Glenelg have ended South Adelaide’s hopes of a third consecutive SANFLW Development League premiership, claiming a hard-fought 21-point win in the grand final at Stratarama Stadium.

South Adelaide came out firing early, with ruck Jacinda Schunselaar giving her midfielders first use at the stoppages, particularly Melanie Koster and Zoe Flesfadar.

The Panthers’ pressure was immense, and it paid off when Tabitha Prosser cleverly soccered the ball inside-50, resulting in Kate Chapman slotting the game’s first goal and sparking wild celebrations.

South’s tackling pressure across the ground made it difficult for Glenelg to find any early fluency. However, the Tigers gradually settled and responded with the next goal to reduce the margin. 

As they began to take control, a second Glenelg major handed them the lead for the first time.

While captain Chloe Meyers continued to marshal the defence and Charlotte Dolan added drive off half-back, the Tigers headed into quarter-time with a narrow five-point advantage.

South Adelaide struggled to break through Glenelg’s disciplined defensive setup in the second term, with repeated turnovers halting their forward momentum.
Prosser continued her strong performance, producing a brilliant run-down tackle on the wing to shut down a Glenelg forward foray.

After a positive few minutes, Jaidee-Lee Shortridge and Madison Brown linked up well in transition — but Shortridge’s forward entry was picked off by a composed Glenelg defence.

The Tigers’ growing dominance was eventually rewarded in the 11th minute, as they slotted the only goal of the quarter. South were kept scoreless and entered the main break trailing by 12 points.

The Panthers came out determined to lift after half-time, with Tiana Lush setting the tone by intercepting a handball and surging the ball inside-50.

While nothing came of the initial entry, Demi-lee Braun’s relentless pressure earned her a free kick, which led to Flesfadar launching a long-range effort that registered a behind.

Glenelg responded once again with a steadying goal to halt South’s momentum. 

Dolan continued to inspire with her fearless attack on the ball, while Shortridge and Lily Dunstall-Bruce combined for a behind after a scrappy forward entry.

South finally reaped the rewards for their persistence when Braun found Chapman out the back of a contest. Chapman shrugged a tackler and kicked her second of the match.

Moments later, Braun was again rewarded — this time for a fierce tackle inside-50. She calmly converted her set shot to cut the margin to just seven points at three-quarter time.

With everything on the line, the opening goal of the final quarter loomed as critical — and it was Glenelg who struck first after several minutes of tense, end-to-end football.

The Tigers’ relentless pressure around the contest continued to stifle South’s ball movement, leading to repeated turnovers from the visitors.

Meyers remained resolute in defence, but the Panthers couldn’t withstand the weight of Glenelg’s repeated entries. 

The Tigers landed the decisive blow midway through the term with their second goal, extending the lead to 20 points.

Despite South’s best efforts, they were unable to overcome a highly skilled and clinical Glenelg.

The Tigers finished strongly, holding South Adelaide scoreless in the final quarter to secure a 21-point win.