17 rounds, 3 finals and finally all roads lead to Ungarra for the last game of the 2024 season.
Please note the change of start times across the day due to presentations after games.
Join us as we preview all the games for an exciting Grand Final day.
Senior Colts – 9:00am
Tumby Bay vs United Yeelanna
The young Blues and Eagles will kick off the day nice and early at Ungarra.
The second semi-final looked like an easy win for Tumby Bay until the Eagles stormed home in the last quarter to just miss out on snatching a victory by 6pts.
Both sides have plenty of players who have excelled in senior football throughout the season.
The battle of the midfield could be a preview of an A Grade matchup in 5 years time with Burgoyne, Robinson and Richardson of the Blues up against Lawrie, Haylock and Hancock of the Eagles.
Tumby Bay will be spearheaded up forward by the GFFL leading goalkicker in Rylan Jefferson who finished the season on 59 goals and slotted through 3 important majors in the second semi between the two sides.
The Eagles will look towards their classy left-footer in Brodie Cash to take charge of their forward line early in the game, however he has showed ability to play a variety of positions over the ground depending on how the game is played out.
A match that could well and truly go either way.
BOG Tips
Tumby Bay – Tully Robinson United Yeelanna – Phillip Lawrie
Mini Colts – 10:45am
Cummins Ramblers vs Tumby Bay
The Ramblers and Tumby Bay Grand Final rivalry is renewed in the Mini Colts of 2024.
The young Magpies side have had the wood over their counterparts throughout the season however the Second Semi-final was extremely close and came down to the final quarter where Ramblers kicked away late, thanks to 2 final quarter goals by Alexa Pedler.
Both sides are led extremely well by future stars of the competition in Harry Nagel and Tom Shirley of Ramblers and Jaxon Dillon and Xavier Lawrie of Tumby Bay.
The wind blowing straight across the ground will likely play a big factor in this match with whoever settles into the conditions first, likely to bring home the win.
Ramblers will be looking to Nagel and Jobe Crettenden to finish off their work up forward whereas the Blues will be looking for a big game from Nash Bodington who took the preliminary final game by the scruff of the neck and kicked 3 important goals to give them another crack at the flag in 2024.
Whilst Ramblers will be going into this game as slight favourites, anything can happen in Mini Colts footy.
BOG Tips
Ramblers – Harry Nagel Tumby Bay – Jaxon Dillon
B Grade – 12:00pm
Tumby Bay vs United Yeelanna
Tumby Bay go into this match as heavy favourites to win their third consecutive flag in the B Grade competition.
In a repeat of the 2023 Grand Final, they will face the Eagles who once again have both senior teams competing on the day.
The 2023 Grand Final was a rollercoaster from start to finish with lead changes throughout the day, finishing off with a Ryan Belt floater from 45 to win the game for Tumby Bay in the final minutes.
As we often see in B Grade, both teams have some elite reserves talent, but the team who can get more from their ‘bottom’ tier players will be bringing home the premiership.
The game will likely start and end in the engine room with Calderwood, Bugeja and Higgins likely up against Proctor, Hatzimanolis and Reynolds-Rowe. Tumby Bay look to have the bigger bodies and experience on their side whereas the Eagles will look to open up the game and use their leg speed as they did against Ramblers last week.
Fiore will pose a handful up front for the Eagles defence, bagging 8 goals in the second semi-final. United Yeelanna will be looking to get the ball in quickly to Howie who is coming off 6 goals in the Preliminary Final last weekend.
Blues are coming in at hot favourites, but history shows to never write an Eagle off, especially in September.
Congratulations to Zac Glover who plays his 200th Senior Game in the Grand Final this weekend.
BOG Tips Tumby Bay – Scott Edmonds United Yeelanna – Aaron Lawrie
A Grade – 2:30pm
United Yeelanna vs Lock
United Yeelanna
Ins - Unchanged
Outs - Unchanged
Lock
Ins - Boyd West
Outs - Billy Brown
What a matchup this one is shaping up to be.
The mighty Eagles juggernaut continues to be a force in Great Flinders as they chase their 10th Premiership in 12 years and 6th consecutive.
This year however, they face one of their hardest tests, a hungry and desperate Lock side looking for their first A Grade flag in 27 years.
United Yeelanna will be going into this game as favourites after winning a close second Semi-final at Poochera, however the location of their last Grand Final loss?...Ungarra
Lets take a look at the matchups which could decide the game.
Xavier Watson vs Casey Beard - Watson was at his damaging best in the second semi-final, racking up disposals at will around the contest and distributing effectively as expected with a player of his quality. Casey Beard has been given the job on Watson in previous meetings between the two sides and one would expect the Lock skipper to go head to head with the Eagles veteran in the biggest game of the year.
Jaxon Norton vs Kory Beard - A matchup worth the price of entry alone. Both players are finals specialists and have experience at higher levels. Beard has been at his dominant best especially in the last half of the season since returning to the Roos forward line. Norton's height and ability to be dangerous and intercept often in the air makes him the perfect opponent for the Lock coach. Although against a lesser opponent, who could forget Beards last outing at Ungarra where he finished with 16 majors.
Matt Crettenden vs Damian Kelly - Another mouth-watering matchup from the opposite end of the ground. Two hard, fair players who rarely get on top of the other. In last years Grand Final, a third quarter cameo by Crettenden arrested momentum back towards the Eagles as they dominated the last half. Kelly has taken plenty of scalps all year and faces his toughest test against Crettenden, a big game player on the biggest stage of the season.
Both sides have plenty of questions coming into the game with the Eagles only playing 2 games of football in the last 5 weeks and the Roos coming in after losing two important defenders late in the season to ACL's (Josh Crosby, Billy Brown).
With both sides having a forward line capable of kicking a big score, the midfield battle is likely to decide the game.
Will the Eagles cement their legacy as the best regional footy side in South Australia?
Or will the Roos ride the momentum and bring the flag home to Lock?
Either way, we're in for an absolute belter.
BOG Tips
United Yeelanna - Casey Carr
Lock - Travis Beard
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