FIRST SEMI-FINAL: NORTH ADELAIDE v SOUTH ADELAIDE

Pain plus passion = victory

By DALE CLARKE

EMOTION was the fuel for North Adelaide in its gutsy first-semi-final win against South on Sunday, and it will need to run on a full tank of that motivation if it is to get past the Eagles this Sunday.

One win away from the Grand Final, the Roosters will carry a depleted line-up into the preliminary final, but just how depleted remains to be seen.

Already missing Josh Coulter and Darryl Wintle, the Roosters had injuries to Dean Howard (knee), Matthew Krieg (hamstring), Nick Gill (shoulder) and Shane Schubert (corked thigh).

Jarman indicated Krieg would be the most unlikely to play this week, with the others up for fitness tests.

Add to that the report of Steven Koops (which was due to be heard Tuesday night), and North could go into the match as severe underdogs.

Jarman was a proud man at 3pm Sunday, after his team, with his interchange bench injured and some of the 18 players on the field ignoring their own niggles, pulled off a stunning win.

Trailing by 13 points at the last break, Jarman pleaded for his charges to play through pain and leave nothing on the field.

With visions of the Dermott Brereton clip played to the team before the match instilled in their mindset, the limping Roosters performed, rattling on the first three goals of the last quarter, and doubling their three-quarter-time tally of seven goals.

“They were all injured and sore, but that's what it's about, blokes have to lift. You see it in finals and that's what it's about – play through pain, and that was the message today,” Jarman said.

Chris Ladhams was inspiring. Panther fans may toss and turn in their sleep with visions of Ladhams winning crucial possessions all over the ground, and kicking five goals, including three in the last quarter.

He also played a part in Heath Younie's goal which put the Roosters in front at the eight-minute mark, and was generally able to land most of his kicks on red and white chests.

Full forward Daniel Hargraves was a last quarter hero too, booting consecutive goals in time-on to take the margin from six to 18 points.

Jarman said he had no doubt a loss to South would have left his side with a season of underachievement.

SCORES: North Adelaide 3.6 6.10 7.14 14.18 (102) defeated South Adelaide 4.3 5.7 10.9 11.11 (77).

BEST: North – Ladhams, Gill, Hudson, McIntyre, Campbell, Bamford; South – Smith, Wright, Carlile, Bennett, Sampson, Parry.

GOALS: North – Ladhams 5, Hargraves, Gill, Younie 2, Edwards, Alleway, Koops; South – Twomey, Davey 2, Ellis, Iljcesen, Archard, Parry, Thewlis, C.Sampson, Smith.