SANFL ROUND 20: STURT v
Dennis the menace joins South goal
titans
By JAI BEDNALL
The Panthers made a mockery of suggestions they might be vulnerable to
a Sturt side playing its first game under caretaker coach Brodie Atkinson,
dominating from the outset in a disciplined team effort.
South simply had too many options in attack, Denis Iljcesen
popped up with seven goals, and was too skilled for
its undisciplined opponent.
Such was South's dominance that even ruckman Brett King kicked a major,
his first after 32 matches in the SANFL.
With a comfortable six-goal lead at half-time it would have been easy
for the Panthers to ease off, but there was no question of the team's
commitment as they slammed on 13.4 in the third term in a breathtaking display
of high-paced football.
Coach Robert Pyman was pleased with his
side's ability to stick to the team's game plan despite a lack of pressure from
the opposition.
“Anytime you win by 20 goals you can gain an enormous amount out of it,
as long as the players are sticking to the team guidelines, which they did,” he
said.
“I thought our professionalism, particularly in that third quarter, and
our ability to just keep running at the opposition was very good.”
Rhys Archard stamped his class on the contest
with 35 disposals while Steve Kenna and Matthew Smith
provided drive all day.
With Iljcesen in form up forward, Pyman has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, with
Damien Cupido and Ben Warren having both already
reached the 50-goal mark this season.
South travels to Prospect to face North this
week in a match that could decide its season. If the Panthers can upset the
Roosters, a task that proved beyond them in two earlier meetings this season, a
place in the finals will be within reach.
SCORES:
BEST: South – Archard,
Iljcesen, Davey, Kenna; Sturt – Sheedy, Hurley, Curtis.
GOALS: South – Iljcesen
7, Warren 4, Kenna, Cupido,
Davey 3, Wright, Thewlis 2, Archard,
Handby, Smith, McGlone,
King; Sturt – Chambers 3, Coad, Hurley 2, Button, Miles, Curtis, Sheedy.