A BLOCKBUSTER grand final rematch – and if you ask most people, preview – sees Central District hosting South Adelaide in a top of the table clash at Elizabeth. The Bulldogs will know by the time they take the field if a win is required for a double chance, while South Adelaide is sitting pretty and barring a 200-point smashing, will head into finals with a perfect tune up and ready for a first home final next week.

FORM

These sides are two powerhouses in the competition who have come good at the right time of the year. South Adelaide has found avenues to score in the past fortnight which is a worrying sign for the rest of the league given the Panthers’ only hole was in attack. Central District has never had trouble scoring – in fact the Dogs piled on seven goals in a quarter against Glenelg a few weeks back – but defensively have leaked some big scores, so will need to tighten up against the Panthers.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Central District: 2
South Adelaide: 8

Incredibly the Panthers boast a dominant record against the Bulldogs, though it should not come as a surprise seeing as prior to 2023, the Bulldogs had never played in a finals series. Having only beaten the Panthers twice, Central District will no doubt revel in the fact one of those was last year’s grand final, and no doubt be keen to repeat the dose this year.

TEAMS

Central District:

B: Tara Lord (31), Lauren Breguet (28)
HB: Jovanka Zecevic (23), Miyu Endersby (3), Jasmine Evans (27)
C: Sophie Eaton (12), Shelby Smith (1), Tess Gerhardy (33)
HF: Laitiah Huynh (41), Mikaylah Antony (54), Maddy Lane (40)
F: Tarly Borgas (16), Katelyn Rosenzweig (2)
R: Charlotte Riggs (9), Tessa Doumanis (8), Georgia Madigan (7)
INT: Tiarna Grovermann (45), Caitlen Teague (17), Georgie McKeee (21), Dakota Williams (38), Karissa Searle (22), Erica Rowe (19), Liz Wilson (14), Georgia Avery (18)

South Adelaide:

B: Jaslynne Smith (35), Charlotte Dolan (28)
HB: Sam Pratt (22), Esther Schirmer (23), Carly Milsom (45)
C: Emma Charlton (25), Mel Anderson (6), Morgan Johnston (1)
HF: Lily Baxter (56), Lucy Northcott (12), Emily Brockhurst (13)
F: Jordann Hickey (4), Doreena Hansen (26)
R: Soriah Moon (32), Caitlin Couch (10), Nikki Nield (2)
INT: Chelsea Farr (21), Lauren Clifton (41), Shae Archbold (17), Taya Maxwell (19), Layla Vizgaudis (20), Zoe Flesfadar (29), Bri Clegggett (27), Sarah Wright (5)

CHANGES

Central District welcomes back its three AFLW Academy members this week with Charlotte Riggs, Jasmine Evans and Georgia McKee walking back into the side. They have replaced Demi Sonneman, Ella Sergi and Shelby Raven.

South Adelaide will be without the unavailable Tiffany King and Litonya Cockatoo-Motlap, the former of which is particularly crucial given the Bulldogs’ powerful attack. There are five players as part of an extended bench coming in, including defender Samantha Pratt and midfielder Caitlin Couch, while skipper Brianna Cleggett is waiting for her chance to crack back in.

AFLW DRAFT WATCH

The trio of AFLW Academy talents headlines the Bulldogs’ group, with certainly two, and maybe even all three amongst the Top 20 prospects in this year’s AFLW Draft. Bottom-ager Sophie Eaton is one to watch for next year, while Mikaylah Antony, Miyu Endersby and Tara Lord have provided great dash.

South Adelaide is looking dangerous due to the emergence of Shae Archbold, Layla Vizgaudis and Emma Charlton who are all impressing at the same time. Defender Esther Schirmer has been rock solid in rebounding from half-back, while Lily Baxter and Taya Maxwell are others with bright futures.

STATS THAT MATTER

Thanks to South’s last fortnight, the Panthers have shot up to second overall for most points for, and that is even with a goalless game against Norwood a month ago. Central District has been the top scorer all year, though rank seventh in points conceded, compared to the number one Panthers. Essentially, the match comes down to how well the Bulldogs can break through the Panthers rock solid defence, while whether South Adelaide can still score heavily against a Dogs side that loves to punish teams on turnovers and race it down the other end.

PREDICTION

This is the type of match that every football fan should enjoy. Two sides that have genuine stars from AFLW-experienced talent to reliable state leaguers, and a host of draftable prospects. The talent in this game is the benchmark in state league football, and while South looks to be in the marginally better form, Central District is about the only team that can flick a switch and pile on a massive amount of goals in a short space of time.