2016 SANFL Grand Final - Sunday Sep 25 (Adelaide Oval)

[Booney]

The image of Godden hands over his face when Kirkwood hit the final nail in was harrowing viewing. Can't say I know Mick well, I know his right hand man well and I felt for him there and then. He's a ripper of a bloke, rough watching him in that much agony. I've also got to know Allmond a bit, he too is a bloke you don't enjoy seeing with that blank on his face, hell of a nice fella.

On the other hand the images of Boyd in tears I could have watched for hours. Wundke, Ainger and Boyd have all chased that illusive dollar.....I mean premiership and they are not there just yet.

Agree feel for Godden, obviously a quality coach and bloke, if he sticks to it he will get another crack.

I think Godden is a career coach and they'd be mad to move him on because of this year, or even a combination of this year and last year.

Leigh Matthews has a theory on coaching and one that must be respected, heard him say once that the coach gets players to the grand final but it's the players who get the coach a premiership. It comes down to the day and twice now the Eagles have let Goddsy down.

[Ronnie]

Felt for Godden. Top bloke as is universally recognised. Nunan at North showed that it is possible to come back from back to back Grand Final defeats. The Eagles can too but they probably need to have a good hard look at their list. Two big games and some players hardly fire a shot. Time to make a few changes, some forced, some unforced.
Mattner at Sturt an absolute revelation. A matter of when he chooses an AFL path. They are a cohesive unit. Unbelievably so. For a side with very little finals experience and no successful finals campaigns this decade, they appeared to revel in the challenges. Sturt thought this was at least two years away. Challenge is to be consistent, particularly if players like Lienert get snapped up. Not sure why he wouldn't be and maybe a couple of others.

[heater31]

How frustrating is it that the opening line to the Advertiser's main article on Sturts great win is about no being able to hold onto Mattner due to AAFL clubs circling

Don't get this sort of talk at all. Mattner left the AFL system to get some experience and a desire to be in charge of his own team. Not sure he's ready to do the same at the next level.

[Ronnie]

How frustrating is it that the opening line to the Advertiser's main article on Sturts great win is about no being able to hold onto Mattner due to AAFL clubs circling

Don't get this sort of talk at all. Mattner left the AFL system to get some experience and a desire to be in charge of his own team. Not sure he's ready to do the same at the next level.

He'll be at Sturt next year. Maybe beyond, maybe not. It's a legitimate angle, but hardly worthy of much prominence right now.

[MatteeG]

Thoughts on the hanger at the other end? I was okay with it.

For mine, Martins mark every day of the week.

On the "trip/below the knees" paid to Sturt in the last 1/4, that was embarrassing, almost as embarrassing as the holding the ball the same umpire missed just moments earlier.

Umpires were really good until the last quarter when the heat was on, much like the Eagles.

At the game, my initial thought was "What a grab", it wasnt until the replay you could tell Martin had a fair piece of it in front.

No problem with the ump calling the mark in real time.

The below the knees free was clearly paid as the ump knew he'd stuffed up by not paying the HTB a few secs earlier. There were other similar below knees throughout the game that were not paid.

[MatteeG]

It comes down to the day and twice now the Eagles have let Goddsy down.

I think they have a very contested game plan which does well on smaller/wetter grounds through the year but struggles on a larger deck.

Too many rhinos and not enough gazelles, they just had no outside speed.

[heater31]

It comes down to the day and twice now the Eagles have let Goddsy down.

I think they have a very contested game plan which does well on smaller/wetter grounds through the year but struggles on a larger deck.

Too many rhinos and not enough gazelles, they just had no outside speed.

Yet they play their minor round games at home on one of the biggest decks in the league...

[MatteeG]

It comes down to the day and twice now the Eagles have let Goddsy down.

I think they have a very contested game plan which does well on smaller/wetter grounds through the year but struggles on a larger deck.

Too many rhinos and not enough gazelles, they just had no outside speed.

Yet they play their minor round games at home on one of the biggest decks in the league...

Bit narrower though? Cue someone with the oval dimensions to kill my argument completely.

[heater31]

Well Unley Oval and Adelaide Oval used to have the same dimensions....then they shortened Unley's length...

Not sure about Woodville though

[Wedgie]

Woodville 175 x 110
Adelaide Oval 167 x 124

[Mr Fuller]

Raymond and Ainger have retired. Lewis I would say is 50/50 to go on, albeit he is contracted but whether he goes on or not.. O'Brien weighing up whether to return to Melbourne or go another year

Sad to see Raymond leaving. Quality player but I do think someone like Rowland is ready and capable of slotting straight in and replacing like for like with little disruption. Ainger is finished. No loss. He has had his chances. Plays a decent game every few matches or so but just goes missing when the heat is on and you can't plan a strategy around unpredictable player like that.

O'brien would be a massive hole but what I'm hoping is that Rowntree will have a big pre-season, get fit and step up and play the quality football he played last year. It was obvious he wasn't up with the pace of the game coming back underdone from his knee late in the season. If he rediscovers his form then he will be an instant replacement for O'brien. But on O'brien, if he does leave it wouldn't be unexpected. The days of quality VFL and ex-AFL Victorian recruits coming over to SA and staying the long haul are well behind us.

