Norwood wins 32nd SANFL title in final against Sturt — ABC News Australia
In Adelaide, Australia, football club Norwood defeated Sturt by 14 points in the SANFL grand final to win its 32nd league title. The match at Adelaide Oval was attended by 38,340 spectators, the largest crowd for a SANFL final since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As ABC News reports, the final between Norwood and Sturt was the first meeting between these clubs in a SANFL decider in 48 years. Over the past 14 years, the SANFL grand final has drawn more than 30,000 fans for the 10th time.
The league's historic clubs
West Adelaide head coach Nathan Bassett linked interest in the tournament to the local community's emotional involvement in a competition with a long history. According to him, the league's importance to the community and the passion of its fans distinguish the SANFL from other Australian regional football competitions.
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The SANFL has 10 teams. Seven of them have histories of more than 100 years, Centrals has existed for 67 years, and Woodville-West Torrens was formed through the merger of two long-established clubs. Adelaide is a club affiliated with the Australian Football League.
Plans for the 150th anniversary
SANFL chief executive Darren Chandler said that all five participants in this season's finals series were traditional league clubs, and that support for and coverage of the tournament had been significant. He also said that the SANFL could exist without AFL-affiliated teams amid Port Adelaide's planned move to the Victorian Football League.
Ahead of the SANFL's 150th anniversary, it is preparing a nine-week exhibition at the Festival Centre and a gala event in the middle of the year. The league is also considering holding matches involving all teams at Adelaide Oval over one weekend; this format could become an additional 19th round of the season.
