The boys were back after a week’s break, and it was great to have the squad recharged and ready to face a strong Norwood side in their wet Sunday afternoon clash.

Exciting news for the squad as Corey Grocock was lacing up for his first league game due to the late out of milestone man Hayden Sampson due to illness. 

In the first term, the boys were acclimatising to the conditions as wet weather footy was in effect.

Despite an early score from the opposition, the boys were hunting for most of this term, doing well to win the ground balls and lay hard tackles.

Noah Howes kicked the eventual first major for the Panthers, taking an impressive pack mark and finishing his work from 25 metres out on a tight angle.

The defensive pressure really ramped up from this point.

With the momentum now on their side, Norwood struggled to get it in their forward line. Even when they did, the enforcers down back were great.

Play slowed down because of this, and it wasn’t until late in the first term when Arlo Draper laid a fierce tackle and was rewarded with a free kick.

His powerful 45-metre set shot gave the boys some breathing room heading into the second term.

The league side was up by 8 points heading into the second quarter.

It was a lot of the same in the second quarter, both sides really feeling the effects of the harsh conditions.

When it’s wet, the boys seem to thrive, never letting up on the pressure and making sure to dislodge any possible passages the opposition had.

The Panthers struggled to get on the board in this term, with just one minor score going through.

Norwood, luckily enough, was inaccurate in their attempts, only scoring one major supported by a handful of minor scores.

The attack at the ball and contest really helped the squad in this term.

With that, the half ended with the Panthers down by 2 points. It was still anyone’s game at this point.

This contest was a battle, and it didn’t let up in the third term, the league side doing well to keep this game within arm's reach.

Without the defensive pressure in this term, it could have been messy, with Norwood being wildly inaccurate in front of goal because of this.

The opposition extended early, but the Panthers were ready to grit their teeth and grind away in this quarter.

The squad exited from down back with absolute class and precision before Liam Fitt got on the end of a ground ball and kicked around his body for his first major of the day, getting the boys right back in it.

Eamon Wilkinson got on the board for the Panthers with one major in the third term as well, doing well to steady the ship and keep the scores close.

The pressure never let up, and by the end of the quarter, it was a 7-point deficit. Heading into the fourth, the league side was nearly there.

Unfortunately, Norwood ran away with it in the last term. After three quarters of great, intense football, the opponents fixed up their inaccurate scoring and put the Panthers away.

Despite the game slipping away from the squad in this term, it goes without saying that the boys really brought their best effort.

Elliot Dunkin was an absolute star down back for the league side, garnering the most touches with 31 disposals and using his foot skills to generate drive off the halfback line, with 28 of his disposals being kicks.

It was a game of pressure acts, and the Panthers won that battle with a massive 103 tackles laid in this contest, Damon Freitag leading this charge with a smooth 12.

This one hurt, to say the least. After being in it for most of the game, the league side went down by 39 points.

Their next chance will be against Sturt on Sunday, the 7th of July, at Thomas Farms Oval in a 2:10 pm timeslot.

After their gutsy performance in round 11 and a much-needed break, the reserves squad was recharged and looking to continue their streak against a strong Norwood side. Despite less-than-ideal conditions, the boys were ready.

In the first term, the squad kept it close and made sure the opposition was working for their possessions.

Ryan Borlace was impactful early, kicking the first two majors of the game and getting the contest off to a good start.

It was clear the reserves were ready to work with their fresh legs, each passage as good as the last.

Down back, the squad was strong, holding off the attack while also managing to use the footy with purpose from this area.

Oscar Lovelock kicked another major, and by the end of the term, the boys were up by 7 points.

It was a positive display to start, but during the second term, it would equalise. Neither side really capitalised on the chances up front.

The Panthers only kicked one minor score in this term, doing all the work down back to ensure Norwood didn’t get a run going.

Riley Jones impressed down back with his usage. With the efforts of the squad, the half ended with the reserves at a stalemate.

The third term was disappointing, to say the least. After a great effort in the first half, Norwood began to build their lead.

Dylan Draper and Zac Earl each kicked a major in the quarter, which helped relieve some of the pressure.

It was evident that the opposition had homed in on the reserves and what was working for them.

The defensive pressure was still there, with everyone trying their best to work back and stop a run from happening.

The Panthers went down for the first time in the contest. At the end of the quarter, it was a 13-point difference.

With one quarter to play, the reserves would have to give it all they had to get over the line.

Unfortunately, Norwood was just too strong to finish this game, not letting the reserves kick a single score while piling on a few of their own.

Cooper Rogers shone in the loss, ending with 20 disposals and a massive 15 tackles.

The reserves eventually lost by 50 points in a disappointing game for the squad.

Their next game will be against Sturt on Sunday, the 7th of July, at Thomas Farms Oval in a 11:30 am timeslot.