Adelaide and North Adelaide continue their charge towards finals with impressive wins, the Eagles extend their losing run, while Norwood and Sturt break away from the pack in the race for top spot.
Read all about it in this week's SANFL wrap.
Norwood 16.11.(107) def South Adelaide 7.10.(52)
Norwood locked away a top-two finish with a comprehensive 55-point victory over South Adelaide at The Parade on Saturday.
Recovering from a disappointing loss at Glenelg before the bye, the Redlegs are locked on points with Sturt in the battle for top spot and the converted bye in the first week of finals.
As they have done several times this year, Norwood burst out of the blocks and controlled the contest from the outset, kicking the first four goals and dominating territory to lead inside 50s by 10 at the first break.
Norwood continued their stranglehold in the second term, restricting the Panthers to just one goal in the first half as they took a 51-point advantage into half-time.
Kicking the first two goals after the main break, the Redlegs led by 62 points early in the third and a demolition was seemingly on the cards.
To their credit, South put some respectability into the scoreboard with six second-half goals as Norwood took the foot off the accelerator in the final quarter.
The win was set up in typical Norwood fashion, starting with a complete ascendancy through the midfield, winning clearances by 30 and inside 50s by 20 as the Redlegs proved simply too strong in this part of the ground.
Harry Boyd was again a dominant force for the Redlegs, monstering South's makeshift ruck pairing of Damon Freitag and Sam Hindes to collect 31 disposals, 54 hitouts and 16 clearances.
Izak Twelftree enjoyed a career-best outing at league level, finishing with six goals from 21 disposals while also spending some time through the middle as coach Jade Rawlings continues to tinker with the midfield mix.
With Finn Heard missing through injury, Tristan Binder came in for his first league game of the season and seized his opportunity, kicking a wayward 2.4 but providing a key marking target in attack.
Jackson Callow was a powerful aerial presence, taking six contested marks despite being double-teamed by Jake Summerton and Sam Skinner.
Baynen Lowe continued his purple patch of form, collecting 20 disposals, five clearances and two goals in another standout performance.
Ben Simpson earned a reprieve at senior level and proved his worth, finding 15 touches and six clearances as he consistently won first possession at the coalface.
Captain Jacob Kennerley played predominantly through the midfield and found 17 touches and four clearances despite being closely tagged by Liam Nye.
Billy Cootee was a damaging influence at the stoppages and finished with 21 disposals, five clearances and five inside 50s.
Matthew Ling returned to form and tallied 21 touches across half-back, while Jack Heard was solid in defence and took several important saving marks.
Alastair Lord played a solid shutdown role on South livewire Eamon Wilkinson, while Pierce Seymour and Tom Graham also blanketed their respective opponents.
On a day when not much went right for the visitors, South supporters can find encouragement in several bright spots.
Perhaps the most prominent of these was draft hopeful Phoenix Hargrave, who fought through a tough matchup with Matthew Ling to find 15 disposals and two goals in an impressive display.
Liam Fitt was also able to break loose from Tom Donnelly on several occasions and finished with 2.2, while Damon Freitag fought valiantly in the ruck and collected six clearances.
Elliot Dunkin (17 disposals and five rebound 50s) provided spark across half-back, while Sam Skinner and Jake Summerton worked tirelessly in a defence often under siege.
North Adelaide 16.7.(103) def Glenelg 10.15.(75)
North Adelaide boosted their finals hopes with a shock 28-point win over a wasteful Glenelg at Prospect Oval on Saturday.
Needing a win to stay in touch with fifth-placed Woodville-West Torrens, the Roosters regained their attacking flair and showed the threat they can pose if they make September action.
After a relatively even first half that saw Glenelg lead by four points at the main break, North powered away in the second half, kicking nine goals without a miss to 2.10 to put the Tigers to the sword.
As it did against Port Adelaide in Round 14, Glenelg's inefficiency inside 50 cost them dearly, registering 18 more entries and two more scoring shots but frittering away numerous chances.
Glenelg's third loss in four games has ended their hopes of back-to-back minor premierships, leaving them locked in a battle with Central District for the crucial third spot and double chance.
North Adelaide big man Mitch Harvey is closing in on the Ken Farmer Medal following another outstanding performance, kicking five goals from 15 disposals.
Nigel Lockyer and Sam McInerney were busy inside 50, pitching in with two goals each.
With Harvey stationed largely inside 50, Dyson Hilder spent much of the day in the ruck and was influential with his 18 disposals and nine clearances.
Campbell Combe (19 disposals and eight clearances) and Harrison Wigg (18 touches and six clearances) both worked hard through the midfield.
Second-gamer Jed Dignan (15 disposals and two goals) spent time through the midfield and looked comfortable at senior level, while Sam Ramsay and Jake Patmore performed solidly.
Alex Spina (16 disposals) was influential as ever in the backline, while Keenan Ramsey was superb in his new role at fullback, taking nine marks and holding Liam McBean to just one goal.
