South Adelaide and Adelaide draw their SANFL game at Noarlunga Oval

The battle between South Adelaide and Adelaide was a classic tale of two halves, and the scoreboard could not separate them at Noarlunga Oval.

There is the old phrase ‘a game of inches’. Well what about a game of seconds.

South Adelaide forward Tom Whittlesea had the ball in his hands running inside 50 and about to unleash on goal against Adelaide at Noarlunga Oval on Saturday when the siren blasted.

Even a behind would have won the game for the Panthers after they had overcame a 49-point deficit late in the second quarter to level the scores.

It was a second successive draw for the Panthers after their effort against Glenelg last week. Panthers coach Jarrad Wright reckons his side dropped a point against the Tigers after coughing up a big lead, but he feels it won the point back against the Crows.

“The effort after quarter-time was top notch,” Wright said. “Once we play as a team and understand what we are trying to do our best if really, really good. When you roll into a game half heartedly, I reckon, and expect things to happen you get burnt.”

The Crows, with eight development players in the side, were kicking against a strong wind in the first quarter, only to produce a stunning brand of football to charge to a 36-point lead.

Jesse McKinnon tackling Matthew Wright during the South Adelaide versus Adelaide game at Noarlunga Oval. Picture: AAP Image/ Morgan Sette

Adelaide player Myles Poholke reacts after scoring a goal during the South Adelaide versus Adelaide at Noarlunga Oval. Picture: AAP Image/Morgan Sette

Myles Poholke, dropped from the AFL side after just one week, was simply on fire. He amassed 15 possessions and bagged three goals in the first quarter.

The Panthers had no answer to the rebound of the Crows out of defence, which was far too easy, and they ran amok moving the ball into attack with supreme confidence.

Even with the wind at their backs the indecisive Panthers failed to kick a goal. And in the second term they struggled to move the ball out of defence, everything they did was under pressure.

“That brand of footy in the first half will stack up well in this competition,” Crows coach Heath Younie said. “It is hard to swallow when you have a draw.”

A change of attitude can work wonders, as the Panthers discovered after half-time when they attacked the contest with far more venom.

They were able to get their hands to far more ball, especially the contested possessions, and have more efficiency with the movement.

The key move was having Panthers defender Matt Rose run with Poholke in the second half, quelling the influence of the Crows onballer.

“Both coaches would be saying ‘if only’,” Younie said.

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH ADELAIDE 0.3 2.4 8.10 10.13 (73)

ADELAIDE 6.2 9.5 9.5 11.7 (73)

BEST — South: Rose, Crabb, Liddle, Noble, Cross, Haren. Adelaide: Poholke, Wilson, M. Merrett, Wilson, Fogarty, Wright.

GOALS — South: Noble 3, Karpany 2, Irra, Liddle, Davis, Fitt, Whittlesea. Adelaide: Poholke 4, Stengle 3, J. Matthews 2, Fogarty, Hutchesson.

UMPIRES — Morgan, Scott, Philp.

CROWD — at Flinders University Stadium, Noarlunga.