Jack Maher’s first win as Interim Coach came in dramatic fashion, as South Adelaide maintained their finals push with an 18-point victory over the Crows at Magain Stadium.

The Panthers were forced to withstand multiple momentum swings after giving up two 30-point leads, but they showed enough resilience to hold on.

With their top five hopes hanging in the balance, South Adelaide entered the clash knowing a victory was essential against a Crows side sitting just above them on the ladder.

Needing to make a statement, Jack Delean hit the scoreboard, before second-gamer Kodah Edwards surged forward to kick his first senior goal to light up the Panther faithful.

The hot start carried on as Ben Shillabeer extended the lead, before Edwards’ clean work in traffic opened the door for Delean to send Oli Northam through for another goal out the back.

South Adelaide’s forward half pressure continued to rise as the Panthers bought into the game plan.

Eamon Wilkinson pounced on a loose kick from Adelaide’s Nick Murray, converting the set shot before turning to the crowd and proudly tugging at the jumper in celebration.

Finnbar Maley kicked the Crows’ first goal, but the home side controlled the quarter, with inaccuracy the only factor preventing them from blowing the lead out further.

Delean started the second term as he did the first with a set shot goal, before Adelaide settled into the game with the next three majors.

Hemmed in at half-back, the Panthers turned defence into attack, going coast-to-coast as Tye Gander found open space with the Crows pushing numbers forward.

It did little to stem the visitors’ flow however, as Adelaide’s talls inspired another three-goal run to draw level as the second half began.

Gander again found himself on the end of a responding goal, with Northam and Edwards combining brilliantly in the pocket to set up the finish, sparking a run of five straight goals.

Delean picked up the crumb and quickly snapped on the left, then Wilkinson added a second as South Adelaide rebuilt their lead.

Phoenix Hargrave bombed one from distance, before Delean rounded it out with his fourth.

The see-sawing contest continued into the last quarter, with Ryan Borlace stepping up for the Panthers and erupting with pure emotion as he celebrated, looking to will his side over the line.

Adelaide refused to go away, mounting one final charge, but Borlace would pick out Delean for his fifth goal, restoring some belief amid the nerves.

Time remained on the Crows’ side as they drew within a kick into time-on, but Emmanuel Ajang would break clear and roam into goal to put the result beyond doubt.

The Panthers brought up the ton in style as Borlace’s huge final quarter was rightfully rewarded with a goal after the siren.

Coming into a genuine four-point game on the ladder, the win moves South Adelaide within one game of the fifth-placed Crows with three rounds remaining in the home-and-away season.

Angus Bradley turned up with 31 disposals, seven marks and four tackles, leading the ball winners.

Vice-captain Oliver Davis firmly followed up with 26 disposals, nine marks and nine tackles.

Hargrave played in the League side for the first time since Round 6 after a stint in the Reserves, standing out with 25 disposals, nine clearances and a goal.

Delean’s sharp shooting produced a game-changing five-goal haul, with Borlace, Gander and Wilkinson providing plenty of support with two goals each.

Playing the rest of the season on the road, South Adelaide will head to Thomas Farms Oval in Round 17 to play Sturt on Saturday, 8^th August at 2:10pm.

South Adelaide picked up an eleventh win in their SANFL Reserves League season with a 13-point victory over Norwood, built off the back of a six-goal opening quarter.

The lead was established through turnovers, as the Panthers' strongest periods came when they won possession through interception and attacked on the counter.

Jesse Nye made an early impact by kicking the first goal, then later he would burst away from a centre clearance to add a brilliant second from the restart.

Blake Rodrigues and Cody Lowe added goals in between, as the Panthers' high defensive line and composure to find targets locked the ball inside their forward half.

Playing one out inside 50, Cohen Shortridge made a difficult kick work, playing the ball to his own advantage to run through for the goal. 

He added his second in spectacular fashion, converting from the boundary after the siren following a deliberate out-of-bounds decision against a desperate Redlegs defender.

Norwood, having won all but one of their last twelve games in the competition, responded as expected by kicking the first three goals of the second term.

Oliver Goss would pull one back, and despite a short run of goals to Nye and Tom Gillett, the visitors narrowly won the quarter.

The quick sequence of goals appeared to lift the side, with Shortridge earning possession with an inside 50 tackle, rewarding his own hard work by slotting his third goal of the game.

Gillett added his second as goals continued to flow at both ends, before Ethan Johnson rose above the pack with a crashing mark and converted from the set shot.

Callum Bennett capped off another big quarter for South Adelaide as the margin stood at 43 with one to go.

Four straight Redlegs behinds didn’t help their case as Nye hit up Shortridge for his fourth goal.

Norwood refused to give in, finishing with the last five goals of the match, but the deficit proved too great to overcome.

Nye displayed his explosiveness at the contest, also featuring forward with 23 disposals, nine marks, six inside 50s and three goals.

In defence, Max Clifton and Lachlan Scott provided calm heads when required, with their marking ability contributing to the Panthers’ dominance in the air.

Shortridge effectively applied the pressure ahead of the ball, proving equally damaging on the scoreboard with a game-high four goals.

Now equal on points with the Redlegs in second, South Adelaide will prepare to take on Sturt at Thomas Farms Oval on Saturday, 8^th August at 11:30am.