South Adelaide ends season with win over Adelaide in SANFL
South Adelaide got the job done in what it could control against Adelaide - but there will be no finals action for the Panthers.
It was obvious South Adelaide coach Jarrad Wright was feeling a little flat despite the impressive seven-point win over Adelaide at Noarlunga Oval on Saturday.
He learned against the wall of the changerooms with a beer in hand and said all the right things about the game. There was also praise for what now retired Brad Crabb and Nick Liddle had done for the Panthers as incredible servants of the club.
But there will be no finals action for the Panthers after Sturt accounted for Glenelg at Unley Oval to deny Liddle and Crabb at least one more game.
“To send off Lids and Crabby with a win and to finish the season strongly, there is certainly some pride in that,” Wright said.
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“But there is a lot of sorry and sad people out there, it is pretty difficult.
“The players were outstanding. We were plus 20 odd in contested ball, had more tackles, more inside 50s, and more scoring shots. All the statistics were in our favour.”
The only stat not in favour of the Panthers was hit-outs with Crows ruckman Reilly O’Brien dominate.
However, the Panthers had the better of the clearances and Crows coach Heath Younie spoke of the contested numbers being significantly in the home side’s favour.
Liddle left the game in typical fashion, superb in his role in the victory. Crabb also had an influence with his work on Crows forward Elliott Himmelberg.
The Crows led for just two minutes of the contest, that being in the third term.
But each time the Panthers escaped to a handy lead, including a 24-point buffer in the final term, the Crows fired back in a free-flowing battle.
“We were minus 36 in contested numbers and minus 10 in tackles,” Younie said. “That is all ground ball.
“Air was not the problem, it was on the ground. That gives them field position, but I thought we fought the game out strongly.
“I told the players they should be proud of their efforts this year, we deserve to finish in the top three.”
SCOREBOARD
SOUTH ADELAIDE 4.3 7.3 10.7 12.11 (83)
ADELAIDE 2.1 7.2 8.4 12.4 (76)
BEST - South: Liddle, Crabb, Haines, Cross, Overall, Davis. Adelaide: Poholke, Seymour, O’Brien, Wilson, Murphy, Ryan, Stengle.
GOALS - South: Overall 3, Davis, Fitt 2, Cross, Heaslip, Sampson, Whittlesea, Wilkinson. Adelaide: Stengle, Wright, Atkins, McAdam 2, Wilson, Himmelberg, Davis, Strachan.
INJURIES - South: Haren (concussion). Adelaide: Butts (concussion).
UMPIRES - Hundertmark, Burke, Morgan.
CROWD - 1557 at Flinders University Stadium, Noarlunga.