South Adelaide vs Woodville West-Torrens
Round 2 - Flinders University Stadium - 07/04/2023

Goals: Sproule 3, Freitag 2, Fitt, Heaslip, O'Neill, Wilkinson
Disposals: O'Neill 28, E.Smith 25, Gibbs 22, S.Skinner 19, Davis 18 
Best: Skinner (Thanks to Betta Home Living McLaren Vale & Victor Harbor), Brooksby (Thanks to Sports Power), Clavarino (Thanks to Jimmy Deane's), O'Neill, Rose
Injuries: Haines (Concussion) 
Crowd: 1613

The Reserves put their foot down, thrashing the Eagles as the League team get over the line, making it a very Good Friday.

After last week’s win over Central District spirits were high. But Woodville West-Torrens were ready for a crack at the South Adelaide League team.

This was going to be hard to do as the Panthers had something to play for.

Matt Broadbent was lacing up for his 100^th game, an incredible milestone which needed to be respected.

In front of the home crowd the stage was set. 

The start was less than ideal as the Eagles would kick the first three goals of the opening term.

With the Panthers on the back foot a response was imminent. The provider being gun Eamon Wilkinson.

Marking the bullet coming forward. Lining up from 50-metres the set shot was definitive going straight through. 

The League team would end the term down by 16. The slow start was brushed off and the Panthers went to work in the second term, kicking 5 goals unanswered. 

Ben Heaslip who was back in the side this week got a hold of the ball from 30-metres out on the slight angle. Going through the routine and finishing the set shot, starting the South Adelaide eclipse. 

Zac Sproule who was coming off a big game last week which saw him slot three was ready to make his impact.

Lining up near the boundary line the writing was on the walls, going through his textbook set shot and securing the second of the term. 

The Panthers did not look like letting up as Liam Fitt would add to the total shortly after.

Using his strength and impeccable marking skills to get a hold of the pill directly in front. With the finish being just as strong. 

Now with the lead it was time to pounce, and Mitch O’Neill did just that adding a goal to his already outstanding performance which saw him finish with 28 disposals. 

A ball up near goal saw the ball tapped down to Round 2 Coles Value Player Bryce Gibbs who got it on by hand to O'Neill, around his body snapping the ball through for a major score. 

With time winding down Damon Freitag took a massive hit which awarded him with the ball in front.

With his resilience on full display, he got up and finished the job, it was going to take more to bring him down. 

The second quarter was vigorous as the Panthers were hitting every contest hard, providing plenty of options and making everything a challenge for the eagles.  

It was a low scoring affair in the third term with Freitag’s second being the only major score of the quarter. 

Over two defenders Freitag was best off as he held the tough mark, on a challenging angle from 25-metres out the set shot was absolute perfection. 

With all the momentum the attack came to a halt, it was back and forth for the rest of the term and without the effort of Sam Skinner it could have been grim.

Nothing was getting past him as he was taking every mark which came his way, finishing the game with 10. 

Ely Smith used his football IQ to clear the ball and provide options for those up forward, finishing the game with 25 disposals. 

Heading into the fourth it was coming down to the wire with bodies flying everywhere. A hard contest which would take all four quarters. 

Thankfully Sproule came to play in the fourth securing another two goals, adding to his impressive start to the season.

Just before the 8-minute mark of the term Sproule would linger at the back of a pack contest, running on, getting it to his damaging right boot and dribbling it through from the pocket. 

Both teams were beginning to run out of legs and the heavy physicality was taking a toll. Oliver Davis and Gibbs being the catalysts of this both finishing on 7 tackles. 

Sproule would get a hold of the high ball entry, taking the mark on the boundary, if we know anything by now it’s that this bloke can kick a set shot.

Lining up and following through with class he kicked his third, providing the final nail in Eagles' coffin. 

Before the game would close the defensive highlight of the game would come from Hayden Sampson completing the chase down tackle, causing an eruption from the Panther faithful in the Jim Deane Grandstand.

The league team got the win in spectacular fashion putting on a magnificent performance.

In game 100 Broadbent was impactful providing 14 disposals and 3 marks, making it even sweeter.

The Panthers now sit equal top at 2-0 heading into a bye for the AFL's Gather Round, before they take on West Adelaide on Sunday April 23 at Hisense Stadium. 

South Adelaide Reserves vs Woodville West-Torrens Reserves
Round 2 - Flinders University Stadium - 07/04/2023

Goal: Kantilla, Dunshea 3, Cockshell, Kraemer 2, Spacie, Bedford, Collins, Kirkland
Disposals: Rogers 27, Kirkland 22, Collins 21, Kraemer 21, Mitton 21
Best: Kirkland (Thanks to Becks Bakehouse), Kraemer, Spacie, Cockshell, Bedford

The Reserves started strong last week putting down Central Districts in a convincing win, this week was a new challenge as Woodville West-Torrens stepped up to the plate.

In moderate conditions the squad started the fireworks show early kicking the first three goals of the game within six minutes.

The charge was started by Scott Bedford after his set shot from 40-metres out was perfect going right through the middle of the sticks. 

Kim Kantilla followed suit after the leading kick was placed perfectly for him to run on, gather smoothly and finish just as well. 

Setting the tone early was crucial and the third goal by Kobe Cockshell added to this, taking the grab fully stretched at the top of the goal square. The efforts were reflected with the set shot as it went through. 

Eagles would go on to kick there first, but the Reserves weren’t having a bar of it replying with two of their own. 

With Harry Spacie and Nick Kraemer doing the damage. Spacie getting the ball to go through after the high ball ended with a grounded contest, where he would gather and tumble the ball through. 

Then Kraemer finished the term strong after his set shot was true from 25-metres out.

Heading into the second it couldn’t get any better, but somehow it did, as the reserves poured on three more major scores.

All coming in the latter half of the quarter, it was Cameron Kirkland who would provide the first of these scores.

The Eagles kick in was intercepted and quickly moved along, after a series of quick 45s the ball ended with Kirkland directly in front and it was evident, he wasn’t going to mess it up, finishing the job effortlessly. 

Before the next goal would arise, Cooper Rogers would begin to shine, providing ferocity at the footy and gathering plenty of it finishing with 27 disposals.

Jacob Collins would end the silence after he collected the ball from a contest, running on and dribbling the ball through the big sticks.

Shortly after Cockshell would add his second of the game in the dying seconds on the quarter, unleashing a bomb from 50-metres out.

The Panthers were up quite compellingly headed into the third term, but the reserves did not let up. Kicking the only two major scores of the quarter.

Both of these would come from Nic Dunshea. Initially he would find the ball from 40-metres out on the tight angle, we all knew how this was going to end as he confirmed and built the south lead even further. 

Then he would mark the ball at the top of the square, finishing the job and securing his second. 

The fourth term was a lot of the same from the boys, adding on another four major scores.

Kantilla would kick the first two getting his game total up to 3 goals. The foremost came from an impressive set shot near the boundary, followed sometime after with a goal in the same nature on the tight angle from around 35-metres out.

Dunshea would secure his third after his set shot from in front glided through. 

The effort sealed off by Kraemer who kicked his second while on the run, adjusting and getting it to go from 35-metres out.

Although the attacking footy displayed was incredible the effort down back was outstanding, with Darnell Tucker being solid all day down back providing 16 disposals and 5 tackles.

It was an emphatic display put on by the Reserves as they took down the Eagles down by 61 points.

The next match for the Reserves will be against West Adelaide on Sunday the 23^rd, with the hopes of continuing the impressive 2-0 start.