Panthers Ready to Rattle Redlegs - Round 14 Match Preview

South Adelaide vs Norwood

Round 14 - Coopers Stadium - 02/07/16

League 2.10pm, Reserves 11.25am, Under-18s 5.00pm

Adult $14, Concession $8, Under 18s Free

Last Time We Met

It was Round Seven at the Hickinbotham Oval where South Adelaide defeated Norwood by 23 points to equal the club's best start to a season since 1965 at 6-0.

The stoppages were hotly contested throughout the match, with plenty of feeling dished out away from the ball too as Daniel Bass was reported for striking and the ensuing melee halting play for some minutes.

However, when it was all said and done it was the slick ball movement that has become the signature of Brad Gotch's charges in 2016 and some steadying hands in the final term that saw Norwood undone.

The Panthers looked to be Norwood's match through the first three quarters and took a 34-point lead into the final change. However, perhaps inspired by the all-in melee which erupted midway through the third quarter, the Redlegs came storming out of the gates in the fourth and piled on four unanswered goals in the first five minutes, cutting South's advantage to just 10.

Thankfully for South, the experienced heads of Joel Cross who finished with 33 possessions, 150-gamer Brad Crabb and Matt Rose showed their composure and stepped up with the game in the balance to help steer the Panthers towards a sixth consecutive victory to start the season.

When Norwood found some ascendancy in the final term, kicking the first four goals of the quarter, it was Cross who consistently won the ball from the stoppages and surged South into attack for a pair of steadying goals from Brett Eddy and Ben Haren.

South controlled possession in the game finishing with a disposal differential of +87 and +14 in clearances from the stoppages.

Check out the full match highlights from Round Seven below:

Injury Update

Coming into Round 14 South will still need to deal with the absence of Cameron Hitchcock, who is still a fortnight away from returning to footy after injuring his hamstring against the Roosters in Round 10.

Alex Cailotto will also have to prove he has fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered in the same game before he is cleared to tackle the Redlegs. As will Nathan Daniel.

Meanwhile, Pat Kerin will miss the weekend's action with an ankle injury and Peter Rolfe is still at least 5 weeks away from returning from a torn ACL suffered last season.

For Norwood, veteran Simon Phillips has suffered a shoulder injury in his past match and it is unknown when he will be available to return. Former Jack Oately Medalist Matthew Panos may also be missing in the midfield due to a wrist injury although he is currently in testing.

However, the Panthers will need to keep an eye out for key midfielder Jaryd Cachia, who made a successful return from an ankle injury, suffered when the two sides met last, over the weekend.

For a full injury list for ever SANFL team go to the SANFL website.

Stay tuned to the safc.com.au on Thursday evening for the official Round 14 teams for all grades.

Looking Forward

Round 14 takes the Panthers out to Coopers stadium where, despite being on opposite ends of the premiership ladder South will have to bring their A-game if they intend to get the win away from home. So far this season we are 1-3 when away from the familiarity of Hickinbotham Oval, our only away win being back in Round Four against Central District.

Both teams are coming away from Round 13 losses, leaving Norwood in ninth spot on the ladder, and South in third by percentage.

Despite losing, Norwood had a good performance against the top team in the competition, only going down by seven points in a low scoring affair. In fact, slightly better accuracy in front of goal may have seen the ninth-placed Redlegs knock off ladder leaders Sturt as they led the way in most categories for the game although couldn't make it count on the score board.

Either way, we know the Redlegs can be competitive with anyone, and being at home makes Norwood all the more dangerous.

Round 14 would be an important win on the road for the Panthers, as it will keep us in touch with the top two on the ladder.

A victory would also be all the more important for Brede Seccull's as he is set to play his 50th senior game in the blue and white jumper.

So make sure you get out to Coopers Stadium on game day and support Brede and the boys as we compete for our ninth win of the season - why not hand around afterward to cheer on our Under-18s as well!

Coming up we have Glenelg at Gliderol Stadium for Round 15, a bye and then we are back home against Central District for Round 17. Make sure you stay up to date with our latest news and announcements.

Fight on Forever!