CENTRAL District has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a see-sawing entertaining contest against North Adelaide on Good Friday. It was a nail-biting finish but the visitors managed to be in front at the right time to win, 8.4 (52) to 6.6 (42).

In a classic SANFL Women’s match, the reigning premiers looked well on top through the first quarter and a half as they raced to a 29-point lead only for the Roosters to claw their way back into it and hit the front late. Just when it looked like the underdogs would register their first win, Central District booted two late goals to secure a 10-point victory.

Early going the signs were good for North Adelaide as the Roosters had four shots on goal in the opening three minutes, but could only register a couple of points. In a counterpunch of epic proportions, Central District punished the Roosters with the Dogs’ two highest goalkickers in Katelyn Rosenzweig and Jasmine Evans causing all sorts of headaches.

Rosenzweig would finish with three goals for the quarter and Evans one, with the last kick of the game a major just a second before the final siren to add salt to the Roosters’ wounds. Luckily an impressive set shot from Tayla Gordon earlier in the term had given the Roosters some hope, and Roosters skipper Jessica Edwards was tearing it up with nine first quarter disposals.

It did not look grate early in the term as Central District peppered the goals, but fortunately for the Roosters, both Julia Teakle and Evans missing. But when the slick left footer in Tessa Doumanis found Evans alone in the goalsquare, the Dogs went 34-8 up seven m inutes into the quarter. A late goal to Ella Quinn following a costly anti-density free kick to the home side again kept them in the contest aas Teakle could not make the most from another mark inside 50.

That goal seemed to provide the Roosters with momentum and for the first time this season, North surpassed two goals in a match when Quinn this time passed off to Edwards 25m out. Wasting no time, the experienced skipper played on and slammed home the major to cut the deficit to 13 points. Up the other end, Indi Buckskin-James saved a certain goal when Evans put it to Doumanis deep, and North was able to clear.

When the Roosters got it up the other end, a special play out of nothing from a forward stoppage resulted in Lauren Hoffman snapping a long-range major. As expected, Central District responded, this time through Olivia Levicki who was dominant through the ruck. She kicked a set shot goal to give them a breather, and though both sides had some chances – through Edwards and Rosenzweig – the margin remained at a straight two kicks.

Then North Adelaide came hard. Majors to debutant Tiara Hatchard and Cristie Castle levelled the scores and all of a sudden the momentum was fully with North Adelaide. Things went from bad to worse for the Dogs when Teakle somehow failed to make the distance from 20m out as her set shot was marked on the line. North Adelaide would kick another two behinds to ensure the Dogs would need a major to win.

Then a forward stoppage inside 50 saw the ball cleverly tapped from Levicki to Doumanis on her left side and the AFLW-experienced forward snapped truly. She had put the Dogs in front, and when the next centre stoppage also went the way of Central District, it found its way into the hands of another left-footer with Caitlin Wendland slotting one over the defenders on the goalline to help Central District seal a 10-point win.

NORTH ADELAIDE 1.2 | 2.3 | 4.4 | 6.6 (42)
CENTRAL DISTRICT 4.2 | 5.4 | 6.4 | 8.4 (52)

GOALS:
North Adelaide: C. Castle, J. Edwards, T. Gordon, T. Hatchard, L. Hoffman, E. Quinn
Central District: K. Rosenzweig 3, J. Evans 2, T. Doumanis, O. Levicki, C. Wendland

RMC BEST:
North Adelaide: J. Edwards, T. Gordon, K. Pope, J. Clark, D. Totham
Central District: O. Levicki, K. Rosenzweig, J. Evans, S, Smith, C. Teague