Round 13 Hostplus SANFLW Match Wraps

By WARREN PARTLAND

South Adelaide is on the verge of another Hostplus SANFLW League minor premiership after taking advantage of a depleted Glenelg line-up to triumph by 54 points at Flinders University Stadium.

While the Panthers are only a game clear of Central District with one round remaining, they have a massive percentage advantage and should go into the finals as the top seed.

The Tigers were without ball magnet Jessica Bates, leading goal kicker Eloise Mackereth and ruck Shay’Lee Dayman and they have now lost their past three games to slip to third and put their double chance hopes under serious threat.

Panthers’ Doreena Hansen kicked the only two goals of the opening quarter, before the Tigers responded to level the scores in the second term.

That was the end of the challenge from the visitors, however, as the Panthers went to work. They nailed the final two goals of the second and then all four goals of the third quarter to take complete control.

The statistics were heavily in favour of the Panthers, winning the hitouts 37-21, the clearances 38-17 and the inside 50 count 36-17, while a highlight was Lucy Northcott bagging three goals for the Panthers in her 50th appearance for the club.

Sturt kept its finals dreams alive with a dramatic two-point triumph over Norwood at Thomas Farms Oval.

The victory enabled the Double Blues to climb within a point of the fourth-placed Redlegs with one round remaining. The win also kept West Adelaide, just slim percentage above the Double Blues, in the finals hunt.

Alisha Gepp proved the hero for the Double Blues with a best-on-ground performance and she nailed a goal from a free kick 11 minutes into the final term to regain the lead for the hosts.

It was a backs-to-the wall victory considering the Redlegs dominated possessions and seemingly were set to claim the crucial premiership points when they grabbed the lead after Charlotte Nenke goalled late in the third term.

Amy Brooks-Birve kicked the only two goals of the opening quarter for the Double Blues, but the Redlegs, on top in the clearances, kept pushing forward. Too often the Redlegs turned the ball over, however, against a Double Blues outfit committed to the defensive aspects.

Jade Halfpenny continued her outstanding season for the Redlegs, picking up a team-high 19 disposals.

West Adelaide claimed its first win over Woodville-West Torrens in three years with a 10-point victory at Hisense Stadium to keep its finals hopes alive.

The Bloods had not beaten the Eagles since round 2, 2021, and had lost four of their previous five contests. They had a draw in Round 9 last year.

The win lifted the Bloods to within a point of fourth-placed Norwood on the ladder with one round remaining.

Wasted opportunities threatened to detail the Bloods’ bid to break the drought against the Eagles. Both sides finished with five goals, with the Bloods adding 11 behinds.

The Eagles, led by consistent Leah Cutting in the ruck, grabbed the lead in the third quarter on the back of three unanswered goals, before Sarah Campbell put the Bloods back in front late in the term.

Campbell kicked the only goal of the final quarter and the Bloods kept the Eagles scoreless to secure the crucial win.

Central District enhanced its hopes of the double chance in the finals with a 26-point win over improved North Adelaide at X Covenience Oval.

The win lifted the Bulldogs into second spot on the ladder, a point above Glenelg, and they confront top-placed South Adelaide at home in the final round on Saturday.

The Roosters asked plenty of questions of the Bulldogs early, nailing the first two goals, and the home side, sparked as usual by captain Shelby Smith on the ball, had the answers.

After bagging the final two goals of the first term, the Bulldogs kicked the only two majors of the second quarter, the second by gun attacking weapon Katelyn Rosenzweig.

It was the 24th goal for the season by Rosenzweig, who leads the race for the leading goalkicker award by three from South Adelaide’s Emily Brockhurst. The Bulldogs star wasted prime chances to extend the lead, finishing with six behinds and the final four of the game.

The Bulldogs blew the game apart in the third term when they added three goals and restricted the Roosters, with Ella Quinn and Kristi Harvey busy, to a single behind.