Performance by favourite son Caleb Daniel in AFL final inspires former Panthers teammates

THE stunning work of diminutive rover Caleb Daniel in the Western Bulldogs’ upset win over West Coast has provided South Adelaide with more inspiration for Sunday’s first semi-final showdown with Adelaide.

Inspiring ... former South Adelaide star Caleb Daniel was best on ground as his new team, the Western Bulldogs, defeated West Coast. His efforts have inspired his former teammates. Picture: Paul Kane (Getty Images)

THE stunning work of diminutive Western Bulldogs rover Caleb Daniel in the upset win over West Coast on Thursday night has provided South Adelaide with more inspiration for the first semi-final showdown with Adelaide, at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Recruited from the Panthers in the 2014 national draft, Daniel produced a best-on-ground performance in the elimination final in Perth.

“That was an inspiration; to watch our man go out and play the best game of his career gives us confidence and belief,’’ Panthers coach Bradley Gotch said. “He did it on the big stage.”

South Adelaide will need a similarly inspired performance to beat Adelaide.

The Panthers are missing key players due to injury while the Crows are at full strength, having named 22 AFL-listed personnel.

It is the Crows’ most powerful line-up this season and incredibly captain Luke Carey, a top-up player, and an AFL-listed player will miss the game unless there are late changes.

The depth of AFL names in the Crows’ line-up does not bother Gotch.

“We don’t care who we play, it does not matter if it is the (Woodville-West Torrens) Eagles, Sturt, whoever, they are in our road,” Gotch said. “They can be an AFL side for all I care, they are in our road and we are on a journey.

“It is a great challenge and I love challenges. The Crows have said they have 11 blokes under 21, we will see if they get the jitters.”

The Panthers have been forced to find a replacement for Tyson Brown after he damaged his hamstring just three minutes into the 27-point loss to the Double Blues in the qualifying final.

For the second successive season, the Eagles have earned the minor premiership and they will be hoping for a repeat of last year’s second semi-final when they triumphed and earned the first spot in the season finale. They then lost the grand final to West Adelaide.

Eagles coach Michael Godden said he was feeling no more pressure than in any other season as his men prepare to take on an impressive Sturt outfit.

“Every coach and player gets a little anxious,” Godden said. “The one thing I learnt as a coach is once I have prepared them, it is not what I do this week, it’s what I did in November.

“I am really happy what we did in November, December, January and February and the rest is the icing on the cake.”

The Double Blues are expected to have an unchanged side and tough midfielder and ruckman Jack Osborn should have benefited significantly by the hit out last week after returning from injury.