Round 5 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

By WARREN PARTLAND

South Adelaide is starting to make loud noises, conquering ladder-leading Glenelg by 22 points on the back of relentless defensive work at Stratarama Stadium.

The Panthers, winless after the first two rounds, kept the previously unbeaten Tigers goalless in a stunning performance to climb to second on the table.

Midfielder Nikki Nield again had a massive influence, amassing 25 possessions and nine tackles, to spark the Panthers, while Brooke Boileau finished with 29 disposals and six tackles. Down back, Esther Schirmer was brilliant for the visitors.

After putting 2.2 on the scoreboard and keeping the Tigers scoreless in the first quarter, the Panthers needed just 20 seconds of the second term to add another goal when Jordann Hickey got her name on the scoresheet.

The Tigers, with Jessica Bates going about her business in typical fashion to be the driving force, gained momentum in the second quarter. But they were wasteful with their ball movement.

The desperate Panthers refused to relax the pressure in the scrappy encounter and continually forced opponents into mistakes.

Norwood made a significant statement when it crushed Sturt by 38 points at Thebarton Oval.

The Redlegs dominated from the outset, putting 2.2 on the scoreboard for the opening quarter while keeping the Double Blues, coming off a huge win over Central District, scoreless.

Adelaide’s Najwa Allen led a resolute Redlegs defence, which constantly shut down dangerous attacking raids from the Double Blues, before providing the launchpad for forward thrusts.

The victory lifted the Redlegs into third spot on the ladder, albeit only percentage behind second-placed South Adelaide, and put rivals on notice they will be a major force in the race for the SANFLW crown.

The Double Blues had five more clearances and only five less trips inside their 50, but struggled to penetrate the composed Redlegs’ defensive wall.

And when the Redlegs, led by Tahlita Buethke with 28 possessions, did go into attack, they were potent in front of goal.

Buethke was a fitting winner of the 2024 Ellen Maple Medal, which was presented by Ellen’s family – Jane, Brett and Tess Maple.

The Double Blues were well served by the usual suspects with Isobel Kuiper, India Rasheed and Monique Bessen, the leading disposal winners.

West Adelaide young gun Lauren Young is facing the nightmare prospect of having another season blown apart by a knee injury.

Young, signed by Port Adelaide, was stretchered from the field in the first quarter of the 41-point defeat to Woodville-West Torrens at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval and will have scans on her left knee.

The classy Young missed the entire 2022 season following surgery on the right knee.

The injury further soured a poor performance from the Bloods, who have not beaten the Eagles since round 2, 2021.

It was an emphatic win by the Eagles, who recorded their second highest score and biggest winning margin after bagging five unanswered goals in the second half.

The Eagles had a whopping 29 more visits inside their 50. At three-quarter time, the inside 50 count was 41-5 in favour of the home side.

Captain Annie Falkenberg was outstanding for the Eagles, along with midfielder Shineah Goody and ruck Leah Cutting.

Central District survived a huge scare from winless North Adelaide before securing the crucial premiership points by 10 points at Prospect Oval.

The reigning premier was forced to come from behind in the final quarter after seemingly having the game well within grasp in the second term when they held a commanding 26-point lead.

The Roosters, searching for their first win of the season, could finally smell a victory when they led by two points 14 minutes into the final quarter.

But they were denied the premiership points when Tessa Doumanis snapped a goal to put the Bulldogs back in front three minutes later. Caitlin Wendland then sealed the deal for the visitors with a late goal.

The Bulldogs looked in complete control when gun forward Katelyn Rosenzweig nailed her third goal and the side’s fourth as the quarter-time siren sounded.

But the home side, led by co-captain Jess Edwards with a game high 23 possessions, showed plenty of fight to charge back into the battle.

Olivia Levicki was again outstanding for the Bulldogs in ruck, Shelby Smith knows only one way and that is to the attack the contest and Charlotte Riggs stood tall in defence in the final quarter.