STURT showed the form of the past fortnight was no fluke as the Double Blues delivered a fatal blow to North Adelaide’s premiership hopes by knocking the third placed Roosters out in the do-or-die SANFL Women’s semi-final yesterday. Keeping the higher ranked side to just one goal for the entirety of the match yet again, it was the young Double Blues who hit the scoreboard to win 5.2 (32) to 1.2 (8) at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval.

For the third consecutive week, North Adelaide has only managed to score one major for the match, and with Zara Molloy – who had kicked both in the past fortnight – out, it was Amber Ward with the captain’s goal, trying to spark her team on the edge of three quarter time. Unfortunately for Ward, that only cut the deficit to a flat four goals, and while able to keep the Double Blues goalless in the final term, the Roosters also only added one late behind to the team’s score.

The game was all shades of Blue, with the side that had somehow lost to the bottom two sides before rolling ladder leaders – and now grand finalists – Woodville-West Torrens, and then North Adelaide last week, booking its place in the preliminary final. Sturt opened its account through talented left-footed tall forward Georgia King, before fellow lefty and Under 16s jet Lily Whiteman joined the party to hand Sturt a 12-point lead at quarter time.

After an uncharacteristically quiet game last week, it was no surprise to see Monique Bessen back and thriving, being one of Sturt’s best alongside the ever-reliable Isobel Kuiper in the win. Much like the week before, North Adelaide had no answers for Kuiper, who would finish with 22 disposals, four marks – one contested – eight tackles and nine clearances in a phenomenal performance.

The second term – much like the fourth – would contain just two behinds – one apiece – for the respective sides, and the scoreline was almost identical to last week, 2.1 (13) to 0.1 (1). But like last week, Sturt found the answers, slotting three goals in the quarter to surge ahead by 30 points. Two majors to teenager Skout Young either side of a Sienna Fox told the story of a Double Blues forwardline making the most of its chances.

Ward’s late dagger in the third term would ultimately prove not to be a thorn in the Double Blues’ side with the team still attacking, but also bravely defending when required, and taking home the 24-point win to stamp a ticket into the SANFLW Preliminary Final. It came despite North Adelaide convincingly winning both the hitouts (47-38) and clearances (34-27), with the game mostly played between the arcs as Sturt finished with 22 inside 50s to 18, and featured high tackle and low mark counts.

Kuiper and Bessen (21 disposals, five marks, 10 tackles, two clearances and three inside 50s) were standouts with Alisha Gepp (18 disposals, three marks, eight tackles and four clearances) through the midfield, though the defensive work of Isabella Drew whose sensational 2025 season rolled on was nothing short of heroic. Drew ended the match with 16 touches, nine marks, four tackles and three rebound 50s, while Hannah Prenzler and wing Lily Smart provided crucial run as well.

For North Adelaide, the return of Julia Clark was a huge one, as the Roosters star racked up 28 disposals, five marks – one contested – five tackles and nine clearances to try and drag her side back into the contest. Defenders Jamie Parish (18 disposals, seven marks, three tackles and four rebound 50s) and Lauren Gauci were both prominent, while Polly Turner, Ella Metcalfe and Djimila Totham were some of North’s more prolific players.

While North Adelaide’s season comes to a close, Sturt is a win away from a second grand final appearance. However the Double Blues must find a way to upset South Adelaide, a Panthers side that has easily won in both matches against Sturt by an average margin of 42 points.

NORTH ADELAIDE 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 (8)
STURT 2.0 | 2.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 (32)

GOALS:
North Adelaide: A. Ward
Sturt: S. Young 2, S. Fox, G. King, L. Whiteman

RMC BEST:
North Adelaide: J. Clark. J. Parish, L. Gauci, D. Totham, P. Turner
Sturt: I. Kuiper, I. Drew, M. Bessen, A. Gepp, L. Smart