Lumin Sports Match Report: Round 3 vs Sturt

Lumin Sports Round 3 Match Report

South Adelaide vs Sturt
Round 3 - Flinders University Stadium - 15/04/2022

Goals: Sampson 2, Heaslip, Kraemer, Menzie, Brooksby, Garthwaite, Gibbs, Overall
Best: O'Neill, Sampson, Milsom, Turner, Haines 
Crowd: 2140

A Friday to Forget: a slow start and inaccuracy cost South Adelaide dearly as they fell to Sturt by 18 points at Flinders University Stadium.

The Panthers went goalless during the opening term and had kicked 1.9 by halftime, yet they still managed to get within striking range of the Double Blues before ultimately falling short, 9.13 (67) to 13.7 (85).

Mitch O’Neill continued his run of standout matches by collecting 38 disposals, 7 clearances and 5 tackles. And there was plenty more Tasmanian talent on display, with Fraser Turner (31 disposals, 8 marks) and Oliver Davis (21 disposals, 9 tackles) both playing well.

Heading into the match on the back of 5 changes, the undermanned Panthers faced off against a relatively full-strength Sturt outfit—and it certainly showed.

The Panthers, who struggled to cope with the pressure, kicked 5 behinds in the opening term and conceded 5 goals.

To make matters worse, the Panthers’ lost Reece Slape which meant that they were 5 goals down and a rotation down by quarter time.

Things were starting to look very ugly as the visitors registered 2 more unanswered goals during the second term to increase the Panthers’ deficit to 35 points.

Then, after a strong contested mark, Ryan Garthwaite was able to snap the Panthers’ opening goal of the game—which came 21 minutes into the second term.

However, a late Double Blue goal sent the Panthers into the break facing a 1.9 (15) to 8.4 (52) deficit.

Ben Heaslip, who was playing his first match of the season, got things going for the Panthers with an early goal. Then, minutes later, Hayden Sampson quickly collected and snap the Panthers’ third of the day.

Suddenly the tide had turned, and it was the Panthers who began putting major pressure on the Double Blues’ backline.

Sam Overall continued the Panthers’ early surge with his first goal of the day. After going goalless for 40 minutes—the Panthers had piled on 3 goals in 7 minutes.

Unfortunately, the momentum soon fizzled out as a costly free-kick and a down the ground free then handed the visitors the steadying goal.

However, this time the Panthers were able to soon respond after Nic Kraemer, who got on the end of a thumping kick by Joe Haines, managed to snap South’s fifth goal of the game.

Harrison Gunther then took a crucial intercept down back to prevent an almost instant replier from Sturt.

However, costly turnovers and free kicks meant the ball stayed in Sturt’s forward half for many minutes which proved too much to handle as the visitors snuck a goal through.

Refusing to roll over, the Panthers pushed for a late replier but, after a holding the ball call went begging, the siren sounded to hand the blue and white a 25-point deficit at the final break.

Inaccuracy was the Panthers’ biggest enemy as they had the same amount of scoring shots as Sturt yet trailed by 25 points.

Sturt further increased their lead with the first of the final term, before Jye Menzie was able to quickly crumb the ball and dribble it through for his first goal of the day.

But as the game edged closer to stoppage time the Panthers still faced a 5-goal deficit, and it looked as if a comeback was too big of a task.

However, Bryce Gibbs answered the call with a goal.

Then minutes later, Keegan Brooksby struck with another major—and then Sampson registered his second goal.

Suddenly, within 6 minutes, the Panthers had brought the lead to within 2 straight kicks. 

After giving the opposition a 5-goal head start and after losing a rotation by quarter time: the Panthers had somehow clawed themselves back into contention with 7 minutes left on the clock.

Yet with heavy legs and some lack of concentration, the side couldn’t bring the lead any closer—then a visitor goal with seconds left signalled the 9.13 (67) to 13.7 (85) defeat.

South Adelaide will travel to Prospect Oval to face North Adelaide in their next clash, which is set for Saturday, 23 April, at 1:10 pm.

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