South Adelaide stuns Sturt with its daring attack

SOUTH Adelaide didn’t quite kick itself into a qualifying final at Noarlunga yesterday but will enter Saturday’s elimination final full of confidence after a brilliant third-quarter display against Sturt.

SANFL: South Adelaide v Sturt at Noarlunga. South's #7 Josh Thewlis

SOUTH Adelaide didn’t quite kick itself into a qualifying final at Noarlunga yesterday but will enter Saturday’s elimination final against the Eagles at Adelaide Oval full of confidence after a brilliant third quarter display against Sturt.

The Panthers — needing an eight goal win to snatch Sturt’s double chance — had Double Blues fans nervous when they turned a 10 point half-time deficit into a 31 point three-quarter time lead.

South banged through eight goals to one for the term as they produced a stunning mix of uncompromising attack on the football and daring run.

Sturt players showed signs of panic late in the term, with captain Michael Coad and Tom Harms both giving away goals from 50m penalties for abusing umpires.

But Doubles Blues coach Seamus Maloney appealed for calm at the final change and his side reasserted itself around the stoppages and steadied with the opening three goals of the final quarter to ensure it wouldn’t let the double chance slip.

South heads into the elimination final on a four match winning streak and has statistically enjoyed its best minor round since 1991.

“I’m just really pleased for the boys because at half-time it looked like it was getting away from us and to come out and respond the way they did in the third quarter was excellent,’’ Panthers coach Brad Gotch said.

“We had a chat half-time and I told the boys we weren’t really respecting Lids (Nick Liddle) in his 100th game …

“We were bold in the third term, we moved it quicker but most of all I just liked our will.

“A couple of times there were three guys going at their guy to create a gang tackle.”

Sturt controlled periods of a scrappy first half, and made it difficult for South to score with a high defensive workrate.

Spearheads Matthew Duldig and Coad kicked opening quarter goals and Jack Stephens and Harms led a dominant backline.

Coad pushed Sturt’s lead beyond two goals in the second term but the Double Blues were wasteful at other times.

Keegan Brooksby marked and goaled less than two minutes into the third term to signal a Panther onslaught which sent a murmur running through the ground approaching the final term.

South looked irresistible as they cut through the corridor and moved the ball fast and direct to forwards Peter Rolfe and Brett Eddie.

“We just had to calm it down a little and get back to basics,’’ Double Blues coach Seamus Maloney said of his message entering the final quarter.

“In the third quarter they got right on top of us and we got a little rattled and became a little undisciplined …

“I thought the way we responded early in the last quarter was good and showed some maturity.”

SOUTH 1.1 3.1 11.3 14.3 (87)

STURT 2.3 4.5 5.8 9.9 (63)

BEST — South: Macleod, Thewlis, Cross, Gulden, Dale, Liddle, Veide. Sturt: Stephens, Tambling, Harms, Kirkwood, Watt, Calabrese.

GOALS — South: Macleod, Cross, Rolfe, Gulden, Veide 2, Seccull, Brooksby, Overall, C. Daniel. Sturt: Duldig 3, Coad, 2, Hansen, Kirkwood, Evans, Watt

UMPIRES: Hassen, Deboy, Hosking

INJURIES: Nil

CROWD: 2354 at Noarlunga Oval