Australian Football

Match Report

On Saturday, the ABC cameras headed out to the Hickinbotham Oval at Noarlunga as the Panthers played host to the Bloods. These two sides were the bottom two clubs of 2008, West Adelaide collecting yet another wooden spoon. 

It looked as if that year was going to happen again, as the Panthers kicked 5.2 to West's badly inaccurate seven behinds to lead by 25 points at quarter-time. But the inaccuracy was West's only real fault... the hard work was there on the field, but not on the board. That inaccurate streak would continue into the second term, but the lead was drawn back to 17 points by the long break after the Bloods kicked 3.4 to the Panthers' 1.2. Westies kept on spraying their shots on goal when play resumed, the Panthers adding 3.1 to their tally while the visitors kicked 2.3. At three quarter-time the home side's lead had shrunk to 15 points. The final quarter saw very little scoring... and the Bloods made a dead serious run at the Panthers and got within a kick of the lead. But it didn't happen, the Panthers came out 10 point winners after the Bloods gave up a free kick in range of goal. 

Ben Warren nailed that goal, one of seven that got him best on ground while West named Damian Cupido as their best.