South Adelaide went agonisingly close to ending Sturt’s 14-game unbeaten streak, with the ladder leaders needing a 12-goal second half to secure a 19-point win at Thomas Farms Oval.

Buoyed by confidence after a strong performance against the reigning premiers a fortnight ago, South Adelaide began the league’s toughest road trip with energy and intent.

Livewire forward Cohen Shortridge nearly produced something from nothing in the opening minute, ripping the ball from a defender’s grasp and snapping quickly for a minor score.

Fast and direct ball movement from the back half allowed South to break through Sturt’s structure—but it would be the Double Blues who inflicted the early damage on themselves.

After taking an intercept mark, Sam Breuer’s errant kick inside defensive 50 gifted Panthers co-captain Sam Skinner an early opportunity from 35 metres out, directly in front.

Skinner’s accurate set shot was just reward for South’s positive start and a clear sign they were up for the fight.

Outside runners Finn Emile-Brennan and Elliot Dunkin—celebrating his 100th League game—were instrumental in transitioning the ball between the arcs, driving South’s attacking intent.

South punished Sturt for two missed opportunities, with Tye McManus showing great composure and foot skills to hit up Tom Barrett 45 metres out on a slight angle. Barrett’s long-range goal extended the lead to 11 points and gave the home side something to think about.

In the ruck, Olivier Northam battled manfully against Amos Doyle, giving first use to the Panthers’ onballers, including Oliver Davis, who continued his strong late-season form around the contest.

Despite the slow start, Sturt’s quality still created scoring chances. But a strong finish to the quarter produced just one goal and two behinds.

At quarter time, South held a slender three-point lead.

Looking to build on their promising start, the Panthers again struck early in the second term. An awkward forward entry from Eamon Wilkinson caught everyone off guard, and Shortridge pounced on the harsh bounce to convert from close range.

Moments later, he nearly had his second after gathering a ground ball from a Skinner forward entry and snapping over his shoulder, only to miss from the top of the square.

South’s pressure was telling. Forward efforts from Emmanuel Ajang and Barrett forced a fumble in the square, which Skinner soccered through for his second major.

Down back, key defenders Jake Summerton and Oscar Clavarino worked tirelessly to halve contests in the air, while Will Splann and Dakota Sterzl provided rebound once the ball hit the deck.

After nearly 15 goalless minutes, the ladder leaders finally broke through to trim the margin to two goals—but South still held control.

Charlie Duncan’s pressured shot missed to the near side, but it mattered little. Back-to-back goals from Corey Grocock and Skinner—his third—stretched the lead to 25 points late in the term.

An undisciplined free kick and subsequent 25-metre penalty from Sturt handed returning midfielder Luke Bogle a chance to capitalise, and he made no mistake from 45 metres on a slight angle, pushing the margin to a game-high 28 points at the main break.

Having kept the highest-scoring team in the competition to just two goals in the first half, the Panthers knew a response was coming.

Sturt almost got off to the perfect restart, but Josh Hone’s snap within 20 seconds sailed wide. South’s coast-to-coast transition from the kick-in nearly caught the visitors off guard, ending with a long-range behind from Emile-Brennan.

But the Panthers’ hard work began to unravel as Sturt piled on four goals in seven minutes to cut the lead to just four points.

As the intensity lifted, Davis and McManus continued to apply pressure, but Sturt’s midfield brigade began to take control.

Shortridge had two chances in quick succession to settle the side, but neither shot found the big sticks. Sturt made them pay, with Sam Conforti’s second goal levelling the scores for the first time since the opening bounce.

Refusing to be overwhelmed, the Panthers found a response. Following a centre clearance, Ajang’s pressured kick floated inside 50, where Kyle Marshall out-bodied his opponent and marked strongly. He slotted the goal from point-blank range to retake the lead.

But Hone’s third of the quarter squared things up again, and a behind to Flynn Perez gave Sturt a one-point lead heading into the final term.

South Adelaide were just 30 minutes away from snapping the SANFL’s longest home-and-away winning streak—but Sturt sat atop the ladder for a reason.

Despite South’s continued efforts, the Double Blues slammed through four consecutive goals to open up a 25-point lead midway through the final term.

Duncan and Dunkin tried to spark a counter-attack from half-back, but the slick ball movement of the first half was proving harder to reproduce against a surging Sturt outfit.

Bogle provided a glimmer of hope with his second major—just reward for a standout performance that included six clearances—but the momentum was short-lived. Sturt responded minutes later to again push the lead beyond four goals.

South kept fighting. A clean chain of handballs through the middle ended with a deep forward entry to Skinner. While he couldn’t add to his three goals, Barrett was quick to gather the loose ball and snap through his second.

Emile-Brennan, more accustomed to delivering inside 50, charged forward and took matters into his own hands, kicking truly on the run to reduce the deficit to 13 points.

