North Adelaide win 2022 Hostplus SANFLW League Premiership

North Adelaide withstood an early Sturt onslaught to win the 2022 Hostplus SANFLW League premiership by 18 points in a pulsating Grand Final at The Parade. 

Under immense pressure when the Double Blues kicked three of the first four goals of the game, the Roosters responded in composed fashion to claim their second SANFLW flag after going through the 2020 season undefeated.

The minor premier’s triumph is the third premiership for Roosters coach Krissie Steen and fourth for captain Kristi Harvey after both featured in the club’s Grand Final win two years earlier.

”I do work hard but it is the team I have around me – the coaches and everyone like that,” said Harvey, who has also played in premierships with Norwood (2017) and South (2018).

”It’s a very cool piece of history but it’s about this team, which was unbelievable.”

Contesting their first SANFLW Grand Final, the Double Blues took all of their momentum from the Preliminary Final into the title-decider, with ruck Zoe Prowse asserting herself on the match right from the first bounce.

Prowse continued her presence throughout the contest, with her 20 disposals, eight clearances, nine tackles and 33 hit outs enough to land her the Best-On-Ground medal.

Sturt teammates India Rasheed and Abbey Rigter kicked two goals each before half-time to give their team plenty of energy as defenders Kiera Mueller (16 disposals), Alex Ballard (nine disposals, six marks) and captain Maya Rigter (15 disposals, seven marks) held firm.

But North’s Erica Greet and Hannah Ewings had other ideas as they proved to be difference-makers in dragging their team back into the match.

Greet provided plenty of drive off her wing to tally 20 disposals and six marks while Ewings had 19 disposals and a long running goal from 45m to peg the margin back to eight points at the main change.

Experienced North forward Jade De Melo kicked the only goal of the third term which was a sign of things to come as the former Fremantle Docker put her team in front after marking a long pass from Greet inside 50m.

De Melo then started the red-and-white party early when she opened up a three-goal advantage with less than two minutes to play.

North ruck Meg Ryan was also an invaluable contributor with 22 disposals, five tackles, five clearances and a goal while Katelyn Pope sprang to life in the second half to finish with 14 disposals and three tackles.