2021 SANFL season

The 2021 South Australian National Football League season (officially the SANFL Statewide Super League) was the 142nd season of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), the highest-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia.[1] The season commenced on 1 April and concluded with the Grand Final on 3 October. It was contested by 10 clubs, an increase of two on the previous season, due to the return of the Adelaide and Port Adelaide reserves teams.[2]

2021 SANFL season
Teams10
PremiersWoodville-West Torrens
5th premiership
Minor premiersGlenelg
7th minor premiership
Magarey MedallistJames Tsitas
Eagles (21 votes), Bryce Gibbs
South (21 votes)
Ken Farmer MedallistLiam McBean
Glenelg (51 goals)
Highest23,000 Grand Final - Eagles vs Glenelg at Adelaide Oval
← 2020
2022 →

Fixtures

Four matches were played on Good Friday for the first time in a blockbuster start to the 2021 SANFL Statewide Super League.[3]

Arch-rivals Norwood and Port Adelaide kicked the season off under lights in front of the Redlegs’ new Wolf Blass Community Centre at The Parade on Easter Thursday.

It loomed as a fascinating encounter before the remaining eight clubs collided on Friday April 2 in an historic occasion for the competition.

Reigning premier Woodville-West Torrens unfurled its 2020 premiership flag in front of its faithful against Sturt at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval while Glenelg hosted West Adelaide at ACH Group Stadium in the twilight timeslot of 4.10pm.

Central District defended its home turf against regular Good Friday combatant North Adelaide at X Convenience Oval while South Adelaide's star recruit Bryce Gibbs faced his former teammates against Adelaide at Flinders University Stadium.

Premiership Season

Round 1

Round 1
Thursday 1 April (7:40 pm)Norwood 14.13 (97)def.Port Adelaide 7.10 (52)Coopers Stadium (crowd: 4,946)[4][5]
Friday 2 April (1:10 pm)South Adelaide 14.18 (102)def.Adelaide 6.5 (41)Flinders University Stadium (crowd: 2,170)
Friday 2 April (2:10 pm)Central District 15.9 (99)def.North Adelaide 14.6 (90)X Convenience Oval
Friday 2 April (2:35 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 13.16 (94)def.Sturt 7.6 (48)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval (crowd: 2,959)
Friday 2 April (4:10 pm)Glenelg 13.11 (89)def.West Adelaide 11.12 (78)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 3,606)

Round 2

Round 2
Saturday 10 April (2:10 pm)North Adelaide 9.12 (66)def. bySouth Adelaide 11.11 (77)Prospect Oval (crowd: 1,839)[6][7]
Saturday 10 April (2:10 pm)Port Adelaide 8.16 (64)def.Central District 7.5 (47)Alberton Oval (crowd: 1,568)
Saturday 10 April (3:05 pm)Sturt 6.9 (45)def. byNorwood 10.6 (66)Unley Oval (crowd: 2,902)
Saturday 10 April (4:10 pm)Glenelg 13.13 (91)def.Woodville-West Torrens 9.8 (62)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 2,056)
Saturday 10 April (4:10 pm)West Adelaide 11.10 (76)def. byAdelaide 12.10 (82)Hisense Stadium (crowd: 1,085)

Round 3

Round 3
Friday 16 April (7:40 pm)Norwood 2.7 (19)def. byNorth Adelaide 16.15 (111)Coopers Stadium (crowd: 3,479)[8]
Saturday 17 April (2:40 pm)South Adelaide 12.9 (81)def.Port Adelaide 10.12 (72)Flinders University Stadium (crowd: 1,471)
Saturday 17 April (2:40 pm)Sturt 12.21 (93)def.West Adelaide 6.7 (43)Unley Oval (crowd: 2,629)
Saturday 17 April (2:40 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 24.11 (155)def.Adelaide 11.6 (72)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval (crowd: 1,673)
Saturday 17 April (2:40 pm)Central District 5.12 (42)def. byGlenelg 10.16 (76)X Convenience Oval (crowd: 1,545)

Round 4

Round 4
Friday 23 April (7:40 pm)West Adelaide 9.8 (62)def.Norwood 6.8 (44)Hisense Stadium[9]
Saturday 24 April (2:10 pm)Central District 12.8 (80)def. byAdelaide 16.7 (103)X Convenience Oval
Saturday 24 April (3:05 pm)South Adelaide 11.15 (81)def.Sturt 6.6 (42)Flinders University Stadium
Saturday 24 April (6:30 pm)Glenelg 12.11 (83)def.Port Adelaide 10.13 (73)ACH Group Stadium
Sunday 25 April (2:10 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 9.7 (61)def.North Adelaide 9.4 (58)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval

