Australian Football

Formed in 1879, Angaston spent the first three decades of its existence engaging solely in challenge matches against teams from nearby towns such as Nuriootpta, Kapunda and Freeling. The club’s competitive history commenced in 1908 when it was a founder member, along with Freeling, Kapunda, Nuriootpa and Tanunda, of the Barossa and Light Football Association. The five clubs all played each other home and away, and Angaston emerged with a one hundred per cent record to claim the inaugural premiership as champions as there was no finals series.

The BLFA ran until 1986, when it merged with the Gawler Football Association to form the Barossa, Light and Gawler Football League. Angaston’s record in the BLFA was unequalled, with its tally of twenty-one senior grade premierships placing it eight ahead of its nearest rival, Kapunda, and nine clear of Freeling. In addition to their twenty-one flags, the Panthers finished runners-up on ten occasions. Two of Angaston’s BLFA premierships were won by means of replayed grand finals: against Nuriootpa in 1969, and at the expense Kapunda eight years later. To date, these have been the only drawn grand finals in the Association’s history.

By contrast with their time in the BLFA the Panthers’ achievements in the BLGFL have been modest, with just a single premiership to show so far from four grand final appearances. The triumph came in 2003 courtesy of an 18.13 (121) to 11.12 (78) grand final defeat of Willaston. The Panthers' most recent grand final appearance was in 2009 when they went down by 22 points to Tanunda. Subsequent seasons have tended to be tough, as exemplified by wooden spoons in 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018. However, in 2019 the Panthers conclusively reversed the trend, topping the ladder with a 15-1 record before progressing to a grand final clash with Tanunda. That was where the fairy tale ended, however, as Tanunda edged home by 13 points.

Owing to the global coronavirus pandemic the BLGFL only ran a seven round season in 2020 with Angaston doing well to qualify for the finals in third place, which was where they ultimately finished following a preliminary final defeat at the hands of South Gawler.