If Lewis does decide to play on then Godden needs to send him a clear memo. Either get fit and lose 10kg so you can run out a match or we will sack you. It is a disgrace that one of our midfielders is overweight in the way he is. Although Wundke is just as fat, he at least delivers week in week out and players in his position probably don't need to be as fit as an onballer.

If Jarrad, Ainger, Raymond, Lewis and O'brien all leave they will probably free up more than half of our salary cap. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles go on a shopping spree or go down the route of placing faith in their juniors.

[human_torpedo]

Raymond and Ainger have retired. Lewis I would say is 50/50 to go on, albeit he is contracted but whether he goes on or not.. O'Brien weighing up whether to return to Melbourne or go another year

Sad to see Raymond leaving. Quality player but I do think someone like Rowland is ready and capable of slotting straight in and replacing like for like with little disruption. Ainger is finished. No loss. He has had his chances. Plays a decent game every few matches or so but just goes missing when the heat is on and you can't plan a strategy around unpredictable player like that.

O'brien would be a massive hole but what I'm hoping is that Rowntree will have a big pre-season, get fit and step up and play the quality football he played last year. It was obvious he wasn't up with the pace of the game coming back underdone from his knee late in the season. If he rediscovers his form then he will be an instant replacement for O'brien. But on O'brien, if he does leave it wouldn't be unexpected. The days of quality VFL and ex-AFL Victorian recruits coming over to SA and staying the long haul are well behind us.

If Lewis does decide to play on then Godden needs to send him a clear memo. Either get fit and lose 10kg so you can run out a match or we will sack you. It is a disgrace that one of our midfielders is overweight in the way he is. Although Wundke is just as fat, he at least delivers week in week out and players in his position probably don't need to be as fit as an onballer.

If Jarrad, Ainger, Raymond, Lewis and O'brien all leave they will probably free up more than half of our salary cap. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles go on a shopping spree or go down the route of placing faith in their juniors.

Bit of both I would say. But lost Appleton a month out from end of the season, Sinor I wouldn't be shocked if he moved on after being close to going last off season..

O'Brien I think is an employment, or lack of it, issue. Hasn't settled into a job here and the lure of going home would be strong..

I would be looking at Paul Stewart to return, and maybe another ex-AFL listed player. A mobile tall would be nice. But they don't grow on trees. Then put faith in the young kids and load up with pace.. Something we have always lacked across the board

[JK]

The image of Godden hands over his face when Kirkwood hit the final nail in was harrowing viewing. Can't say I know Mick well, I know his right hand man well and I felt for him there and then. He's a ripper of a bloke, rough watching him in that much agony. I've also got to know Allmond a bit, he too is a bloke you don't enjoy seeing with that blank on his face, hell of a nice fella.

On the other hand the images of Boyd in tears I could have watched for hours. Wundke, Ainger and Boyd have all chased that illusive dollar.....I mean premiership and they are not there just yet.

By all reports Godden is a terrific bloke and I regularly hear the same said of Wundke too. That moment when Godden placed head in hands was poignant and I felt very sorry for him at the time.

Sturt play a pretty positive brand of footy so was a good result Imho

As for the McGregor mark, no problems from where I sit .. Rightly or wrongly I reckon that's always a mark in modern footy, didn't think Martin really had that much of it.

[Cambridge Clarrie]

Looked like McGregor's to me watching at the game. When I saw it on the replay, you can see why Martin thought he deserved it. Ump made the right decision in the moment though.

[Cambridge Clarrie]

How good was Greenslade's game?!

For a bloke who, whilst he works hard, isn't relied on in the way Hone and Hansen have been this year, I thought Greenie was exceptional from the get go. Jack Stephens could have not turned up in the second half and would still have been worthy of the Jack Oatey Medal.

McMahon was ultra reliable and knew just when to run forward or drop back and Fraser Evans, despite Wundke's bag, fought hard in every contest and gave penetrating forward movement.

Couldn't be prouder of the boys!

[Rik E Boy]

Congratulations to the Sturt Football Club. Never thought I'd feel good about the Strutties hoisting the cup but as long as Power or Blackbirds don't win then it's all hunky dory. Good job Blues.

regards,

REB

[Corona Man]

Bumped into one of the Sturt players mum's this morning.... looks like it was a huge party. She was off to work, she has no idea where junior is!

[heater31]

Bumped into one of the Sturt players mum's this morning.... looks like it was a huge party. She was off to work, she has no idea where junior is!

Probably not a good thing as some former Sturt players have been known to wake up in an entirely different state capital to the one they started in

[am Bays]

Eagles lose the Ressies Grand Final as hot favourites, Eagles lose the league GF as hot favourite. Not a good day down at Oval Avenue.

They were hot favourites in the 16s GF earlier in the year considering they beat their opponents by 10 goals in their one and only match earlier in the season.

[tipper]

well done Sturt. ill look forward to seeing the blues on the chimney next time i drive down port road.