Round 5

Round 5
Friday 30 April (7:40 pm)Norwood 7.9 (51)def.South Adelaide 6.6 (42)Coopers Stadium[10]
Saturday 1 May (1:10 pm)North Adelaide 10.9 (69)def. byGlenelg 15.10 (100)Prospect Oval
Saturday 1 May (2:10 pm)West Adelaide 13.7 (85)def.Central District 8.13 (61)Hisense Stadium
Sunday 2 May (12:10 pm)Sturt 12.12 (84)def.Adelaide 13.5 (83)Unley Oval (crowd: 2,339)
Sunday 2 May (2:10 pm)Port Adelaide 16.11 (107)def.Woodville-West Torrens 7.5 (47)Alberton Oval (crowd: 1,927)

Round 6

Round 6
Saturday 8 May (2:10 pm)Central District 7.10 (52)def. byNorwood 13.6 (84)X Convenience Oval (crowd: 1,411)[11]
Saturday 8 May (2:10 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 13.13 (91)def. bySouth Adelaide 15.9 (99)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval
Saturday 8 May (4:05 pm)Port Adelaide 13.9 (87)def.Adelaide 10.13 (73)Adelaide Oval (crowd: 1,582)
Sunday 9 May (2:10 pm)North Adelaide 19.7 (121)def.West Adelaide 8.5 (53)Prospect Oval (crowd: 1,352)
Sunday 9 May (2:10 pm)Glenelg 11.8 (74)def.Sturt 10.10 (70)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 2,415)

State Game

2021 State Game
Saturday 15 May (3:35 pm)SANFL 20.10 (130)def.WAFL 11.11 (77)Adelaide Oval[12]

Round 7

Round 7
Saturday 22 May (2:30 pm)Port Adelaide 13.8 (86)def.North Adelaide 11.12 (78)Alberton Oval (crowd: 1,885)[13]
Saturday 22 May (1:10 pm)Sturt 11.9 (75)def. byCentral District 12.13 (85)Unley Oval (crowd: 2,468)
Saturday 22 May (1:10 pm)West Adelaide 5.4 (34)def. byWoodville-West Torrens 21.8 (134)Hisense Stadium (crowd: 1,267)
Saturday 22 May (1:35 pm)Norwood 12.20 (92)def.Adelaide 6.8 (44)Coopers Stadium (crowd: 1,929)
Sunday 23 May (2:10 pm)South Adelaide 9.8 (62)def. byGlenelg 15.12 (102)Flinders University Stadium (crowd: 2,473)

Round 8

Round 8
Saturday 29 May (2:10 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 12.16 (88)def.Norwood 5.11 (41)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval (crowd: 2,016)[14]
Saturday 29 May (2:10 pm)South Adelaide 17.10 (112)def.Central District 12.13 (85)Flinders University Stadium (crowd: 1,215)
Saturday 29 May (2:35 pm)Port Adelaide 12.9 (81)def.West Adelaide 8.4 (52)Alberton Oval (crowd: 1,410)
Saturday 29 May (2:10 pm)Glenelg 20.14 (134)def.Adelaide 6.9 (45)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 2,706)
Sunday 30 May (2:10 pm)North Adelaide 7.10 (52)def.Sturt 7.7 (49)Prospect Oval (crowd: 2,080)

Round 9

Round 9
Saturday 5 June (1:35 pm)North Adelaide 13.7 (85)def.Adelaide 6.9 (45)Prospect Oval[15]
Saturday 5 June (2:10 pm)Central District 7.15 (47)def. byWoodville-West Torrens 11.10 (76)X Convenience Oval
Saturday 5 June (2:10 pm)Norwood 9.13 (67)def. byGlenelg 10.8 (68)Coopers Stadium
Saturday 5 June (2:10 pm)West Adelaide 11.12 (78)def. bySouth Adelaide 12.9 (81)Hisense Stadium
Bye
Port Adelaide, Sturt

Round 10

Round 10
Saturday 12 June (2:35 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 17.7 (109)def.Port Adelaide 6.5 (41)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval (crowd: 2,482)[16]
Sunday 13 June (2:35 pm)Sturt 12.8 (80)def. byAdelaide 14.6 (90)Unley Oval (crowd: 2,762)
Monday 14 June (2:10 pm)South Adelaide 9.12 (66)def. byNorwood 11.9 (75)Flinders University Stadium (crowd: 2,163)
Monday 14 June (2:10 pm)Glenelg 16.9 (105)def.North Adelaide 12.10 (82)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 3,920)
Bye
Central District, West Adelaide

