Under-18 Match Report Round 11: South vs Sturt

Under-18 Match Report

South Adelaide vs Sturt
Round 11 - Flinders University Stadium - 05/09/20

Goals: Hamilton, Cook 2, Verrall, Draper, Brown, Snelling, Hoeck, Marshall
Best: Draper, Clifton, Hindes, Little, Brown, Cook

A final quarter fight back falls just short as the South Adelaide Under-18s suffer a nine-point loss against Sturt in a top of the table clash at Flinders University Stadium on Saturday.

Trailing by five goals at the final change, the Panthers piled on five final term goals to hit the front but two late goals by the visitors swept the lead from under South Adelaide and they fell to a 10.7 (67) to 11.10 (76) defeat.

Arlo Draper was impressive for the Panthers with a game-high 29 touches as well as a game-high eight tackles. Brayden Cook was also impressive with two goals and 20 disposals.

The top of the table clash started in Sturt's favour with the Double Blues booting three unanswered goals within the first thirteen minutes. It would not be until the twenty-first minute that South Adelaide would strike with their first major, thanks to William Verrall. 

Arlo then followed up minutes later with his first goal of the day to cut the deficit to just a goal at the first break. 

Dylan Brown's goal five minutes into the second term evened the scores but the rest of the quarter would prove to be the Double Blues as the visitors booted an inaccurate two goals and four behinds to give South Adelaide a 3.2 (20) to 5.6 (36) deficit at the main break.

The third term would prove to be the costliest for the Panthers, as the Double Blues combined four goals while the Panthers managed just the two.

But with the game beginning to slip away, the Panthers mounted a great fight back during the final term booting three unanswered goals within just the first eight minutes.

Liam Hamilton then kicked truly at the seventeenth minute mark to hand the Panthers a one-point leadbut the Double Blues responded by booting the final two goals of the match.

South Adelaide refused to roll over and came close to taking the lead again, but the final two scores were rushed behind and they ultimately fell to a hard-fought 10.7 (67) to 11.10 (76) defeat.

South Adelaide will now look to bounce back against West Adelaide at Flinders University Stadium on Saturday September 12, from 11:30am. 

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