West Adelaide's Foxtel Cup win gives the club confidence to be a major SANFL premiership player

WINNING the Foxtel Cup to break a 30-year trophy drought has given West Adelaide the confidence to go one step further in this year's SANFL premiership race.

West Adelaide players Aaron Fielke and Aaron Anderson with the Foxtel Cup.

BREAKING a 30-year trophy drought has provided a triple boost for West Adelaide as it heads into the SANFL finals.

That's the assessment of Bloods team manager and life member Lee Harradine after the club's thrilling Foxtel Cup final victory last week.

The four-point win over WA side East Fremantle was the first grand final success for West Adelaide since its 1983 SANFL premiership and also netted the club a $100,000 cash prize.

Mr Harradine said the morale boost had been threefold at the club this week - providing a lift for players, supporters and the club's bottom line.

"It's been very positive down at the club, we're up near the right end of the ladder so the mood is good, but I think this has just added a bit of a spring in the step," he said.

"We haven't had this sort of success in 30 years and although the Foxtel Cup isn't the major goal, like a premiership, for long-suffering West Adelaide supporters it's been a very welcome chance to enjoy some success."

"Over the last six years we've come from being a perennially bottom club, we've come through tough financial times and we're now extremely competitive at the league level," he said.

Chief executive Kym Russell said the club's decision to make the Foxtel Cup a goal had paid off.

He said the $100,000 prize would be used to reduce the club's debts.

"It's an understatement to say it will be very handy," Mr Russell said.

"It proves that an SANFL club, if it fields its best side and takes the competition seriously can compete with any other state league club in Australia."

Despite concerns by some clubs about the impact of the Foxtel Cup on their SANFL campaigns, Mr Russell said the football department set out to win the national competition.

"It was fantastic on the night, there was just under 2000 people at AAMI Stadium," he said.

"I think most of the supporters have put it back in perspective and the ultimate prize is the SANFL premiership but a premiership in any competition is still a premiership."

West Adelaide is currently fourth on the SANFL ladder, eight points clear of sixth placed Sturt, with three rounds to play.