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South Adelaide vs Central District

Scoreboard | Match report

Round: 1   Venue: Noarlunga Oval   Date: Sat, 02-04-2022 2:10 pm   Crowd: 1,288  
South Adelaide 3.2.209.3.5710.5.6513.7.85  
Central District 1.1.75.5.359.5.5912.8.80  
  SOUTH by 13SOUTH by 22SOUTH by 6SOUTH by 5  

Match Report

Now we're out to the suburbs with four more games throughout Saturday, the first takes us down to the southern suburbs to the Flinders University Stadium in Noarlunga. The Mayor's Cup was up for grabs in the SANFL's "Distance Derby" between the Panthers and the Bulldogs. South were victorious in both matches last season, with a 27-point win at home in Round 8 followed by a 52-point hiding at the Ponderosa. The Panthers have not dropped a game against the Dogs for a few years now, it was back in Round 12 of 2018 that Centrals last had possession of the trophy fought for between the two clubs. Before that, it was the final round of 2015 when the Bulldogs last won at Noarlunga and that cost the Panthers a spot in the Elimination Final of that year. The two sides would have to do without their senior coaches with both in close contact isolation. 

The Panthers were all over the Dogs in the opening term, but didn't fully capitalise on the board. A late goal from Centrals kept them within strike as the quarter-time board would have South up by 13 points at the first change, reading 3.2 to 1.1. Some collective groans from the scattered Bulldogs fans could be heard early in the second term, three goals in the opening five minutes putting them just over five goals up. But despite some inaccuracy, the Dogs clawed back South's lead to a more manageable four straight kicks going into the sheds at half-time. The Panthers scored 6.1 to 4.4, a lead of 22 points at the long break. The Panther machine sputtered a little when play got back underway and Centrals would reel their lead back even more by the final change. Their pressure on body and ball was significantly upped as they chipped away at South's lead, restricting the home side to 1.2 whilst booting four goals without a miss. At three quarter-time, it was down to a six-point gap for the blue and whites. The Dogs continued to come at the Panthers in the final term, controlling much of the play right up into time-on and even kicking into the lead. But Souths would re-take the lead within a couple of minutes and with some panicked kicking from the Dogs, would hold on for a thrilling finish. The Panthers' 3.2 to Centrals' 3.3 enough to win by five points. 

Mitchell O'Neill was named best for South with 33 disposals and seven marks, while the Bulldogs named Travis Schiller with his 30 disposals and seven marks.

Source

Match Report by RA Boyle

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.