Sturt is back after breathtaking glitz against West Adelaide in SANFL

STURT produced a breathtaking first half of football to set up a 79-point win over West Adelaide and leap into the top three yesterday.

STURT produced a breathtaking first half of football to set up a 79-point win over West Adelaide and leap into the top three yesterday.

If coach Seamus Maloney wanted an immediate response to last week's big loss to Port Adelaide, he got it as his side slammed on 14 goals to two in the first half.

Although the Bloods managed to break even with Sturt with six goals each after that, the damage was done.

“The pressure on the opposition, slowing them up and causing turnovers was good,” Maloney said. “They're a good side, I was thinking that was very much game-on today and to be a long way in front at half-time is a good result.

“You'd love to run away and win by heaps but they're a good side, a proud club and it became a slower game with a few errors in the second half.”

Sturt's field kicking was exceptional and its midfield, led by Richard Tambling, Zane Kirkwood and John Greenslade, was far superior.

Kory Beard dominated across half-back with 13 marks and Guy Page and Matthew Crocker provided the rebounding run from defence.

For West, Tait Silverlock fought hard in the middle, Riley Milne was solid in defence and Jonathon Beech and Tom Keough were handy at both ends of the ground, but the Bloods looked slow and second-rate when the game was on the line early.

“We had a real emphasis before the game on workrate, and we got thoroughly outworked in the first half,” West coach Mark Mickan said.

“In the second half, even though the game was pretty well beyond us, we did find a workrate that we didn't have in the first half which is one of the frustrations for the players and the coaches.

“(But) when the game was there to be won, we were lacking badly in that area.”

STURT 6.4 14.5 17.10 20.12 (132)

WEST ADELAIDE 1.1 2.4 6.4 8.5 (53)

BEST - Sturt: Tambling, Crocker, Kirkwood, Greenslade, Beard, Kane, Hinge, Evans. West: Silverlock, Milne, Beech, Keough.

GOALS - Sturt: Duldig, Evans 3, Greenslade, Kurtze, Hansen, Kane 2, Watt, Bartlett, Hurley, Coad, Krause, Crocker. West: Keough 2, Beech, Fielke, Fisher, Newell, Tuck, Stevens.

INJURIES - Sturt: Beard (ankle), Crocker (ankle). West: Fielke (knee), Hartlett (leg).

UMPIRES - M. Avon, M. Schramm, E. Glouftsis.

CROWD - 3478 at Unley Oval.