BARRING a complete disaster in the last three rounds, last year’s wooden spooners North Adelaide will play SANFL Women’s finals this year, marking an incredible turnaround for their wooden spoon season of 2024. Despite losing a host of experience over the off-season, the Roosters, lead by new coach Kelly Barltrop have posted seven wins from 11 matches, the latest of which was a 13-point triumph over Glenelg at Stratarama Stadium on Sunday.

While given their respective ladder positions of third and eighth respectively, North Adelaide was always favourite to win that one, and with West Adelaide going down to South Adelaide on the day before, it meant the Roosters are now all but locked into playing finals. Mathematically they could drop outside the top four if they lose all their games and Sturt and one of West Adelaide or Norwood win all their matches, but there is not only that, but also the massive percentage gap the Roosters have on the bottom five sides.

Similarly though barring the reverse scenario with one of the Eagles or Panthers, North Adelaide will have to settle for an elimination final spot, sitting three games off the top two sides. However the rise is a massive one that even “shocked” Panthers coach Rick Watts, with the young North Adelaide side tipped to grow exponentially and be a force in the future, but that force is here and now.

On the weekend, the Roosters and Bays fought it out in wet conditions – though not as bad as the previous day – and kicked the first three goals of the game before Glenelg finally responded with its first – and only – goal of the day in the 3.4 (22) to 1.3 (9) result.

Only a major from debutant Abbie Player split the sides in the first half, with 26 minutes between majors until Ash George and Sky Jensen – the latter with a classy sidestep and finish after a Glenelg fumble – both hit the scoreboard and made it a three-goal margin heading into the final term. The Bays were unlucky throughout, showing plenty of tenacity in getting the ball forward, but missed a number of opportunities or the last possession going inside 50.

Eventually they were rewarded through a series of handballs landing with Asha Dufour who kicked truly from point-blank range midway through the last quarter. Glenelg even looked the most likely late when threatening with repeat forward 50 entries, but as had been the case all day, the Roosters’ back five was just simply too experienced and too good.

Jamie Parish (22 disposals, four marks and 10 rebound 50s) and Polly Turner (21 disposals, three marks, five tackles and five rebound 50s) were intercepting forces, working in tandem alongside Erin Sundstrom and Ella Metcalfe who provided nice dash from the back half. North Adelaide had managed Julia Clark for the game and was only two weeks into losing Laela Ebert to Melbourne AFLW side, which took away a fair bit of class.

However in the wet conditions the Roosters showed they could do gritty as well, with the midfield of Djimila Totham, George and State Academy representative and Round 11 inclusion Lucy Reddaway, combining for 20 tackles and 12 clearances. They had a Jessica Bates sized problem on the opposition with the ball-winning star racking up 17 disposals in a mind-boggling first term performance, before finishing with 33 touches, as well as 11 tackles and eight clearances for her troubles.

Marie Martino (27 disposals, five marks and six clearances) and Georgie Fielder (22 disposals, six tackles and six clearances) were both superb, as was skipper Samantha Franson (24 disposals, four marks, six tackles, five clearances and five inside 50s). The Bays had the five top ball-winners, but it was just the overuse going inside 50 and finding a yellow and black target over a red and white one that once again seemed to be the main issue.

Statistically Glenelg nearly doubled the Roosters at the clearances (39-20), and had eight more inside 50s (33-25), but the visitors dug deep to lay more tackles (76-67) and bravely defend (31-20 rebound 50s) to get the job done. The win meant North Adelaide is essentially into the post-season series, but can remove any minuscule mathematically possibility with a victory in the last three rounds.

That all begins with Central District at X Convenience Oval next weekend on June 21, tackling the Bulldogs having beaten them by 35 points back in Round 5 at Prospect Oval. Glenelg on the other hand cannot make finals, but it can certainly dash them for others, facing fourth placed Sturt at Stratarama Stadium on the Sunday morning.

GLENELG 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.3 (9)
NORTH ADELAIDE 1.1 | 1.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 (22)

GOALS:
Glenelg: A. Dufour
North Adelaide: A. George, S. Jensen, A. Player

RMC BEST:
Glenelg: J. Bates, G. Fielder, M. Martino, S. Franson, A. Dufour
North Adelaide: J. Parish, P. Turner, A. George, D. Totham, E. Sundstrom