Under-18 Match Report: Elimination Final vs West Adelaide

Under-18 Match Report

South Adelaide vs West Adelaide
Elimination Final - ACH Group Stadium - 04/092021

Goals: Magor 4, Delean, Rodrigues 3, Cockshell
Best: Verrall, Schroder, Rodrigues, Bradley, Mitton, Jones

The South Adelaide Under-18s season ends abruptly after suffering an 11-point Semi Final defeat against West Adelaide at ACH Group Stadium on Saturday.

The Panthers were forced to overcome a costly slow start which proved to be just out of arm’s length as the boys fell to a hard-fought loss, 11.6 (72) to 12.11 (83).

Upon returning from league duties, Arlo Draper finished with 24 touches, 6 tackles and 6 clearances. While up forward, Jaiden Magor finished with a game-high tally of 4 goals.

Having only played the Bloods just one week prior, which resulted in a 3-goal loss, the Panthers were determined to gain a better result—but from the outset, this looked easier said than done.

Bursting out of the box, Jack Delean got things going for the Panthers with the opening goal of the game. However, from here the Bloods managed to kick 7 unanswered goals to close out the quarter.

Trailing by 6 goals at the first change, the Panthers managed to claw themselves back into the match by registering 5 unanswered goals of their own. Yet a Bloods goal at the end of the quarter set the halftime deficit to 6.2 (38) to 8.3 (51).

Goals came hard to find for both teams during the third term, as the boys in the blue and white managed to keep the Bloods within striking distance.

The exception to this was Blake Rodrigues, who recorded his third goal of the game during the third term, with this sole-South Adelaide goal setting up a do or die final term.

However, despite trying valiantly, the Panthers fell 2 goals shy of a come from behind win.

The 11.6 (72) to 12.11 (83) loss marks the end of a season that has been another promising step in the right direction for South Adelaide’s Talent Pathway.