Australian Football

Match Report

In the inner southern suburbs at Envestra Park in Unley, the Double Blues faced the Panthers. From the past 13 games between these clubs, the Panthers have taken seven wins to Sturt's six, the last game was a South win which was at Unley back in Round 22 in 2013. The words "blockbuster" and "Panthers" never usually go together, but this was a good time for South to be involved in such a game for it is a rare occasion, even though the last couple of rounds hasn't been good for them they have been nothing short of competitive.

This was going to be a top notch match, the two sides dueling out the first term as the Panthers took a one-point lead at the first change after kicking 3.3 to 3.2. Sturt would take over the lead by the long break, they kicked 3.2 to 2.3 in the second term to be ahead by four points at half-time. This was proving to be an absorbing battle, one probably more worthy of the TV time committed elsewhere this day. The arm-wrestle continued into the second half when play resumed, the Blues managing to still be ahead at the last change as the Panthers chipped a couple of points off that half-time deficit. South kicked 2.4 to Sturt's 2.2, the three quarter-time gap was back to two points. The lead would change a couple of times in a nail-biting final term, but it would be the Blues that would come out on top this time around, they kicked 6.2 to 4.2 in the final term to take an eight-point win.

It seemed to be serendipity that Richard Tambling would be named best for Sturt in this Indigenous weekend, while South named Brent MacLeod as their best afield.