Despite a highly entertaining first quarter, South Adelaide was unable to stop a clinical Central District from running away with a 35-point win at X Convenience Oval.

South Adelaide brought the intensity from the first bounce, with Angus White throwing his body around the contest in the opening moments of the game.

Elliott Duffield’s handball receive and bullet pass inside-50 found Kody Shortridge on the lead, who converted his set shot from 35 metres to register the first goal of the game.

Shortridge would showcase his composure minutes later, taking an opportunistic mark off the boot of Kodah Edwards and finishing from a tight angle for his second.

The momentum began to swing towards the home side, with the next two goals going the way of Centrals to give them an 11-point lead.

Edwards continued to win vital centre clearances, with Tom Simpson benefiting from his deep entry, finishing with a classy snap to reduce the margin.

South Adelaide regained the lead once again after Hudson Voight’s set shot from a tight angle, capping off a frantic opening quarter.

The home side started the second term strongly, kicking two quick goals to regain the lead and the momentum.

Needing a response, Edwards took it upon himself to burst out of the contest, finding a diving Patrick Carman, who converted from close range.

However, South’s six-point deficit quickly stretched out to 32 points after Central District kicked five of the next six goals.

Despite the home side’s dominance, Brady McDonald and Cameron Woods stood tall in defence, registering several marks and one-percenters.

Skipper Jesse Nye reacted quickly to intercept a ball inside-50. After taking a few seconds to compose himself, Nye kicked truly to reduce the margin going into half-time.

The third term proved to be an arm wrestle, with both sides struggling to find the space that had been available during the first half.

Mitchell Clifton battled manfully in the ruck, not only providing silver service to his midfielders but also registering several clearances of his own.

After conceding the first goal, Shortridge showcased some individual brilliance, gathering a ground ball, breaking away from a tackler, and finishing on the run to kick his third goal of the day.

Harry Wadewitz and Duffield continued to provide rebound from half-back, but Centrals kept moving the ball dangerously inside-50, resulting in two quick goals.

South Adelaide reduced the margin to 30 points after an off-the-ball infringement was called, giving Callan Hart a free kick at the top of the goal square.

The deficit was reduced further following an opportunistic snap from White, giving the away side some momentum heading into the final quarter.

With a huge mountain to climb, South Adelaide needed the first goal of the quarter to give themselves any chance of winning.

Following McDonald’s strong one-on-one mark and subsequent forward entry, Nye gathered the ball and produced a flying effort on his non-preferred foot, but it hit the inside of the post.

The post would be the enemy once again, with Cain Florance hitting the woodwork minutes later to deny South Adelaide.

However, Florance wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, converting a set shot from 35 metres out to reduce the margin to just 16 points.

Despite a gutsy start to the quarter, Centrals would flex their muscles, kicking the next four goals of the game to take the match away from South Adelaide.

Edwards, Voight, White, and Florance continued to battle manfully around the contest.

Wadewitz, who had moved to the forward line, kicked a late consolation goal via a classy snap, but the home side had done enough to secure the win.

South Adelaide will take on Glenelg after this weekend’s bye at Magain Stadium on Friday, 18 April, at 2:10 pm.

An impressive final quarter by Central District saw South Adelaide overrun by 33 points at X Convenience Oval.

The home side got off to the perfect start, kicking the first goal of the match within the first minute of play, putting South Adelaide on the back foot early.

Jayce Potter continued his fantastic form, showcasing his brilliant kicking ability across half-back to kickstart South’s forward forays.

South Adelaide registered its first goal of the game following a strong contested mark in the forward pocket by Ned McKinnon, who snapped truly to provide some spark.

Momentum started to swing South Adelaide’s way, with Oliver South and Dylan Noyce becoming more involved around the contest.

Joel Wigzell’s strong mark on the lead provided an opportunity to drive the ball deep inside-50, but Centrals’ defence stood tall and rushed the ball through for a behind.

The forward would get another opportunity to influence the match after Tyler Harris’ gather and short pass found Wigzell, who eventually converted his set shot from close range.

After an entertaining opening term, South Adelaide held a 10-point lead. However, the home side had several chances to reduce the margin.

Despite conceding the first goal of the second quarter, South Adelaide’s defence continued to battle manfully, with Dale Shearer and Sam Walsh prominent in the back half.

South Adelaide’s lead quickly evaporated after a purple patch from the home side, but behinds to Wigzell and Nathan Flesfadar levelled the scores once more.

The tackling pressure from South Adelaide started to ramp up, with Caleb Hyland and Lucas Augustin leading the way in that metric.

Riley Watchman’s strong intercept mark kickstarted a promising forward entry, which resulted in a close-range set shot from Kody Burke, who finished truly.

A late goal from Centrals levelled the scores just before the main break, setting up an exciting second half.

South Adelaide started the third term strongly, with Darcy Campbell-Kearney showcasing his agility and composure on the wing.

McKinnon’s delicate kick inside-50 to find James Howley resulted in a composed finish from 40 metres out on an angle to give South Adelaide a five-point lead.

With the game in the balance, Noyce and South got to work around the contest, winning contested possessions and laying several tackles.

A great individual contest from McKinnon to bring the ball to ground showcased his agility, as he quickly regained possession and snapped truly.

Central District responded strongly, kicking the next two goals to take an eight-point lead into the final quarter.

Despite a gallant effort from South Adelaide, the home side began to flex its muscles.

Central District would kick four goals in the final quarter to kill the contest, while also stifling South’s ball movement.

Potter continued to rebound from half-back to kickstart South’s forward forays, but the away side’s defence remained resolute.

As the siren sounded, Central District’s clinical final quarter proved to be the difference, with the home side running out 33-point winners.

Following this weekend’s bye, South Adelaide will take on Glenelg at Magain Stadium on Friday, 18 April, at 11:50am.