South Adelaide gave co-captain Jake Summerton a milestone to remember, cruising to a 46-point win over his former side, Woodville-West Torrens, at Magain Stadium in his 150th Hostplus SANFL League match.

After several encouraging performances in recent weeks against premiership contenders, the Panthers were finally rewarded for their effort in their final home game of the season.

The tone was set within the opening minute, as Charlie Duncan launched a long-range goal off just a couple of steps within 40 seconds of the first bounce.

Oliver Davis brought his trademark energy and physicality around the contest, leading the way in tackles and clearances early.

Despite the fast start, the match quickly turned into a tight, contested arm wrestle, with both teams struggling to deliver clean entries inside forward 50.

Co-captain Sam Skinner looked set to break a seven-minute goal drought, but his hurried snap from 25 metres drifted wide.

From the resulting kick-out, the Eagles transitioned the ball coast-to-coast, giving Patrick Weckert a set shot—but he couldn’t capitalise on South’s inaccuracy.

South Adelaide’s midfield was getting first use thanks to Olivier Northam’s dominant ruckwork and imposing presence around stoppages, which unsettled his direct opponent.

Chaotic but effective ball movement was paying off for the Panthers. A scrappy kick to the square saw Ryan Borlace bring the ball to ground, allowing Eamon Wilkinson to pounce and dribble through an easy goal, extending South’s lead to 13 points.

Oscar Clavarino was rock-solid in the air, making life difficult for the Eagles’ forwards, while Elliot Dunkin provided vital rebound from defence, launching several attacking chains.

Borlace soon extended the margin to 18 points with a set shot from a tight angle, and the Panthers looked eager to press their advantage.

Duncan’s strong opening term continued, with his damaging right boot landing another long-range major—his second of the quarter.

Just before the siren, the composure of Phoenix Hargrave under pressure delivered South’s fifth goal of the term, snapping across his body to give the home side a commanding 30-point lead at quarter time.

The Panthers picked up where they left off to start the second quarter. Wilkinson looked destined to nail his second of the afternoon but was denied by a desperate defensive touch.

However, moments later, the Eagles would finally break their drought in the third minute with a Zane Williams set shot from close to the boundary.

Any hope of momentum was short-lived, as Wilkinson and Borlace both added their second majors to stretch the lead to 37 points.

Tye McManus and Luke Bogle added physical presence around the contest, frequently winning loose balls and surging South forward.

Just as the match looked to be getting away from the visitors, the Eagles steadied—but inaccuracy cost them dearly. They kicked 1.4 for the remainder of the half, and despite winning the quarter, still trailed by 27 points at the main break.

The first goal of the second half was always going to be crucial, and when Lukas Cooke slotted his first, the Eagles found a spark.

However, South quickly steadied, with Davis continuing to lead the midfield charge and Finn Emile-Brennan using the ball effectively between the arcs.

In his milestone match, Jake Summerton led by example, defending doggedly and refusing to give his opponent an inch.

After nearly 10 goalless minutes, Hargrave popped up for his second—a classy floating finish after being front and centre at a marking contest.

That goal sparked a dominant period for the Panthers, with three unanswered majors to end the term all but shutting the door on any Eagles comeback. The lead ballooned to 46 points.

Debutant Tye Gander made the most of the momentum, booting two goals in quick succession. One of those was a brilliant individual effort on the run, celebrated enthusiastically by Borlace, who has shared forward duties with Gander in the Reserves this season.

At the final change, the Eagles trailed by 47 points, needing a miracle to claw their way back.

The first goal of the final term had to go their way to spark any hope—but poor conversion again hurt. The first 11 minutes saw five behinds—four to the Eagles, one to South—before Williams kicked his second goal.

South responded through some slick ball movement, which resulted in a mark to Borlace in the goal square. Unselfishly, he dished off a handball to Gander, who kicked his third major.

Further goals to Corey Grocock and Tommy Barrett capped off a brilliant day for South’s forward line, with Barrett’s relentless pressure creating several scoring chances across the afternoon.

