Australian Football

Match Report

The second game of the Saturday football smorgasbord takes us down south to the Flinders University Stadium in Noarlunga, where the two southern suburbs teams in the Panthers and the Double Blues clashed. The spoils would be shared by the two clubs from their two games last year, the Blues victorious at Noarlunga by three goals in Round 3, then the Panthers by just one goal at Unley in Round 16. A costly bout of the inaccuracy bug cost the Panthers badly in that first game, kicking 1.9 for the whole first half. To South's credit, they cut a seven-kick half-time deficit and got within two kicks before one last Sturt goal. But they made up for that in the game at Oxford Terrace, coming back from 16 points down at half-time with a 6 - 2 goal tally in the second half to steal the points. The Blues maintained their unbeaten run back two weekends ago with their 10-point win over Adelaide, while the Panthers went missing in the final term at Alberton. The Panthers began with a bang, scoring three goals in six minutes to kick things off. They didn't find the big sticks again for the rest of the term, but Sturt couldn't surpass them with the remaining time. At the first change, the Panthers were up by seven points with the board reading 3.2 to 2.1. Sturt found more in-roads to their attacking zone in the second quarter, but after kicking the first major of the term would not find them again until play resumed in the second half. South's two goals would bracket a swag of missed chances for both sides, the Blues scoring four to the home side's three as South's long break lead would be set at two goals. Another first minute major to the Panthers opened the third quarter to put them up to a three-goal lead, but then the visitors made their move. With their score of 4.2 prior to added time, they hit the lead. Two cruicial missed opportunities to the Panthers in time-on would have the Blues in front by a goal at the final change. That is where the goals for the Blues would stop though, forcing them into full defensive posture as the Panthers pressed in the final term. It was crash-and-bash stuff, players on both sides throwing caution into the Noarlunga winds. Sturt added just two behinds, but their backs were holding pretty well, leaking only one goal deep into extra time. The Blues would hold on for a two-point victory, equalling their 1974 start. Tom Lewis was a monster for the Blues with his 21 tackles and 20 disposals. Let that number sink in, folks... 21 TACKLES. The Panthers named Mitch O'Neill as their best, with 25 disposals, 10 tackles and five clearances.