South Adelaide fell agonisingly short in wet and blustery conditions at Magain Stadium, with the Adelaide Crows escaping with a nail-biting one-point victory.

The wintry weather made ball movement difficult for both sides early in the contest, with the scoreboard reflecting a tense arm-wrestle in the opening minutes.

Olivier Northam embraced the challenging conditions, showcasing his physicality in the ruck and at ground level. Around the stoppages, Oliver Davis impressed with his ability to win contested ball and generate several clearances.

The best early opportunity to register a major came in the 17th minute, but Blake Drury’s long-range effort drifted wide for the visitors.

Space around stoppages was hard to come by, but the agility and skill of Phoenix Hargrave eventually broke the deadlock, snapping truly from distance for the game’s first goal.

Just moments later, slick ball movement from South Adelaide nearly resulted in a second.

After taking a strong mark on the lead from a Damon Freitag forward entry, Bailey Pilmore’s set shot was impacted by the wind and struck the post.

Pilmore had a chance to redeem himself shortly after, with Elliott Dunkin’s powerful running and delivery allowing Angus Bradley time and space inside 50 to hit the dangerous forward once more.

Learning from his earlier effort, Pilmore made no mistake this time, extending South Adelaide’s lead to 11 points.

Defensively, South were benefitting from the Crows’ slow and predictable ball movement. Oscar Clavarino’s height and reach were crucial in neutralising contests.

At quarter time, the Panthers held an 11-point lead.

South nearly got off to the perfect start in the second term, with Eamon Wilkinson’s snap across the body missing narrowly after receiving a sharp handball in congestion from Hargrave.

Sustained pressure across the ground forced the Crows into frequent turnovers, with Davis’ desperation at ground level sparking a chain of possession that ended with Pilmore inside 50.

Pilmore’s brilliant long-range strike extended South’s lead to three goals and lifted the group’s intensity.

Contributions across the field underpinned South’s dominance. Charlie Duncan’s composure and foot skills were beginning to stand out, while Luke Bogle was more than willing to get his hands dirty.

Minor scores to Corey Grocock and Dunkin added some breathing room, with the Crows yet to register a goal as the half approached.

The next major came from an unlikely source—co-captain Sam Skinner marked deep inside 50 and converted with ease.

Soon after, Northam’s centre clearance trickled into the forward pocket and eventually resulted in a miraculous boundary snap from Brad Jefferies, extending the margin to 32 points.

The Crows finally broke through with a goal from Lachie Murphy, but the relief was short-lived, as Tom Wheaton launched a long-range set shot to restore South’s five-goal buffer.

Skinner’s snap from a forward-50 ruck contest drew a spirited response from teammates as the half neared.

South Adelaide’s five-goal quarter saw them take a commanding 38-point lead into the main break, leaving the Crows searching for answers.

Coming out of half-time, South were keen to push on and nearly had a goal within 30 seconds, though Pilmore’s snap missed to the near side.

Debutant Jay Chapman looked comfortable at senior level, using his clean foot skills between the arcs to find teammates in dangerous positions.

The Crows slowly began to shift momentum, with their AFL-listed players starting to assert themselves.

After three consecutive behinds, the visitors finally kicked their first of the term, cutting the margin to 30 points and igniting some belief.

That belief grew as Luke Nankervis converted from a set shot. South continued to create chances, but they struggled to capitalise.

Grocock’s spearing pass missed Wilkinson on the full, though a clever over-the-head handball found Pilmore, whose snap went wide for his third behind of the afternoon.

The Crows’ pressure mounted. When Brayden Cook earned a free kick and goaled from point-blank range, the margin was just 19 points.

South’s missed chances loomed large. Bogle’s hurried snap also missed, allowing Adelaide to stay within striking distance at the final break.

With everything on the line in the last term, the Crows came out firing, slamming through three goals in under 10 minutes to close the gap to a solitary point.

Every stoppage grew in significance. Bradley’s clean hands found Hargrave in space near the boundary, but his shot drifted wide.

South were defending desperately, but Adelaide continued to surge forward with pace and precision. A missed set shot brought relief, but it was short-lived.

Hargrave was caught holding the ball, and Cook marked strongly inside 50. His set shot missed, and a later snap smashed into the post, levelling the scores.

As time ticked down, the Crows looked the fresher side. South’s efforts to transition forward were continually thwarted by Adelaide’s structure.

