Round 2 Hostplus SANFLW Match Wraps

By ZAC MILBANK

North Adelaide caused a massive boilover in Round 2 of the Hostplus SANFLW League, toppling reigning premier South Adelaide by nine points at Magain Stadium.

Winning just two matches last year en route to claiming the club’s first wooden spoon, the Roosters announced they are on the rise by keeping the Panthers without a goal until five minutes into the fourth quarter.

Round 1 AAMI Rookie Polly Turner opened the account for North with the only goal of the first term before new captain Amber Ward established a match-high 19-point buffer with a major just 47 seconds into the third term.

New North coach Kelly Barltrop was then able to guide her charges across the line despite South’s Shae Archbold kicking the only major of the fourth stanza.

Rooster Jamie Parish, who notched her 50th game milestone in Round 1, was her team’s leading disposal winner with 21 while reigning North club champion Julia Clark, who finished the match sporting a bandage around her head, tallied 18 touches.

South trio Caitlin Couch (28 disposals, six clearances), Emma Charlton (25 disposals. 10 clearances) and captain Jordann Hickey (22 disposals) fought hard but didn’t have enough assistance to haul their team over the line.

Woodville-West Torrens is perched at the top of the Hostplus SANFLW League ladder after holding off Glenelg by 12 points at Eastern Parade Reserve.

Banking a second consecutive win after beating Sturt in Round 1, the Eagles withstood a valiant late charge by the Tigers to claim the premiership points.

Leading at every change and by as much as 27 points midway through the second quarter, the Eagles suddenly found themselves back on level terms when Glenelg’s Tamsyn Morriss tied up the scores with a goal in the 10th minute of the final term.

But the hosts were able to steady with goals to impressive youngster Imogen Trengove and Brianna Walling as they held the Bays scoreless for the rest of the contest.

Dominating the inside 50m count 48-26, the Eagles received great service from Trengove, who finished with 19 disposals and two goals, together with new co-captain Poppy Waterford (17 disposals, nine tackles) and veteran ruck Leah Cutting (14 disposals, 30 hit outs).

Glenelg’s ball-magnet Jess Bates collected a match-high 34 disposals, to go with seven tackles and six clearances while veteran Ellie Kellock made a welcome return to the side to finish with 22 disposals, two goals and five clearances.

A supreme solo performance from Central District star Katelyn Rosenzweig proved pivotal in her team’s thrilling four-point victory against Sturt at X Convenience Oval.

The Bulldogs’ power forward continually had an impact on the contest as she booted 4.3 of her team’s tally of 6.7 (43) while also collecting 13 disposals and four marks.

Central have now banked two wins from two starts to start the season in positive fashion under the new leadership of co-captains Laitiah Huynh and Georgia Madigan.

The hosts led by 10 points on the verge of the 10-minute mark of the fourth term as Tara Lord kicked truly but they were made to sweat when Sturt’s Georgia King cut the margin to just four points within two minutes.

Ben Hunt’s charges were then able to hold on grimly for the rest of the contest as the Double Blues entered their forward 50m arc on eight more occasions.

Bulldogs Maddy Lane and Jovanka Zecevic each chalked up 19 disposals while tenacious Caitlen Teague racked up 11 tackles to go with her 16 possessions.

Sturt ruck Jasmin Fejo – who also plays district basketball for Woodville – was outstanding with 22 disposals, six clearances and 32 hit outs as midfield star Izzy Kuiper filled her stats sheet with 27 disposals, 11 clearances and six tackles.

West Adelaide continued its bright start to the season with a confidence-boosting 27-point triumph against Norwood at The Parade.

As the Redlegs were celebrating their 100th Hostplus SANFLW League match, the Bloods spoiled the party by keeping the hosts without a goal from the second minute of the second term until the final siren.

Not only did the visitors dominate possession, they also engineered decisive advantages in clearances (34-25) and inside 50s (48-21) as they skipped out to a 2-0 win-loss record.

Bloods vice-captains Zoe Venning (25 disposals, seven marks) and Hannah Button (17 disposals, 11 tackles) stepped up in the absence of injured skipper Madi Russell while teammates Ruby Ballard (21 disposals, 11 tackles) and Emma Kilpatrick (20 disposals, one goal) were also prominent.

Norwood’s Emma Clark led her team’s disposal tally with 15 while also booting a goal as Sarah Branford, playing in her 50th match, collected 13 disposals for the Redlegs.