Photos from the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) game between Sturt Double Blues and Glenelg Tigers played at Wigan (Unley) Oval on 09/04/2022. A 28 degree day ensured it would be a rather warm encounter for both teams, used to playing on small home ground ovals. It was a bit of a see-saw game that first saw Glenelg dominate in the first quarter kicking 3.5.23 to 1.1.7 with Lachlan Hosie kicking 2 of their goals. Sturt’s James Mathews was the goal scorer for Sturt.
In the 2nd quarter Glenelg’s inaccurate kicking at goal kept Sturt in touch, but Sturt would first add a a few behinds of their own before James Richards kicked Sturt’s 2nd at 9:15 into the quarter followed up by Joshua Hone kicking their 3rd at the 13:47 mark. More behinds to Glenelg would have frustrated the coach and the Glenelg fans who saw Sturt totally dominating the quarter. Two late goals to James Richards and Josh Shute just added to Glenelg’s pain. Sturt now led 5.7.37 to Glenelg’s inaccurate 3.9.27.
Almost immediately into the 3rd quarter Sturt went further ahead when ex-Crow Patrick Wilson kicked truly. They would in fact kick the next 3 goals of the game, once again to Wilson, and Steven Slimming and Oliver Grivell. Sturt’s dominance was obvious with the scoreline reading 9.7.61 to Glenelg’s paltry 3.9.27 as they all but stopped dead in their tracks. However the sleeping giant awoke and suddenly their game plan worked as they silenced the Sturt home crowd pouring on 4.1 in the space 13 and a half mins to no score by Sturt (score now 9.7.61 to 7.10.52)! Liam McBean starting off the comeback with two goals. Sturt finally broke the run when Abe Davis scored into time-on period of the quarter. However with the amount of goals scored already it would be a long quarter and this played into Glenelg’s hands as Brett Turner and Liam McBean (his 4th goal for the game) would add 2 goals and bring their score into a more favourable 9.10.64 against Sturt’s narrow lead on 10.7.67.
The last quarter was now poised for fight to the final siren with no end for the ground deemed the scoring end. Glenelg edged closer with a behind to Matthew Allen first up. Glenelg was now controlling the ball, and being used to their won small home ground were able to play Wigan Oval well. Brett Turner took the lead for Glenelg by 4 points with his goal at the 9:27 mark, before Hosie ensured Glenelg pulled away (12.11.83 to 10.7.67 )with his 3rd goal for the game 11:21 into the quarter but their was plenty of time for Sturt to regrouped and unleash a barrage of goals like they had in the 2nd quarter. The game ground down to a stalemate situation with neither team able to break through. Would Glenelg have done enough and hold on or would Sturt mount a late charge? They did scoring 1.2 but it would be too late as the final siren had Glenelg upsetting the plucky Sturt team 12 goals 11 behinds 83 points, to 11 goals 9 behinds 75 points.
