Rampant Panthers show their claws as South Adelaide beats Eagles

SOUTH Adelaide fans — get excited. For a third time in nine seasons the Panthers have won through an elimination final.

SOUTH Adelaide fans — get excited.

For a third time in nine seasons the Panthers have won through an elimination final and will play in next weekend’s first semi-final and this side has a genuine belief it can go further.

Saturday night’s 20-point win over the Eagles on Adelaide Oval wasn’t South’s best performance of the season but Brad Gotch’s men showed they have learned two skills which will serve them well this finals series.

The first was a relentless desire to tackle and run defensively not previously associated with South teams.

The second is an ability to sense the momentum of a game, and lock down when the time calls for it.

Never was this newly ingrained maturity at Noarlunga more evident than deep in last night’s third quarter when forward Lachlan McGregor kicked the Eagles third goal without reply. South sides of the past might have panicked but the Panthers circa 2014, slowed the game up, reasserted themselves around the contested football and steadied.

By 15 minutes into the fourth term South had arrested the Eagles surge, and kicked four goals without reply to seal a sudden-death match against the Sturt side it beat at Noarlunga in the final minor round match. The Panthers will enter that clash on a five-match winning streak and a genuine chance of making it to the preliminary final stage of the season for the first time since 1991.

For the Eagles, last night’s elimination final must be evaluated as a failure given the side was installed as premiership favourite pre-season and jumped out to a 7-1 start.

Michael Godden’s side again showed that, with key forward Andrew Ainger and Michael Wundke, it has the firepower to hurt sides, but its midfield was badly exposed at times on the big, fast Adelaide Oval track.

Luke Powell and Adam Grocke bowed out at the end of the match and the Eagles must target speed and ball-winners over summer.

In a free-flowing opening term, South enjoyed a clear ruck ascendancy through Keegan Brooksby and best on ground Joel Cross took full advantage around the packs.

South moved two goals clear midway through the term, but late contested marks and goals to Michael Wundke and Adam Grocke square the contest.

South had a clear ascendancy through the midfield and again jumped two goals clear early in the second quarter when Eddy and Joel Cross goaled but the Eagles kept battling, albeit to no avail.

SOUITH ADELAIDE 13.11 (89) WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS 10.9 (69)

Adelaide Oval