SANFL 2006 ROUND 22: SOUTH ADELAIDE v WEST ADELAIDE

One win needed for finals

By DALE CLARKE

SOUTH Adelaide faces what is almost certainly the biggest game in the club's past 12 years this weekend, when it takes on Glenelg at Adelaide Oval, with a finals position on the line.

The equation is simple - win, and the Panthers enter the finals series for the first time since 1992; lose, and they finish sixth.

The closest the club has come to finals was in 1995, when a seven-point loss to Norwood in round 25 (the final round) cost the Panthers a spot in the finals.

Glenelg has its own tale of misery, having not played finals since 1999.

The season finale on Adelaide Oval has left SANFL programmers looking like geniuses.

South faces the challenge of reversing the results from the teams' two clashes this season - Glenelg winning by 10 at Noarlunga and 42 at the Bay.

But Panthers coach Robert Pyman was confident of mastering the Tigers. “Certainly when we got the post game analysis there's areas there where we let ourselves down last time we played them ... that's the beauty of football you can always learn from it,” Pyman said.

South set up the knockout clash with Glenelg with a 75-point win against West Adelaide at Noarlunga on Saturday.

The Bloods managed to stay with South through the first half, trailing by seven points at the change, but the Panthers stacked on nine goals to two in the third quarter and finished strongly in the last quarter.

Alwyn Davey was sensational for the blue-and-whites, kicking six goals, five of which he created by swooping on loose, bouncing balls.

Along with his ruthless tackling, which earnt him two holding-the-ball free kicks on Saturday, Davey added further weight to his very strong case as an AFL prospect.

“There's no doubt AFL teams would have to be in the market for that sort of player,” Pyman said. “I think his season has been very good and he's improved as the year's gone on.”

Ben Warren kicked five goals, three in the third quarter.

David Clarke was a ball magnet all day, gathering 37 touches and 11 marks.

The Panthers will regain Rhys Archard fresh for next week's game, after he missed the West game for an interstate wedding.

But they may miss Stephen Kenna, who injured his ankle on Saturday.

SCORES: South Adelaide 4.3 9.5 18.8 23.16 (154) defeated West Adelaide 4.2 8.4 10.6 11.13 (79).

BEST: South - Davey, Clarke, Smith, Handby, Parry; West - Haynes, Hollands, Dragicevic, Caire.

GOALS: South - Davey 6, Warren 5, Wright, Iljcesen, Twomey 2, Ellis, Thewlis, Handby, Williams, Cupido, Clarke; West - Haynes 6, Bonaddio 2, Hollands, Buckley, Bricknell.

North v Central