MRS Property Match Report Preliminary Final: South vs Eagles

MRS Property League Match Report

South Adelaide vs Woodville-West Torrens
Preliminary Final - Adelaide Oval - 11/10/20

Goals: Wilkinson 3, Overall 2, McCreery, Schwarz, Horne, Bogle, Cailotto
Best: Broadbent, Wilkinson, Karpany, Summerton
Full Injury List

South Adelaide's daring finals run ends abruptly following a 43-point preliminary final loss against the Eagles at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

While it wasn't the fairy-tale ending that most had hoped, the Panthers still managed to put on a show towards the end of a very tough season, winning six of their last seven matches before falling to the Eagles in a bitter 10.8 (68) to 16.15 (111) loss.

New recruit Matthew Broadbent topped of his stellar first season with the Panthers by being named as the Best on Ground but unfortunately, there was not much competition for the honour as impressive performances were limited during Sunday's game.

But despite the final result, the Panthers looked lively during the opening half, with a gutsy spoil by Alex Cailotto allowing Eamon Wilkinson to collect the ball off the deck and snap the first goal of the day.

The next Panther goal wouldn't come until midway through the opening term, when the boys in the blue and white managed to go end to end, before a clever handpass over the top by Sam Overall allowed Wilkinson to dribble through his second of the match.

Then in stoppage time, Luke Bogle managed to chip a goal out of a pack despite immense pressure around himthen just two minutes later, the Panthers attacked deep again and this time it was Cailotto who snuck out the back and ran into an open goal.

South Adelaide managed to keep the pressure up, and it was reflected when an Eagles hurried kick out of defence fell into the lap of Nic Schwarz who kicked truly to hand the Panthers a 5.2 (32) to 3.8 (26) lead at the first change.

Playing under warm and pressure-filled conditions, spot-fires began to break out during the second term.

And there was certainly plenty of feeling in the match, perhaps typified by the Umder-18s nineteenth man drama from the previous weekend with the final free kick count sitting in the 50s, with a very costly 31 going the way of the Eagles.

But the Panthers were able to keep their minds on the match thanks to two second quarter goals by Overall and a clever snap by Beau McCreery.

However, the immense pressure of the Eagles-flood mixed with some costly frees and turnovers allowed Woodville-West Torrens to build strong momentum which they would carry through to the final siren.

Malcolm Karpany backed up his strong performance with some strong plays around the stoppages while Jake Summerton proved to be extremely valuable down back.

But the Panthers found themselves having to defend for most of the final half, with some rebounds out of defence paying off, such as the one that was finished off with a strong pack mark by Jason Horne at the tip of the goal square.

While others were thwarted by either costly turnovers or questionable decisions.

Both Daly Andrews and Hayden Sampson provided the Panthers with some pace, and Sampson's pace was on full display during the final term as he went on a sprint along the wing.

But while the Panthers kept fighting to the final siren, the damage was already done, with the Eagles potent forward line proving to be way too dangerousand the siren would sound to give the Panthers a heartbreaking 10.8 (68) to 16.15 (111) loss.

Despite 2020 being a very tough year for various reasons, the South Adelaide Football Club still managed to perform well, with the Senior Men, Senior Women's and Under-18s sides all making finals.

And the boys will now set their sights on going one game further in 2021.