Australian Football

Match Report

The final match for the round took place on the Sunday afternoon at the City Mazda Stadium in Richmond, the Bloods playing the Panthers. The last time these teams met was the week before the State match, the Panthers winning by 32 points at Noarlunga in a game that West truly let slip. After leading at half-time, South tied the game at the final change and then went on the attack. With the boot on the Bloods' throat, they kicked six goals to one for the win. The Bloods haven't won since Round 4, while the Panthers recovered from a pair of losses to edge out the league leaders in Glenelg. 

South had some goal-kicking issues in the opening quarter, the weather no better than it was on Saturday as they kicked five behinds while the Bloods were able to score 2.2 to lead by nine points at quarter-time. It was Westies' turn to struggle in the second term, kicking just two behinds as the Panthers found the big sticks with their 3.5 to takeover the lead. At half-time the visitors were up by two goals. In these conditions even a gap of four goals can be a game-breaker, the Panthers would stretch their lead out to 27 points by the final change after they were able to score 5.3 to the Bloods' three goals. The final term was a bit of a fizzer in regards to the scoring and it was clear that the Panthers were away. The Bloods kicked six behinds to the Panthers' 1.1, South leaving with a 28-point win and climbing to third on the league ladder. 

Joseph Haines was voted South's best afield, while Dallas Willsmore was best for the Bloods.