A crucial smother led to a turnover and a quick forward entry to Chris Burgess, whose snap from the boundary was rushed through for a behind—ultimately, the difference in the match.

Despite leading by 38 points in the second quarter, South Adelaide failed to kick a goal in the second half and were overrun by a fast-finishing Crows outfit.

The Panthers will have the chance to bounce back when they face Norwood at Coopers Stadium on Sunday, 22 June at 2:30pm.

South Adelaide climbed to second on the ladder after a commanding 85-point win over West Adelaide at Magain Stadium, in a match where the visitors were held to just one goal.

In wet and windy conditions, the Panthers started with more energy and polish. Lachlan Gill and Isaac Birt stood out early with their clean hands and composure in possession.

South’s dominance around the contest quickly led to forward entries, with Tom Barrett and Tye McManus getting early chances to hit the scoreboard—though they only managed behinds.

Marking inside 50 was always going to be tough with a greasy ball, but tall forward Ryan Borlace managed to create space on his opponent and held a strong grab 25 metres out.

Despite making the goal umpire work, Borlace converted South’s first major, rewarding the Panthers' sustained pressure.

Breaking the deadlock seemed to open the floodgates. Gill capitalised on a hacked kick forward, finding himself in space and snapping truly.

The lead extended to 20 points when Harvey Lambert used his agility to dance around a defender and snap under pressure.

West Adelaide struggled to contain South’s stoppage dominance, with Finn Emile-Brennan and Austin Hogg linking up to drive another entry inside 50.

The ball spilled loose, but Sam Hindes was in the right place at the right time, finishing cleverly on the outside of his boot.

As quarter time approached, South didn’t let up. Emile-Brennan’s bullet-like pass hit Kaleel Ross on the lead, and Ross coolly slotted the set shot to push the lead to 34 points.

A late behind to Birt completed a dominant opening term, with South Adelaide taking a 35-point lead into the first break.

West Adelaide began the second term with intent, registering an early behind to finally get on the scoreboard. The conditions remained difficult for both sides.

Cody Lowe, fresh from several League appearances, competed strongly in the ruck and used his strength to win clearances and gain territory.

Westies finally broke through for their only goal of the match, which briefly gave them belief. However, two missed opportunities following that major proved costly.

Borlace again stood up in attack. After making an impact in the first quarter, he showed his class by grabbing the ball out of a forward stoppage and snapping truly from a tight angle for his second.

It would be South’s only goal for the quarter, but a 33-point lead at half-time reflected their control of the game.

As conditions worsened in the third term, both sides adopted a more direct style, aiming to lock the ball inside their respective forward 50s.

Players who could take the ball cleanly below their knees became invaluable. Ross exemplified this, collecting a ground ball, spinning out of traffic, and finding Borlace, who nailed his third.

Tom Worthley added to the highlight reel with a stunning boundary-line set shot from 45 metres out, making light work of the wind and rain - much to the delight of his teammates.

Hogg, McManus, and Gill continued to dominate around the contest, while Birt and Emile-Brennan provided consistent support on the outside.

Westies’ woes continued when Lambert was awarded a free kick and 25-metre penalty, finishing from close range.

Moments later, Hogg unloaded from 75 metres and watched the ball bounce through untouched for a remarkable individual goal.

In defence, Dayne McGary, Dakota Sterzl, and Lachlan Scott were unyielding, aided by West Adelaide’s predictable forward entries.

The home side could have stretched their lead even further if not for inaccuracy in front of goal. Gander made up for earlier misses with a clever soccer-style finish.

South ended the term with a five-goal quarter and a commanding 65-point buffer at the final break.

With the result beyond doubt, South Adelaide looked to finish the job strongly.

Despite greasy conditions, Hayden Kernahan and Sam Foley continued to impress across half-back, laying important tackles and maintaining composure.

After nearly 15 scoreless minutes, Ross broke the drought after receiving a free kick for a push in the back at the top of the square—converting his second goal.

South added another moments later, with Birt capping off a brilliant all-round game by slotting a goal from point-blank range.

As rain began to fall sideways, both teams looked eager for the final siren. But there was time for one last scoring involvement, with a hacked forward entry finding Hindes 25 metres out.

His low, punched set shot was heavily affected by the wind but just snuck through, bringing up his second goal and sealing a dominant 85-point win.

South Adelaide will aim to continue their winning form when they face Norwood at Coopers Stadium on Sunday, 22 June at 9:40am.