Roosters conquer Bloods to stay at top of SANFL ladder

NORTH Adelaide’s season of surprise just keeps on charging forward with another strong win over West Adelaide.

North Adelaide captain Max Thring again led from the front against West Adelaide. Picture: Emma Brasier/AAP

THE surprising North Adelaide feature act shows no sign of slowing down after conquering West Adelaide by 48 points at Richmond Oval on Saturday.

And it was the inspirational skipper Max Thring leading the charge again with another best-on-ground performance in his first season in the role.

Thring had a game high 39 possessions and he has emerged as a serious contender for Magarey Medal honours.

It was the Roosters ninth win from their 11 games and they kept their lofty spot as ladder leader.

“If you said to me at the start of the year we would be on top then yes, it would be a surprise,” Roosters coach Josh Carr said.

“But the way we have executed and played this year, then no. We are only half a game above the Eagles, it is very tight and I don’t look too far ahead.

“We played well without playing super. Our skills were a bit off today.”

There were plenty of clumsy skills from both sides in the first quarter, but the pressure was relentless in the willing contest.

However, the Roosters were able to secure quality ball from the stoppages in the second term and used it well to gain the ascendancy.

In tight, the Roosters were cleaner, while their forwards were often given too much space to operate because of the Bloods’ defenders pressing up the field.

The Bloods had their moments when they were able to challenge their opponents, only to be let down by poor skills or decision making.

Carr said the ability to have multiple options deep in attack had been a strength of the side and that was no more evident than the first 10 minutes of the second quarter.

The Roosters nailed the first four goals courtesy of four different players.

As the second half lengthened, so too did the Roosters domination. They kept the Bloods scoreless in the final term and should have won by more if not for sloppy kicking for goal.

And then there was veteran Rooster Leigh Ryswyk’s stunning mark in the final quarter.

“We played poorly, there is no point trying to dress that up,” Bloods coach Gavin Colville said.

“North’s pressure was terrific and we did not handle it at all. We made poor decisions under pressure and lost too much contested ball.”

NORTH ADELAIDE 2.2 9.5 10.13 13.17 (95)

WEST ADELAIDE 3.1 6.4 7.5 7.5 (47)

BEST - North: Thring, Allmond, Smith, Barns, Wilkie, Ryswyk, Clisby. West: Burgess, Stevens, Hill, Anderson, Schiller.

GOALS - North: Ryswyk, Harvey, Hender 2, Barns, Thring, McDonough, McInerney, Ramsey, Schwarz, Tropiano.

INJURIES - North: Ramsey (hamstring).

UMPIRES - Crosby, Broadbent, Sboro.

CROWD - 1823 at City Mazda Stadium, Richmond.