A brilliant four-goal debut from forward Ryan Borlace wasn’t enough for South Adelaide to overcome a clinical Adelaide outfit, with the Crows securing a comfortable 27-point win at Magain Stadium.

The visitors struck early, Billy Dowling finding space to snap truly in the opening minute and settle any nerves.

But after several promising performances in recent weeks, South Adelaide were more than ready to take the fight to another flag contender.

Intense forward-50 pressure from Tom Barrett, Borlace and Tye McManus almost forced a turnover, only for Adelaide to relieve the danger through a rushed behind.

The Crows quickly doubled their advantage when chaotic ball movement allowed Lachlan Thomas to get out the back and stroll into an open goal.

Oliver Davis continued his sparkling individual form, hunting the ball with vigour and driving South forward through his clearance work.

Despite several promising forays, South struggled to break their goal drought. That looked set to change when Phoenix Hargrave fired a bullet pass to Borlace on the lead, but the debutant’s set shot from 40 metres drifted wide.

Down back, Oscar Clavarino once again provided a strong aerial presence with his height and reach, while also playing a key role in moving the ball out of defence.

As the first break approached, the Panthers were desperate for reward. Cohen Shortridge’s pressure opened the door for Brad Jefferies, but his snap while under a tackle veered wide.

At quarter time, South had only three behinds to show for their efforts, but the positive was that Adelaide’s lead was just 13 points.

South were forced into desperate defence early in the second term. Sid Draper found space at a forward stoppage but missed his snap from point-blank range.

Olivier Northam showcased his physicality and agility in the ruck, often becoming an extra midfielder once the ball hit the ground.

Fierce tackling proved an effective way to generate scoring chances from turnovers, with Luke Bogle, Emmanuel Ajang and McManus leading the way.

A loose Crows pass in defence opened the door for Eamon Wilkinson, who showed composure to link with Ajang and Corey Grocock by hand before finding Barrett in the goal square for South’s first major.

But after finally breaking their goal drought, the Panthers were dealt a blow as Adelaide piled on the next four goals to extend the margin to 36 points.

Finn Emile-Brennan and Elliot Dunkin offered run between the arcs, but struggled to find the ball in dangerous positions.

Needing a lift, Wilkinson put his body on the line in a marking contest at centre half-forward, keeping the ball locked in South’s forward half.

Several stoppages followed, before a high-contact free kick in the ruck to skipper Sam Skinner offered a much-needed chance.

Skinner’s long-range set shot from 48 metres on a 45-degree angle sailed through, cutting the deficit to 30 points. It could have been closer, but Wilkinson’s set shot from 35 metres shaved the near side.

At half time, the Crows led by five goals, leaving South with a mountain to climb.

True to form, Adelaide again struck in the opening minute of the third term through Jack Madgen’s second.

A desperate defensive effort from co-captain Jake Summerton sparked a rebound that ended with Borlace marking in the forward pocket. This time, the debutant made no mistake, snapping truly across his body for his first League goal.

Bogle and Davis remained busy around the contest, while Wilkinson’s precise kicking helped pierce Adelaide’s defensive setup.

Back-to-back goals for the first time in the match came when Hargrave’s high kick inside 50 was marked low by a sliding Borlace, who again snapped accurately from 35 metres.

But the Crows had the answers, responding with three straight goals to push the lead to a match-high 42 points by the final change.

Any hope of a comeback was quickly quashed when Lachlan Sholl continued Adelaide’s habit of scoring inside the first minute of each quarter.

Despite the scoreboard, South’s defence held firm. Kyle Marshall impressed in the air, Will Splann blanketed his opponent, and Charlie Duncan worked tirelessly to get back help his defence.

Borlace’s relentless attack on the ball earned him a high-contact free and the chance for his third. He converted from just inside the arc to bring the margin back to 42 points.

A brave mark from Splann going back with the flight set up another scoring opportunity, with Hargrave hitting Northam on the lead. The ruckman, who battled strongly against AFL-listed Kieran Strachan, nailed his set shot from 45 metres.

South kept coming, with Borlace snapping his fourth from long range and Northam converting from a tight angle to trim the deficit to 24 points.

