South Adelaide were minutes away from a grand final berth, but a late flurry of goals from Glenelg saw them steal a hard-fought nine-point win at Stratarama Stadium.

With a place in the big dance on the line, the minor premiers started strongly in front of their home supporters, competing intensely around the contest from the opening bounce.

The energy nearly resulted in the first goal of the match from Will Stockman, who broke away from Hayden Kernahan and Cody Lowe before hooking his snap from distance for a behind.

After several untidy disposals, South Adelaide finally had a chance to take control, with Lachlan Gill taking a strong intercept mark at half-back.

While the turnover led to the away side’s first forward entry of the contest, Glenelg were able to regain possession through desperate defensive pressure.

Ryan Borlace and Harvey Lambert applied strong tackling of their own in the middle, with the latter rewarded for his efforts.

The ball again entered South’s forward 50, but no one could take clean possession—apart from Lambert, who gathered and fired from a tight angle, only to miss everything.

A miskick from Glenelg opened the door for South’s first score, with Jacob Collins pouncing and snapping from distance—only for the post to deny him.

Gill put his body on the line to win a crucial ground ball, eventually firing out a sweeping handball to Cohen Shortridge, who stormed past two desperate Glenelg defenders and converted on the run from 40 metres to break the match’s seven-minute goal drought.

In defence, Kyle Marshall showcased his strong ability to halve aerial contests, while Hugo Hoeck provided rebound to spark attacking forays.

South Adelaide began to get the game on their terms and looked set to double their goal tally after a brilliant run-down tackle from Tom Gillett. However, the tall ruck/forward pushed his set shot from 15 metres out across the face, letting the minor premiers off the hook.

After several minutes of the ball bouncing between the arcs, Gillett had a chance to atone, but his long-range snap registered only a behind.

The away side were unable to capitalise on their dominance, with Ben Shillabeer, Oliver Goss and Chester Forster missing chances, bringing South’s behind tally to six.

The unwanted streak was finally broken when Damon Freitag stood tallest in the goal square after Austin Hogg’s long-range set shot fell short. The tall forward made no mistake.

Needing a response, Glenelg registered their first goal in the 24th minute, with Isaac Hyatt trimming the margin to 10 points at the first break.

The early stages of the second term became an arm wrestle, with neither side hitting the scoreboard. It took six minutes before a behind from Glenelg opened the scoring.

Around the contest, Ben Ashley-Cooper refused to take a backward step, combining well with Oliver Goss and Jacob Collins to win clearances and lay strong tackles.

A forward stoppage created a dangerous chance for Blake Rodrigues, whose snap across the body never looked like bending back enough, registering another behind.

South threatened to kick the first major of the term moments later, with underage talent Jesse Nye rewarded for a strong attack on a ground ball. However, his 30-metre effort was touched on the mark.

The away side desperately needed reward for effort, and the opportunistic Shortridge delivered. The small forward’s snap under pressure extended South’s lead to 16 points.

But the three-goal buffer was short-lived, as Glenelg rallied to kick the final two goals of the quarter and reduce the margin to just five points at the main break.

The first goal of the second half was always going to be crucial—and it was South Adelaide who landed the opening blow.

A precise pass from Marshall at half-back triggered a dangerous attack through the corridor, with Gill finding a leading Gillett, who converted from the paint of 50.

Jarrad Parish’s sling tackle on Shillabeer gave the forward a shot from long range, but a costly 25-metre penalty made it even easier. Shillabeer made Glenelg pay, extending South’s lead to 16 points.

The minor premiers refused to let South break away, with Hyatt’s second goal before the final change keeping the Bays in touch.

A prolific final quarter from either side would secure a grand final place, and Glenelg wasted no time showing why they topped the table.

They came out with a point to prove, but inaccuracy—three straight behinds—allowed South to cling to a narrow lead.

South Adelaide’s defence came under immense pressure, with Jacob Sheean, Lachlan Scott and Marshall forced to absorb several dangerous entries.

After several fruitless forward thrusts, Glenelg finally registered the first major of the term, with Remi Brown converting a 55-metre set shot to lift the home crowd and reduce the margin to just one point.

Stockman threatened to give Glenelg the lead for the first time since early in the match, but his long-range set shot was rushed through to level the scores.

The away side made the Bays pay for the missed opportunity, moving the ball coast-to-coast thanks to a strong contested mark from Freitag. The tall forward’s work rate saw him end up as the final link in the chain, marking at the top of the square and converting a vital goal.

Ethan Johnson and Hoeck continued to provide drive from the defensive side of centre, while Collins led the way in the clearance count.

But Glenelg’s final quarter momentum couldn’t be stopped. Though they again struggled in tricky conditions, registering three more behinds, the pressure was mounting.

As the final siren loomed, South Adelaide clung desperately to their three-point lead—but Panther hearts sank when Rogan Kennedy held onto a juggling mark close to goal.

Kennedy made no mistake from 25 metres out on a slight angle to give his side the lead as the clock ticked past 20 minutes.

The next goal would go a long way toward sealing the result, and a misplaced defensive pass from Hoeck gave Glenelg a golden chance. Tom Corcoran converted his crucial set shot from close range to all but book the Bays’ place in the grand final.

Needing two quick goals to snatch victory, South refused to give in—but when Ashley-Cooper’s long-range effort missed in the 24th minute, their chances all but disappeared.

Moments later, the final siren sounded, delivering a cruel blow to a gallant South Adelaide side who were minutes away from a grand final berth. Instead, they will need to earn their spot the hard way.

South Adelaide will face Sturt in the Preliminary Final for a place in this year’s decider on Saturday, 13 September at Magain Stadium from 11:00am.