Despite conceding seven goals in the final quarter, South Adelaide secured its first win of the 2025 Hostplus SANFL League season against a fast-finishing West Adelaide at Magain Stadium.

South Adelaide set the tone early in the opening term, playing with intensity and moving the ball with ease between the arcs. 

Corey Grocock got the home side off to a great start, kicking the first goal of the game after breaking free from the contest and snapping from point-blank range.

Minutes after the opening goal, Damon Freitag showcased his contested marking ability at the top of the goal square, thanks to a great kick to advantage by Eamon Wilkinson. 

South Adelaide’s on-ball brigade was the architect of their dominance in the midfield, with Phoenix Hargrave, Jaiden Magor, and Ben Ashley-Cooper registering multiple clearances.

The away side slowly started to create scoring opportunities of their own. However, co-captain Sam Skinner and Oscar Clavarino both made life difficult for West Adelaide’s tall forwards.

After several behinds from West Adelaide, Liam Fitt registered his first goal of the game with a snap from distance. The goal was made possible thanks to a brilliant run-down tackle from Wilkinson. 

At quarter-time, South Adelaide’s strong start resulted in a 16-point lead. Despite their dominance, the home side were eager to get more reward for effort in the second term.

After displaying strong tackling pressure in the first term, Wilkinson produced a moment of brilliance with a composed finish on the run in the forward pocket to open the scoring in the second term. 

Olivier Northam continued to be a strong presence in the ruck, providing his midfielders with first use and winning his fair share of possession around stoppages.

South Adelaide’s lead grew to 28 points after Grocock’s set shot from 45 metres out sailed through the middle for his second goal of the game. 

Elliot Dunkin provided quality rebound at half-back, often starting many of South Adelaide’s forward forays. He also balanced his offensive influence with solid stability in the backline.

Much like the opening term, West Adelaide were unable to defend South Adelaide’s explosive spread and ball movement. 

Things went from bad to worse for West Adelaide, with Fitt’s second goal bouncing over the head of a desperate defender, increasing South Adelaide’s margin to 34 points.

With minutes remaining in the first half, Hargrave’s explosive effort from long-range nearly capped off a dominant quarter for the home side. 

South Adelaide’s backline was once again resolute, with experienced leaders Jake Summerton, Skinner, and Clavarino playing a key role in West Adelaide’s goalless first half.

As the siren sounded for half-time, South Adelaide had given themselves a strong foundation for a percentage-boosting win.

West Adelaide started the third term the stronger of the two sides, kicking the first two goals to reduce the margin to 24 points. 

After weathering the challenge, Noah Howes took it upon himself to steady the ship, with a 55-metre set shot going through at goal-post height. 

Brad Jefferies continued to be prominent around the ball, registering several clearances to get the ball moving forward for South Adelaide.

After receiving a 25-metre penalty, Clavarino drove the ball forward to Freitag, who took a contested mark. Freitag moved the ball to the goal square, where Fitt was front and centre to kick his third.

At the final break, South Adelaide had withstood West Adelaide’s challenge and increased their lead to 38 points.

Eager to finish strongly, Ashley-Cooper had the opportunity to convert a set shot from a tight angle to kick his first goal for the club and extend the margin to a match-high 44 points. 

West Adelaide then began to get on top, applying significant pressure and kicking the next four goals of the game, offering them a sliver of hope.

With doubt and nerves starting to creep in for the home side, Magor showed great composure to mark near the goal square and convert with a snapping effort. 

Despite having a four-goal lead in the 22nd minute of the quarter, South Adelaide conceded three goals in five minutes, reducing the margin to just four points.

Fortunately, the siren came to the rescue for South Adelaide, saving them from a fast-finishing West Adelaide.

South Adelaide will now recoup during the bye weekend and will look to record their second win of the season when they take on Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Friday, 18 April, at 7:10pm

A six-goal haul from Sam Hindes helped South Adelaide record an emphatic 56-point win against West Adelaide at Magain Stadium.

From the first bounce, South Adelaide’s immense tackling pressure and defensive structure made ball movement incredibly difficult for the away side. 

Tye Gander best encapsulated this mindset with a brilliant run-down tackle at half-forward, resulting in a strong contested mark and goal by Ryan Borlace to open the scoring.

South Adelaide’s prime movers were getting their hands on the ball early, with Jacob Collins setting the tone with his cleanliness below the knees and ability to win stoppage clearances. 

Hindes proved to be a tough match-up for defenders, with his direct opponent being penalised for holding. A 25-metre penalty ensured Hindes would convert from the goal square.

The home side’s lead grew to 19 points after big man Tom Gillett showcased incredible athleticism to recover from a marking contest and snapped quickly from the contest.

Despite dominating territory, South Adelaide’s backline continued to defend resolutely and provide strong rebound. Sam Foley consistently cut West Adelaide apart across half-back with his kicking.

Tye McManus created something from nothing after intercepting a kick and finding Hindes inside 50, who converted his set shot from 45 metres out with little angle to speak of. 

After a dominant first quarter, South Adelaide held a 26-point lead at the break.

West Adelaide came out the stronger of the two sides in the second term, kicking their opening goal of the match within the first few minutes of play. 

Although the match turned into a slight arm-wrestle in the early stages of the quarter, South still had quality opportunities to score through its strong ball movement.

Cody Lowe continued to be prominent around the contest and in the ruck, registering several tackles and clearances to go along with his quality hit-outs. 

After several minor scores, Tommy Barrett displayed expert small forward craft by being front and centre and snapping a classy goal from 20 metres out, increasing South’s lead to 30 points.

South Adelaide’s advantage quickly stretched out to 54 points following a purple patch from Hindes, who kicked four goals in six minutes to crush West Adelaide’s hopes. 

The away side kicked a much-needed late goal to give themselves some belief, but the margin was still 48 points at the main break.

Needing a miracle to get back into the game, West Adelaide did its best to reduce the margin, kicking the first two goals of the third term. 

Despite the slow start, Will Splann and Jacob Sheean continued to make life difficult for the away side’s tall forwards, creating turnovers for South’s rebounding defenders.

After conceding four of the first five goals of the term, South responded with a brilliant coast-to-coast goal, with McManus being the beneficiary of direct ball movement through the middle. 

The goal switched momentum back to South Adelaide, with settling goals from Hugo Hoeck and Brad Pilmore ensuring the home side’s lead stretched back out to 50 points at the final break.

South Adelaide refused to take its foot off the accelerator in the final term, with Gillett’s second goal of the game crushing any hopes of a miraculous comeback. 

Austin Hogg continued to showcase his ball-winning ability, registering several clearances and adding to his match-high seven inside 50s.

Although the result was confirmed, the home side never relented with its tackling pressure. Borlace’s strong tackle in the goal square resulted in the easiest of goals for Lachlan Gill. 

Following many fruitless inside-50s for both sides, the siren finally sounded, with South Adelaide recording an emphatic 56-point win and moving to second on the ladder.

After this weekend’s bye, South Adelaide will prepare for a top-of-the-table clash against Glenelg at Stratarama Stadium on Friday, 18 April, at 1:30pm.