THOUGH he never doubted his side’s ability to get the job done on the biggest stage, three-time SANFLW premiership coach Rick Watts said the 2025 South Adelaide squad went to another level yesterday to bring home a fourth flag to Noarlunga. The Panthers defeated Woodville-West Torrens by 23 points at Stratarama Stadium in an unforgettable day.

“Yeah it’s a bit surreal,” Watts told SANFL radio. “Probably played our best game of the year to be honest, it all came together. Fortunately (for us) or unfortunately for them, they missed some opportunities and that’s the way it goes sometimes.

“We’d spoken about their impact players are all 18, 19 and probably that’s where the experience got them in those bing moments. I’m just so incredibly proud of this group and they just surprise me every time.”

South Adelaide kicked away in the first term with early goals to Lucy Northcott and Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap to edge ahead in the “mental battle” and “force their (Eagles) hand a little bit”, citing plus-six turnovers in the first half.

“We’re always a team that can defend a lead really well and we struggle chasing,” Watts said. “That was a big focus for us. We knew we could do it either way, it was just going to be a lot tougher.”

While the Eagles are known for their aerial advantage, it was South Adelaide that completely dominated that aspect of the game, heading into half-time with an advantage of plus-19 marks. Watts said that element had been a focus for the Panthers in recent weeks, as well as determining whether to opt for the longer or shorter kicks down the ground.

While at times it can be a gamble at what tempo to play the game at, Watts said his team “executed that perfectly” on the day. Of course leading the way was best on ground, bottom-ager Emma Charlton who the three-time premiership coach described as a “generational player”.

“We tried to get her off when she was cramping and she went and go two more possessions, so great reward for her,” Watts said. “Last year we played her forward a lot and she had some really good moments and then we copped some injuries in the preseason and I know her dad Charlie was like ‘get her in the midfield’ and it forced our hand a bit, and she just hasn’t looked back so she’s just a natural ball-winner isn’t she?”

As for skipper Tiffany King, Watts described her herculean performance in defence as “one of the best games” he had seen her play. In particular, the key defender took three intercept grabs in quarter two, denying several Eagles forward forays.

“Incredible moments, those marks she took,” he said. “That last line of defence and then composure with ball in hand was sensational. “That was one of the best games i’ve seen her play, and Marley Tape, Lauren Clifton, just some of her impacts were incredible. Emily Brockhurst up forward, we just had contributors everywhere.”

Cockatoo-Motlap was the sole inclusion to the Panthers’ side from the preliminary final victory over Sturt, with over-ager Shae Archbold heartbreakingly tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against the Double Blues. In order to keep her and the likes of injured pair Taya Maxwell and Carly Milsom in their thoughts, the leadership group handed an inspirational piece of paper with the faces of the girls in the team but not running out on grand final day.

“The girls just took that little bit extra into the game and had that mindset,” Watts said. “That was a Nikki Nield initiative of last year and I feel like the girls played for them this year.”

In the wake of the club’s fourth flag, Watts praised the board and his predecessor Krissie Steen, for providing the Panthers with a program that has ensured they can “keep that momentum going”.

“I think our club has to be respected for that, our board and Krissie,” he said. “What Krissie instilled in us year one is ‘never disadvantage the girls, never think they can’t do anything, give them every opportunity to succeed’, and that’s what the club did. They just invested money, time, energy into it and haven’t looked back since.”

As for his individual achievement of becoming a three-time premiership coach alongside his mentor Steen, Watts admitted it might take a little while for the accomplishment to sink in.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “I get to this point worried about making speeches and thanking the right people so it probably won’t sink in for a few days I reckon.”