Having controlled large parts of the game, Glenelg had plenty of contributors despite ultimately falling short on the scoreboard.
Playing his 150th SANFL match, Luke Reynolds enjoyed a big game in front of the sticks but was symptomatic of his team's wastefulness, kicking 4.5 from 14 touches and nine marks.
Matthew Allen was his typically damaging self, amassing 20 disposals, five inside 50s and a goal, while James Bell was influential in the midfield with 23 touches and five clearances.
Matthew Snook (17 possessions and seven clearances) fought hard in the clinches all day, as did Corey Lyons (17 disposals and six tackles).
Cam McGree (17 disposals and a goal) took most of the ruck duties and worked hard to find the ball around the ground as well.
Chris Curran (18 disposals and five inside 50s) continues to settle into his new wing role, while Max Proud (22 disposals), Jonty Scharenberg and Nick Stevens saw plenty of the Sherrin across half-back.
Sturt 12.14.(86) def Central District 8.4.(52)
Sturt extended their winning streak to 11 games and confirmed a top-two finish after casting aside Central District by 34 points at Unley on Saturday.
The win keeps Sturt level on points with Norwood at the top of the ladder, sitting just 0.6% off top spot with two rounds remaining.
Meanwhile, Central District have been left to battle Glenelg for the all-important third spot, with the two sides to meet this weekend in a heavyweight clash at Elizabeth.
Giving up the first three goals of the contest, Central were forced to play catch-up all afternoon and mounted several challenges but Sturt always had the answers.
Sturt were forced to overcome poor goalkicking that could have proven costly, but the weight of numbers told in the end as they looked a class above from the outset.
As we have come to expect from the Blues this year, their chip-and-mark game was in full swing, registering 220 kicks and 102 marks as they methodically worked the ball up the ground with short passes to leading players.
Will Snelling staked another late claim for the Magarey Medal, finishing with 32 disposals, 10 clearances and nine tackles as the most influential player on the ground.
James Battersby (29 disposals and seven clearances) was damaging through the midfield, while Tom Lewis (15 touches and 11 tackles) was tough as nails in the clinches.
Connor McFadyen tore the game apart in the forward line and could have had an even bigger day if not for inaccuracy, kicking 5.5 and taking eight marks.
James Mathews returned to the line-up for the first time since Round 12 and proved his worth in kicking two goals.
Young key defender Zac Becker enjoyed arguably his best game at senior level, earning the round's nomination for Breakthrough Player of the Year after claiming 21 disposals and 12 marks as he controlled the airways across defence.
Amos Doyle made a welcome return to the side following a finger injury, slotting straight back into the ruck and finishing with 38 hitouts and a goal.
Flynn Perez (19 disposals and a goal) and Casey Voss (20 touches) were integral in kickstarting Sturt's ball movement out of defence.
Steven Slimming (20 possessions) and Luke Giacometti (18 disposals) worked hard to find plenty of the ball and win the wing battle.
Central District had Harry Grant stand out as their best player, claiming 26 touches and four clearances as he battled hard in the midfield.
Jarrod Schiller (18 disposals and six tackles), Wilson Barry (14 possessions and four clearances) and Kyle Presbury (18 disposals) were also serviceable through the middle.
Beau Thomas took most of the ruck duties and stood up to the challenge, finding 14 disposals, six clearances and a goal against a state representative ruckman.
Rhett Montgomerie (21 disposals and 10 marks) patrolled the backline and took several important intercept marks, while Jez McLennan (18 disposals) and Billy Iles (20 touches and six rebound 50s) worked hard in defence.
Kai Pudney earned a call-up to the league side and responded well, collecting 21 disposals and six tackles.
West Adelaide 6.7.(43) def by Adelaide Crows 17.9.(111)
Adelaide's surge towards finals action took another step on Sunday following a resounding 68-point win over West Adelaide in the Neil Kerley Memorial Match.
Played at Adelaide Oval as a curtain-raiser to the Adelaide v Western Bulldogs AFL match, the contest was evenly matched in the first half before the Crows pulled away with 12 goals to none after the main break.
Having won five of their past six games, the Crows are now level on points with Woodville-West Torrens and sit out of the five on percentage only with two games remaining.
If they make it to September, Sunday's win suggests they will be a formidable opponent, fielding a strong side featuring 16 AFL-listed players against the Bloods.
They are currently playing some of the best football in the competition, regaining their midfield strength and slick ball movement that has seen them make the past two preliminary finals.
West simply couldn't keep up with the Crows' running power after half-time, allowing Adelaide to find space and move the ball with ease, resulting in a lopsided 58-33 inside 50 count.
While putting up a brave fight early with some daring ball use that put Adelaide's defence under pressure, the Bloods were completely halted in the second half and couldn't orchestrate any meaningful attacking forays.
Lachie Gollant took out the Neil Kerley Memorial Medal with a sparkling eight-goal display that is now the biggest bag of goals kicked in the SANFL this season.
First-year midfielder Charlie Edwards enjoyed a breakout game that will have him on the cusp of AFL selection, amassing a game-high 31 disposals and nine clearances, showing the strength and ball-hunting ability at the coalface.
