GFFL 2nd Semi Final Preview (2025)

Top Two Collide as Finals Fever Hits Tumby Bay

Saturday, 30 August 2025 – Tumby Bay

Hosted by Tumby Bay Football Club

Finals footy is officially here, and this weekend the attention shifts to Tumby Bay, where the 2nd Semi Finals will be staged. The winners progress straight into their respective grand finals, while the losers get another chance in the preliminary final next week. Four grades, four mouth-watering match-ups — and all the intrigue of finals football.

Senior Colts (U16s) – Tumby Bay Blues vs Elliston Districts Roosters (10.00am)

The day begins with a cracking contest in the Senior Colts, as the Tumby Bay Blues face off against the Elliston Districts Roosters. Both sides have shown strong development throughout 2025, but Tumby Bay come into this clash as favourites, having been one of the standout junior sides all season.

When these two clubs met earlier in the year, Tumby Bay had the edge on both occasions. In Round 3 (10 May), the Blues recorded a 11.14 (80) to 3.1 (19) victory. Later in the season in Round 10 (19 July), they backed it up with a commanding 16.18 (114) to 1.2 (8) result. Those scorelines underline just how powerful Tumby Bay have been with their ball movement and scoring options.

Elliston Districts, though, won’t be rolling over. Finals often bring out the best in young footballers, and the Roosters will look to bring plenty of tackling pressure and contested spirit to the contest. For them, it’s about slowing down Tumby Bay’s quick ball movement and converting their own opportunities going forward.

Tumby Bay will start hot favourites based on the season results, but in finals football, nothing can be taken for granted. Expect the Roosters to throw everything at the Blues in the early stages, but if Tumby Bay can settle into their rhythm, they’ll be hard to stop.

Mini Colts – Tumby Bay Blues vs Cummins Ramblers Magpies (11.40am)

Next up, it’s the Mini Colts semi final between the Tumby Bay Blues and the Cummins Ramblers Magpies — a battle of contrasting styles that should make for compelling viewing.

These two sides met twice during the home-and-away season. In Round 2 (3 May), Tumby Bay claimed a solid 6.2 (38) to 3.2 (20) win, before again asserting their dominance in Round 9 (29 June), when they defeated the Magpies 6.8 (44) to 1.0 (6). The Blues’ defensive structure and disciplined work around the contest proved key in both outings.

The contrast in approach is fascinating. Tumby Bay are known for their strong tackling, contested edge, and discipline around the ball. They grind opponents down with relentless pressure and rarely allow easy possessions. Ramblers, on the other hand, favour a fast, open, attacking style of play. When they’re able to break lines and move the ball quickly, they can catch opponents off guard and generate scoring bursts.

For the Magpies to cause an upset, they’ll need to take the game on, trust their running power, and hit the scoreboard early. For the Blues, the formula remains simple — stick to their contested strengths, win the hard ball, and apply scoreboard pressure of their own.

This promises to be a battle of styles: contested footy versus open play. Whoever can impose their game plan for longer will likely come away with the win and a grand final berth.

B Grade – Tumby Bay Blues vs Cummins Ramblers Magpies (12.45pm)

The B Grade contest has its own layer of intrigue, with the Tumby Bay Blues taking on the Cummins Ramblers Magpies. Both clubs have been strong across the season, but Tumby Bay have held the upper hand in their two previous encounters.

In Round 2 (3 May), the Blues were dominant, running out 10.7 (67) to 1.0 (6) winners. When they met again in Round 9 (29 June), Tumby Bay again proved too strong, winning 8.10 (58) to 1.4 (10). Those results highlight Tumby Bay’s ability to generate consistent scoring opportunities while restricting their opposition’s forward entries.

The Blues have a good balance of experience and youth, and their ability to share the workload has been a key feature. Their strong tackling pressure and ability to hit the scoreboard makes them dangerous.

For Ramblers, this is a chance to reset and prove they’re capable of causing an upset. Finals are a different ball game, and the Magpies will be banking on their ability to bring intensity and physical pressure from the opening bounce. They’ll need to find more avenues to goal, as their low scoring in the previous matchups won’t be enough this time around.

With neither club featuring in the A Grade finals this year, this clash takes on added importance for both communities. It represents their last chance at senior premiership glory in 2025, and that should add an extra edge to an already competitive encounter. Expect this one to be hotly contested and full of emotion.

A Grade – United Yeelanna Eagles vs Lock Roos (2.40pm)

The feature match of the day is a blockbuster A Grade 2nd Semi Final between the United Yeelanna Eagles and the Lock Roos. These two sides have been the competition’s pace-setters all season and are deservedly playing for the first spot in the 2025 Grand Final.

The rivalry between these clubs has been building over the past few years, and with both boasting deep midfields, dangerous forward lines and stingy backlines, it’s a match that promises high-quality football.

The Eagles have had the wood over Lock in their 2025 meetings. Back in Round 1 (26 April), Yeelanna proved too strong, recording a 9.12 (66) to 5.3 (33) victory. In Round 8 (21 June), it was a much tighter affair, with Yeelanna edging home by just three points — 9.10 (64) to 8.13 (61). That nail-biter showed how evenly matched these sides are when Lock bring their best intensity.

United Yeelanna pride themselves on their running power and ball movement. Their midfield depth, led by a mix of hard nuts and classy users, gives them the ability to dictate terms. Up forward, they have multiple scoring options, making them difficult to shut down.

Lock, meanwhile, have shown they can match it physically and defensively with anyone.

Their tackling pressure and ability to hold teams accountable across the ground has been key to their success. The challenge here will be not only containing Yeelanna’s spread but also capitalising on their own forward entries.

This one has all the makings of a classic. Yeelanna will enter as slight favourites given their track record this season, but Lock are brimming with belief and know they weren’t far off in their last meeting. With a direct path to the Grand Final at stake, expect nothing less than an intense, high-quality contest.

Here is the YouTube link for the last time they both met in Round 8 at Karkoo.

https://www.youtube.com/live/EP61Ju4FNrs?si=qzEeNY2kNZ1ZHcf1 

2024 Grand Final Day - Lock vs United Yeelanna at Ungarra

https://youtu.be/CE28CQcYw8o?si=wjdRnkEter-g3uAP

Final Word

The 2nd Semi Finals at Tumby Bay showcase the very best of the Great Flinders Football League. From the energy of the juniors in the morning through to the blockbuster A Grade clash in the afternoon, the stage is set for a huge day of football.

For some, it’s about keeping premiership dreams alive. For others, it’s about proving themselves against the very best. And for the supporters, it’s another chance to come together, cheer on their clubs, and experience the excitement of finals football.

Good luck to all teams competing — this is what finals footy is all about.