Glenelg Football Club

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.^[2][3]

The Club participated in the B Grade (Reserves) Competition in 1920 and entered the South Australian League in 1921.^[4] 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.^[5][6] It was not until 2 May 1925 that the club saw its first league victory, a 12.6 (78) to 10.10 (70) win over West Torrens at Glenelg Oval.

"The Bays", as they are sometimes known (due to the club's proximity to Holdfast Bay), won their first SANFL premiership in 1934 with an 18.15 (123) to 16.18 (114) victory against Port Adelaide, 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 an alternate strip for away games.

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.^[7]

Glenelg was a foundation member of the SANFL Women's competition in 2017. The Tigers won their first SANFLW Premiership in 2021.

• Glenelg Oval (Stratarama Stadium) (1921–90, 1992–present)
• Football Park (1991)

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 (along with new team Woodville-West Torrens) 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 (91) to 13.12 (90). The record night attendance was set on 25 April 2014 (Anzac Day) when 9,245 saw Glenelg defeat the Adelaide Crows reserves 17.21 (123) to 13.8 (86) 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 (317) to 11.13 (79): 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.

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 (yellow and black) we're from Tigerland.

• South Australian Supplementary Premiership Winners: 2 – 1971, 2007
• Home Ground: Glenelg Oval (Stratarama Stadium) (1921–90, 1992–Current)
• Previous Grounds: Football Park (1991)
• Record Attendance at Glenelg Oval: 17,171 v Sturt on 20 July 1968
• Record Attendance at Glenelg Oval since Adelaide Football Club formation (1991): 11,827 v Sturt, 28 June 2008
• Record Night Attendance at Glenelg Oval: 9,245 v Adelaide, 25 April 2014
• Record Attendance: 58,113 v Sturt at Football Park, 1974 SANFL Grand Final
• Record Attendance since Adelaide Crows formation (1991): 42,242 v Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, 1992 SANFL Grand Final
• Record Attendance since Port Adelaide AFL entry (1997): 39,105 v Port Adelaide, 2019 SANFL Grand Final
• Most Games: 423 by Peter Carey (1971–88)^[8]
• Most Goals: 842 by D.K. "Fred" Phillis (1966–78, 1981)
• Most Goals in Match: 18 by D.K. "Fred" Phillis v Central District in 1975^[9]
• Most Goals in a Season: 137 by D.K. "Fred" Phillis in 1969
• First player to kick 100 goals in an SANFL season: Jack Owens (1932 – 102 goals)
• Most Years as Coach: 10 by Neil Kerley (1967–76)
• Most Years as Captain: 8 by Nick Chigwidden (1993–2000)
• Highest Score: 49.23 (317) v Central District 11.13 (79) at Glenelg Oval in Round 17, 23 August 1975^[10]
• Lowest Score: 1.4 (10) v Norwood in 2004
• Greatest Win: 238 points v Central District in 1975
• Greatest Loss: 146 points v North Adelaide in 1936
• Longest Winning Run: 18 in 1973–1974
• Longest Losing Run: 56 in 1921–1925

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:

• 1928 – Jim Handby
• 1934 – George "Blue" Johnston
• 1940 – Mel Brock
• 1941 – Marcus Boyall
• 1949 – Allan Crabb
• 1969 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis
• 1974 – Kym Hodgeman (Reserves Magarey Medalist)
• 1978 – Kym Hodgeman
• 1982 – Tony McGuinness
• 2006 – Brett Backwell
• 2008 – Scott Lewis (Reserves Magarey Medalist)
• 2019 – Luke Partington

• 1927 – Jack Owens (80 goals)
• 1928 – Jack Owens (83)
• 1932 – Jack Owens (102)
• 1948 – Colin Churchett (88)
• 1949 – Colin Churchett (72)
• 1950 – Colin Churchett (105)
• 1951 – Colin Churchett (102)
• 1969 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (137)
• 1970 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (107)
• 1971 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (99)
• 1975 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (108)
• 1976 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (98)

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:

• 1981 – Peter Carey (v WA)
• 1982 – Stephen Copping (v Vic)
• 1982 – Paul Weston (v WA)
• 1984 – Stephen Kernahan (v Vic)
• 1987 – Chris McDermott (v Vic)
• 1988 – Stephen Kernahan (v Vic)
• 2003 – Brett Backwell (v WAFL)
• 2025 – Corey Lyons (v VFL)

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

• 1985 – Stephen Kernahan
• 1986 – Tony Hall
• 2019 – Matthew Snook
• 2023 – Lachlan Hosie
• 2024 – Liam McBean

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.^[11] 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.

• Players with names in bold are also in the South Australian Football Hall of Fame
• Players with an asterisk* next to their names are also in the Australian Football Hall of Fame

As of 2013 the Glenelg Football Club has seven club ambassadors.^[12] They are:

• Anna Meares – Multiple World and Olympic track cycling champion.
• Brett Aitken – Olympic track cyclist. 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist – Men's Madison
• Gary Sweet – Film and television actor
• Jane Woodlands-Thompson – Head coach of the ANZ Championship's Adelaide Thunderbirds netball team
• John Hawkes – Leading Australian horse trainer
• Kate Ellis – Federal Member for Adelaide. Current Shadow Minister for Education and Early Childhood.
• Luke Schenscher – 7 ft 1 in (216 cm) tall former NBA basketball player. Formerly played for the Adelaide 36ers in the Australasian-based National Basketball League.