Round 12 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

By ZAC MILBANK

South Adelaide secured its berth in the Hostplus SANFLW League finals series with a comfortable 25-point win against Norwood at The Parade.

Needing to win to ensure they would extend their season, the Panthers led at every change while allowing Norwood to only kick one goal for the evening.

South will now confront third-placed Glenelg in the cut-throat First Semi-Final at Prospect from 12pm next Sunday before minor premier North Adelaide host Sturt in the Second Semi-Final at the same venue from 2.10pm.

Panther Gypsy Schirmer led the way with 22 disposals while teammates Tahlita Buethke and Lucy Northcott booted two goals each.

Norwood’s Sophie Armitstead and Lana Schwerdt each collected 22 possessions while Redlegs forward Alana Lishmund took home the SANFLW Goal Kicking Award by maintaining her three-goal lead on South’s Shae Archbold after both players went goalless in the final minor round match.

Sturt ensured it would carry positive form into its inaugural Hostplus SANFLW League finals series after accounting for Central District by 28 points at the Summit Sports Park in Mount Barker.

Celebrating the 50th SANFLW game of captain Maya Rigter, the Double Blues set up the victory in the first term after piling on 3.4 while holding the Bulldogs scoreless.

Sturt midfielders Alisha Gepp (20 disposals), Izzy Kuiper (19), Georgia Bevan (18) and Ellen Lynch (16) were all prominent while tall forward Amy Brooks-Birve was the only multiple goal kicker on the ground with two.

Central captain Shelby Smith finished her consistent season on a high with 22 disposals and a whopping 17 tackles while teammate Caitlen Teague had 19 disposals and nine tackles.

Glenelg gained great confidence ahead of the major round with a stunning 10-point comeback win against minor premier North Adelaide at Prospect Oval.

Trailing by three points at the final change, the reigning premiers kicked 3.1 to North’s solitary major – off the boot of Hannah Ewings – in the final quarter.

Tigers captain Ellie Kellock had a big say in the result with her 22 disposals and last term goal while Jess Bates again posted significant numbers with 25 possessions, eight clearances and 10 tackles.

Ewings couldn’t quite haul her team across the line despite filling her stats sheet with 34 disposals, 10 clearances, five tackles and a goal while Roosters’ teammate Jaimi Tabb had 20 possessions, nine tackles and a goal.

Woodville-West Torrens finished its 2022 campaign on a positive note with a comfortable 33-point win against West Adelaide at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval.

Kicking four goals straight compared to the Bloods’ four behinds in the opening quarter, the Eagles maintained their ascendancy throughout the afternoon by not allowing the visitors to score a goal until the 10th minute of the final term.

The Eagles shared the goals around as McKenzie and Abbey Dowrick kicked two goals each along with Chantelle Mitchell while Jess Sedunary found plenty of the ball to register 27 disposals and eight clearances.

Bloods pair Zoe Venning and Jessica Macolino each recorded 26 possessions while also amassing 16 tackles and 12 clearances between them as they fought hard until the final siren.