An eight-goal opening quarter powered South Adelaide to a dominant 30-point victory over North Adelaide at Memorial Oval in Port Pirie.

Co-Captain Sam Skinner set the tone early, launching a 55-metre set shot that sailed through at goal-post height within the first 90 seconds of play.

South Adelaide’s momentum only built from there, with Tom Wheaton’s intercept mark at half-forward creating another dangerous forward entry, although North Adelaide defended desperately.

The Roosters managed to clear the ball from their defensive fifty, but the Panthers quickly regained possession. Elliot Dunkin responded with a 60-metre effort that cleared everyone and bounced through for South’s second goal.

Oliver Davis and Callum McCarty were dominant in the midfield, winning several crucial clearances and feeding the ball forward.

North Adelaide struggled to string together meaningful possessions, and when Olivier Northam crashed a pack near the wing, South Adelaide was ready to capitalise once again.

Emmanuel Ajang delivered a pinpoint pass to a leading Wheaton, resulting in a free kick. However, while the Roosters were distracted, Bailey Pilmore pounced, collecting the ball and converting from close range.

Skinner extended South Adelaide’s lead with his second goal for the quarter, a close-range set shot that pushed the margin out to 24 points, with North Adelaide yet to trouble the scoreboard.

After a last-touch free kick from a North kick-in, Charlie Duncan advanced towards fifty and delivered a long ball to Damon Freitag, who marked and strolled into an open goal.

It took nearly 20 minutes for North Adelaide to register their first score, a behind that reduced the deficit to 30 points. However, South Adelaide quickly responded.

Davis took a mark and launched a 60-metre kick inside fifty, where Freitag used his strength to push his opponent under the ball, gather it, and snap truly for his second.

Frank Szekely’s conversion of North’s only goal for the quarter was short-lived, as Angus Bradley and Ajang added two more for the Panthers, taking their lead to 43 points by the first break.

With a huge task ahead, North Adelaide started the second quarter promisingly. Noah Casalini kicked the first goal less than a minute in.

South Adelaide’s midfielders continued to benefit from Northam's ruck work, with the big man often acting as an additional on-baller in contested situations.

Oscar Clavarino, averaging over 10 marks per game in the last month, used his strength and positioning to intercept the ball ahead of the wing, igniting a promising forward thrust.

When Will Splann sent the ball inside fifty, Eamon Wilkinson gathered it and snapped a clever goal from a tight angle, giving South Adelaide their first of the quarter.

South Adelaide pushed the margin out to a match-high 49 points when Wheaton calmly converted from a set shot.

However, North Adelaide mounted a spirited response, kicking five consecutive goals to reduce the deficit to just 19 points at the main break, erasing much of South Adelaide’s early dominance.

After a strong finish to the second term from North, South Adelaide began the second half with renewed vigour, aided by a helpful breeze.

Davis expertly found Ajang inside fifty following a forced turnover from half-back, and Ajang’s composed set shot gave the Panthers a much-needed boost.

South Adelaide’s defence, led by Skinner, was causing problems for the Roosters, and when Bradley burst from the centre clearance and delivered a bullet pass inside fifty, Skinner marked on the lead.

While he couldn’t convert his third goal, Wheaton forced a turnover moments later, resulting in Luke Bogle finishing on the run from long range.

Tye McManus added another goal after a 25-metre penalty, stretching South Adelaide’s lead to a commanding 39 points.

The margin grew even further soon after, when Dunkin, from 60 metres out, replicated his earlier goal and dealt a cruel blow to North Adelaide’s comeback hopes.

Bradley’s continued run and carry, along with Finn Emile-Brennan’s precise kicking, was breaking through North Adelaide’s defensive structure.

While South Adelaide’s inaccuracy in the third term - five straight behinds - led to some frustration, Bradley finally ended the goal drought, collecting a hacked kick from Skinner and snapping across his body to score his second goal.

By the final break, South Adelaide held a match-winning 53-point lead.

North Adelaide needed a minor miracle to snatch victory, and with the wind at their back, they kicked the first two goals of the final term through Sam Cumming.

However, the clock was always going to be an issue, with those two goals taking over seven minutes to convert.

Northam’s ruck dominance continued to provide silver service to Davis, McCarty, and Bradley, while Dunkin and Duncan capitalised on the outside of the contest.

Skinner effectively ended any hopes of a North Adelaide comeback, converting his third goal via a long-range set shot on a tight angle after being tackled without possession.

Two further goals from North Adelaide added some respectability to the scoreboard, but it was South’s blistering opening quarter that set the foundation for their eventual 30-point victory.

South Adelaide will need to bring their best when they take on second-placed Glenelg at Stratarama Stadium on Saturday, 19 July, at 2:10pm.

South Adelaide held off a final-quarter challenge from a gallant North Adelaide to secure a thrilling three-point victory at Karen Rolton Oval, maintaining their hold on top spot on the ladder.

Under the Friday night lights, both teams were engaged in an arm wrestle during the early stages, with the ball frequently bouncing between the arcs.

Oliver Goss was rewarded for a strong tackle in the defensive half, and after some hesitation, he drove the ball long down the line to kickstart a scoring opportunity.

Cody Lowe thought he had taken the mark on his second attempt but, under pressure, hacked the ball forward. Cohen Shortridge marked just outside of his range.

Shortridge’s piercing pass was brought to ground by a defender, but the bouncing ball was collected by Corey Grocock, whose snap across the body was always missing.