Round 11

Round 11
Saturday 19 June (1:35 pm)Central District 10.10 (70)def.West Adelaide 7.10 (52)X Convenience Oval (crowd: 1,300)[17]
Sunday 20 June (2:10 pm)Port Adelaide 7.8 (50)def. bySturt 14.7 (91)Alberton Oval (crowd: 2,180)
Bye
Adelaide, Glenelg, North Adelaide, Norwood, South Adelaide, Woodville-West Torrens

Round 12

Round 12
Saturday 26 June (1:25 pm)North Adelaide 18.12 (120)def.Port Adelaide 6.8 (44)Prospect Oval (crowd: 1,516)[18]
Saturday 26 June (2:10 pm)Sturt 8.7 (55)def.South Adelaide 5.14 (44)Unley Oval (crowd: 1,960)
Saturday 26 June (2:10 pm)Norwood 10.12 (72)def.Central District 5.12 (42)Coopers Stadium (crowd: 1,977)
Saturday 26 June (2:10 pm)West Adelaide 9.4 (58)def. byAdelaide 14.10 (94)Hisense Stadium (crowd: 930)
Sunday 27 June (1:05 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 8.8 (56)def. byGlenelg 6.7 (75)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval

Round 13

Round 13
Friday 2 July (7:40 pm)Norwood 3.7 (25)def. bySturt 7.6 (48)Coopers Stadium[19]
Saturday 3 July (1:10 pm)West Adelaide 7.7 (49)def. byNorth Adelaide 13.15 (93)Hisense Stadium (crowd: 1,179)
Saturday 3 July (1:10 pm)Glenelg 17.8 (110)def.Adelaide 14.11 (95)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 2,059)
Saturday 3 July (1:35 pm)South Adelaide 6.9 (45)def. byWoodville-West Torrens 13.3 (81)Flinders University Stadium (crowd: 1,152)
Saturday 3 July (2:10 pm)Central District 6.12 (48)def. byPort Adelaide 9.3 (57)X Convenience Oval (crowd: 1,687)

Round 14

Round 14
Saturday 10 July (2:10 pm)Sturt 10.5 (65)def. byGlenelg 14.11 (95)Unley Oval (crowd: 3,009)[20]
Saturday 10 July (2:10 pm)North Adelaide 21.5 (131)def.Central District 13.5 (83)Prospect Oval (crowd: 2,012)
Saturday 10 July (2:10 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 9.21 (75)def.West Adelaide 8.8 (56)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval (crowd: 1,758)
Saturday 10 July (2:30 pm)South Adelaide 12.15 (87)def.Adelaide 7.7 (70)Victor Harbor Oval (crowd: 2,981)
Saturday 10 July (2:35 pm)Port Adelaide 9.6 (60)def. byNorwood 14.12 (96)Alberton Oval (crowd: 2,096)

Round 15

Round 15
Saturday 17 July (1:35 pm)Glenelg 10.13 (73)def.South Adelaide 8.7 (55)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 1,953)[21]
Saturday 17 July (2:10 pm)Central District 3.5 (23)def. bySturt 5.6 (36)X Convenience Oval (crowd: 1,255)
Saturday 17 July (2:10 pm)Norwood 7.3 (45)def. byWoodville-West Torrens 11.15 (81)Coopers Stadium (crowd: 1,746)
Saturday 17 July (2:10 pm)North Adelaide 14.11 (95)def.Adelaide 6.5 (41)Prospect Oval (crowd: 1,449)
Sunday 18 July (1:10 pm)West Adelaide 11.5 (71)def. byPort Adelaide 13.6 (84)Hisense Stadium (crowd: 1,346)

Round 16

Round 16
Saturday 7 August (2:10 pm)West Adelaide 0.6 (6)def. bySturt 11.16 (82)Hisense Stadium (crowd: 1,194)[22][23]
Saturday 7 August (2:10 pm)Central District 7.4 (46)def. bySouth Adelaide 14.14 (98)X Convenience Oval (crowd: 920)
Saturday 7 August (2:10 pm)Glenelg 11.9 (75)def.Norwood 8.17 (65)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 1,876)
Saturday 7 August (2:10 pm)North Adelaide 10.7 (67)def.Woodville-West Torrens 7.7 (49)Prospect Oval (crowd: 1,425)
Saturday 7 August (3:30 pm)Adelaide 13.4 (82)def.Port Adelaide 10.9 (69)Adelaide Oval

