in the MSD, losing Parnell for the season & now Proud is out… They keep finding a way. The Qualifying Final in those conditions certainly took it out of them, the 2nd Semi & then yesterday’s Prelim have all been tough, physical battles. And Glenelg keep getting themselves up. This by far is their biggest test in some time. A dominant Sturt, first week of finals off, get through the 2nd semi, then another week off. There’ll be no excuses and all the pressure is on Sturt, best team all year, minor premiers, only lost 1 game, beat The Bays all 3 times, all the pressure is on the boys in blue.
If Glenelg somehow get up & make it 3 in a row, it will arguably be their finest hour…

Show No Mercy then?

[carey]

Sturt by 38 Points

[dedja]

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/subscrib ... nt-2-SCORE

Star Glenelg defender Max Proud ruled out of SANFL grand final following serious injuries

A Glenelg gun will be denied the chance of a fairytale finish to his glittering SANFL career after being ruled out of Sunday’s grand final with freak injuries.

Glenelg great Max Proud will be denied the chance of a fairytale finish to his glittering SANFL career after being ruled out of Sunday’s grand final against Sturt with serious lung and rib injuries.

The star key defender, who is poised to retire at the end of the season, is recovering in Royal Adelaide Hospital after suffering “multiple’’ broken ribs and a punctured lung when he was crunched in a marking contest during last Sunday’s preliminary final against Norwood.

Proud, 33, was floored when he, in typically brave fashion, ran back with the flight of the ball and collided with powerful Redlegs key forward Jackson Callow.

He was helped from Adelaide Oval in pain by Glenelg trainers early in the last quarter of the Tigers’ thrilling two-point victory and rushed to hospital, with scans revealing the significant damage.

“The injuries are pretty bad, multiple rib fractures and a punctured lung, so unfortunately Max won’t play in the grand final, which is enormously disappointing for him, the playing group and the club,’’ Glenelg head of football Paul Sandercock said.

“He’s been such a massive contributor to our success in recent years, is a premiership captain in his own right and a mainstay of our backline.

“To lose him and a couple of key defenders (Oscar Adams and Harrison Ramm) in the AFL mid-season draft has really tested our depth a bit down there.’’

Proud, who overcame a series of serious injuries during his career to play his 200th game this year, is one of only seven triple Glenelg premiership players, having won flags in 2019, 2023 and 2024.

If he hadn’t been injured against Norwood, he would have been one of five Tigers, along with Liam McBean, Luke Reynolds, Darcy Bailey and Jonty Scharenberg, vying for a club record fourth league premiership this weekend.

Proud has played 210 league games since debuting in 2012 and has earned a reputation as one of the SANFL’s most courageous players.

“He always puts his body on the line and has copped quite a few heavy knocks in the past few weeks and unfortunately this one has got the better of him,’’ Sandercock said.

Glenelg coach Darren Reeves described Proud as “the most influential player I’ve worked with in my time in football’’.

He also hailed his ability to stand up in big moments as being “better than anyone I’ve seen’’, making the Tigers’ hopes of upsetting hot favourite Sturt in the grand final so much harder.

Seven-game defender Beau Symonds is the early favourite to replace Proud.

“It’s sad that the injury is potentially the end for Max (in the SANFL) but we’ll get our arms around him and make sure he’s okay,’’ Reeves said.

[another grub]

Take the Pressure Down