SANFL Grand Final: Sturt and Norwood rivalry reignites 48 years after infamous 1978 clash

A highly anticipated SANFL grand final showdown between Sturt and Norwood this weekend has brought back memories of their infamous 1978 clash, which remains one of the most contentious moments in South Australian football history.

The Redlegs came away with a one-point win in 1978 despite Sturt being favoured, but with both teams meeting again for this weekend's SANFL Grand Final, there are several controversies that remain front of mind for some.

The 1978 Controversy

Football Park was barely four years old when Sturt and Norwood last met in a famous grand final that included a brief tussle between players and officials in the Sturt dug-out.

After kicking 5:9 to Norwood's 1:5 in the first quarter, Sturt was in front and living up to expectations, having only lost one game for the entire season.

But, 29 points down in the last quarter, the Redlegs mounted a comeback, briefly taking the lead before Sturt kicked another goal.

"Then there was a rough contest in Norwood's forward pocket, and [Redleg] Phil Gallagher took it out of the ruck, quickly slammed it on his boot, and it went straight to Sturt fullback Colin Casey," said SANFL senior media producer Zac Millbank.

"He kicked it straight back out of the area and then Phil Gallagher went to mark Casey's kick, but he actually dropped it."

Field umpire Des Foster blew his whistle and gave what commentators at the time assumed to be a weak free kick to Gallagher.

Foster later said that he actually called it a mark but admitted it was the wrong call, explaining that his field of vision had been obscured by players at the key moment when the ball came down.

In front of more than 50,000 spectators and a live television audience, Gallagher went back and kicked a goal, putting Norwood in front.

Sturt's Lucas Slade and Norwood's Alex Wright will compete for the SANFL flag on Sunday. (Supplied: Matt Talbot)

There were about three minutes left, however, and Sturt made several more 50-metre entries but only managed a point.

Mr Millbank pointed out that Sturt had kicked 14 goals and 25 points that day, so the upset loss could not be blamed on "the Des Foster blunder".

"Fourteen goals and 26 points is just horrendous kicking and some of the shots were very simple ones," he said.

A Dug-out Scuffle

Another memorable moment occurred in the third quarter in 1978 when Norwood player John Wynne overran the ball on the boundary and ended up inside the enemy's camp, much to his own apparent amusement.

A skirmish ensued, with more players and officials from the Redlegs getting involved, until umpires quelled the situation and broke the parties apart — even as strong words continued to fly.

"Legend has it that master [Sturt] coach Jack Oatey was a bit ruffled after that incident," Mr Millbank said.

"I don't know how true it is, but there's a bit of thought that Wynne did it deliberately to try and stir him up a bit, put them off their game."

This Year's Grand Final

Sturt captain Tom Lewis said he was reminded about the 1978 final by a pedestrian walking past his house on Monday morning.

"He reminded me at about 7am how disappointed he was at that grand final and asked us to right a few wrongs," he said.

"Both clubs have such a history; it does bring a lot of excitement, a lot of pressure."

"I'm thoroughly looking forward to it, and the boys are. Everyone's amped up; I know Norwood are as well, so hopefully we get a good turnout."

Norwood captain Jacob Kennerley said it was always a big game when Sturt and Norwood met, "so to be able to play in a grand final against them is a bigger deal".

"You can certainly feel the anticipation living in the eastern suburbs and knowing that rivalry, the history, the '78 grand final was obviously huge," he said.

"I've heard a lot about that even though it was 48 years ago now. That famous Gallagher mark, my former number 11, so I know a lot about the history."

Norwood beat Sturt by 19 points during the second semi-final earlier this month.

Coach Jade Sheedy said that after the team's main training session, they had another strong session on Saturday, "which put the boys through their paces and tried to replicate as much as we can to get them ready for a grand final," he said.

"Our preparation has been good … players are fresh."

Sturt, which finished third on the ladder, has played three finals to get to the big dance, and will defend their 2025 premiership with a slightly different list to Sunday's preliminary due to injuries.

Coach Marty Mattner said there was still a window open for injured players to be considered for Sunday's game.

The 2026 SANFL Grand Final will commence at Adelaide Oval from 2:30pm Sunday.