Round 9 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

By STEVE BARRETT

Central District kept its Hostplus SANFLW League finals hopes alive, banking its second straight win with a gritty 13-point triumph against West Adelaide at X Convenience Oval.

The Bulldogs jumped ahead 4.1 to 1.0 early in the third term before keeping the Bloods at bay for the rest of the match.

West boasted substantial edges in hit-outs (53-34), clearances (38-23) and inside-50s (24-18) but couldn’t match the home side’s efficiency.

Tesharna Maher nailed three majors for Central, while youngster Izabella Nisbet (19 disposals, nine tackles) and veteran Shelby Smith (19, nine) were active.

Bulldogs debutant Brooklyn McIver provided the highlight of the day with a magnificent left-foot snap for goal midway through the second stanza.

Ava Barton’s goal on the run closed the Bloods’ deficit to seven points early in the fourth before Maher steadied the Dogs with her third, a superb crumbing effort which she finished with a spin and a snap.

Iilish Ross (31 possessions, 12 clearances) and Zoe Venning (28, eight) were in the thick of everything for West, while experienced Stevie-Lee Thompson, a three-time AFLW premiership veteran with the Crows, applied 12 tackles.

North Adelaide crept to within one win of the top four with a convincing 23-point victory over Glenelg at Revo Fitness Oval.

Amber Ward slotted two second-quarter goals in as many minutes to set the wheels in motion for the Roosters, who arguably should have won by more given they dominated inside-50s 36-15 for an off-target return of 4.8 in front of the sticks.

North trailed 36-24 in clearances, but made up for it with repeated second efforts to win the ball back, easily winning the tackle count 84-50.

Julia Clark (20 disposals, seven tackles) and Aprille Crooks (19, 10) were busy for North.

Tigers co-captain Asha Dufour racked up 28 possessions and 10 clearances.

Ruck Cassie McWilliam paired 17 touches with 22 hit-outs, while also kicking the Bays’ only goal, a miracle bicycle shot over her own head in the 15th minute of the second term, as seen in the clip below.

Sophie Arkun kicked four goals in the second half as Norwood inflicted ladder-leading Woodville-West Torrens’ first defeat of the Hostplus SANFLW League season with an 11-point win at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval.

Arkun, who went into the game with one career goal from 32 games, contributed all of the Redlegs’ majors after the main break.

She successfully straightened Norwood up after the Legs controlled the first half, but frustratingly had 2.6 on the board before the Eagles could register their first score.

Jade Halfpenny (27 disposals, eight clearances), Mia Wood (25, six) and Coby Morgan (22, four, plus a goal) were prolific for Norwood.

Young livewire Anika Tran kicked two majors for the Eagles, who were dealt a pre-game blow with the late withdrawal of star midfielder Alice Tentye.

Tahlita Buethke tried her best to fill that breach with 32 touches, but Klaudia O’Neill, the league’s leading goalkicker, was held to 1.2 from three kicks, her sole major coming with a downfield free kick in the dying stages.

Sturt leapfrogged reigning premier South Adelaide into second position on the ladder after thumping the wayward Panthers by 33 points at Thomas Farms Oval.

Double Blues skipper Alex Ballard booted three goals, while gun on-baller Isobel Kuiper amassed team-highs of 22 disposals, nine clearances, nine tackles and five inside-50s.

It was Sturt’s third successive win while also breaking a string of eight straight defeats to its bogey side South.

Zina Hunt set the Blues in motion when she booted the first goal of the game after snaring a courageous mark in attack.

After scores were tied at 1.2 at the first change, Sturt progressively kicked away, aided by the Panthers’ return of 0.6 from quarter-time onwards.

Star ruck Soriah Moon was lion-hearted in defeat for South, amassing 20 possessions, 47 hit-outs, 10 clearances and eight tackles.

Jessica Chyer chalked up 19 touches and kicked the Panthers’ only major when she burst out of a stoppage late in the opening term.