Glenelg has snapped a 33-year premiership drought to claim the 2019 SANFL Statewide Super League Grand Final with a 28-point win at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

After playing in their third grand final in five years the Magpies were also hoping to claim their first premiership since 1999, but will be cursing inaccurate kicking in the 11.7-73 to 6.9-45 loss as the two most attacking sides (both averaging more than 92 points per match) scrapped out a low scoring decider in near perfect conditions.

The Tigers enjoyed a hot start and kept Port goalless in the first term, and while the Magpies did all they could to work itself back into the game Glenelg found a response to every attack they managed.

Both sides turned the ball over in the early stages of the match as they found their feet in front of a boisterous crowd of 39,105.

The Bays were the first team to settle and forward Luke Reynolds, who kicked five goals in the preliminary final against Adelaide last week, booted the first goal at the three-minute mark towards the Southern end.

Jack Trengove found a loose ball on the wing and curled it inside 50m to find Billy Frampton on the chest for Port’s first minor score.

Port led the inside 50s 9-8 after 15 minutes but the Tigers were able to make the most of their entries and put the Magpies defenders under siege.  

Jarrod Lienert’s attempt to exit defensive 50m was smothered and the Tigers made the most of the 50/50 ball when Carl Nicholson snuck through another goal.

Frampton was getting his hands on the ball in the early stages and his second mark led to a second behind at the 18-minute mark before he came from the ground with a hand injury.

It was a costly miss as Glenelg quickly transitioned the ball down the wing from the kick out and found Bradley Close, who booted the Tigers third unanswered goal with a nice set shot deep in the forward pocket.  

After being well held by Joel Garner in the second semi final Josh Scott took a towering contested mark in the goalsquere to kick Glenelg’s fourth goal late in the first quarter to give his side a dream start.

Trengove was lively in the opening term with nine disposals while Sam Mayes gathered eight as the Magpies found themselves in trouble 22 points down at quarter time.

Port started slowly and desperately needed a fire starter in the second quarter, but again it was Reynolds who snapped the first goal to extend Glenelg’s lead to 28 points.

Port took eight minutes to find its first inside 50 in the second term and finally had the opportunity to maintain the ball for five minutes.

Frampton drew a free kick just outside of scoring range and set up Tobin Cox for a nice mark over the top of a Glenelg defender.

Cox converted the simple 20m goal into the packed Magpies cheer squad for Port’s first goal as streamers and confetti was thrown onto the field.

Glenelg started to feel the pressure and turned the ball over.

Frampton’s third mark led to the Magpies second goal and the score went to a more respectable 2.6 to 5.1.

Marlon Motlop marked and kicked a crucial steadying goal for Glenelg at the 20-minute mark to restore a 19-point lead.

The pressure lifted another notch close to half time as players from both sides committed themselves to the contest, causing some heavy collisions and sore bodies.

Lienert lifted his output and found it across the midfield and half forward line which gave the Magpies repeated scoring attempts.

Throughout the second term Port led the disposals 140-135, tackles 44-34, hitouts 20-13, clearances 20-14 and inside 50s 26-23 but trailed by 19 points at half time.

It took just 47 seconds for Glenelg to secure its first goal of the third term when Scott found space 40m out and wobbled an unattractive kick through the big sticks.

The Tigers were on fire when Motlop danced around Tom Corcoran in the forward pocket to kick Glenelg’s eighth goal at the four-minute mark.

Port found a spark when Trent McKenzie launched a 60m kick out into the hands of Frampton who found a running teammate by hand and then Cameron Sutcliffe who bounced a goal home from 50m.

Everything was bouncing Glenelg’s way and Magarey Medallist Luke Partington kicked another wobbler goalward from 50m which bounced favourably in an unoccupied goalsquare.

Sutcliffe gave his side a chance with his second consecutive Port goal for the third term to get the margin back to 26 points.

It was two goals in two minutes and three for the quarter when Sutcliffe nailed another from the goalsquare after a vital diving Willem Drew smother to bring the Magpies fans to their feet and make it a 21-point ballgame at three quarter time.

In the opening minute after the restart Scott again kicked the opening goal of the final quarter into the Tigers cheersquad in front of a packed hill.  

Trengove missed a long shot which would have kept the window open and Glenelg’s back half were able to restrict any chance of a comeback.

Cox finished with a late goal against his former side in what was a disappointing afternoon for the Magpies.

Motlop kicked his third goal at the 25-minute mark of the final term to bring the house down and just seconds later the siren sounded on a history making win.

Lienert finished with 27 disposals and Trengove, 25, while Willem Drew collected 21 disposals and a whopping 12 tackles.

Glenelg's Matthew Snook was awarded the Jack Oatey Medal for his 28 touch performance for the Bays.

SCORE:

Port Adelaide: 0.3, 2.7, 5.8, 6.9 (45)

Glenelg: 4.1, 6.2, 9.5, 11.7 (73)

DISPOSALS: Lienert 27, Trengove 25, Mayes 24, Drew 21.

GOALS: Sutcliffe 3, Cox 2, Frampton.

CROWD: 39,105