Crows victorious in SANFL APY League decider

2 September 2025

By Peter Argent

In the most remote football league in Australia, the Grand Final of the 2025 Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands football and softball competitions was played amongst a kaleidoscope of colour and a cacophony of noise at the Puktuja Oval on Saturday, August 30.

The skies were a brilliant blue and the weather was perfect for the culmination of the 2025 SANFL APY Lands season.

With many cars full to overflowing, it was estimated the crowd to have been upwards of 1500 from both communities.

Spectators and competitors travelled huge distances to support the two participants in the SANFL APY League footballer title decider, the Mimili Blues and the Aputula (Finke) Crows.

Many vehicles were decorated with player numbers and club colours adding to the festivities and emotion of the day.

Both sides entered the playing area, running through a large cohort of supporters, with the children of each community getting the honour of preceding the combatants for the day onto the ground.

After the captains and officials’ photo, the umpires tossed the ball to the heavens and the contest starts, with parochial support at fever pitch.

Out of the blocks quickly with a powerful initial onslaught, the Apulula Crows kicked the opening three goals of the game in the first four minutes of the opening quarter.

Looking for a third successive flag, the Crows held the Mimili Blues at arms-length for the breadth of the contest, getting home by 14 points, 8.8 (56) to 6.6 (42), with the barnstorming start playing a big role in the triumph.

The emotive scenes once the siren sounded clearly display the ecstasy of glory and the agony of defeat.

Crows’ athletic ruckman Terrance Wilyuka received the best player on the ground medal, winning many taps and finding the ball consistently in general play and driving it forward.

Players of note for the gallant Mimili Blues included defender Kefon Smith, along with Bradman Churchill, Zibeon Feilding and Billy Cooley.

Among the most impressive part of the game from a skill perspective, was the extraordinary evasive skills on the dirt ground and the commitment to tackling, despite the surface.

The Aputula Crows coach Matthew Lynch lifted the trophy triumphantly post-game, collected the premiership T-shirts on behalf of the premiership team, as the Crows players, family and supporters celebrated joyously.

Former SANFL league premiership footballers, Sturt’s 2002 defender Michael Curtis and Port Adelaide 1994 flag winner Simon Pedlar, along with another Tumby Bay stalwart Kerry Fanks were the three match officials for the football Grand Final.

Both John and his son Joe Kernahan were the official scorers and scoreboard attendants.

Sporting legend in his own right and a 19-year servant as an SANFL umpire in his youth, Kevin Tannebring ran the Softball program on Grand Final day.

The Mimili Blues lined up against the Pukatja Magpies in the Softball Grand Final.

Despite a strong start and the opening run of the game, the Blues were well beaten by a potent Magpies side, 12-3.

They took the lead in the second innings and drove the victory home with a couple of homers at the bottom of the third innings.

Pukatja Magpies Sadie Tjangala was named as “Best on the Diamond” in the 2025 Softball APY Lands Grand Final.