Round 2 Hostplus SANFL Snapshot – Good Friday

Central District ensured it was a Good Friday for Bulldogs fans at X Convenience Oval when it caused a 27-point upset against highly-fancied North Adelaide.

Bursting out of the blocks with five goals in the first quarter, the Dogs shocked the Roosters while keeping them goalless before the opening change.

North forward Keenan Ramsey booted his team’s opening goal with a snap from the boundary in the second minute of the second term only to have it cancelled out by former Sturt forward Hugo Munn, who kicked his first major in Dogs colours.

The hosts – who won the inside 50m count convincingly by 51 to 36 – stretched their advantage to as much as 40 points early in the last term as the visitors mounted a last-gasp charge.

But inaccuracy while chasing the game ensured Jacob Surjan’s charges would fall short as they kicked 2.4 in the fourth term.

Central coach Paul Thomas would be heartened by the evenness of his team’s victory as veteran Justin Hoskin led the way with 27 disposals and six tackles.

Constructive Bulldogs defenders Jez McLennan (24 disposals) and Billy Iles (23 disposals) were effective off half-back while Sturt recruit Mani Liddy made an encouraging start at his new club with 19 disposals, and four clearances.

Long-sleeved Nick Lange and Port District signing Dale Pearce kicked two goals each for the hosts.

North was often its own worst enemy due to its poor ball movement entering its 50m arc, often turning the ball over despite having time to make better decisions.

Roosters captain Alex Spina had a team-high 26 disposals while fellow defender Harrison Magor had 25 as Frank Szekely tried to ignite his side in his 50th game with 22 touches and six tackles.

Ramsey finished with two goals for the visitors while Karl Finlay gave the travelling North fans something to cheer about with a towering mark later in the final term.

A final-term flurry propelled Glenelg to a scratchy 17-point win against Port Adelaide under lights at Stratarama Stadium.

After threatening to break the game open in the first half, the Tigers ground to a halt in the third quarter as they booted just three behinds as the Magpies levelled the scoreboard by the final change.

Triple Ken Farmer Medallist Liam McBean edged the Bays ahead with the second of his three goals but it was his third which helped secure the premiership points midway through fourth quarter.

It came just 63 seconds after fellow forward Lachie Hosie kicked his sixth for the night, having nailed five by the eighth minute of the second quarter.

Hosie, who kicked 6.3 from 11 disposals and six marks, was the difference between the two sides in the first half as he created plenty of headaches for new Magpies mentor Tyson Goldsack.

Bays skipper Max Proud was another strong contributor in the first win for new Bays coach Darren Reeves, taking 11 marks to go with 20 disposals.

Fellow defender Darcy Bailey used the ball well with his 30 touches and nine marks while Glenelg’s midfield group had an even spread of those willing to get their hands dirty.

Jack Oatey Medallist Matt Snook had 23 disposals and 14 tackles while Corey Lyons (25 disposals), Luke Partington (21 disposals) and Brett Turner (18 disposals) all did their bit.

Returning Glenelg defender Liam Wisdom (13 disposals, five marks) started the game strongly while AAMI Rookie Archie Lovelock was again neat by hand and foot with his 12 possessions.

Port’s Mitch Georgiades threatened to turn the game in his side’s favour, but his snap from the boundary line early in the fourth term hit the post when a goal would have tied the scores.

The strong-marking forward booted three goals from his 14 disposals and three clearances to be his side’s only multiple goal kicker.

Riley Bonner relished his midfield time to collect 25 disposals, eight marks, five clearances and a goal for Port while Hugh Jackson (20 disposals) is starting to take another step in his development, particularly with his clearance-work in the centre square.

Magpie Jase Burgoyne had 20 possessions rebounding from defence while East Fremantle recruit Jed Hagan looked dangerous inside attacking 50m with 17 disposals and seven tackles.

Slow-starting South Adelaide joined Sturt with a 2-0 win-loss record after overcoming Woodville-West Torrens by 11 points at Flinders University Stadium. 

Managing just one goal – a long bomb to Eamon Wilkinson – in the opening quarter, the Panthers strung together the only five majors kicked in the second stanza while keeping the Eagles to one behind.

It gave Jarrad Wright’s charges – determined to honour vice-captain Matthew Broadbent in his 100th game – a 13-point lead at half-time and when South giant Damon Freitag kicked goals either side of the main change, the locals were in full voice.

A 55m set shot to Eagles key forward Connor Ballenden and a crafty goal off hands to Zane Williams gave the visitors hope as they trimmed the deficit to just seven points at the final change.

But being two rotations down for the majority of the second half ended up being too much for the Eagles to overcome as former captain Luke Thompson (head knock) and hard-running Dane McFarlane (knee) remained on the sidelines.

After a quiet first half, South Magarey Medallist Bryce Gibbs was adjudged to be the Coles Value Player with 22 disposals, seven tackles and seven clearances.

Super-fit Panther Mitch O’Neill collected 26 touches and a nice crumbing goal while former Brisbane Lion Ely Smith registered 26 possessions in his first home match at Noarlunga.

Another of South’s signings last summer, Zac Sproule, had an impact on the contest with three goals from 11 disposals and four marks.

Industrious Eagles pair Mitch Hardie and James Rowe each racked up 30 disposals as they continued to work hard in the absence of injured duo Riley Knight and Jimmy Toumpas.

Eagles captain Joey Sinor tallied 21 disposals, 12 tackles and eight clearances as Max Beattie and Hardie kicked two goals apiece.

Adelaide wore down a plucky West Adelaide outfit to earn a comfortable 33-point win at Hisense Stadium.

Buoyant from a 78-point SANFL Showdown win in Round 1, the Crows were heavily favoured to out-muscle the Bloods but they got plenty of resistance in the opening half.

With coach Adam Hartlett back in charge after missing Round 1 for the birth of his daughter, the hosts controlled the tempo of the game in earning an eight-point lead at half-time.

West veteran Jono Beech, who kicked three goals for the afternoon, could have applied more scoreboard pressure after the main break but his two behinds ensured Adelaide would remain well within reach.

Adelaide development-listed pair Riley Clamp and Jacob Templeton kicked truly late in the third quarter to open up a handy 19-point break at the last change.

Michael Godden’s men broke the dam wall open to start the fourth quarter, with classy Zac Taylor kicking his side’s third in a row with a clever snap to earn a match-winning 38-point lead just five minutes in.

Taylor finished with 26 disposals and nine clearances to go with his fine finish as he continues to push his claim for an AFL debut.

Crows ball magnets Matt Crouch (37 disposals) and Jackson Hately (36 disposals) found plenty of the footy in the middle while Collingwood recruit Tyler Brown often spun his way out of trouble while using his 29 possessions.

They all benefited from the dominance of Kieran Strachan in the ruck, with the 2022 SANFL Team of the Year member racking up 47 hit outs with 22 disposals and five clearances.

West’s Joel Stevens was best afield in the first half en route to tallying 31 disposals, nine clearances and eight tackles while Callum Park regularly set things up for the Bloods across half-back with 30 touches and 14 marks.

GWS signing Sam Frost had 23 disposals and nine marks in his Bloods debut while Tom Morrish showed encouraging signs with a career-high 27 disposals and nine marks.