1977 SANFL Grand Final
The 1977 SANFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Port Adelaide Football Club and the Glenelg Football Club, held at Football Park on Saturday 24 September 1977. It was the 79th annual Grand Final of the South Australian National Football League, staged to determine the premiers of the 1977 SANFL season. The match, attended by 56,717 spectators, was won by Port Adelaide by a margin of 8 points, marking that club's twenty-fourth premiership victory.
Background
Centenary of the SANFL
In 1977 the SANFL celebrated its centenary, commemorating 100 years since the inaugural 1877 SAFA season. All SANFL clubs that year wore a patch commemorating the milestone.Port Adelaide's premiership drought
The 12-year period leading up to the 1977 SANFL Grand Final included six grand final losses for Port Adelaide, with four to Sturt and two to North Adelaide.Teams
Teams listed in the Sunday Mail.Physicality
The 1977 Grand Final was a physical affair with Port Adelaide wingman Bruce Light reported for striking, Kym Kinnear was concussed by Graham Cornes and taken from the ground, and several other players sustaining injuries throughout the match. Twenty players were involved in a brawl at the half-time siren.Twenty-four-year-old Randall Gerlach retired after the game after playing for two years with kidney problems.