The final siren signalled a comprehensive team performance from the Panthers, who led from start to finish to claim a dominant 46-point victory in their last home match of the season.

South Adelaide will look to finish its season on a high when it takes on West Adelaide at Hisense Stadium on Saturday, 23 August at 2:10pm.

That match will mark Jake Summerton’s 250th and final SANFL appearance. The loyal defender has been a valuable member of the club since joining from Woodville-West Torrens in 2018.

South Adelaide has secured a top two finish on the eve of finals with a clinical 34-point victory over Woodville-West Torrens at Magain Stadium.

The Eagles started brighter, dominating early territory and possession, but struggled to convert their efforts into scoreboard pressure.

That changed after five minutes of end-to-end play when Oscar Pearce kicked the game’s opening goal, sparking some early energy for the visitors.

South Adelaide responded swiftly. A sharp forward entry from Jacob Collins found Oliver Goss front and centre, and he made no mistake with a clever snap to level the scores.

Lachlan Gill’s impressive run of form continued, with the composed onballer using his work rate and clean foot skills to gather possessions and drive the Panthers forward.

South hit the lead for the first time through a long-range set shot from Damon Freitag, which kickstarted a flurry of goals to close out the quarter.

From the very next centre bounce, Tom Beaumont fed Ben Ashley-Cooper with quick hands, and the midfielder burst clear to nail a running goal from beyond the arc—two in a minute for the home side.

Cohen Shortridge then showcased his creativity and flair with a dazzling boundary-line drop punt, followed moments later by a crafty soccer off the ground for a quickfire double.

By quarter time, South Adelaide had shaken off a slow start to build a strong 24-point lead.

Looking to continue their momentum in the second term, the Panthers were again met with resistance, as both sides struggled to make an impact on the scoreboard in the opening 10 minutes.

Collins continued to lead from the front, amassing disposals and laying strong tackles. In defence, Max Clifton and Dayne McGary were outstanding in the air, intercepting regularly and punishing the Eagles for their slow, high entries.

Harvey Lambert missed a chance to break the goal drought, but it mattered little, as Gill soon capitalised with a composed checkside finish to extend the margin.

South’s ball movement from defensive turnovers was impressive, with Hugo Hoeck injecting pace and precision by foot to slice through the Eagles' defensive setup.

Scoring remained difficult, but Shortridge again proved his value as a pure finisher, snapping his third goal after Beaumont’s attempt fell short.

By half time, South Adelaide held a commanding 36-point lead, while restricting Woodville-West Torrens to just one goal for the half.

The Eagles’ continued inaccuracy hurt them early in the third, with Izaac Niemann missing a golden opportunity to lift his side.

The Panthers made them pay soon after, with Lambert’s desperate lunging spoil creating a turnover that led to Cody Lowe calmly converting a set shot.

That would be the last major for nearly 20 minutes, as both teams struggled with accuracy. Seven consecutive behinds followed—five to South Adelaide, two to the Eagles.

Raymond Sumner managed to claw one back late for the Eagles, but South still held a sizeable 38-point buffer at the final change.

Though an unlikely comeback was needed, Jamie Russell gave the visitors a glimmer of hope by kicking the opening goal of the last quarter.

The gap was narrowed to 25 points minutes later when Sumner slotted his second from close range.

Tom Gillett continued to compete hard in the ruck, using his athleticism to provide a marking option across the ground.

Around the ball, Sam Foley powered through tackles, while Brad Jefferies and promising underage talent Jesse Nye added important run and carry between the arcs.

Late opportunities to ice the game fell to Callum Bennett, Shortridge and Gill, but missed shots mattered little as the Panthers had the match well in hand.

Lowe put the finishing touches on a polished team performance, strolling into an open goal for his second late in the piece.

The 34-point win locks in a top two finish for South Adelaide with one round remaining, laying a strong foundation for a genuine premiership tilt.

The Panthers will aim to steal top spot on the ladder—should Glenelg fall to Central District—when they face West Adelaide at Hisense Stadium on Saturday, 23 August at 11:30am.