Round 1 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

By WARREN PARTLAND

Henley Sharks product Emma Kilpatrick emerged the hero for West Adelaide at Thebarton Oval on Friday night with an after-the siren goal giving the Bloods a triumphant start to the season.

Kilpatrick earned a free kick for a holding the ball call against South Adelaide and the teenager held her nerve to nail her first SANFLW goal.

It was a superb start to their campaign for the Bloods after being forced to shrug off a tardy start when the Panthers bagged the opening three goals.

The Panthers still seemingly had the game at their mercy early in the final quarter after Emily Brockhurst toe poked her third goal to enable the visitors to escape to a nine-point advantage.

In typical Zoe Venning fashion, she amassed a game-high 25 possessions to have a significant influence for the Bloods, while highly talented Lauren Young racked up 21.

Brooke Boileau was outstanding for the Panthers, along with Nikki Nield. The visitors had 14 less trips inside their 50m arc.

Onballer Jessica Bates provided the spark for Glenelg to conquer North Adelaide by 22 points in a scrappy encounter at Thebarton Oval on Saturday night.

Bates amassed a whopping 36 possessions, registered nine tackles and nailed a goal in the third quarter to have a massive influence for the Tigers.

The Tigers failed to score in the second quarter, but bagged three second half goals to kick-start their season with a convincing win.

Sarah Goodwin picked up eight disposals in the opening term to inspire the Tigers early, while Poppy Schulz again showcased her talents and was crucial to the victory.

After failing to impact on the scoreboard in the first quarter, the Roosters had the only score in the second term when busy Katelyn Pope snapped a terrific goal.

However, the next score for the Roosters, who had 24 less entries inside their 50, did not come until late in the fourth term when they added a behind.

Sturt was forced to retrieve a 19-point half-time deficit against a hard-working Woodville-West Torrens outfit to claim a seven-point victory in the historic first SANFLW game at Eastern Parade Reserve on Saturday.

The Double Blues kicked six goals in the second half, including the only three majors of the third quarter, and restricted the Eagles to two, to earn the win.

With Marlie Fiegert having an impact early, the Eagles dominated territory in the first quarter and held the Double Blues goalless until the final seconds.

Momentum swung after quarter-time and the Double Blues, led by India Rasheed, were camped deep in attack for lengthy periods. The Eagles were able to steady, however, and built a handy buffer on the back of terrific goals from Taylah Levy and Olivia Evans, who finished with three goals on debut.

The Double Blues’ intensity and tackling pressure lifted in the third quarter and they were rewarded on the scoreboard. Abby Pengelly bagged two goals in the third term when the Double Blues responded to the many questions being posed by the Eagles.

Central District kicked off its Hostplus SANFLW title defence with a hard-fought two-point triumph over Norwood in the opening round at The Parade on Friday night.

Last year’s Grand Final medallist, Shelby Smith, showed the off-season had not diminished her ability to impact on games, leading from the front for the Bulldogs with her hunger for the physical contest.

Olivia Levicki’s role in ruck was also crucial for the visitors, who had to rely on the only goal in the final quarter from Lauren Breguet to secure the crucial premiership points.

It was a case of deja vu for the Redlegs, who lost their season opener last year to then defending champion North Adelaide by the same margin.

The Redlegs failed to impact on the scoreboard in the first term, while conceding 2.1 to the Bulldogs, before bagging three successive goals to grab the lead.

Jade Halfpenny was busy for the home side, its leading possession winner with 20, along with Sachi Syme.