Round 17

Round 17
Friday 13 August (7:40 pm)Norwood 9.15 (69)def.West Adelaide 6.4 (40)Coopers Stadium[26] [27]
Saturday 14 August (2:10 pm)Glenelg 18.13 (121)def.Central District 10.7 (67)ACH Group Stadium (crowd: 2,433)
Saturday 14 August (2:30 pm)Sturt 14.12 (96)def.Port Adelaide 10.12 (72)Unley Oval (crowd: 2,151)
Saturday 14 August (2:35 pm)South Adelaide 8.6 (54)def. byNorth Adelaide 17.10 (112)Flinders University Stadium (crowd: 1,265)
Sunday 15 August (2:10 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 17.13 (115)def.Adelaide 8.2 (50)Adelaide Oval (crowd: 3,899)

Round 18

Round 18 (Split Round)
Saturday 21 August (2:05 pm)Port Adelaide 15.7 (97)def.South Adelaide 13.6 (84)Alberton Oval[28] [29]
Saturday 21 August (2:10 pm)Central District 11.9 (75)def.Adelaide 6.6 (42)X Convenience Oval
Friday 27 August (7:40 pm)West Adelaide 9.8 (62)def. byGlenelg 15.8 (98)Hisense Stadium
Saturday 28 August (2:10 pm)Sturt 9.8 (62)def. byWoodville-West Torrens 11.6 (72)Unley Oval (crowd: 2,298)
Saturday 28 August (2:30 pm)North Adelaide 10.13 (73)def. byNorwood 13.7 (85)Prospect Oval (crowd: 2,675)

Round 19

Round 19
Saturday 4 September (1:10 pm)Norwood 14.11 (95)def.Adelaide 7.10 (52)Coopers Stadium (crowd: 2,166)[30] [31]
Friday 4 September (2:10 am)Port Adelaide 11.8 (74)def.Glenelg 5.8 (38)Alberton Oval (crowd: 2,370)
Saturday 4 September (2:10 pm)South Adelaide 12.17 (89)def.West Adelaide 7.4 (46)Flinders University Stadium (crowd: 1,699)
Saturday 4 September (2:10 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 19.8 (122)def.Central District 2.6 (18)Maughan Thiem Kia Oval (crowd: 1,167)
Saturday 4 September (2:35 pm)Sturt 16.14 (110)def.North Adelaide 6.4 (40)Unley Oval (crowd: 1,917)

Ladder

PosTeamPldWLDPFPAPPPtsQualification
1Glenelg1817101607118957.4734Finals series
2Woodville-West Torrens (P)1813501568105659.7626
3Norwood1811701188110151.9022
4North Adelaide1810801543120956.0720
5South Adelaide1810801359128351.4420
6Sturt189901231109552.9218
7Port Adelaide189901270139347.6918
8Adelaide1851301204167941.7610
9Central District1841401070149641.708
10West Adelaide1821601001154039.394
Source: sanfl.com.au
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals series

Qualifying and Elimination Finals

Elimination Final
Sunday 12th September (12:15 pm)North Adelaide 8.10 (58)def. bySouth Adelaide 15.11 (101)Adelaide Oval[32]
Qualifying Final
Sunday 12th September (3:15 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 8.9 (57)def.Norwood 7.8 (50)Adelaide Oval[33]

Semi-finals

First Semi-final
Saturday 18th September (3:15 pm)Norwood 10.4 (64)def. bySouth Adelaide 12.11 (83)Adelaide Oval (crowd: 10,104)[34]
Second Semi-final
Saturday 18th September (7:15 pm)Glenelg 13.4 (82)def. byWoodville-West Torrens 13.8 (86)Adelaide Oval (crowd: 10,104)[35]

Preliminary final

Preliminary Final
Friday 24th September (7:15 pm)Glenelg 11.11 (77)def.South Adelaide 6.13 (49)Adelaide Oval[36]

Grand Final

Grand Final
Sunday 3rd October (3:30 pm)Woodville-West Torrens 15.9 (99)def.Glenelg 4.8 (32)Adelaide Oval (crowd: 22,956)

Awards

Club best and fairest

ClubAwardPlayerRef.
AdelaideState League Club ChampionKieran Strachan[37]
Central DistrictNorm Russell MedalJarrod Schiller
GlenelgJohn H. Ellers TrophyMatthew Snook & Luke Partington
North AdelaideBarrie Robran Club ChampionCampbell Combe
NorwoodMichael Taylor MedalNikolaus Rokahr
Port AdelaideA.R. McLean MedalSam Hayes
South AdelaideKnuckey CupBryce Gibbs
SturtP. T. Morton MedalCasey Voss
West AdelaideNeil Kerley MedalLogan Hill & Thomas Keough
Woodville-West TorrensPerce Johns MedalJames Tsitas


See also

References