South Adelaide’s bid for a spot in this year’s Hostplus SANFL Reserves Grand Final fell short at the final hurdle, with Sturt powering to a 43-point win at Magain Stadium.

The Double Blues started strongly, generating the first forward entry from a free kick and advantage, though the resulting shot was rushed by South's defence.

Several players on either side were struggling to execute under tight pressure in the early stages, with heavy tackling leading to forced skill errors.

Despite a bright start from Sturt, the home side were still able to create chances. Tye Gander missed a tough set shot from long range, while Cohen Shortridge was unable to nail his snap under pressure.

Kyle Marshall was outstanding early, with several key defensive spoils and smothers.

Around the contest, Jacob Collins set the tone for South’s onballers, while Ethan Johnson was providing plenty of rebound from half-back.

South created another chance when Sam Foley took an intercept mark on the defensive wing, which eventually saw Austin Hogg mark inside fifty - but the shot fell short.

However, Sturt were starting to get the game on its terms, with slick ball movement forcing Hugo Hoeck to intercept deep in defence to deny the Double Blues.

The Panthers’ defence, led by Dayne McGary, Jacob Sheean and Marshall, continued to withstand plenty of dangerous forward entries. But Sturt eventually broke the deadlock when Morgan Ferres converted his set shot to register the match’s first.

Ferres’ goal inspired the Double Blues, who took firm control of the contest, winning several key contests and creating turnovers through their pressure.

Needing a spark, the strong hands of Damon Freitag presented an opportunity from long range for the tall forward, but he was unable to convert. Poor execution going forward was hurting South, who had no problems generating enough entries.

Sturt should have doubled its goal tally moments before the first break, but Ferres was unable to convert his snap.

At quarter-time, Sturt led by just six points - the only goal of the term.

The Double Blues started to ramp up the pressure in the second term, with fast and direct ball movement cutting through South Adelaide’s structure.

Thomas McCourt kicked the first of the term, breaking two tackles to extend his side’s lead to 12.

Sturt’s pressure forced repeat turnovers, while South struggled to move the ball cleanly out of defence.

The scoreboard started to reflect Sturt’s dominance, with Ferres snapping his second from the pocket to stretch the margin to 20 points. Marcus Pavlic added another shortly after, while Lachlan Burrows’ quick snap hit the post.

South had a chance to respond, but Lachlan Gill’s tight-angle snap fell short and was rushed for a minor score.

Four straight behinds to end the first half saw the Double Blues threaten to take the game away from South Adelaide, but inaccuracy kept the Panthers alive.

Collins stood tall with 19 disposals and six clearances to half-time. But Sturt led by 30 at the main break, and South were still goalless.

The third quarter started with renewed intent from South, who knew a poor term would almost make the mountain too steep to climb.

Ben Ashley-Cooper and Gill started to impose themselves around the contest through strong pressure and work rate.

South Adelaide’s bright start was producing forward entries, but its inability to convert threatened to make its effort count for nothing.

After six goalless minutes, Sturt landed a cruel blow, with Isaiah Faddoul goaling on the run to extend the lead to 36 points.

The margin looked certain to extend further, but McGary saved the day with a spoil on the line.

Everything that South did was under immense pressure - even Foley’s long-range attempt was rushed, resulting in just a behind.

However, after 16 minutes of play in the third term, South finally broke through via Shortridge’s effort from distance - providing a much-needed spark for his side.

The lifted the spirit of the Panthers, with Gander nailing a tough set shot from the boundary minutes later to bring the margin back to 25 points.

Collins and Gill continued to battle hard at the coalface, while Johnson led the way with a match-high 12 rebound 50s.

Sturt continued to cause problems for the South Adelaide defensive unit. The Double Blues looked certain to score, but McGary won a crucial two-on-one contest deep.

South won the quarter and had momentum heading into the final change - but still trailed by 25 and needed a big last term.

The first goal of the final term was going to be important, and Ben Shillabeer, who had presented strongly throughout the contest, created an early opportunity.

However, the forward’s set shot pushed across the face due to the tricky breeze and was eventually rushed through for a behind.

With a spot in the grand final on the line, several players were throwing their bodies at the contest, resulting in several skirmishes behind play.

A tense chain of possessions ended with a stoppage in the goal square for South. As players set themselves, the umpire adjudged underager Jesse Nye to have been held.

The South Adelaide U18 captain composed himself and nailed the goal, reducing the margin to 18 points with plenty of time remaining in the contest.

However, it would be the closest South Adelaide would get for the rest of the match, with Sturt responding moments later through Luca Slade.

Cody Lowe continued to work hard in the ruck and get behind the ball to defend, while Ashley-Cooper was involved in promising forward forays.

Time was fast becoming a factor, but two goals in as many minutes from Sturt all but secured the Double Blues’ spot in the big dance against minor premiers Glenelg.

Despite the contest being all but over, South Adelaide refused to throw in the towel, with Hogg bravely putting his body on the line in a heavy collision.

Sturt cleverly started to slow the game down and take time off the clock, but they still managed to land a final blow with Wil Thomas sealing the result.

At the final siren, Sturt secured a 43-point win and booked their place in the grand final. South fought hard but couldn’t match the pressure and polish of the Double Blues.

The South Adelaide Football Club would like to thank all of its loyal members and supporters for their unwavering support throughout the 2025 season.