Australian Football

The memorably nicknamed Cockle Divers are due a senior grade premiership, having last claimed one - their fourth - in 1997. The club first saw light of day in 1935, and was admitted to the Glenelg South Adelaide Football Association the following year. However, after just two seasons it went into mothballs, and did not resume until 1947, when it joined the Southern Football Association. In 1951 the club’s senior team played off in the grand final against Willunga, but suffered defeat by 50 points. Its next senior grand final appearance was fourteen years later, once again against Willunga, and this time the result was reversed, the Cockle Divers winning by 45 points, 19.8 (122) to 11.11 (77). The club’s reserves also went top that year, as they would do in 1966. In 1968 Port Noarlunga’s seniors featured in a thrilling grand final clash with Christies Beach, going down by a bare point. The 1970s proved to be the most successful decade in the club’s history to date, with the seniors playing off in the grand final four times. However, only once, in 1973 against Reynella, were they successful. The club’s third senior grade flag was won in 1985 thanks to a 14.17 (101) to 10.12 (72) grand final defeat of Reynella and as already intimated they have since added a fourth, in 1997, by means of a 7.13 (55) to 7.6 (48) grand final defeat of Morphett Vale.

In recent seasons the Cockle Divers have been regular finals participants without managing to add to their premiership haul or indeed even getting as far as a grand final. A case in point was their 2018 campaign which was ended at the first semi final stage by Reynella.