Great Flinders football
A grade grand final, Tumby Bay v Ramblers
IT'S on again - the 2009 grand final has Tumby Bay and Ramblers contesting for the fourth year in a row, in what looms as an enthralling contest between two traditional rivals.
Both sides are in sound form, with solid wins in recent weeks, and both appear evenly matched, which will ensure a keenly contested grand final between the league's two best clubs.
Last time they met
After a sluggish start and trailing by just under four goals at half time, the Blues dominated the second half kicking, 10 goals to three to run out comfortable winners. Josh Cave was named best for the Blues, while Ramblers were best served by midfielder Cody Pilgrim.
This week's game
Ramblers earned the right to contest yet another grand final last week by comfortably overcoming a determined United Yeelanna on their home ground in the preliminary final.
In an emotional week for the Magpies they showed great poise in turning a quarter time defecit into a comfortable victory by game's end.
The Blues have likewise been in sound form, with some of their better performances coming towards the end of the year.
They coasted through their second semi final victory against the Eagles, and look well placed to be at their peak for this week's big game.
Both sides will go in confident of their chances, which ensures spectators and supporters will witness a great game between two sides that have dominated the competition in recent years.
The midfield dual
Both sides boast impressive midfields and it is potentially this battle that looms as the all important factor in either side's chances.
For the Blues, Jimmy Chard, who has had an outstanding season, Paul Jefferson, and Craig Curtis form a strong midfield group that has plenty of ball winning ability. They also have a number of rotations available to them with David Butler and Michael Curtis expected to spend some time in the middle at different stages.
The Magpies have the class of Shawn Fitzgerald as their number one midfielder, and he is a player that has caused the Blues plenty of headaches in recent contests, most noticeably last year's grand final when he won the best on ground medal.
He will be well supported by the disciplined Cody Pilgrim who has stepped up well this year, and don't be surprised to see Simon Pedler spend time on the ball as a follower.
Ben Deslandes is also expected to be part of their midfield mix, which will see the two premier ruckman in Brian Coad and James Minhard up against each other in the rucking contests.
Defenders and forwards
The Blues' back half has yet again been at its miserly best this year, with opposition sides struggling to kick big scores against the tight knit defence.
Jacob Cave has been outstanding again this season at centre half back, and his clash with Ramblers' Jimmy Holman looms as a beauty between two talented players.
Josh Cave and David Butler give the Blues some real hardness and running ability from half back, and the likes of Isaac Lebrun, Daniel Lockwood and Damian Clarke round off a tight defence that will face some big challenges.
For the Magpies, Andrew Crettenden is always a dangerous prospect from full forward with his accurate kicking for goal, and Jim Holman, although well held last week, is a quality player that can turn a game off his own boot.
Coach Simon Pedler will spend some time up forward after his five-goal haul in the preliminary final, and the likes of Ben Deslandes, Fitzgerald and Cody Pilgrim give them further avenues to goal.
At the other end, the Blues will have premier full forward Chris Prime as their main target, with Prime booting 100 goals for the third year in succession against the Eagles in the second semi final. His opponent will most likely come from either Brad Claughton or Scotty Mickan who will rely on their midfield to ensure the big forward is not fed any easy supply.
Sammy Read was outstanding in the second semi final, and when on song, like his fellow counterpart, he has the ability to turn a game off his own boot.
Ricky Clarke and David Fleming are expected to operate as small forwards with Clarke's pace likely to place pressure on the Magpies' defence. Matty Forster played well again for Ramblers last week, and along with Andrew Cabot they have a tight and experienced defensive unit that will make life tough for the Tumby forwards.
Blues captain Michael Curtis has spent some time up forward this year with damaging effect, and whether he starts here or in the middle remains to be seen.
The final word
Both sides appear to be at their peak at the right time of the year, which will see two confident sides face off for a chance at premiership glory.
Ramblers proved Tumby are beatable in last year's grand final, and they will be confident of repeating the dose again this year.
The Blues have had another solid season, and their focus will be on ensuring they perform and play well when it matters most.
The game shapes up as one that will go down to the wire, and with both sides boasting sound defensive units, it may well come down to which side can gain the ascendancy through the midfield to ensure they provide their forwards with enough opportunities to kick a winning score.
The Blues look to have the slight advantage in this department, but they will face stiff opposition from the Magpies onballers and defence, in what is sure to be a cracking encounter.
Who will win - Tumby Bay to cap off a solid season and make amends for their disappointment in last year's final, or Ramblers to spoil the party again? A close game but the Blues should come out on top.
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