A stunning seven-goal final quarter saw South Adelaide overcome a 30-point three-quarter time deficit to snatch a remarkable five-point Qualifying Final win over North Adelaide at Magain Stadium.

North Adelaide started the tense final in strong fashion, kicking two goals in the opening four minutes to settle the nerves.

Desperate for a response, Ben Ashley-Cooper’s clever soccer off the deck from a stoppage opened the door for a scoring opportunity, with Harvey Lambert finding a leading Ryan Borlace.

After kicking seven goals across the final three League games of the regular season, Borlace made no mistake from 40 metres out, straight in front, to get South Adelaide on the board.

Jacob Collins was lively around the contest, using his strength and positioning to win several stoppage clearances and drive his side forward.

The match quickly turned into a back-and-forth arm wrestle. Noah Casalini’s goal was immediately answered by a quick snap from Ben Shillabeer in the goal square, following a spoil from Jesse Nye.

Shillabeer’s goal was the last for nearly 10 minutes of play, as pressure and strong tackling restricted time and space. Lachlan Gill and Ashley-Cooper both made their presence felt during this passage.

North Adelaide were made to pay for their untidy ball use exiting defensive 50. Lachlan Scott gathered a loose ball and found Austin Hogg, who laced out a leading Damon Freitag.

The long-kicking tall forward converted cleanly from the paint of 50 to level the scores—though only briefly, as Owen Kalic responded with a goal to restore North Adelaide’s lead.

At quarter time, Kalic’s major was the difference, with North Adelaide holding a narrow lead.

South came out strongly to start the second term, with Freitag contesting well on the wing and sending a deep entry forward. Oliver Goss had a chance via a soccer off the ground but missed narrowly.

While it was a difficult chance, the miss would prove costly. North extended its lead through Casalini’s second major of the day.

Sam Foley continued to throw his body into contests in defence, while Hayden Kernahan began to work into the game and showcase his foot skills across half-back.

Once again, North’s hurried disposal out of defence proved costly. Hogg intercepted a loose kick and found Freitag in the forward pocket, 25 metres out.

Freitag made no mistake, kicking his second and trimming the margin to just five points.

Moments later, another intercept—this time from Kyle Marshall on the wing—provided Nye with a scoring opportunity. But despite being awarded a 25-metre penalty, he missed his set shot.

Both sides struggled to convert late in the quarter, but Kalan Caputo broke the deadlock with a long-range running goal, giving North a bit of breathing room heading into the main break.

At half time, North Adelaide had extended its lead slightly to nine points.

South Adelaide came out firing after the break and nearly capitalised within the opening minute, with Ashley-Cooper and Gill linking up to find Shillabeer close to goal.

However, Shillabeer hit the post from 25 metres out on a slight angle. The Panthers had another chance shortly after, but Tom Gillett missed his long-range effort.

Neither side could make the most of their opportunities, with seven straight behinds—two from North and five from South—opening the third term.

Caputo again proved reliable in front of goal, breaking the deadlock with his second major via a set shot, extending North’s lead to 12 points.

The Roosters took control from there, booting the final three goals of the quarter and entering the final change with a commanding 30-point buffer.

Needing a minor miracle to overturn a five-goal deficit, South got the ideal start. Within 45 seconds, Cohen Shortridge snapped truly on his left to kickstart the comeback.

Collins continued to lead the way in the midfield, winning clearances and laying several strong tackles to inspire his side.

Casalini remained a threat for the Panthers' defence, but he was unable to convert his fourth goal - registering his third behind and keeping the door ajar for South. However, North would pounce on a turnover from the ensuing kick-in, extending their lead to a game-high 31 points.

South now needed everything to go right—and it did.

An in-the-back free kick to Freitag gave the forward a chance from 52 metres. He delivered with his third goal, cutting the margin to 25 points.

Freitag then imposed himself once more, competing strongly on half-forward before kicking long to Shillabeer, who marked and converted from close range.

North’s defence couldn’t stem the tide. They were overwhelmed by South’s surge, struggling to repel repeat forward entries.

The home crowd began to believe when Freitag pulled down a crucial intercept and launched a 55-metre bomb for his fourth of the afternoon, reducing the margin to just 13 points.

Ashley-Cooper won the next centre clearance and found Gill, who sent the ball long inside 50. While no mark was taken, North’s hurried rebound was intercepted by Hogg.

Hogg’s long-range set shot fell short, but a desperate effort from Goss in the square trimmed the deficit to just seven points with ample time remaining.

The Panthers had all the momentum, and North simply couldn’t regain control.

After a turnover on the wing, Ashley-Cooper delivered a bold attacking kick into the corridor. Gill marked strongly under pressure and quickly found Borlace on the lead. Borlace’s accurate set shot from 45 metres straight in front cut the margin to a single point.

With the crowd on edge, the final minutes were tense. A high ball inside 50 from Cody Lowe caused a scramble, and Gill was awarded a free kick in the marking contest.

From tight on the boundary, the midfielder coolly slotted the goal to send the home fans into raptures and complete an extraordinary finals comeback.

South Adelaide were forced to endure several nervous moments, with North launching two final forward thrusts in search of a match-winning goal.

But Gill’s late major proved to be the decisive blow, as the Panthers held firm to record a stunning five-point win and an opportunity to book a place in the grand final.

South Adelaide will look to book a place in the big dance when they take on Glenelg in the Second Semi-Final at Stratarama Stadium on Saturday, 6 September at 11:30AM.