South Adelaide shrugged off a slow start to cruise past a gallant Glenelg and secure a 23-point victory in their First Nations Round clash at Magain Stadium.

Despite sitting at the bottom of the ladder with just one win for the season, Glenelg burst out of the blocks with plenty of intensity, catching the home side off guard.

The opening stages of the match were an arm-wrestle, with both sides defending resolutely and halting promising forward entries.

Glenelg capitalised on their bright start by kicking the first goal of the match, then wasted no time doubling their tally to extend the lead to 12 points.

Emma Charlton and Caitlin Couch continued their strong seasons, finding the ball with ease while also limiting Glenelg’s ball movement through strong tackling efforts.

In defence, Jaslynne Smith remained composed under pressure and provided crucial support to her teammates with smart positioning.

South Adelaide registered their first score of the game after Tabitha Prosser took a strong mark and found Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap inside 50 - though she was unable to convert her set shot.

Mel Anderson made up for the behind moments later, converting from 30 metres out on a slight angle after a free kick at centre half-forward resulted in a quick forward entry.

At the first break, Glenelg held a six-point lead.

South came out with energy in the second term, with fast ball movement resulting in Emily Brockhurst outsprinting her direct opponent and finishing on the run.

Soriah Moon and Taya Maxwell continued to showcase their dominance in the ruck and around the contest, using their strength to win several stoppage clearances.

A brilliant diving smother from Lauren Clifton led to South Adelaide taking the lead for the first time in the match, with Shae Archbold nailing her running shot from 20 metres out.

Archbold doubled her goal tally moments later, receiving a slick handball from Layla Vizgaudis and snapping truly on her trusty left foot to extend South’s lead to 12 points.

Glenelg couldn’t halt South Adelaide’s momentum, and after minor scores to Prosser and Brockhurst, Lily Baxter stepped up and converted from long range.

The quarter continued to go South’s way, with Archbold shrugging off two defenders and snapping through her third of the term, following a deep forward entry from Moon.

A five-goal-to-zero second quarter flipped the match on its head and gave South Adelaide a 27-point advantage at the main break.

The third term proved to be a more even contest, with goals hard to come by for both sides.

Esther Schirmer and Tiffany King were steadfast in defence and actively contributed to South’s rebound efforts out of defensive 50.

After 13 minutes, Glenelg struck first, reducing the margin to 19 points, but the visitors still faced an uphill battle.

Just as Glenelg looked to be working their way back into the contest, South had the answers.

Charlton’s long forward entry cleared the pack and allowed Brockhurst to run into an open goal for her second of the afternoon.

Brockhurst’s goal would be the final major of the term and ensured South took a four-goal buffer into the final quarter.

Despite having the game in their control, South Adelaide refused to let up, with Couch, Charlton and Cockatoo-Motlap leading the way in tackles.

The clock was always going to be Glenelg’s enemy, but a goal in the 13th minute to reduce the margin to 17 points kept the faintest hopes of a comeback alive.

While many players were showing signs of fatigue, Hope Taylor continued to chase every loose ball and apply relentless pressure to ball carriers.

South ultimately shut the door on any comeback when Maxwell’s stoppage clearance cleared the pack, allowing Lucy Northcott to find Prosser at the top of the square.

Although the kick fell at Prosser’s feet, her follow-up tackle resulted in a holding-the-ball decision. She converted her set shot, sparking jubilant celebrations from her teammates.

As the siren sounded on a clinical performance, South Adelaide appear to be hitting form at just the right time of the year, with finals fast approaching.

With the win, the Panthers have secured a finals spot for the eighth consecutive season, maintaining their perfect record of reaching the finals every year since joining the competition

South Adelaide will return to Magain Stadium on Saturday, 7 June at 12:00pm to take on West Adelaide in a third straight triple-header for the club.

Thanks to club partner Magain, it is FREE Entry for all on Saturday, with plenty of fun for the whole family!