A six-goal opening quarter from South Adelaide laid the foundation for a strong 16-point victory over North Adelaide at Magain Stadium.

The Roosters made a fast start, kicking the first two goals of the match to open up a 12-point lead within the opening five minutes.

North Adelaide attempted to rebound quickly from defence, but Cameron Woods read the play well, pouncing on a floating ball and spoiling strongly to the boundary.

After the ball bobbled around the contest, Max Savage hacked a kick forward. While several players flew, it was Hudson Voigt who came down with the contested mark.

Although Voigt couldn’t convert his long-range set shot, he made up for it moments later with a brilliant individual effort. As a North defender attempted to exit the defensive 50, Voigt leapt high to smother the ball, gathered cleanly and drilled South Adelaide’s first goal from 20 metres out.

The Panthers were up and about, doubling their goal tally almost instantly. Jesse Nye attacked the ball at speed, launching a long kick inside 50 that landed perfectly on Ben Dittmar’s chest. Dittmar made no mistake from outside 50, giving South the lead for the first time.

The margin continued to grow as Khalan Ortmann and Harrison Davey linked up neatly to find Dittmar again, this time in space in the forward pocket. A clinical left-foot snap saw him split the middle, as South’s dominance around the contest began to show on the scoreboard.

Kodah Edwards, Archie Van Dyk and Nye showcased their class in tight, winning several clearances and breaking from stoppages with ease.

North Adelaide’s turnovers began to hurt, highlighted when Kody Shortridge gathered a dribbling kick forward from Van Dyk and snapped truly.

South’s momentum continued to build when Edwards gathered at the centre stoppage and launched a huge kick from 80 metres that cleared everyone and bounced through for a remarkable goal.

Edwards was involved again moments later, his clever handball out of congestion finding Nye in space, who snapped truly on his left foot. Nye’s composed finish capped off a brilliant six-goal quarter, giving South a commanding 26-point lead at the first break.

The second term began as more of an arm-wrestle, with both sides struggling to create clear scoring chances. Van Dyk’s pressured snap barely registered a behind, as South’s scoring dried up.

North Adelaide capitalised, kicking the next three goals to reduce the margin and swing the momentum their way.

Across half-back, Brady McDonald and Elliott Duffield were instrumental, using their clean disposal to slice through South’s defensive structure.

Despite the Roosters' surge, poor accuracy cost them dearly, as they finished the quarter with five behinds to go with their three goals.

South needed a steadier, and it came through Van Dyk, who converted a set shot from 40 metres out directly in front to give the Panthers a 10-point lead at the main break.

With both teams putting together high-scoring quarters in the first half, there was anticipation about whether the shootout would continue after the break.

It didn’t take long to get an answer. Edwards burst from a stoppage and snapped a classy goal within 30 seconds to extend the lead.

But North responded strongly. Finn Blieschke’s close-range finish cut the margin again, sparking a goal-for-goal battle.

Tom Simpson and Patrick Carman combined at the stoppage to send South forward. A tumbling ball fooled everyone except Voigt, who gathered and strolled into an open goal.

North answered once more through Blieschke, but South were quick to respond.

Carman’s fierce attack on a ground ball drew a contentious free kick for high contact. He coolly converted from 40 metres on a slight angle to restore the 16-point buffer.

Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier continued to cause problems for South, but his long-range effort bounced through for a behind.

South then punished the miss. Moving coast-to-coast through Edwards and Nye, the ball eventually found its way to Ethan Sheppard, who displayed great poise to spot up Woods.

Woods converted his set shot, and soon after added another - muscling his opponent under the ball and running into an open goal to push the lead to 28 points.

North needed a spark, and Blieschke delivered with his third goal of the quarter. Wil Hemmings added another just before the siren to bring the deficit back to 13 points at the final change.

The first goal of the last quarter was crucial - and Nye delivered. His strong tackle deep inside 50 earned a holding-the-ball free kick, and he calmly slotted his second to give South a 24-point lead.

North needed everything to go right from there. Bradley Rogers gave them a glimmer of hope with a snap in the 15th minute.

Harry Wadewitz, who had battled hard in the ruck all day, sparked a key play with a desperate effort that led to South Adelaide regaining possession.

Sheppard’s pinpoint kick found a leaping Simpson, who quickly moved it on to an unmarked Wadewitz in the centre. His long bomb inside 50 wasn’t marked, but the ground ball was scooped up by Callan Hart, who hit up Dittmar with a precise pass.

