Round 7 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

South Adelaide had a resounding 53-point win over Glenelg at Stratarama Stadium in Round 7 of the Hostplus SANFLW League.

It was all blue and white on Saturday afternoon at the Bay, with the Panthers recording eight unanswered goals across three quarters, including two from the returning Jordan Rugless and one from debutant Jaidee-Lee Shortridge.

Melissa Anderson (2), Soriah Moon, Esther Schirmer and Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap rounded out the other goal scorers in the first three quarters, as the Tigers struggled to get on top of the clearance count (39 to 24).

Kiana Lee was the lone goal kicker for Glenelg in the fourth quarter, with Panther Hope Taylor capping off a big day of goals for the visitors, taking a strong grab before going back and kicking truly from 25m out.

Caitlin Couch was the leading disposal-getter for South with 29 possessions to go with five clearances and four inside 50s, with Olivia Evans (24 disposals, seven tackles), Soriah Moon (26 hit outs, 22 disposals, six clearances) and 2024 SANFLW Best and Fairest Nikki Nield (20 disposals, 11 tackles, eight clearances) among the best for the Panthers.

Glenelg co-captain Asha Dufour notched up 22 disposals and five clearances in her 50th Hostplus SANFLW League game, as Isla Wiencke (22 disposals, eight tackles, five clearances), Cassie McWilliam (10 tackles, five clearances) and Lee (five marks) all battled hard for the Bays in a tough day out.

Sturt notched up its third victory of the season with a 17-point win against Norwood at Thomas Farms Oval.

Double Blues’ Grace Powell opened the scoring for the day, slotting her first major in the Hostplus SANFLW League, before Norwood’s Amelia Rusden got the visitors on the board, as Mille McCarthy kicked a late major to give Sturt an eight-point buffer heading into the first break.

Back-to-back Norwood goals in the second quarter gave the Redlegs a five-point lead at half-time, but Sturt came out firing in the third quarter with goals from Summer Ross, Erin Conn and Madeline Nuss to take back the lead at the penultimate break.

Sturt’s Georgia King was the only goal scorer in the final quarter as Norwood failed to capitalise on its 36 to 31 inside 50 count.

Double Blues midfielder Isobel Kuiper was awarded the Ellen Maple Medal for her Best on Ground performance, recording 32 disposals, 12 tackles, six clearances and six inside 50s in her side’s victory.

The Ellen Maple Medal is an initiative of both the Redlegs and Double Blues, to honour the memory of former senior women’s player Ellen Maple who tragically lost her life in 2018.

Lily Whiteman (15 disposals, 13 tackles, seven clearances), Summer Ross (16 disposals, eight tackles) and Isabella Drew (six tackles, five rebound 50s and four marks) were amongst the top performers for Sturt.

Redlegs captain Jade Halfpenny led from the front with 19 disposals, nine tackles and five inside 50s, with teammates Emma Clark (12 tackles), Coby Morgan (21 disposals, four marks, four inside 50s) and Elke Cameron (18 disposals, nine tackles, five clearances) battling hard for the visitors.

West Adelaide breathed some life into its season with a one-goal win over North Adelaide at Revo Fitness Oval. 

Zara Downes found the goals in the first term for West, giving the visitors a four-point buffer heading into the first break, before North’s Aprille Crooks got the Roosters on the board early in the second term.

Paige Allan and Ella Maxwell extended the Bloods’ lead out to 10 points midway through the second quarter, as Tegan Robins got one back for the home side.

After no major score from either side in the third quarter, Crooks broke through in the final term for her second goal, levelling the score, a draw now seeming imminent.

Enter West debutant 15-year-old Scarlett Blethyn.

Remaining cool, calm and collected, Blethyn took an excellent contested grab before going back and slotting the match winner for Westies, her side managing to hold on to the lead with six minutes to go.

Zoe Venning (26 disposals, eight tackles, seven clearances), Iilish Ross (23 disposals, 10 tackles, eight clearances), Tess Huxtable (36 disposals, eight tackles) and Stevie-Lee Thompson (22 disposals, nine tackles, six clearances, five inside 50s) were all superb for the Bloods as they recorded their first win since Round 1.

Roosters’ captain Amber Ward was everywhere with 19 disposals, 19 hit outs, eight clearances and five tackles, with Crooks (18 disposals, two goals, eight tackles), Ella Metcalfe (19 disposals, eight marks, six tackles) and Caitlin Hardin (10 tackles) among the best for North.

Woodville-West Torrens remains undefeated after a 13-point victory over Central District at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval.

Doggies’ youngster Annelise Lovell kicked her side’s first goal of the match – her first major in her two-game career – before Cheryllee Waters got the Eagles on the board to head into the first break three points up.

Waters slotted her second for the ladder-leaders, kicking a goal on the run, with Kirra Tonkin responding three minutes later for Central, dribbling it through from the goal square.

Lauren Breguet slotted the Dogs’ third major in the penultimate quarter, as both sides went into the final term with scores locked at 18 points.

It was Eagles’ youngsters Anika Tran and Ruby Matthews who stepped up when their side needed them to, slotting back-to-back goals for the Eagles, who eventually ran out 13-point winners.

Eagles’ ruck Leah Cutting was superb with 33 hit outs and 10 tackles, as Alice Tentye (24 disposals, eight clearances, four marks), Tahlita Buethke (24 disposals, eight inside 50s), and Lucy Moore (21 disposals, six clearances, since inside 50s, five tackles) all starred in their side’s victory.

Izabella Nisbet (20 disposals, 12 tackles, six clearances), Georgia Madigan (18 disposals, seven tackles, six marks), Laitiah Huynh (22 disposals, six rebound 50s), and Holly Tralaggan (eight tackles, six marks) all led the way for Central.