THE last two South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s premiers had good days out at Prospect Oval yesterday, with North Adelaide and Glenelg picking up impressive wins. The Roosters booked their place in the 2022 decider with a comprehensive victory over first-time finalists Sturt, whilst the Bays kept their hopes of going back-to-back alive with a come-from-behind win over South Adelaide.

Glenelg bounced back from an uncharacteristic reactive start to find their best footy and run away with a 16-point win over South Adelaide in the do-or-die semi-final. The 5.7 (37) to 3.3 (21) result kept the Bays’ hopes of back-to-back titles alive, advancing through to the preliminary final off the back of a four-goal second half, and inspired performance from captain Ellie Kellock.

Kellock almost had the opening goal of the game, but Panthers defender Jaslynne Smith was there to save the day on the last line, rushing it though, albeit after dropping the mark. Piper Window had a chance from 15m out after winning a free kick but shanked it to the left, and from that point on, South Adelaide had the majority of the play up the other end. Shae Archbold missed a set shot to get South on the board, and soon Cheyenne Hammond had a flying shot that was touched on the line by defender Laura Chigwidden. It took until Lucy Northcott out-bodied her opponent in the goalsquare from a lovely Jess Waterhouse kick to get the Panthers on the board, and setting the lead at seven points at the fire break.

The underdogs were up, but could not quite make the most of their chances, and soon Glenelg started to have more forward play. Before that, the dangerous Tahlita Buethke almost got another major on the board for South, but when the impressive Hammond came off following an unfortunate tangle of legs from a Matilda Scholz tackle, the Panthers lost a bit of their run. Once Kellock stepped up to the plate and started taking control of the midfield, Glenelg got on top. Violet Patterson got it inside to the dangerous Caitlyn Swanson who snapped and goaled to get her side on the board with a major, and that proved the only score of the second term as the Bays trailed by just a point.

Waterhouse was doing her best to try and swing the game onto South’s terms again, and soon an overzealous tackle from running machine Sarah Goodwin on Archbold got South its second goal with the set shot from 15m out straight in front. From that point on though, it was all yellow and black. Swanson almost had another chance off a dangerous kick inside from Ella Boag, before she pulled down a one-handed mark 20m out and filled the set shot. She looked the most lively, with a couple more chances either side of that, but just unable to quite connect. Instead, it was Sarah Wilton and Poppy Scholz who did connect, the latter with a brilliant running goal inside 50. It helped the Bays to a 13-point lead at the final break, with Kellock on absolute fire.

South had its chances early in the fourth, but a forward foray for the Bays saw Boag get it to Wilton who who snap the brilliant goal and ultimately seal the game in the sixth minute. It looked like the game was done and dusted with Wilton and Madisyn Freeman having their chances, as well as Boag in the goalsquare off the deck, but the Panthers defence was up to the task. Though Waterhouse marked and converted a goal later in the term, it would be a case of too little, too late for the underdogs, who would end their season at the first week of finals, but undoubtedly happy with what they had achieved with such a young list.

Kellock finished the game with a best on ground performance, racking up nine clearances from her 21 disposals, two marks and three inside 50s, leading Eagles coach and commentator Narelle Smith to describe her as the Bays’ “barometer”. Marie Martino was lively picking up 19 disposals, five marks – one contested – six tackles and three inside 50s, whilst Goodwin had 18 disposals, three marks, four tackles, two inside 50s and three rebound 50s. Window (14 disposals, four tackles and four clearances) tried hard, with Swanson and Wilson both booting two goals from seven disposals.

Waterhouse racked up a game-high 26 disposals, as well as six marks – one contested – seven tackles, eight clearances, six inside 50s, two rebound 50s and a goal. Senna Gulden (16 disposals, nine tackles, seven clearances and three inside 50s) found plenty of it, whilst Gypsy Schirmer (13 disposals, three marks – one contested – four tackles, two inside 50s and two rebound 50s) and Archbold (12 disposals, three marks, six tackles, three inside 50s and goal) were also lively in the loss.

GLENELG 0.2 | 1.2 | 4.4 | 5.7 (37)
SOUTH ADELAIDE 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.3 (21)

GOALS:

Glenelg: C. Swanson 2, S. Wilton, P. Scholz
South Adelaide: L. Northcott, S. Archbold, J. Waterhouse

RMC BEST:

Glenelg: E. Kellock, M. Martino, S. Goodwin, C. Swanson. S. Wilton
South Adelaide: J. Waterhouse, S. Gulden. G. Schirmer, S. Archbold, C. Ross

North Adelaide will contest its second grand final in three seasons after putting away Sturt to the tune of 57 points at Prospect Oval. After Sturt kicked the first goal of the game, North Adelaide piled on 11 of the next 12 to run out 11.5 (71) to 2.2 (14) winners to justify the Roosters’ minor premiership. The Double Blues – who were entering their first ever finals series – did not look overawed early, but did have to deal with a late out in the form of inside midfielder and reigning best and fairest winner Isobel Kuiper who failed to recover from injury late in the Round 12 win over Central District.

