Australian Football

Match Report

In the final game of the weekend's action, we head down to the beachside town of Victor Harbor, in its western side we find the Encounter Bay Oval where the Panthers hosted the Crows. The Panthers held its own in the regular season against the Crows, with a one-point win in Round 6 followed by a 38-point victory in the final round. But much to the anger of the Panthers faithful as well as the traditional league fans, an AFL-stacked outfit cast aside South in the 1st Semi-Final by nine goals. Both clubs edged out their foes in the opening round by less than a kick each, no doubt a drawcard for the near 2400 that filed into the ground hoping to see some good football. 

They weren't to be disappointed, the Crows were inaccurate early but would still hold a nine-point lead at quarter-time after kicking 4.5 to the Panthers' 3.2. That gap stretched to 11 points by half-time as Adelaide managed a further 3.3 to South's 3.1 in the second term. The Crows would continue to build a deficit when play resumed, but the Panthers wouldn't let them make overly significant strides as the gap crept out to 13 points by three quarter-time in a repeat of the second quarter scores. But despite a final term fightback by the Panthers, the Crows kept them at bay long enough to take a one-goal win after a 4.2 to 3.1 last quarter. 

Harrison Dear was named Adelaide's best, the Panthers named Sam Overall as their best afield.