Central Grand Final | Eagles command despite Smith's best efforts

Featured image: Sharnee Jones @picture_itsportphotography

The Forestville Eagles have had back-to-back 16-2 seasons and after falling short of a Grand Final in 2025, are now the NBL1 Central champions with a commanding performance to beat the South Adelaide Panthers 77-58 despite 27 points from Jeremy Smith.

It was a Grand Final rematch from the 2024 decider that Forestville also won but this match up at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night was all set up to be a mouth-watering affair.

Forestville came into the season motivated by their preliminary final exit last year after going 16-2 and they only made one change to their core group for 2026 by bringing in Jordan Forbes to replace DJ Vasiljevic.

The result was another 16-2 season to finish a game clear on top but then they lost to South Adelaide in the second semi-final and had to get through to the Grand Final the hard way.

With South Adelaide having handed Forestville two of their three losses so far in 2026, it did shape as a terrific contest and no bigger reason from that was watching 2022 championship teammates Alex Starling and Jeremy Smith go head-to-head.

>> DOYLE READY FOR GF IN CAREER-BEST SHOOTING FORM

>> CENTRAL FINALS | FORESTVILLE SET UP DREAM GRAND FINAL

>> CENTRAL FINALS | PANTHERS OVERPOWER EAGLES TO REACH GF

>> RIO READY FOR ROCKY V CREED FORESTVILLE BATTLE

>> CHAMPIONSHIP DESIRE SPURS JELLY ON

>> BIGGER PICTURE ALWAYS THE FOCUS FOR JEREMY SMITH

Starling helped to hold the reigning Woollacott Medallist scoreless in the first quarter too and with Forbes putting up 10 points for Forestville, the Eagles were out to a 23-9 advantage by quarter-time having gone on a 13-0 scoring run.

The Eagles shot 4/8 from three-point territory while holding South Adelaide to 4/18 overall.

Forestville remained in control through the second quarter to go into the half-time break leading 41-28 with Daniel Johnson up to 11 points and with Forbes not needing to add to his quarter-time tally.

Smith had stepped up with 12 points in the term for South Adelaide on 5/9 shooting but his teammates only managed seven points on 3/10 shooting.

For South Adelaide to be any chance of a comeback he needed some of his youthful teammates to jump on his back, but it wouldn’t happen and he did manage eight more points in the third quarter with 3/4 shooting.

But the rest of the Panthers only added nine points on 3/12 shooting while Forestville put up another 15 points and with Greg Mays up to 13 points and 10 rebounds already, the Eagles were in control still 56-45 by three quarter-time.

Forestville again completed a run of 13 straight points in the fourth quarter to blow the Grand Final out to a 22-point lead and then securing the championship in emphatic fashion by 19.

It's a second championship in three years for Forestville and a 10th overall with eight of those coming since the turn of the century including the three-peat in 2011-12-13.

Alex Starling is now a four-time championship winner in the NBL1 Central and claimed a third Grand Final MVP award finishing with 12 points, 15 rebounds, two assists and two steals including just his 10th three-pointer of the season.

Jordan Forbes also finished with 15 points, six assists and four rebounds, Greg Mays 13 points and 14 rebounds, Daniel Johnson 14 points and 11 boards, and Fiston Ipassou 10 points and six rebounds.

Then there was championship captain Adam Doyle who contributed 11 points and three rebounds to get to celebrate a first ring as a father.

Ultimately while Jeremy Smith returned to South Adelaide this year to help the young talent thrive and that worked through the season, he had to play largely a lone hand on Grand Final night.

Smith delivered 27 points and five rebounds in his 38 minutes with Lloyd McVeigh contributing 11 points, 10 boards and three assists, Jonty Smith six points and two assists, and Daniel Smith five points and 13 rebounds.

NBL1 CENTRAL 2026 SEASON | GRAND FINAL

SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 58 (Jeremy Smith 27, McVeigh 11, Jonty Smith 6)

FORESTVILLE EAGLES 77 (Forbes 15, Johnson 14, Mays 13)

Grand Final MVP: Alex Starling (Forestville Eagles)