While the Panthers had opportunities to put some doubt in Adelaide’s mind, the Crows steadied through Madgen to restore a five-goal buffer and close out the contest.

Despite winning the second half, South were left to rue their slow start, with Adelaide running out 27-point winners.

South Adelaide will look to send their loyal fans home happy in their final home game of the season when they host Woodville-West Torrens at Magain Stadium on Saturday, 16 August at 1:10pm.

South Adelaide has reaffirmed its premiership credentials with a commanding 53-point win over Central District at Magain Stadium.

The opening stages of the first quarter were an arm wrestle, with neither side able to find the final ball inside attacking 50 to create a genuine scoring opportunity.

South eventually broke the deadlock after a fast switch of play and direct ball movement saw Tye Gander hit Damon Freitag on the chest.

Needing to kick close to 55 metres, the tall forward made the distance with ease to convert the first goal of the contest and spark the Panthers’ attack.

Minutes later, Jacob Collins burst from a stoppage, gathered the ground ball and fired from 30 metres, but his shot drifted wide.

The miss mattered little, with Lachlan Gill receiving a handball from Oliver Goss at half-back before delivering perfectly to Sam Foley, who strolled into an open goal.

South’s midfield brigade were reaping the rewards of Tom Gillett and Cody Lowe’s ruck dominance, with Goss and Collins starting brightly around the contest.

The lead could have stretched to three goals after Gander clunked a strong contested mark on the lead, but his set shot sailed through for a minor score.

A strong defensive display from the home side looked likely to keep the Dogs goalless for the term, but a free kick after the siren handed Central District a late major.

Despite dominating play, South’s advantage at the first break was just eight points.

The Dogs made the most of their momentum early in the second quarter, slotting the first two goals to hit the front for the first time.

Hayden Kernahan was key to South’s forward movement, using his precision kicking to slice through the Dogs’ defensive structure.

Needing a reply, Goss burst away from would-be tacklers to drive the ball forward. While no mark was taken, Harvey Lambert pounced on the loose ball and fired from 40 metres, only for his shot to fade wide.

Central District continued to make the most of their opportunities, converting another chance to push their lead to nine points.

In defence, Dayne McGary, Jacob Sheean and Lachlan Scott battled hard, but the Dogs’ clean ball movement made it difficult to impact contests.

South began to wrestle back momentum through winning the contest and moving the ball quickly from turnovers. One such play saw Gill find the hard-running Ben Ashley-Cooper, who had earlier been involved at half-back.

Ashley-Cooper made no mistake from 40 metres on a slight angle, sparking a four-goal run to close out the half.

Composed set shots from Ben Shillabeer and Gander saw the Panthers regain the lead, before Callum Bennett snapped on his left to push the margin to 15 points.

Freitag added a behind to close the half, with South leading by 16 points at the main break.

The Panthers picked up where they left off in the third term, with Shillabeer marking near the goal line and snapping truly for his second.

Chester Forster was working tirelessly between the arcs, pushing back to help the defence while also delivering the ball inside 50.

After conceding five straight goals, Central District found a much-needed major to stay in touch - but it would be their only goal of the quarter.

Shillabeer soon had his third after Gander marked in the forward pocket and unselfishly handballed over the top.

Foley then joined the multiple-goal scorers club before Austin Hogg finished from point-blank range to stretch the margin to 38 points at the final change.

If the Dogs were any chance of a late comeback, they needed the first goal of the last term.

Their hopes took a hit when Gillett missed from 45 metres out straight in front and were all but extinguished moments later when Bennett nailed his second from close to the boundary.

Hugo Hoeck continued to be instrumental in South’s ball movement, while Will McCarthy showed his versatility in defence after being omitted from the League side.

U18 captain Jesse Nye, in his senior debut, had the chance to put the result beyond doubt. After a delay to swap a flat ball, he lined up from 30 metres on a tough angle, only to be denied by the post.

The miss mattered little as goals to Freitag and Bennett - his third for the day - sealed the result.

Central District kicked the final goal of the match, but it was merely consolation as the siren sounded on a comprehensive 53-point Panthers victory, keeping their push for top spot alive.

With finals fast approaching, South Adelaide will look to maintain their momentum when they face Woodville-West Torrens at Magain Stadium on Saturday, 16 August at 10:30am.