Despite a spirited four-quarter effort, South Adelaide ultimately fell just short of a comeback, going down by 14 points to Woodville-West Torrens in a hard-fought contest at Maughn Thiem Kia Oval.

The Eagles came out of the blocks with real intent, piling on the first three goals of the match and applying scoreboard pressure early. 

It took a moment of brilliance from an unlikely source to spark South Adelaide. Half-back Elliott Duffield ventured forward and unloaded a long-range bomb to kick South’s first of the game.

South’s tackling pressure lifted late in the term, giving Benjamin Dittmar a set shot opportunity from 40 metres. Unfortunately, the kick drifted wide.

At the first break, South Adelaide trailed by 22 points and had plenty of work to do.

Determined to turn the tide, South’s midfield began to assert itself in the second. Captain Jesse Nye and Tom Simpson were instrumental, winning plenty of contested ball and laying strong tackles.

Despite creating early chances, South couldn’t capitalise—Kody Shortridge narrowly missed two shots in quick succession.

The Eagles struck again to extend their lead before Shortridge made amends, soccering through a much-needed goal to keep South in the hunt. 

At the other end of the ground, Cameron Woods stood tall in defence, while Harry Wadewitz and Jake Wigzell rebounded well under pressure.

Hudson Voigt then made it count with a composed set shot from 40 metres, narrowing the gap to 16 points. 

South continued to pepper the goals but couldn’t find the big sticks, with three more behind. 

Just before half-time, Callan Hart benefited from an intercepted kick inside-50, snapping truly to cut the margin to 17 at the main break. 

The third quarter began in a tight arm-wrestle, as both teams struggled to find clean looks at goal. 

Max Savage was influential in the ruck, providing a contest around the ground. Despite South’s best efforts, it was once again the Eagles who struck first.

Cain Florance was lively and presented a constant threat up forward, although he couldn’t convert his opportunities. 

Angus White gave South a glimmer of hope late in the term with a powerful set shot from distance, but the scoreboard pressure remained as the Panthers trailed heading into the final stanza.

Florance made up for earlier misses early, marking low and converting from directly in front after a swift clearance from Kodah Edwards. But each time South challenged, the Eagles responded.

Dittmar added two goals in quick succession - the first a booming kick from outside 50 that cleared the pack, and the second a sharp snap that just snuck through - to reduce the margin.

South’s midfield brigade of Simpson, Nye, and Edwards continued to fight relentlessly, driving the side forward. 

A late flurry saw the deficit cut to just three goals, but time was against the Panthers, and the Eagles held on to claim a 14-point victory.

South Adelaide will look to bounce back in a mid-week clash against Sturt at Karen Rolton Oval on Wednesday, May 7 at 5:00pm.

South Adelaide delivered a powerful statement on the road, storming home to secure a nine-point win over Woodville West Torrens — led by a dominant individual performance from Zemes Pilot.

The Eagles began strongly, kicking the first two goals and asserting early control. 

South Adelaide needed a spark, and it came in the form of Pilot, who marked strongly at the top of the square and slotted the Panthers’ opening major.

Although the home side responded with three more unanswered goals to stretch the margin to 24 points, South refused to be rattled. 

Hudson Boal and Oliver South lifted the intensity around the ball, laying fierce tackles and forcing turnovers, while Tyler Harris narrowly missed a golden opportunity to get his side rolling.

The Panthers would seize the momentum late in the quarter. Fergus Vogt converted a close-range set shot, before Pilot showcased his athleticism with a goal on the run. 

Max Gregor then capped off a brilliant surge with a late major, cutting the deficit to just four points at the first break.

The second term saw South come out strong. Pilot continued to terrorise the Eagles' defence, snatching the ball from a ruck contest and curling home his third. 

Dylan Noyce’s poise and precision in the middle were crucial, helping set up repeat forward entries.

After the Eagles briefly regained the lead, South responded emphatically. Nathan Flesfadar and Joel Wigzell kicked back-to-back goals to reclaim the away side’s advantage. 

Confidence was high when Noyce broke free on the 50-metre arc, took on his opponent, and nailed a stunning goal on the run.

Down back, Sam Walsh and Dale Shearer were resolute, combining well with midfielders tracking back to stifle the Eagles' forwards. At half-time, South Adelaide had surged to a 10-point lead.

South carried their momentum into the third term. Boal dominated the clearances, while Pilot nearly added another highlight to his reel, snapping just wide. 

The Eagles clawed back with the opening goal of the quarter, but South remained composed. Darcy Campbell-Kearney threatened to respond but was off-target from distance.

With the margin under a goal, every moment mattered. After several misses, Noyce delivered again with his second of the match, giving South breathing room. 

Jayce Potter’s elite foot skills out of defence helped relieve pressure, but the Eagles struck late to tie things up heading into the final change.

With scores level, South hit the ground running in the last. A quick entry from Noyce led to a free kick for Campbell-Kearney, who missed but edged South ahead. 

Then, the moment belonged to Pilot once again — a contested mark in the square and an easy finish gave him his fourth goal of the game.

Flesfadar added his second after great work from Wigzell, and Lucas Augustin’s long-range snap looked to put the game to bed. 

Pilot capped off the play with a clever handball over the top to Wigzell, who ran into an open goal - capping off a brilliant final quarter effort from South.

The final siren sounded with South Adelaide claiming a well-earned nine-point win.

Pilot’s all-round brilliance was on full display, registering 32 disposals, 4.4 goals, nine marks, five tackles, and nine clearances in a game-breaking performance.

South Adelaide now turns its focus to an important test against top-of-the-table Sturt at Karen Rolton Oval on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:30pm.