South Adelaide's pressure kept the ball inside its forward fifty, eventually forcing the Roosters to dump the ball long. This allowed Austin Hogg to take a strong mark and create another forward entry, putting pressure on North Adelaide’s defenders.

Lowe had another chance, but his snap looked promising before clipping the inside of the goalpost.

The Roosters made South Adelaide pay for the miss, going coast-to-coast to convert the first goal of the night.

Lowe was presented with an opportunity moments later to respond, and he converted with a composed set shot from distance to register South’s first major.

However, South’s inaccuracy would ultimately be the difference in the first term, with Blake Rodrigues, Sam Hindes, and Shortridge all unable to convert, while North Adelaide kicked two goals to take a seven-point lead into the first break.

Eager to get reward for their effort in the second term, South Adelaide started strongly.

Hogg found Tom Gillett inside fifty after the ruckman received a high free kick, but Gillett missed to the near side for a minor score, bringing South’s behind tally to six.

That number grew moments later when a North Adelaide defender handballed directly to Tye Gander, but the forward couldn’t convert the gift of an opportunity.

Good kicking is good football, and North Adelaide epitomised this by kicking the first goal of the term and their third without blemish, extending their lead to 11 points.

Lachlan Scott remained resolute in defence, using excellent body positioning to intercept forward entries. Despite the greasy conditions, one team executed better when it mattered.

Ryan Borlace used his pace to get out the back of a contest, gather the ball, and storm towards goal. However, his effort added another behind to South Adelaide’s tally.

Grocock’s soccered attempt looked destined to break the drought but took a deflection, bringing up behind number nine.

The drought was finally broken seconds later when Shortridge pounced on a dropped mark from a kick-in, won a free kick after laying a strong tackle, and made no mistake with his set shot.

After struggling to hit the big sticks, South Adelaide converted its second for the term, with Rodrigues roving Hindes’ short set shot and snapping quickly to give his side the lead.

Goss continued to star around the contest, leading the tackle and clearance metrics and often kickstarting forward forays.

The contest went goal-for-goal for the remainder of the term, with Rodrigues and Borlace cancelling out majors from Nigel Lockyer and Matthew Reed.

At the main break, South Adelaide held a slender four-point lead, despite having nine more scoring shots than North Adelaide.

Conditions remained slippery for both sides, with long, direct kicks down the line being the common mode of disposal. Goss seemed to thrive in these conditions, one of the few players unaffected by the greasy ball.

The opening stages of the third term were an arm wrestle, with neither side able to score in the first six minutes. During this period, Lowe had an opportunity to convert from 35 metres out on a 45-degree angle, but his effort skewed off the side of the boot for no score.

The miss mattered little, as Borlace was awarded a free kick shortly after. The forward converted his close-range set shot on a difficult angle, kicking South Adelaide’s first goal of the quarter.

Kyle Marshall continued to provide a strong physical presence deep in defence, while Hayden Kernahan showcased his ability to rebound across half-back and hit targets by foot.

Goals were always going to be a premium in the difficult conditions, and when Kaleel Ross received a slick handball from Rodrigues and snapped truly, South’s lead extended to 17 points.

Needing a response, North Adelaide created a turnover on the wing, which resulted in Lockyer’s second goal, keeping them within touching distance as the final break approached.

Patrick Chay had two opportunities to restore the three-goal buffer but missed two gettable set shots, leaving the lead at just 13 points.

With the game in the balance, the first goal of the final quarter was always going to be crucial.

South Adelaide won the first centre clearance of the term through Chay, who wasted no time driving the ball long to Borlace in a one-on-one contest.

Borlace received some good fortune, as the umpire paid a seemingly harsh free kick against the North Adelaide defender. However, Borlace was unable to convert his set shot.

North Adelaide felt right in the contest when Lockyer converted his third goal from straight in front, reducing South’s lead to just eight points.

Nerves started to emerge in the South Adelaide camp, as previous inaccuracies kept the scoreboard closer than it should have been.

When Will Tasker converted his set shot near the halfway stage of the final quarter, the lead had shrunk to just two points.

South Adelaide’s 15 behinds for the match was an elephant in the room, with North Adelaide pressing for a comeback win.

Dayne McGary, fresh off a League debut, showcased his aerial quality by negating forward entries from the Roosters. Every contest mattered, and South Adelaide wasn’t letting the lead slip.

As the clock quickly ticked down, Ross used his pace to rebound from half-back, but a late hit after the kick resulted in a down-the-field free kick to South Adelaide.

The free kick would prove costly, with Hugo Hoeck receiving a handball and darting the ball to a leading Borlace, who marked at the junction of the fifty-metre arc and boundary line.

Borlace used all his allotted time before kicking towards a nest of players, with Shortridge somehow marking despite being the least likely.

Shortridge’s composed and clinical left-foot snap gave South Adelaide an eight-point lead, but there was still a twist in the tale.

Minor scores from Shortridge and Chester Forster left the door ajar for North Adelaide, and when Lachlan Grubb snapped truly from long range in the 25th minute, a faint hope emerged.

However, the final siren sounded as the ball was being brought back to the centre, giving South Adelaide a thrilling two-point win against a gallant North Adelaide.

A top-of-the-table clash against second-placed Glenelg awaits South Adelaide at Stratarama Stadium on Saturday, 19 July, at 11:30am. The winner will sit atop the ladder at the end of the round.