Round 5 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

By ZAC MILBANK

An efficient South Adelaide bounced back in eye-catching fashion with a crucial 11-point win against North Adelaide in Round 5 of the Hostplus SANFLW League. 

Relishing their opportunity under lights at Flinders University Stadium, the Panthers had fewer scoring shots and fewer inside 50 entries yet managed to bank the premiership points after suffering their first loss of the season in Round 4.

Leading at every change, Rick Watts’ charges made their move in the third quarter with goals to local youngster Lily Baxter and Flagstaff Hill debutant Mel Anderson while restricting the Roosters to just two behinds.

South ruck Soriah Moon was again a significant presence in the centre square and around the ground with 17 disposals and 10 tackles while Jaslynne Smith (26 disposals) and Brooke Boileau (19 possessions, six clearances) also proved a handful for the visitors.

North’s AFL-listed star Hannah Ewings loomed large when she kicked the first goal of the game inside 55 seconds, before finishing with 22 disposals and eight tackles.

Roosters Katelyn Pope (23 disposals) and Kalani Bates (19 disposals) also battled hard but couldn’t prevent a second consecutive loss.

Woodville-West Torrens stormed to its opening victory of the season with a convincing 37-point triumph against West Adelaide at Hisense Stadium.

Laden with an 0-4 win-loss record, the Eagles looked anything but the early favourite for the wooden spoon by opening up a two-goal lead at the first change.

Adding goals to Shineah Goody, Grace Martin and Ashley Baker in the second quarter, the visitors created a match-winning 33-point buffer by half-time.

Goody was high among the Eagles’ better players with 23 disposals, five marks and five tackles while Power-listed Abbey Dowrick filled her stats sheet with 29 possessions, four tackles and five clearances.

Emerging Eagle Jemma Charity was the only multiple goal scorer on the ground with three.

West’s Zoe Venning – playing in her 50th SANFLW League game – fought bravely for 20 disposals and seven marks while star Bloods utility Lauren Young tallied 22 disposals, six tackles and seven clearances.

Norwood outlasted Sturt to claim a hard-fought nine-point win in a momentum-swinging encounter at The Parade. 

Leading by four points at quarter-time, the Redlegs suddenly found themselves trailing by 13 points at the main change after managing just three behinds in the second term.

But three goals in succession – one to Shai Hiscock and two to Najwa Allen – shifted the trend of the match back towards the hosts as they kept the Double Blues to just four behinds in the second half.

Power-listed Sachi Syme had the ball on a string to record a game-high 26 disposals while Tahlita Buethke (16 disposals) and Georgie Jaques were also lauded by Redlegs officials.

Sturt’s experienced midfield pairing of Isobel Kuiper (23 disposals, six clearances) and Georgia Bevan (19 disposals, nine tackles) was high on the visitors’ best player list.

A strong second-half performance earned Glenelg a statement-making 32-point win against Central District at X Convenience Oval.

Coming off a commanding win against reigning premier North Adelaide in Round 4, the Bays now sit comfortably at the top of the Hostplus SANFLW League ladder with a healthy percentage of 61.8.

Despite only holding a two-point advantage at half-time, the Tigers put the clamps on the Bulldogs by keeping them to just three behinds for the rest of the match while piling on 5.3.

Glenelg’s Sarah Goodwin – who was traded from Port Adelaide to cross-town rival Adelaide last week – was the dominant performer on the field with 33 disposals, nine marks and six tackles.

Tigers Piper Window (21 disposals, two goals) and Madisyn Freeman (20 disposals, one goal) hit the scoreboard while finding plenty of the ball as their captain Ellie Kellock applied a game-high 11 tackles.

Central named Madison Lane as its best contributor, with 16 disposals, while Jovanka Zecevic was almost as prolific as her rival Goodwin in finding the ball to tally 32 possessions for the hosts.