A four-goal final quarter from Sturt saw the Double Blues snatch a thrilling six-point win over South Adelaide at Magain Stadium.

The Panthers almost made the perfect start, with Elliott Duffield’s chase-down tackle creating an opportunity for Kody Shortridge to kick the opening goal within the first minute - but his shot drifted wide.

Shortridge didn’t have to wait long for redemption, pouncing on a short kick-in and snapping truly to register the game’s first major.

Kodah Edwards asserted himself early, winning a clearance and launching South into attack. His effort resulted in another inside 50, which saw Duffield mark on the lead near the boundary.

However, Duffield’s set shot from the tight angle faded to the near side, extending the lead to eight points.

Skipper Jesse Nye showed his trademark explosiveness from stoppages, combining well with Archie Van Dyk to generate promising forward chains.

After a five-minute stalemate, Sturt finally broke through via James White.

South’s deliberate ball movement around half-forward made hitting a target difficult, but a well-placed entry from Harrison Davey created pressure on the Sturt defence. 

While the ball wasn’t marked, South had numbers at the fall, and Malakai Lerossignal was rewarded for his courage over the ball.

He made no mistake from 25 metres on a slight angle, restoring the Panthers’ lead in what was shaping up as a fast-paced, hard-fought battle.

Lerossignal’s goal proved the final major of the quarter, with South taking a slender seven-point lead into the first break.

Much like the opening term, South came out firing, with Edwards again winning the first clearance. 

The scrappy ball proved hard to control, but Cameron Woods was clean below his knees, gathering and dishing off to Nye, who set up a shot for Shortridge.

While Shortridge’s long-range effort skewed off the boot, Patrick Carman’s one-on-one contest brought the ball to ground, allowing Duffield to soccer it off the deck - just missing from close range.

Across half-back, Brady McDonald used his foot skills to launch promising rebounds, while Kai Clark defended resolutely and provided drive going forward.

Lerossignal showed great awareness to tap the ball into space and avoid being run down, eventually gathering and finding Woods inside 50. The pass, however, landed at Woods’ shoelaces, forcing him to snap quickly on the run - his shot narrowly missing.

South continued to lift their intensity, making it difficult for Sturt to exit their defensive half. Pressure acts from Tom Simpson forced a turnover, giving him a shot from outside 50 - but it veered the wrong side of the post.

Fast, direct ball movement through the corridor opened up the play, but once again, the Panthers could only manage a behind - this time from Carman’s quick snap.

Sturt made South pay for their inaccuracy, piling on three unanswered goals to take a nine-point lead nearing half-time.

In need of a steadying goal, pressure acts from Edwards, Simpson, and Van Dyk forced a turnover at half-forward. Edwards took on the responsibility and coolly slotted a much-needed goal on the run.

At the main break, South trailed by just three points.

Sturt struck first after the restart, but the Panthers responded swiftly through under-ager Angus White, who marked strongly on the lead and slotted his set shot from 40 metres out on a 45-degree angle to reduce the margin once more.

With momentum swinging their way, South began to dominate at the contest, creating chances for Edwards and Shortridge - though both missed.

Shortridge soon had a chance to make amends, with a Sturt defender penalised for running too far after a kick-in. This time, Shortridge was accurate, slotting his set shot from 35 metres out to regain the lead.

South nearly extended the lead to double digits after a brilliant end-to-end passage saw Nye snap from close range - only for the ball to clip the post.

The Panthers held a narrow four-point lead at the final change.

The opening goal of the last quarter was going to be crucial, and Jake Wigzell’s strong tackle on half-back set the tone. 

A composed chain of possessions ended with Nye finding Edwards inside 50, and the midfielder converted to give South an early spark.

Holding a 10-point lead, South appeared in control - but that quickly changed. Sturt responded with three goals in five minutes to turn the game on its head and snatch a nine-point lead.

Jackson Collins and Jackson Blacker battled bravely under pressure, but Sturt’s direct ball movement proved difficult to contain.

