New seasons grant new opportunities, and this was the case for six new Panthers.

Jake Arundell, Max Clifton, Nic Dunshea, Noah Howes, Nicholas Schroder, and Tom Wheaton all able to provide something for this team and there is no doubt they will go well this season. 

Lining up on the beautiful Flinders University Stadium for the first time of the year faced against Adelaide it was time to put the hard work to use in a Good Friday clash. 

Howes was the first Panther to slot a major for season 2024.

After a debutant connection by Wheaton, Howes would find himself 40-metres out and the kick was steady. Getting those nerves out early. 

Some familiar faces would keep the effort up as Damon Freitag would kick his first of the season after a long ball forward found itself at his feet, slotting the tumbling ball.

It would slow up, but the squad was looking fierce hunting every contest and putting their young legs to use.

Eamon Wilkinson would provide the breakthrough, reading the flight of a long ball well and running around the corner to kick his first of the season. 

Jacob Collins would follow this by applying pressure on the opposition and getting rewarded for his effort with a set-shot 40-metres out, looking clean off the boot.

The Panthers were rolling and would enter the second term in the lead by 17-points. 

South kicked five more majors in the second quarter, Liam Fitt doing well to get the ball rolling after an Adelaide goal. 

His kick from beyond 50-metres was booming, the left boot looking good as ever. This kick providing a statement as South would keep the effort up. 

Wilkinson homed in on his second major of the contest after he was taken without the ball 45-metres away from the pins, the kick was crisp, and the boys were up and about. 

The pressure wasn’t stopping, and it was resulting in great responses for the league side.

Arundell would kick his first on debut, after a scrappy ball turned positive for the Panthers his shot around his body new the boundary line was all class. 

Howes again was looking impactful on debut as he would provide two more majors to his catalogue, taking a tough contested grab 15-metres making sure to follow through, then after Adelaide’s two goal reply he’d get fancy and slot one while on the move.

Ending the half up by 26-points it was looking like the league side were firmly in the driver’s seat. 

Adelaide kicked into gear in the third as South seemingly eased off the throttle.

Arundell would secure his second in this term while running on after a smooth passage of play 3-minutes into the quarter.

South struggled to contain Adelaide’s movement of the footy in this term. Letting them get around freely.

Fitt would help to stop the bleeding later in the quarter with a moving kick 35-metres out. But the momentum the opposition were building needed to be stopped. 

Adelaide slotted five majors in the third and although a 4-point lead was intact it wasn’t enough to keep this squad at bay. 

Freitag took matters into his own hands at the start of the fourth quarter. Securing two goals, a set-shot from 50-metres out near the 6-minute mark was flush, following with another set-shot 20-metres out just after 10-minutes was impactful.

Adelaide was relentless and would bring this contest to a stalemate despite the work of the Panthers.

Angus Bradley would kick a major in a desperate part of the game, his kick on the move from 45-metres out looking unreal. 

This is where the goal scoring stopped for the Panthers and the Crows weren’t stopping, taking back the lead late in the contest.

Despite a few more opportunities up forward the kicking was inaccurate and two minor scores were added to the tally, unfortunately for the league side despite all their work Adelaide would get the better of them in this thriller. 

Losing by a gut-wrenching 5-points in a great contest from the neutral perspective.

Elliot Dunkin had a team high 28 disposals while Jacob Collins led the way in tackle pressure with 7. 

A tough blow to start the season, the league sides next chance will come against Sturt on Sunday the 14^th of April at Flinders University Stadium at 2:40pm, as the competition has a bye due to Gather Round. 

The first term started off being less than ideal with Glenelg firing on all cylinders. The opposition would slot one early, but the Panthers did well to reply. 

After a long ball forward the race for the footy was on and Noah Goldie did well to catch his opponent and pin him holding the ball in the square.

The set-shot was effortless, and the Reserves first goal of the season was on the board. 

Glenelg would go on and kick two more but the intensity from the squad was there. Only down by 12-points headed into the second it was still anyone’s game.

This was unfortunately not the case as Glenelg would score four goals to the Panthers one. 

The Reserves dropped their pressure, and it was evident that the tigers were getting to the spots they wanted with ease. 

Zac Earlwould provide with his set shot from directly in front after a lack of discipline from the opposition. 

It wasn’t ideal for the Reserves, but anything can happen in a new season. Ending the half down by 33-points a lift was needed. 

In the third term South did well to mitigate the opposition and hit the scoreboard stronger than they had all game. 

The catalyst being Goldie with his second and third in this quarter.

After a Glenelg major Goldie would go to work. A tough contested mark would lead to a set-shot from 20-metres out, then swiftly following with the exact same situation and securing his second in a row. 

It was looking clean out the middle and movement by foot was smooth as it had been all day, really benefitting the squad. 

Harvey Lambert would supply a third major for the panthers in this term as time was winding down, finding himself with a set-shot from 45-metres out, the kick was pure. 

A positive quarter for the boys, still down by 30-points in the contest it was going to be a lot to overcome the deficit.

The final term was rough as Glenelg would run away with it definitively. South only able to kick one goal late in the quarter. 

Dylan Brown using a spin move to shrug his defender and slot one from 40-metres out on the move.

The Reserves had shown glimpses in the contest, and it was a game to build off, Bailey Pilmore was impactful with his team high 27 disposals, while Cooper Rogers was helpful with his tackle pressure laying 16 in the game.  

Ending the game down by 46-points. All that can be done is look towards round 2 where they will face Sturt on Sunday the 14^th of April at Flinders University Stadium at midday.