A HUGE battle with top spot and potentially avoiding bottom spot is on the line for Sunday between North and South Adelaide, while Norwood can close the door on the finals for the bottom four if the Redlegs beat the Eagles.

FORM

After losing nine on the trot to start the season, North Adelaide has roared to life the last fortnight and won two on the trot including an upset of ladder leaders Glenelg. Now the Roosters looked to make it a three-peat against a Panthers side who will take top spot if it wins, and survived a one-point nail-biter over West Adelaide last week.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

North Adelaide: 8
South Adelaide: 5

Two of the most successful side in SANFLW history, it is North Adleaide who has had the upper hand over its south counterparts, having a long history that includes two grand finals along the way. The Panthers have only won once against the Roosters outside Noarlunga, and North Adelaide has won both matches played at Prospect Oval so far.

TEAMS

North Adelaide:

B: Lara Harding (27), Kristi Harvey (5)
HB: Sarah Steele-Park (36), Ella Metcalfe (40), Lauren Gauci (35)
C: Sasha Hardin (38), Julia Clark (33), Jess Edwards (2)
HF: Lauren Hoffmann (45), Brianna Arthur (18), Tayla Gordon (23)
F: Ella Quinn (14), Amber Ward (24)
R: Indi Buckskin-James (19), Aprille Crooks (10), Djimila Totham (30)
INT: Jasmine Dallimore (53), Sarcha Taylor (52), Laura Niejalke (16), Zoe Perry (44), Bailey Murray (3), Dakota Kendall (57), Chloe Charity (6)

South Adelaide:

B: Tiffany King (14), Jaslynne Smith (35)
HB: Litonya Cockatoo-Motlap (15), Esther Schirmer (23), Sam Pratt (22)
C: Emma Charlton (25), Mel Anderson (6), Layla Vizgaudis (20)
HF: Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap (11), Lucy Northcott (12), Emily Brockhurst (13)
F: Jordann Hickey (4), Doreena Hansen (26)
R: Soriah Moon (32), Caitlin Couch (10), Nikki Nield (2)
INT: Lily Baxter (56), Sarah Wright (5), Shae Archbold (17), Taya Maxwell (19), Zoe Flesfadar (29), Carly Milsom (45), Morgan Johnston (1), Bri Cleggett (27)

CHANGES

North Adelaide has lost defender Jamie Parish to concussion, but have regained AFLW-experienced Lauren Gauci and added Chloe Charity and Dakota Kendall to an extended bench. South Adelaide is also minus a couple of key players with Nicole Campbell injuring her knee last week, while Chelsea Farr will miss the clash against her former side.

AFLW DRAFT WATCH

Roosters forward Sarcha Taylor provides a spark inside 50, while Aprille Crooks has also shown some great draftable qualities. South Adelaide has no shortage of State Academy members with top-age defender Esther Schirmer and a couple of 2008-born wing/forwards in Layla Vizgaudis and Emma Charlton both eye-catching. Lily Baxter is yet another who can play multiple rounds, while Shae Archbold and Taya Maxwell provide height in the forward half.

STATS THAT MATTER

Both these teams are not notoriously high scorers, but North has begun to improve that the last fortnight. South is the best team at suffocating opposition scoring, and not allowing the faintest sniff of scoring shots. North Adelaide is ranked fourth in the same measure, and both are ranked top three in disposal efficiency, and top two in marks.

PREDICTION

South Adelaide looms as the team to beat at the moment so it is incredibly hard to go past the Panthers. In saying this, the form of North Adelaide means this is not a second against last as it normally would be, so a third straight win by the red-hot Roosters would no longer be out of character.

FORM

Norwood has the huge opportunity to lock up the top four and deny the remaining two teams in contention from making the post-season series. A draw against Glenelg, and wins over Central District and South Adelaide in the past month will have the other top three sides very nervous come finals, and a win here will make it impossible for either West or Sturt to make finals. If the Eagles win, they will almost certainly avoid the wooden spoon, forcing the Roosters to win two of their last three games.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Norwood: 8
WWT Eagles: 2

These two sides have only played the 10 times with Norwood previously holding an 8-1 record prior to Woodville-West Torrens’ incredible five-point win over the Redlegs in Round 3 this year. The Eagles are yet to win at Coopers Stadium, but have won two of the past four clashes against the Redlegs.

TEAMS

Norwood:

B: Emily Bartsch (27), Rosie Boon (46)
HB: Sarah Branford (9), Charli Hazelhurst (39), Charlotte Nenke (44)
C: Coby Morgan (2), Kate Alexander (61), Tahlita Buethke (1)
HF: Amelia Rusden (10), Lana Schwerdt (41), Mykaela Walker (35)
F: Shai Hiscock (13), Adrienne Davies (8)
R: Stephanie Simmonds (17), Sophie Armitstead (36), Jade Halfpenny (22)
INT: Sophie Arkun (43), Emma Clark (7), Kiana Lee (28), Candice Belbin (26), Tesharna Maher (14)

WWT Eagles:

B: Audrey Holt (10), Amie Blanden (12)
HB: Annie Falkenberg (8), Cher Waters (20), Julia Watson (51)
C: Grace Martin (7), Sophie Zuill (24), Poppy Waterford (1)
HF: Imogen Trengove (22), Rosette Zerella (32), Chantelle Mitchell (5)
F: Klaudia O’Neill (18), Marlie Fiegert (30)
R: Leah Cutting (26), Brianna Walling (13), Bianca Portaro (3)
INT: Christina Leuzzi (19), Lucy Moore (15), Ashleigh Forbes (40), Ashley Baker (44), Mikayla Cavallaro (4), Zahlia Niemann (38), Sophie Whitwell (42), Astrid Gooley (21)

CHANGES

Norwood regains Tesharna Maher who missed last round due to illness, and she replaces the person who replaced her in youngster Elke Cameron. This week it is Nicola Burns who is ill, but returning to the side is co-captain Steph Simmonds.

Popi Gikas (unavailable) is the only confirmed out from an Eagles side who have added both Zahlia Niemann and Mikayla Cavallaro.

AFLW DRAFT WATCH

Woodville-West Torrens’ top-age talents in Grace Martin, Bianca Portaro and Klaudia O’Neill have all played important roles this season, while bottom-ager Imogen Trengove and Under 16s prospect Lucy Moore provide a different look around the ground.

For the Redlegs, winger Coby Morgan is the top-ager to watch, with Charli Hazelhurst and Kate Alexander two names to remember over the next two seasons.

STATS THAT MATTER

Norwood is the second highest scoring team in the competition, while the Eagles record the second most inside 50s across the board. It means both teams will have their chances on the day, with Norwood better at restricting opposition inside 50s, but the Eagles are elite at bringing the heat, averaging 84.6 tackles per match, while Norwood is seventh with 70.4.

PREDICTION

Norwood is on a tear at the moment and look hard to beat, while the Eagles can no longer make finals. However Woodville-West Torrens is still searching for that club record fourth win and will not be an easy beat, with the Redlegs losing this fixture earlier this year. In saying that, with so much on the line and its form, expect the home side to be a bit too strong.