Glenelg’s 100-gamer Marlon Motlop pressures South co-captain Joel Cross

	1st	2nd	3rd	Final	Pts
South Adelaide	0.5	6.8	11.9	13.9	87
Glenelg	3.1	6.2	11.2	13.5	83

Noarlunga Oval. Crowd 1,750

By ZAC MILBANK

South Adelaide needed a last minute hero and the Panthers got it in the form of reliable defender Joe Haines.

Clinging on to a five-point lead against Glenelg at Flinders University Stadium, South was desperately trying to close out another nail-biter after falling to Norwood by two points six days earlier.

Panthers co-captain Joel Cross had just kicked a vital fourth-term goal and had a hand in another to veteran team-mate Nick Liddle which seemingly had the hosts across the line with a 10-point buffer 22 minutes in.

But within 60 seconds, the Bays had a quick reply after Liam McBean gathered a ground ball and goaled on the run from 40m in front.

With the Tigers continuing to surge as they attempted to wrestle back the lead, it was the resolute Haines who stood tall.

A long-ranging inside 50m entry was headed toward McBean who was within kicking range, but Haines flew across the front of the pack to take a strong contested mark with less than a minute on the clock.

Jarrad Wright’s charges were then able to maintain possession and move the ball out of the danger area until the final siren sounded much to the delight of the blue-and-white faithful.

It was yet another entertaining, highly-skilled contest at Noarlunga but this time the home side was on the right end of the result.

Cross, who tallied 27 disposals, seven marks and five tackles, was outstanding while Liddle, Abe Davis and Panther co-captain Matt Rose were also important cogs in earning the premiership points.

Making his Statewide Super League season debut after a serious hamstring strain, Panther Anthony Biemans made his presence felt with three second-quarter goals as his side worked its way back into the match.

Crafty Kyle Emery also chimed in with three goals for South as the hosts went toe-to-toe with the Tigers’ talented forward line.

Coming into the clash as the competition’s pacesetter, Glenelg started strongly in the first term to open up a 20-point lead nine minutes into the second stanza.

But South was able to withstand the Tigers’ forward line functioning smoothly once again as Luke Reynolds booted five goals to shade Josh Scott with four majors.

Luke Partington again found plenty of the ball for the visitors while the 100-game milestone man in Marlon Motlop also contributed strongly with 18 touches and a goal.

The Tigers will now look to regroup ahead of hosting Central District in Round 11 next Sunday.

LEADING DISPOSALS –

South: Cross 27, Davis, Liddle 26, Rose 23, Karpany, Schwarz 21, Heaslip 19, Brown, Noble, Sampson 18.

Glenelg: Partington 31, Motlop 21, Bradley, Close, Schott 20, Curran, Scharenberg, Snook 17.

GOALS –

South: Biemans, Emery 3, Cross, Davis, Heaslip, Karpany, Liddle, Overall, Sampson.

Glenelg: Reynolds 5, Scott 4, McBean 3, Motlop.

BEST

South: A. Davis, J. Cross, M. Karpany, N. Liddle, B. Crabb, B. Heaslip

Glenelg: (Not given)

MAGAREY MEDAL VOTES -

3. Partington (G)

2. Davis (S)

1. Cross (S)