South Adelaide smash Eagles to keep its SANFL finals hopes alive

South Adelaide produced an incredible performance to smash ladder-leader Woodville-West Torrens by 83 points and stay in the race for the SANFL finals.

South Adelaide’s Joel Cross. Picture: Tom Huntley

South Adelaide’s finals hopes are still alive after an unbelievable 83-point demolition of ladder-leading Woodville-West Torrens in Noarlunga on Saturday.

Not even the most faithful Panthers fans could have imagined such an emphatic performance from a side which had lost eight of its past nine games and was facing a club beaten just twice this season.

And especially after the nightmare start when the Eagles, with a strong wind at their backs for the first quarter, were on the march with four goals in the opening eight minutes.

It was a stunning display from the Panthers, who responded to the challenge to keep the Eagles goalless for the rest of the first term before going on the rampage in the second quarter to slam home 10 goals.

Eagles coach Michael Godden described the performance as the worst in his eight-year tenure at the club and probably the worst he has ever endured.

The win lifted the Panthers to within a game of fifth-placed Glenelg, while the Eagles are no certainty of the minor premiership after being four games clear at the top of the ladder just two rounds back.

“The reminder for this group is we are a good team when we get it all right,” Panthers coach Garry Hocking said.

“We have been a work in progress. Something I have not wavered from is to keep the foot down and these boys have turned up. We have had an unsettling 10, 11 weeks but full credit to the players.”

There was no warning of what was to eventuate when the Eagles went on the attack early and it seemingly was a case of how much percentage would they build.

As the opening term lengthened, however, the composure and confidence of the Panthers grew.

Jared Petrenko nailed the first goal of the second quarter for the Eagles, but the home side then exploded to bag the next nine goals. The Panthers, led by Joel Cross and Nick Liddle, got quality ball from the stoppages and they constantly bombarded their attacking 50 where Abe Davis roamed dangerously.

The Panthers were smart with their ball use and they had the Eagles under the pump with relentless pressure, forcing plenty of turnover ball. The work of the forwards to keep the ball in the zone was outstanding.

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH ADELAIDE 1.2 11.8 15.9 21.15 (141)

EAGLES 4.3 6.3 8.4 9.4 (58)

BEST - South: Cross, Liddle, Fields, Davis, Durdin, Rose, Haines, Gulden. Eagles: Sinor, Thompson, Stewart.

GOALS - South: Davis 5, Rose 3, Schwarz, Ellison 2, Fields, Liddle, Gulden, Cross, Durdin, Rankine, Bass, Raitt, Damian. Eagles: Johansen, Petrenko, Wundke 2, Boyd, J. Hayes, Poole.

INJURIES - Eagles: Woods (shoulder), Firns (concussion).

REPORTS - Eagles: Poole (rough conduct).

UMPIRES - Scott, Galletly, Crosby.

CROWD - 1438 at Hickinbotham Oval, Noarlunga.