Sturt opened the 2003 season with three brilliant victories including the 93 point thrashing of South Adelaide at Encounter Bay. Despite losing their next two matches the Blues remained in third place after beating North at Unley by 60 points in front of 3100 fans. Three losses followed but a return to their early season form mid-season saw the Blues win 9 of their next eleven matches to finish the minor round in third place. Many in Adelaide believed that the Blues would play in the Grand Final but their season came to a halt when they were beaten by 25 points by the Eagles in the first semi-final. Despite the loss, the season contained many highlights including the Under 17’s premiership victory, the club topping the SANFL attendances with an average of 4016 spectators during the home and away games – 434 more per game than second placed Norwood, Damian Squire captained the State team to a 60 point victory over Western Australia while Ben Nelson won the PT Morton Medal and finished second in the Magarey Medal. The club farewelled Seamus Maloney who went to Mildura for work while Mark Conway and Matthew Dent retired.

Sturt opened the season in style thrashing Norwood at the Parade by 57 points in front of 6207 spectators. One victory became two at the Bay where the Blues recorded a 35 point victory. Three losses followed before the ‘winning touch’ returned and Sturt won 9 of their next 10 games. Among those brilliant victories was the thrashing of the Bulldogs by 41 points on Friday June 4. A crowd of 4229 braved the cold conditions to witness one of the Club’s best victories in a minor round match in the first decade of this century. Despite losing the next three matches the Blues finished the minor round by thrashing South at Noarlunga by 70 points. Again, the Eagles ended Sturt’s season in the preliminary final by 55 points. Among the farewells were Graeme Dunstan who went to the Adelaide Crows after 8 years at Unley, Matthew Powell retired while Jade Sheedy won the Morton Medal and Stuart Totham arrived as Dunstan’s replacement.

The Blues got off to a flying start winning 6 of their first 8 games, however serious injuries to Jade Sheedy, James Begley and Matthew Smith and indifferent form, saw only five victories from the next 12 matches.
Finishing fifth, the Blues lost the elimination final to North Adelaide by 7 points. Despite losing the close encounter there were numerous highlights during the winter. Damian Squire won his second PT Morton Medal, new recruits at Unley included Michael Bratton, Ben Colreavy, Evan Hurse, Luke Jarjoura while Jace Bode and Martin Wilson made their debuts. Besides the new players a number of senior players achieved game milestones – Tim Weatherald 200, Simon Feast 150 while Andrew Whiteman, Brant Chambers and Michael Curtis played their 100 games for the club. Another to reach an important milestone was the brilliant Squire who played his 250th SANFL game.

Easily the two major highlights for the Blues in 2006 were the opening of BarZaar at 166 Unley Rd, Unley and the gaining of the lease for the Castle Tavern at Edwardstown. Both these venues are important as they secured the financial future of the club.
After five years at Unley, Brenton Phillips farewelled the Blues as coach. Phillips will always be remembered as he led the club to the 2002 premiership and in his time the Blues played in four final series. Replacing him for the last four games of the winter was Brodie Atkinson while former Central Districts premiership player Rick Macgowan was appointed for the 2007 season. Along with Macgowan came assistant coaches Luke Norman and Donald Dickie who played 4 league games for the club in 1993.
The winter of 2006 also saw the retirement of Damian Squire(145 Sturt games), Michael Curtis(129), Daniel Wicks(103) and Andrew Beveridge(49). Seventeen players – Tom Anderson, Greg Bentley, Luke Button, Shaun Childs, Leigh Davies, Craig Evans, Ryan Herring, Tom Hurley, Joel Kay, Angus Kurtze, Sam Miles, Sean O’Keefe, Wil Paley, Tom Rischbieth, Nicholas Smith, Craig Taylor and Nicholas Wark – made their debuts.
Jade Sheedy won the PT Morton Medal, the club finished 8th with only 3 wins while Brant Chambers who was named in The Advertiser Team of the Year and also won the Rick Davies Medal kicking 69 goals, passing the 300 goal mark and finishing with 321 goals for the year.
Of all the functions held during the winter the biggest was at AAMI Stadium in July when the club celebrated the premierships of 1926, 1966 and 1976 at a special reunion dinner. Many legends were on hand, autographs were collected and stories were told as the club celebrated its glorious history.