A career-best seven-goal haul to Jonathon Beech has helped Adelaide dismantle South Adelaide by 54 points and secure a maiden SANFL Preliminary Final berth.

Beech ran riot in Sunday’s clash at Adelaide Oval with 14 possessions and a team-high nine marks in a timely best-on-ground performance from the West Adelaide premiership player, who was promoted onto Adelaide's senior list last month.

Fellow forward Harry Dear backed up a three-goal game in last week’s Elimination Final with another four majors, while Hugh Greenwood, Ricky Henderson and Alex Keath all finished with two goals apiece in what was Adelaide's first win over the Panthers this year.

Scoring spread the key, says Beech

The SANFL Crows overcame a slow start at Adelaide Oval, trailing by as much as 19 points midway through the opening term before storming into the lead with a run of 10 unanswered goals.

Adelaide conceded just three inside 50ms for the entire second term and held the Panthers to a solitary behind to build a 26-point half-time advantage.

South made its charge with back-to-back majors midway through the third stanza, but the Crows responded swiftly, piling on the next five goals in succession to lead by 54 points at the final break.

The Crows then cruised to the line to secure their first SANFL Preliminary Final berth in the Club’s three seasons in the competition.

Greenwood and fellow left-footer Mitch Grigg were outstanding in the clinches for Adelaide. Former basketballer Greenwood laid a match-high 10 tackles along with his pair of goals, while Grigg was his side's top ball-winner with 28 possessions and also earned nine clearances to give the Crows great grunt around the contest.

It was an impressive display from Adelaide’s midfield group, given the Crows lost Magarey Medal contender Cam Ellis-Yolmen to a hamstring strain early in the first term.

Paul Seedsman showed little signs of ring rust in his first game in over a month. The long-kicking Crow relished the open space at Adelaide Oval and rarely wasted the ball with his 15 possessions, which also included four inside 50ms.

Andy Otten was incredible in defence opposed to Ken Farmer Medallist Brett Eddy. The 27-year-old held Eddy, who kicked 11 goals from his past two games against Adelaide, to just three majors and two marks for the entire afternoon. Otten also had 13 disposals and five marks in a another strong performance as stand-in skipper.

SANFL Stats: Semi-Final v South Adelaide

Ruckman Reilly O’Brien dominated the big-man battle with a season-best 45 hit-outs and six tackles. Luke Lowden also provided solid support in his return from an ankle injury, recording 23 taps and finishing with a goal.

Young midfielder Dean Gore (23 disposals, three clearances) and first-year defender Tom Doedee (14 disposals, five marks) were also prominent in what was another strong team performance across all lines.

The Panthers pounced early with the opening two goals of the game before Adelaide earned its first forward foray. The Crows were 19 points adrift before Alex Keath slotted his first SANFL goal after earning a 25-metre penalty.

Seedsman, Henderson and Riley Knight then all started to warm into the contest as the Crows began to get their running game going, with Beech and Dear the early beneficiaries.

Beech nailed an incredible set shot from the boundary for his third goal in a row just after quarter-time to give Adelaide the lead for the first time in the match.

Crows SANFL coach Heath Younie was proud of his team’s ability to absorb and respond to South Adelaide’s early onslaught.

“They brought pressure and heat real early and had us on the back foot,” Younie said.

“It was a terrific response, we got ourselves back in the contest… and then owned the ball, played the game in our front half and played exactly the way we wanted to play, and then finished our work up forward.”

Adelaide’s forward press and pressure around the ball lifted a gear in the second term and the Crows never looked back, surging clear to a 42-point lead before South Adelaide could finally scored their fifth goal of the day midway through the third term.

It did little to stop the Crows however, as they continued to pile on the score to take a match-winning 54-point lead into the final change.

The SANFL Crows will now play Sturt in next Sunday’s Preliminary Final at Adelaide Oval from 2.10pm.

 

ADELAIDE                 4.0   8.4   16.6   22.8 (140)
SOUTH ADELAIDE     4.1   4.2   7.6   13.8 (86)

GOALS
Adelaide: Beech 7, Dear 4, Henderson 2, Keath 2, Greenwood 2, Menzel, Grigg, Lowden, Knight, Gore
South Adelaide: McMahon 4, Eddy 2, Overall 2, Bass, Cross, Barnes, Rose

BEST
Adelaide: Beech, Greenwood, Otten, Gore, Grigg, Dear, O’Brien, Doedee
South Adelaide: Rose, Cross, McMahon, Seccull

INJURIES
Adelaide: Ellis-Yolmen (left hamstring)
South Adelaide: Nil