With the match on the line, Dittmar nailed his third goal to seal the result for South Adelaide.

North added a late consolation goal, but when the final siren sounded, South claimed a hard-fought and impressive 16-point win at home.

The Panthers will look to carry their strong home form into next Saturday’s clash against second-placed Glenelg at Magain Stadium, with the bounce set for 1:50pm.

Despite several spirited challenges, a gallant South Adelaide side couldn’t complete a comeback against North Adelaide, falling short by 21 points at Magain Stadium.

North Adelaide began the match with clear intent, registering three scoring shots in the opening three minutes. Fortunately for South, all were behinds.

Midfielder Caleb Hyland injected physicality into the contest early, laying several strong tackles and thriving in contested situations.

After multiple missed opportunities, North Adelaide eventually slotted the game’s first major through Jackson Penny.

Sam Walsh was influential between the arcs, using his work rate and precise foot skills to spark promising forward chains.

A fast and direct counterattack through the corridor saw Darcy Campbell-Kearney deliver long to Lucas Marshall, who got out the back and strolled into an open goal.

South Adelaide’s first goal sparked the home side into action, applying pressure and shifting momentum its way.

A strong spoil and follow-up tackle from Jayce Potter created a scoring opportunity, with a bullet pass finding Max Gregor on the lead. Gregor converted cleanly from 35 metres out, directly in front, reducing the margin to just four points.

During South’s dominant spell, Hudson Boal and Oliver South lifted their already strong output, hunting the footy with intent.

As the first break approached, North restored its two-goal buffer via Josh Pullino.

The Panthers almost responded immediately. After a centre clearance, Tom Meaney found Gregor on the goal line via a handball from Lucas Augustin. With the siren sounding, Gregor attempted a tight-angle snap but struck the post for a minor score.

Much like the opening term, North Adelaide started the second quarter strongly, booting the first two goals to extend its lead to 22 points.

A gut-running effort from Nathan Flesfadar almost produced a spectacular goal, linking with Boal for a one-two before launching from long range for a behind.

He made up for the miss moments later. After Marshall marked just outside 50 and quickly played on, Flesfadar marked in the goal square and slotted the simplest of finishes.

South continued to surge. A desperate tackle from Oliver South inside forward 50 earned a free kick, and he made no mistake with his set shot to cut the margin to nine points.

Throughout the quarter, South moved the ball with speed and precision, which played a vital role in clawing its way back into the contest.

However, as was the trend, North had a response. A late goal gave them breathing room heading into the main break.

South nearly pinched a goal before half-time, but Kyan Kemp-Laundy’s long-range set shot faded wide for a minor score, and North took a 14-point lead into the rooms.

South’s intensity remained high in the early stages of the third term, with Hyland continuing to lead the tackle count.

Marshall was the beneficiary of a ruck infringement and capitalised, nailing his set shot from 20 metres out to reignite South’s hopes.

But back-to-back goals from North again halted the momentum, stretching the lead out to 20 points.

Just when it seemed the Roosters might run away with it, South dug deep. Quick hands through the midfield cut through North’s press, ending with a deep inside 50 to Gregor in a one-on-one contest.

Although he couldn’t take the mark, Gregor’s second effort brought the ball to ground, where Oliver South pounced and finished brilliantly on the run.

Trailing by just 15 points late in the third term, the margin looked within reach. However, a long-range bomb from Archie Bennett gave North a valuable buffer at the death.

South needed a fast start, but it was North who came out firing. Two goals in two minutes blew the lead out to a game-high 33 points, leaving South with a steep climb.

Still, the Panthers refused to lie down. Augustin intercepted in the middle of the ground and moved it forward quickly, ending in an out-the-back mark to Dale Shearer. Usually a defender, Shearer has proven his versatility up forward, and his 40-metre set shot sailed through confidently.

Walsh and Potter’s pressure on the wing forced another turnover. Walsh’s high, floating barrel landed in the lap of Flesfadar, who quickly lowered his eyes and drilled a low pass inside 50.

While the kick was difficult to mark, a desperate tackle from Oliver South earned him another free kick—and he slotted his second goal of the game to cap off a standout performance.

A lunging soccer-style effort off the ground saw Shearer kick his second, but it was too little, too late, as North Adelaide held on to secure a 21-point win.

South Adelaide will look to bounce back when they host Glenelg at Magain Stadium on Saturday, 19 July at 11:30am.