Roosters should study Joel Cross and learn after big loss to South Adelaide

NORTH Adelaide interim coach Michael Handby could do worse than use the first training session this week to show his players the full replay of Panthers star Joel Cross's game at Noarlunga on Sunday.

NORTH Adelaide interim coach Michael Handby could do worse than use the first training session this week to show his players the full replay of South Adelaide star Joel Cross's game at Noarlunga on Sunday.

Buy some hot chips and a few ales for the boys and then sit back and admire the qualities of a Magarey Medallist who has nothing but his club at heart and total pride in his efforts.

And a midfielder who refuses to take short cuts with his work — for four quarters.

Apart from being busy on the ball, he pushed forward to bag three goals and also worked back to support his defenders.

His is an unselfish game and there are plenty of Roosters who could learn plenty from watching a tape of how Cross hurt them badly in the Panthers' 65-point triumph.

Handby said mental resilience for a full game was still a work in progress at Prospect, as well as consistency of effort for four quarters. That was evident on Sunday.

The Roosters were competitive in the first half, only to be too often let down by poor ball movement deep in attack. The possession count was even as were the entries inside attacking 50.

The vast divide in class, skill, composure, discipline and personal values rose to the surface in the third quarter as the Panthers claimed the ascendancy.

They had 40 more marks and 58 more uncontested possessions by three-quarter time, evidence of their superior workrate.

Emmanuel Irra earned the praise of Panthers coach Bradley Gotch, Jake Veide got his hands to plenty of ball and Brad Crabb held firm in defence.

But this was your typical team performance demanded by Gotch and the victory enabled them to jump above Port Adelaide into fourth spot.

"I'm happy with a 65-point win in tricky conditions,'' Gotch said. "I thought we were in a bit of a flat spot in the second quarter but the other three quarters were pretty solid.''

The Roosters nailed the opening goal after three minutes and their second came 25 minutes into the second term. They added just four behinds in the second half and the 2.9 was their lowest score ever against the Panthers.

Too many players lacked energy for the contest after half-time and a willingness to bend their back, a total contrast to desperation of Cross.

"We are trying to get predictability with ball movement and there were elements of it in the first half that suggest we are improving,'' Handby said.

"We did fall away in the second half and that is an area we are still working on in terms of having mental resiliency for a full game of football.''

SOUTH ADELAIDE 3.2 5.3 9.5 13.8 (86)

NORTH ADELAIDE 1.2 2.5 2.8 2.9 (21)

BEST - South: Cross, Veide, Irra, Crabb, Rose, Gulden. North: Schulz, Motlop, Anderson, C. Craig, Clisby.

GOALS - South: Irra, Cross 3, Macleod, Gulden 2, Eddy, Liddle, Rankine. North: Amato, Santillo.

UMPIRES - Bau, Hosking, Philp.

CROWD - 1198 at Hickinbotham Oval.