The Panthers needed three goals in as many minutes to pull off a miracle, but Sturt held firm when it mattered most.

A final goal in the dying seconds sealed the Double Blues’ 12th of the second half and locked in a come-from-behind 19-point win.

South Adelaide will be hoping it's third time lucky against top three opposition when they host Adelaide at Magain Stadium on Saturday, 9 August at 2:10pm.

South Adelaide remains within striking distance of top spot on the ladder after a clinical 41-point win over fellow finals aspirant Sturt at Thomas Farms Oval.

Despite the Panthers' polished four-quarter performance, it was the home side that started the better—creating two early scoring opportunities that resulted in behinds.

Sturt would be made to pay for its inaccuracy, as Austin Hogg read the ball beautifully from a forward stoppage, broke free from a lunging tackler, and snapped the game’s opening goal.

The opener was the result of relentless frontal pressure deep in attack, which forced the Double Blues into costly errors at crucial moments.

Quick thinking from Ethan Johnson led to a clever intercept from a defensive kick-in following a minor score. Without hesitation, he turned inboard and found Oliver Goss in a better position.

Goss, continuing his impressive individual season, made no mistake with a composed set shot from 45 metres out directly in front, extending South’s lead to 11 points.

Around the contest, Sam Foley led the way for the visitors, showcasing his ball-winning ability and strength to burst from congestion and drive the Panthers forward.

If not for some inaccurate kicking, South’s lead could have been far greater. Four straight behinds offered Sturt some relief on the scoreboard, but the Panthers soon found their range.

After missing an earlier chance, tall forward Ben Shillabeer got reward for effort, snapping truly from around 35 metres following a forward stoppage.

While the forwards were firing, South’s defensive unit stood firm. Dayne McGarry and Jacob Sheean defended resolutely, while Hayden Kernahan provided valuable rebound from half-back.

A string of strong individual performances across all lines helped South Adelaide to a 20-point lead at quarter time—while keeping Sturt goalless in the opening term.

Sturt finally broke their goal drought early in the second quarter, but South responded almost immediately through Shillabeer. 

AfterJacob Collins was awarded a free kick inside forward 50, a quick handball found Shillabeer in space, who slotted his long-range effort to restore the 20-point buffer.

The rest of the quarter was a goal-for-goal arm wrestle, with neither side able to string together back-to-back majors or significantly cut into the margin.

Goals to Cody Lowe and Ryan Borlace cancelled out two from Sturt, but a straight kick from Jayden Adams brought the margin under 20 points for the first time since the opening quarter.

As the clock ticked down to half-time, Damon Freitag had a chance to give the Panthers momentum heading into the main break. However, his long-range snap from near the boundary drifted across the face for a behind. South went into the rooms with a 14-point lead.

The third quarter was always going to be pivotal, and the opening exchanges reflected the high-pressure nature of the contest.

Ben Ashley-Cooper impressed with his tackling intensity and pressure around the ball, while Foley remained composed and clean under duress.

Forward stoppages again proved a valuable scoring weapon for South. Borlace collected a ground ball close to the boundary and found Johnson, who, with limited options, executed a brilliant checkside to register the opening goal of the term.

Momentum was firmly with the Panthers. Goss took an intercept mark just outside 50, burst forward, and nailed a long-range goal on the run—dealing a cruel blow to Sturt.

Minor scores to Tom Gillett and Borlace briefly eased the pressure for the home crowd, but defensive lapses continued to hurt the Double Blues.

Harvey Lambert intercepted a Sturt clearance and launched a chain of play that ended with Collins converting a set shot and extending South’s lead to a game-high 35 points.

To their credit, Sturt refused to fold. They registered the final four scores of the quarter—two goals and two behinds—to reduce the deficit to 21 points heading into the final term.

Lachlan Burrows continued to trouble the Panthers’ defence and had an early chance to kick his fourth and spark a late fightback—but he missed.

The first goal of the last quarter was always going to be critical, and after a tense opening few minutes, it came through individual brilliance.

Ashley-Cooper took a strong contested mark under heavy pressure, then delivered a pin-point pass to a sliding Blake Rodrigues inside 50. Rodrigues kept his cool and slotted the set shot from 30 metres to extend South’s lead to 26 points.

That goal broke Sturt’s resistance. The floodgates opened as Rodrigues added a second, and Borlace chimed in with two of his own to put the result beyond doubt.

Despite the margin reaching 46 points, it could have been more if not for missed chances in front of goal.

A late consolation goal gave the home side some scoreboard respectability, but South Adelaide were stronger for longer, securing a convincing 41-point victory away from home.

The Panthers will look to continue their push for top spot when they take on Central District at Magain Stadium on Saturday, 9 August at 11:20am.