The Double Blues started off on the perfect note, with Elsie Dawes hitting up Abbey Rigter inside 50 to convert the first goal of the match, a start contrast to their Round 3 contest, when one goal was all it took and that came in the final few minutes. Sturt looked good until Hannah Ewings came to the party, producing a couple of elite kicks to hit teammates inside 50, then after a set shot from Jaimi Tabb missed to the left, Ewings found a way through traffic to snap home the first. She too would miss one from long-range, but not before Jade De Melo kicked the goal of the day by hacking it off the deck and it rolling home. A late goal to Jaime Norup extended the quarter time margin out to 12 points.

North Adelaide had the momentum and intended to carry that over, with an early clearance straight out of the ruck from Megan Ryan for Tabb to scoop up the loose ball and hit De Melo at the top of the goalsquare. She booted her second to extended it to 18, but not sooner had she done that, and Sturt young gun India Rasheed responded with a long-range goal that was paid despite the best efforts of co-captain Kristi Harvey‘s claims she touched it on the line. Though as it would turn out, that goal would be the last one for the Double Blues, and indeed they would score just one more behind – a rushed one at that in the third term – and the Roosters would pile on the last seven goals of the game. Ewings kicked a ripper out of a forward stoppage to sidestep an opponent compose herself and nail it on the run, as she headed into half-time with 14 touches and two goals, whilst Jessica Edwards lead all-comers with 19.

With the game in the danger zone for Sturt, there were some relieved Double Blues fans when Tabb’s early flying shot hit the post rather than sail through the middle in the third term. But yet again it was only a matter of time before Ewings had her say, held in the stoppage as she tried to burst through, earning a free kick and converting her third major. Tabb would finally convert her first from a set shot straight in front, and then unselfish play from Roosters forwards Doreena Hansen and Elaine Grigg to get it to Katelyn Pope who snapped off her left from close range. Soon Grigg – who had not had a touch in the first 46 minutes of play – would have set up one goal, then snagged one herself with a clean pickup and snap around her body to bounce home and hand the Roosters a 44-point lead at the final break.

With the game done and dusted the last quarter had lost its sting, as North just did what it had to do, by playing percentages and chewing time off the clock, with Sturt having seldom chances down the ground. They did have a couple of forward forays, but a shot by late inclusion Jemma Valente was marked on the line, and Rasheed’s flying chance as she was bumped went well wide. The first sign of scoring action did not come until the final few minutes with a behind off the boot of Hansen, and then out of the blue, the Roosters booted two goals in the final minute, Grigg set up both with a good kick to Pope who roved it well, and then Grigg put it up in front of De Melo leading out to earn the free and goal after the siren, for a memorable 57-point victory.

Ewings was a clear best on ground, racking up 25 disposals, two marks, five clearances, two inside 50s, five rebound 50s and booting 3.1. Pope (19 disposals, two marks, five tackles, two clearances, two inside 50s, two rebound 50s and two goals) and De Melo (three goals from 10 touches and five marks – two contested) were lively inside 50, whilst Edwards (31 touches, three marks, five tackles and three inside 50s) and Erica Greet (17 disposals, six marks, eight tackles two clearances and eight inside 50s) were also amongst the best.

Zoe Prowse had an enormous 11-disposal last quarter to finish with 24 touches, five tackles, 13 hitouts and 10 clearances in Sturt’s loss. Defender Alex Ballard was a four-quarter performer with 17 disposals, eight marks – one contested – and five rebound 50s, whilst the midfield of Ellie Lynch, Dawes and Gepp all tried hard, and Rasheed was lively inside 50 with 12 touches, three marks, four inside 50s and a goal.

NORTH ADELAIDE 3.1 | 5.2 | 9.4 | 11.5 (71)
STURT 1.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 (14)

GOALS:

North Adelaide: H. Ewings 3, J. De Melo 3, J. Norup, J. Tabb, K. Pope 2, E. Grigg
Sturt: A. Rigter, I. Rasheed,

RMC BEST:

North Adelaide: H. Ewings, K. Pope, J. De Melo, J. Edwards, E. Greet
Sturt: Z. Prowse, A. Ballard, E. Dawes, E. Lynch, I. Rasheed