Glenelg Football Club


The Glenelg Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers or the Bays, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the South Australian National Football League. Their home ground is Stratarama Stadium, located in the southern coastal suburb of Glenelg East, South Australia.
WWW glenelgfc.com.au

Club history

The inaugural meeting of the Glenelg Football Club was held at the Glenelg Town Hall on Wednesday, 10 March 1920, to form a club for players west of South Road to play in the B Grade. It was decided that the club colors would be red, yellow and black with white knickers.
The Club participated in the B Grade Competition in 1920 and entered the South Australian League in 1921. At the Annual meeting on Thursday 3 March 1921 the club decided its colours to be black and gold, the guernsey to be black with a gold hoop around waist and arms, black socks with gold band, and white knickers. It was not until 2 May 1925 that the club saw its first league victory, a 12.6 to 10.10 win over West Torrens at Glenelg Oval.
"The Bays", as they are sometimes known, won their first SANFL premiership in 1934 with an 18.15 to 16.18 victory against, by now wearing a jersey which was gold with a black V; first introduced in 1927. The 1935 season saw them slump from first to last.
Until 1948, the team jersey remained gold with a black V. Following the appointment of Allan "Bull" Reval as coach in 1949, the club adopted the now familiar black with gold sash design. Since 2021, the team has revived and adopted the 1927 - 1949 jersey as its "away" strip.
In total the club has won 7 premierships – 1934, 1973, back to back flags in 1985/1986, 2019 and back to back flags in 2023/2024 – Glenelg's first back to back premierships since 1985/1986.
Glenelg amalgamated with West Adelaide Football Club during the war years 1942 to 1944.
Glenelg was a foundation member of the SANFL Women's competition in 2017. The Tigers won their first SANFLW Premiership in 2021.

Home grounds

Since the club first entered the SANFL they have used Glenelg Oval as their home ground. The only year this did not occur was in 1991 when Glenelg used Football Park under the SANFL's ground rationalisation scheme. This arrangement only lasted for the 1991 season as Glenelg moved back to The Bay while the Eagles moved to Woodville Oval.
In 2012 Glenelg Oval became one of five suburban SANFL grounds to have lights installed for night games.
The ground record crowd for Glenelg Oval was set on 20 July 1968 when 17,171 saw Sturt defeat Glenelg by just one point, 13.13 to 13.12. The record night attendance was set on 25 April 2014 when 9,245 saw Glenelg defeat the Adelaide Crows reserves 17.21 to 13.8 for the Tigers first win of the 2014 SANFL season.
Glenelg Oval also saw the highest score in SANFL history in 1975 when Glenelg defeated Central District 49.23 to 11.13 : the winning margin of 238 is the 2017 the SANFL record, and remains the club's record win. Glenelg's champion full-forward, the 1969 Magarey Medallist Fred Phillis, kicked 18 goals for the game, including his 100th for the season.

Club song

The Glenelg Tigers have the same club song as that of the Richmond Tigers based on "Row, Row, Row".

Oh we're from Tigerland

A fighting fury, we're from Tigerland

In any weather you'll see us with a grin

Risking head and shin

If we're behind then never mind

We'll fight and fight and win

For we're from Tigerland.

We never weaken till the final siren's gone

Like the Tiger of old, we're strong and we're bold

For we're from Tiger we're from Tigerland.

Club records

Post World War II coaches

Post World War II placings

  • 1945 – 7th
  • 1946 – 8th
  • 1947 – 7th
  • 1948 – 6th
  • 1949 – 5th
  • 1950 – 2nd
  • 1951 – 3rd
  • 1952 – 5th
  • 1953 – 3rd
  • 1954 – 8th
  • 1955 – 6th
  • 1956 – 6th
  • 1957 – 7th
  • 1958 – 7th
  • 1959 – 3rd
  • 1960 – 8th
  • 1961 – 7th
  • 1962 – 5th
  • 1963 – 7th
  • 1964 – 4th
  • 1965 – 6th
  • 1966 – 10th
  • 1967 – 4th
  • 1968 – 5th
  • 1969 – 2nd
  • 1970 – 2nd
  • 1971 – 6th
  • 1972 – 6th
  • 1973 – 1st
  • 1974 – 2nd
  • 1975 – 2nd
  • 1976 – 3rd
  • 1977 – 2nd
  • 1978 – 4th
  • 1979 – 7th
  • 1980 – 4th
  • 1981 – 2nd
  • 1982 – 2nd
  • 1983 – 7th
  • 1984 – 3rd
  • 1985 – 1st
  • 1986 – 1st
  • 1987 – 2nd
  • 1988 – 2nd
  • 1989 – 5th
  • 1990 – 2nd
  • 1991 – 6th
  • 1992 – 2nd
  • 1993 – 4th
  • 1994 – 5th
  • 1995 – 7th
  • 1996 – 7th
  • 1997 – 8th
  • 1998 – 9th
  • 1999 – 4th
  • 2000 – 9th
  • 2001 – 9th
  • 2002 – 9th
  • 2003 – 8th
  • 2004 – 7th
  • 2005 – 8th
  • 2006 – 6th
  • 2007 – 4th
  • 2008 – 2nd
  • 2009 – 3rd
  • 2010 – 4th
  • 2011 – 5th
  • 2012 – 6th
  • 2013 – 9th
  • 2014 – 10th
  • 2015 – 9th
  • 2016 – 7th
  • 2017 – 7th
  • 2018 – 6th
  • 2019 – 1st
  • 2020 – 4th
  • 2021 – 2nd
  • 2022 - 4th
  • 2023 - 1st
  • 2024 - 1st
  • 2025 - 2nd

Magarey Medallists

The Magarey Medal is awarded to the "fairest and most brilliant" player in the League during the Home and Away season. Glenelg has ten Magarey Medalists and two Reserves Magarey Medalists:

SANFL leading goalkickers

Ken Farmer Medallists

Fos Williams Medalists

The Fos Williams Medal is awarded to the best player during State of Origin games for South Australia. Glenelg has six Fos Williams Medalists, including one dual medalist:

Jack Oatey Medalists

The Jack Oatey Medal is awarded to the best player during Grand Final. Glenelg has five Jack Oatey Medalists:

Glenelg Hall of Fame

The Glenelg Football Club set up its Hall of Fame in 2001, when it inducted 25 of its greatest players. There have since been 14 induction ceremonies, the most recent taking place in 2021, as the club marked its League centenary celebrations. Glenelg's Hall of Fame divides players into five main historical eras for the club: 1) 1921–1939; 2) 1940–1960; 3) 1961–1976; 4) 1977–1990; and 5) 1991–2021.

Club ambassadors

As of 2013 the Glenelg Football Club has seven club ambassadors. They are: