THREE separate match-winning moments from Central District defender Madison Lane in the last four minutes saved the Bulldogs from an almighty last quarter Sturt surge with the Double Blues having numerous chances on goal but unable to get over the line in a contest for the ages.

The Bulldogs came away with the relieving 6.7 (43) to 6.3 (39) victory, though it could have been very different. In the last few seconds of the match, Georgia King won a free at half-forward and spotted the taller Zara Walsh goalside of her opponent Tess Gerhardy. She bombed it to her advantage, but while the ball sat up over her head in the goalsquare, Walsh opted to bump Gerhardy before taking possession.

While in one-on-one contests it would have guaranteed an easy goal, out of nowhere Lane burst in front of both players and rushed the ball across the line with the siren sounding as she did so. That incredible run to get back and help her teammate ensured Central District came away with the two points, but the effort was not the only one in the dying minutes.

In an eerily similar situation, Walsh got goalside and thankfully for the Dogs defence who were bearing down on her, the Sturt forward got an unfortunate bounce which bought Lane time to win the groundball and kick to safety. Had it bounced up for Walsh, there was no one who could catch her goalside with her explosiveness.

Less than two minutes later, Lane was up on the wing, leaving her opponent to win a ball against two Sturt players and again clear the danger, buying more time for her team. With forward Katelyn Rosenzweig doing all the damage on the scoreboard up the other end with four majors, it was Lane and her defensive crew saving the day in the dying stages.

Both teams put on a show that had bursts of goals throughout the match, and while the contest certainly included lulls where the tempo slowed for possession footy, the excitement once either club found space to run into ensured the fans were engaged to the very end.

Walsh herself had a story to tell, with the talented young gun returning from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she sustained last year, and kicking her side’s first goal 13 minutes into the opening term. Majors to wing/forward Summer Ross either side of quarter time actually handed the Double Blues the lead, but that was erased by Rosenzweig who had three majors to half-time.

By the time the forward kicked her fourth midway through the third term it looked like it was going the way of the home side, but an immediate response from Ruby Cunningham, and then an early goal to Molly Fletcher in the fourth cut the deficit back to three points.

Rosenzweig missed arguably her best chance for a goal at the seven minute mark of the fourth term, but bottom-age AFLW Draft prospect Tara Lord was there to save the day, launching a long-range set shot that sailed over hands on the goalline.

The satisfaction of a 10-point lead did not last long for the Dogs as they watched King intercept a rare Georgia Madigan turnover. The Dogs co-captain produced a goal-saving tackle to win a free kick but then went to pinpoint a short pass that King read to a t. She went back and slotted the goal and the margin was aback to four points with eight minutes remaining.

Both sides had their moments in the final few minutes, with Lauren Breguet launching from long-range looking for her second major, though it was touched on the line by Sturt ruck Jasmin Fejo who was her side’s best. It went right down to the wire and that final play, with the Double Blues always surging to the final siren, but unable to get a clean boot to ball in the last moment, allowing Lane to save the day, and the game.

Lane finished with an equal team-high 19 touches as well as three marks, five tackles, three clearances and three rebound 50s, while Rosenzweig (four goals from 13 disposals and four marks) and Breguet (13 disposals, seven tackles and one goal) were potent up forward.

The midfield contingent of Caitlen Teague, Sophie Eaton and Jovanka Zecevic all got their hands on the ball, as did Laitiah Huynh on the outside, while the ruck work of Fejo (22 disposals, six marks, 32 hitouts and six clearances) was phenomenal. Isobel Kuiper (27 disposals, six tackles and 11 clearances) was enormous on the inside, with a trio of State Academy members in Monique Bessen, Sophie Thredgold and Summer Ross all lively.

Central District will head down to Ottoway next round to face the also unbeaten Woodville-West Torrens, while Sturt heads to The Summit where one of the Double Blues or Glenelg will record a maiden 2025 win.

CENTRAL DISTRICT 2.3 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 6.7 (43)
STURT 2.1 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 6.3 (39)

GOALS:
Central District: K. Rosenzweig 4, L. Breguet, T. Lord
Sturt: S. Ross 2, R. Cunningham, M. Fletcher, G. King, Z. Walsh

RMC BEST:
Central District: M. Lane, K. Rosenzweig, L. Breguet, C. Teague, S. Eaton
Sturt: J. Fejo, I. Kuiper, S. Thredgold, M. Bessen, S. Ross