A goal to the Double Blues in the 18th minute made the task tough for South, but two rushed behinds and a late third goal from Edwards gave the Panthers a glimmer of hope.

However, the final siren sounded before the ball could be bounced, allowing Sturt to escape with a hard-fought six-point win.

South Adelaide will look to bounce back when they face Norwood at Magain Stadium on Sunday, 10 August at 12:20pm.

A five-goal haul from Zemes Pilot helped South Adelaide snap a four-game losing streak in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 92-point win over Sturt at Magain Stadium.

The Panthers started with intent, as Hudson Boal and Oliver South consistently won the ball at stoppages and kickstarted their side’s forward movement.

A clever kick across the body from Sam Walsh set up a set shot for Jayden Jameson, though his attempt skewed off the boot for a minor score.

The miss proved inconsequential, as South’s slick ball movement had the forwards licking their lips. 

Accurate set shots from Tom Meaney and Zemes Pilot stretched South’s lead to 13 points and provided early reward for effort.

Sturt took 14 minutes to register their first goal - which would also be their only major for the term.

Pilot continued his strong start, competing in a marking contest deep in the goal square before gathering the ground ball and snapping over his head for his second.

Sturt struggled to contain South on transition, with Jayce Potter cutting through the Double Blues' structure with his run and carry.

Drifting forward, Oliver South took a courageous mark under pressure at the front of a pack. After an earlier miss, he made no mistake with his second chance, extending South’s lead to 21 points.

That goal would be the last major of the quarter, with South Adelaide holding control at the first break.

The Panthers picked up where they left off in the second term. Pilot burst through a contest and followed up his effort to drive the ball deep inside 50. 

Although no mark was taken, Dale Shearer was awarded a free kick for being tackled without the ball and calmly slotted the set shot from the boundary - much to the delight of his teammates.

The lead quickly blew out to 40 points after a clever snap from Jameson and a composed finish on the run by Kaden Pannach.

Forwards Nathan Flesfadar and Marshall Field provided plenty of spark, using their footy smarts and composure to find teammates in dangerous positions.

Sturt had no answers for Pilot’s explosiveness around stoppages. The powerful forward snatched the ball straight from the ruck, shrugged off tacklers, and snapped truly from 40 metres out for his third.

By half-time, South Adelaide had held Sturt to just one goal while piling on 47 points themselves, taking a commanding 46-point lead into the main break.

South’s trend of starting strongly continued in the third term. Just 30 seconds in, Pilot found space at the stoppage and burst away to nail his fourth goal from outside the arc.

Boal was instrumental around the contest, dominating the clearances and setting the tone. He added to his outstanding performance with a long-range running goal after taking multiple bounces.

While rarely under pressure, South’s defence remained disciplined. Riley Watchman found the right balance between shutting down his opponent and impacting the play once the ball hit the deck.

Goals to Flesfadar and a second to Oliver South all but sealed the game before three-quarter time, with the Panthers holding a commanding 66-point lead at the final change.

Field continued to create opportunities in the final term but was unlucky again, pulling his set shot just wide for a minor score.

It didn’t slow South’s momentum, with back-to-back goals from Pannach and Meaney - both their second for the day - keeping the scoreboard ticking.

Flesfadar soon joined the multiple goal scorers’ list after Watchman found him unmarked 40 metres from goal, and he made no mistake.

Fittingly, it was Pilot who had the final say, converting a set shot from 35 metres on a slight angle to register his fifth in a dominant individual display.

When the final siren sounded, South Adelaide had never been seriously challenged, completing a comprehensive 92-point win. The Panthers finished with 106 more disposals and 26 more inside 50s than Sturt in a one-sided affair.

In a complete team performance, Boal led from the front with 31 disposals, 15 clearances and a goal, while Pilot bagged five goals from his 26 touches.

South Adelaide will look to carry this brilliant form into their clash with Norwood at Magain Stadium on Sunday, 10 August at 10:00am.