Sandpit

IT'S HARD TO HOLD THAT TIGER!

By Alan Shiell. It might just be the year of the Tiger after all. No longer is Glenelg a team to be damned and pitied in the finals. Consecutive major round wins against Central District, Sturt and Port Adelaide - victories stamped with the resolve of steel - have made Glenelg a worthy challenger to Norwood for the 1982 SA league football premiership.

The question to be answered now is: can John Halbert's men do it again on a Saturday, after only a six-day break and against a fresh, fit side that have enjoyed a fortnight's rest?

Winning four finals is a task that has not been performed since the introduction of the final five system in 1973. No team has gone top from third, fourth or fifth position. Norwood made the biggest climb - from fifth to second in 1980.

The only other instance of a team finishing outside the top three and playing in the grand final was in 1974 when Glenelg rose from fourth and lost the premiership to Sturt.

Port Adelaide joins Central District (1979) as the only sides since 1973 to win the minor premiership and miss playing in the grand final. Glenelg has won only two of its previous nine grand finals. It beat Port by nine points in 1934 and North Adelaide by seven points in 1973. But it lost to Norwood (by 47 points) in 1950, Sturt (71) in 1969, Sturt (21) in 1970, Sturt 15 in 1974, Norwood (12) in 1975, Port (8) in 1977 and Port (51) last year.

Glenelg captain Paul Weston said after the thrilling one point victory over Port in the preliminary final yesterday that it was "the best Glenelg win" in which he had played since his debut in 1974.

"It was another total effort in team work and dedication," Weston said. "Our aggressive attack on the ball was first-class throughout." Glenelg coach John Halbert said: "Our excellent second quarter won it for us. When it looked like we might get run over I thought the fight and determination not to let it slip was excellent."

Port coach John Cahill said: "Glenelg really kicked away in the second quarter. Our players put up a tremendous effort to get back. Glenelg will bve very hard to beat in the grand final."

Halbert taunted his players before yesterday's match by having copies of newspaper reports of the club's past failures stuck up around the dressing room.

But, based on what it has achieved and the way it has achieved it in the past three weeks, there can only be admiration for Glenelg. The preliminary final looked all but over when Glenelg led by 38 points - 10.6 to 4.4 - at the 24-minute mark of the second quarter. But goals to full-forward Tim Evans and rover Ray Huppatz in the time-on period narrowed the gap to 26 points at half-time. And Port trailed by only four points - 11.4 to 11.8 - when the time-on period began in the third term. Glenelg shot 19 points clear with two goals from rover Tony McGuinness in the first five minutes of the last quarter. It was a desperate finish to a desperately fought battle. Players had to contend with rain, soft, slippery turf and a muddy ball. And Glenelg had to contend with David Granger, whose characteristic methods constituited probably the most undisciplined performance seen from a player in an SA final.

Port trailled by 26 points - 4.4 to 8.6 - when Granger was let loose off the interchange bench. He announced his arrival by running straight into Glenelg centre half-back Graham Cornes, then throwing him to the ground while play continued at the other end of the field.

Thereafter, Granger, throwing his arms and legs around like thrashing machines , was the deserved target of much crowd abuse. Glenelg players were reluctant to retaliate for fear of being reported and missing the grand final. Channel 7's statistician credited Granger with one kick and two marks. Yet he had an eerie effect upon the game - an effect that ruined many spectators' enjoyment of it.

Glenelg had many better players than Port, despite the closeness of the final scores. Big Peter Carey, hobbling on one leg, was courage, strength and stamina personified, Cornes led the defence superbly, supported by flanker Peter Maynard, and McGuinness and Peter McInerney roved brilliantly. Weston and Stephen Kernahan (four goals) dominated in the first half and wingman David Marshall put in a big second half.

GRANGER OUT UNTIL ROUND 9 MATCH The following is extacted from the front page of "The Advertiser" Wednesday September 29th, 1982.

Port Adelaide centre half-forward David Granger last night was suspended until the ninth series of the 1983 league football season. The SA National Football League tribunal found him guilty of having struck Glenelg centre half-back Graham Cornes with a clenched left fist late in the second quarter of Sunday's preliminary final. Through his advocate Mr. J.L Firth, Granger pleaded guilty to having struck Cornes under provocation by words and actions." Granger, who was reported by goal umpire Des Hillebrand, left Football Park immediately after the 80-minute hearing, including TV replays of the incident and would not speak to reporters. Announcing the suspension, which included pre season matches, the tribunal chairman, Mr K.P Duggan said: "We are not optimistic that the suspension we now impose will act as a detterent, but at least it will amount to a protection to other players for the time being." Mr. Duggan said he and the other two commissioners Mr. C.L Pyatt and Mr. R.A Linke had no doubt Cornes had been struck by a clenched fist. Both of you made contact with each other when you first came onto the field, but we do not accept that you were hit in the face by Cornes," Mr. Duggan said. "The tribunal makes it perfectly clear that only one offence was reported. We can do no more than fix a penalty in respect of that matter." "We say this because of recent publicity involving you in recent days." Nevertheless, the offence is a serious one. You hit a player when the ball was some 80 metres away. You knocked him to the ground." It was a calculated and deliberate act and it has no part in the modern game of football." "You have been suspended on three previous occaisons. On the last occaison you were suspended for six matches." "Apparently that sentece was of no detterent to you." It was the sixth time that Granger, 27, had been before the tribunal in his seven-season career with Port and the fourth time he had been convicted. He was suspended for two matches for head butting in 1980, last year he received a three-match suspension for striking in a reserves match and six matches for an incident involving Glenelg's Neville Caldwell in the grand final. Hillebrand told last night's tribunal he has seen Granger run from the interchange bench to the centre half-forward position about 15-20 minutes into the second quarter. "They (Granger and Cornes) appeared to body each other directly, macho-style, if you like, to let each other know they were there," Hillebrand said. "After that particular confrontation I saw David swing his left arm in a round house hooking action, striking Cornes to the side of the head, causing him to fall to the ground." "It was a deliberate blow. In my view the offence seemed to be unprovoked." Mr. Firth said that the incident had been in a very tense, very desperate finals game in which Granger had been fresh off the bench and fired up over his team's poor performance in the second quarter. Granger said Cornes had lifted his elbow and hit him in the side of the face. "He was abusing me and swearing," Granger said. I think I was abusing him too. It was a fairly heated moment." Granger said after more abuse from Cornes he had struck Cornes accross the front of his body with the lower part of his arm, but his fist had not struck Cornes. Granger also told the tribunal "I don't believe he has the right to go around elbowing me in the face and getting away with it." When told of Granger's allegations Cornes said: "I categorically deny that I said one word to him." "And those who have seen the film , which clearly shows what happened, can judge for themselves about the elbow claim." Port's management committee and Granger met at Alberton Oval yesterday and the club will issue a prepared statement this morning.