For the second time in its eight-year history, South Adelaide has claimed back-to-back premierships, sealing a comfortable 23-point win over Woodville-West Torrens at Stratarama Stadium.

In a clash between two of the SANFLW’s premier sides, South’s dominant display secured the club’s fourth premiership and further cemented its reputation as the competition’s most formidable force.

With close to 3,000 fans packed into the Bay for one of the most anticipated grand finals in recent memory, the atmosphere was electric from the opening bounce.

The early intensity made time and space a rare commodity, but signs quickly emerged that the Panthers—appearing in their sixth grand final in eight seasons—were more settled on the big stage.

South’s relentless forward pressure unsettled the Eagles from the outset. A hurried defensive exit opened the door for the first score, with Lauren Clifton gathering a tumbling ball near the boundary, before wheeling onto her right boot and delivering a penetrating kick to a pack of leading forwards.

Desperate defending brought the ball to ground, but a brilliant smother from Doreena Hansen kept the ball inside South’s forward 50, building further pressure on the minor premiers.

From the resulting stoppage, Tabitha Prosser cleverly kicked a bouncing ball from near the boundary into the goal square, where Lucy Northcott took a strong contested grab. After a deep breath, Northcott slotted the opening goal from close range, sparking wild celebrations from her teammates.

Despite recent injury setbacks, ruck Soriah Moon showed her trademark agility and gave her midfielders quality service at stoppages.

The Eagles looked to respond, but a crunching tackle from Lily Baxter across half-back halted a promising foray forward.

South continued to slice through the Eagles’ defensive setup with deliberate and composed ball movement, leading to another entry via Clifton. While the mark wasn’t taken, immense ground-level pressure from Hansen and Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap created chaos for the Eagles' defenders.

The ball spilled near the goal square, and it was Cockatoo-Motlap who displayed poise and class to gather and snap truly, extending South’s lead to 12 points.

Emma Charlton continued her standout season, with her clean hands around stoppages repeatedly driving South forward. 

Down back, Jaslynne Smith and Tiffany King were rock solid, blanketing their direct opponents with relentless pressure.

After 13 minutes, the Eagles finally registered their first score—a behind—followed minutes later by a narrow snap from Klaudia O’Neill.

O’Neill’s effort proved to be the final score of an entertaining first quarter, with South Adelaide holding an 11-point lead at the first break.

Desperate for a lift, Woodville-West Torrens nearly started the second quarter in perfect fashion, but Imogen Trengove’s set shot from a tight angle drifted across the face for another minor score.

Three time Premiership Coach Rick Watts caught up with Sam Tugwell and Matt Panos on Five AA's SANFL Show

The match turned into an arm wrestle as both sides fought tooth and nail for every possession. 

Onballers Caitlin Couch, Layla Vizgaudis and Melissa Anderson continually put their bodies on the line while applying strong frontal pressure to generate turnovers.

A desperate spoil by Prosser following a defensive exit opened the door again, and moments later, her forward pressure was rewarded with a free kick.

Wasting no time, Prosser drilled a pass to an unmarked Charlton 40 metres out, giving her a golden opportunity. But a lapse in the Eagles’ concentration allowed Clifton to mark 15 metres closer to goal. She made no mistake, extending South’s lead to 16 points.

The Eagles had a chance to respond almost immediately through O’Neill, but the usually reliable forward couldn’t convert from 25 metres on a slight angle.

South made them pay. A lightning-quick transition from half-back, involving slick handballs from Northcott, Hansen and Cockatoo-Motlap, saw Emily Brockhurst break free and slot a composed goal on the run.

As half-time approached, Charlton was again in the thick of it, sending a high ball forward. Several players flew, but it was Hope Taylor who read the drop best, attacking the contest and drawing a free kick for in-the-back.

A goal then would’ve put the game further out of reach, but Taylor’s kick veered narrowly, leaving the door ajar for the Eagles.

Nevertheless, South went into the main break with a commanding 22-point lead off the back of a clinical first-half performance.

The ‘premiership quarter’ provided South with the perfect chance to take full control of the match.

Premiership Players Jaslynne Smith, Lauren Clifton, Charlotte Dolan and Emily Brockhurst caught up with Fresh FM's Tom and Callum on Tuesday morning. 

Panthers Pinktails players Caitlin Couch, Doreena Hansen and Demi Lee-Braun spoke to Stewart Brash own ABC Alice Springs. Click here to listen and skip to 42 minutes. 

Just seconds in, Hansen soared for a strong contested mark at centre half-forward and found Brockhurst inside 50. Brockhurst’s shot drifted just wide, but South’s pressure remained unrelenting.

The Eagles struggled to exit their defensive 50, with Moon’s intercept mark from the kick-in keeping the pressure on the minor premiers. 

Moon’s deep entry was spoiled from Northcott, but Brockhurst gathered the loose ball near the boundary and found Charlton by hand. Charlton’s checkside attempt was off target, but the Panthers continued to build momentum.

Woodville-West Torrens were hanging on desperately, aware that conceding the first goal of the term could seal their fate. However, the cruel blow came when Charlton surged towards the arc and floated a pass to Taylor in the forward pocket.

With little angle to work with, Taylor calmly slotted the set shot, extending South’s lead to a game-high 30 points. The celebrations made it clear—South could taste premiership glory.

Despite their usual sharpness in front of goal, the Eagles struggled to apply scoreboard pressure. They finally produced a spark just before three-quarter time but failed to capitalise fully.

At the final break, South Adelaide still led by 22 points. The Eagles needed a final term for the ages.

But any hope of a comeback was quickly dashed. Baxter hit up a courageous Vizgaudis, who marked running back with the flight at centre half-forward. 

The midfielder played on without hesitation, strolled inside 50 and slotted a goal on the run, all but sealing the premiership.

South’s younger defenders stood tall under pressure. Esther Schirmer and 15-year-old Marley Tape were composed and resolute, making life difficult for their more experienced opponents and preserving South’s 28-point buffer.

Northcott, who was dangerous all day, had a late chance to add another from the boundary, but her shot faded left. It mattered little.

The Eagles managed a late consolation goal to add some respectability to the scoreboard, but the result was beyond doubt.

As the clock ticked down, anticipation grew. Players, coaches, and fans alike sensed what was coming. Fittingly, the final kick of the game came from Charlton, who booted it long down the line to a pack of teammates.

Moments later, the siren sounded, confirming South Adelaide as back-to-back SANFLW premiers and further enhancing its status as the most successful club in the competition’s history.

Among a field of standout performances, it was 17-year-old Emma Charlton who claimed best-on-ground honours, finishing with 26 disposals, nine clearances and seven tackles.