Harry Schoenberg was forced to work through a tough head-to-head battle with Kobe Ryan, and while his influence was slightly blunted, he still finished with 26 touches and nine clearances.
Jay Boyle (22 disposals and eight tackles) did most of the grunt work in tight, while Billy Dowling (21 disposals and two goals) and Brayden Cook (15 disposals) both responded well to their AFL demotions.
James Borlase played a mammoth game in defence, taking 11 marks (seven of which were contested) as he cut off countless West Adelaide attacks with his intercept work.
Brodie Smith (26 disposals and seven inside 50s) was lethal across half-back with his ability to break the game open with his foot skills.
Oscar Ryan (21 disposals and nine marks) and Will Hamill (17 touches and four rebound 50s) also provided plenty of spark and dash out of defence.
Jack Madgen played an excellent game in shutting down West Adelaide key forward Ned Stevens and restricting him to just eight touches and a goal.
Ned McHenry continues to push for an AFL recall and was one of the most damaging players on the ground, breaking free from his matchup against Harvey Bock to tally 24 disposals and nine inside 50s.
Chayce Jones again lined up on the win and compiled 16 disposals and two goals, while Kieran Strachan (18 disposals, 36 hitouts and six clearances) controlled the ruck battle.
For West Adelaide, Sam Frost led the way with 21 touches and seven clearances) while Kobe Ryan (19 disposals and 11 tackles) and Brady Searle (24 disposals and 11 tackles) were strong at the contest.
Callum Park (27 disposals and 10 rebound 50s) used the ball well from half-back, while Liam Delahunty and Will Patton were strong pillars in defence.
Dylan McCormick played an effective shutdown role on Hugh Haysman, while Lucas Meline got the job done on young key forward Tyler Welsh.ย
Josh Gore was lively in the front half and snared two goals, while Wyatt Ryan competed well in the ruck to finish with 23 hit-outs and four clearances.
Port Adelaide 15.13.(103) def Woodville-West Torrens 8.11.(59)
Port Adelaide landed a major blow to Woodville-West Torrens' finals chances with a commanding 44-point win at Alberton on Sunday.
The loss is the Eagles' sixth in succession since the mid-season bye and continues a horror form slump that threatens their spot in the top five.
Having lost their past three games to bottom-five sides, the Eagles are now only 3.7% ahead of North Adelaide and Adelaide in fifth spot with two rounds remaining.
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide are finishing a poor season on a high, having won three of their past five games to remain a live chance of avoiding their first wooden spoon in 124 years.
Port's drastic improvement in form has been driven by the performance of key AFL-listed talent, which was evident again in Sunday's win.ย
Hugh Jackson (29 disposals, eight clearances and eight inside 50s) cracked in at the contest all day, while Will Lorenz (27 disposals and two goals) saw more midfield time and was clean with ball in hand.
Aiden Turner (18 touches and five tackles) and Murphy Short (17 disposals and four clearances) worked hard in the clinches to release the Magpies' playmakers into space.
Small forward Tom Anastasopoulos (24 disposals and five inside 50s) pushed further up the ground and caused plenty of headaches for the Eagles defence, as did Jed McEntee (18 touches and a goal).
Dylan Williams (18 possessions and four rebound 50s) was a composed and damaging ball user across half-back, while Josh Sinn recorded 16 touches and spent some time opposed to James Rowe.
Ryan Burton played mostly forward and finished with 1.2 from 15 disposals, while Dante Visentini (29 hitouts) and Ivan Soldo (17 hitouts and three clearances) shared the ruck duties and performed well.
Young key forward Tom Scully enjoyed one of his best performances of the season, proving too strong for the undersized Jack Firns and kicking three goals.
Ollie Lord got the better of Jordan Moore and booted two majors, while Cody Szust (25 disposals and three goals) was a constant threat up front.
With a plethora of tall forwards available, Xavier Walsh moved back to defence and didn't skip a beat in blanketing Matthew Goldsworthy, while Tom Clurey largely negated Connor Ballenden in an enthralling matchup.
Father-son prospect Louie Montgomery again looked comfortable at senior level and showed great poise with his possessions and decision-making.
In another disappointing outing for Woodville-West Torrens, they can take solace in the performance of several key players who continue to stand up.
Captain Joe Sinor led from the front as always, finishing with 18 disposals and six clearances and did much of the hard work at stoppages.
James Rowe (18 disposals and a goal) was clean with the footy, while Adam D'Aloia (14 touches and five clearances) never stopped trying.
Draft hopeful Kade Herbert played through the midfield and didn't look out of place, showing a defensive mind at stoppages well beyond his years.
Jordan Lukac came into the team to allow veteran Jarrad Redden a spell and fought valiantly against two AFL-listed ruckmen to finish with 17 hitouts and five clearances.
Connor Ballenden worked tirelessly all afternoon both in the forward line and as a relief ruckman, kicking two goals and taking three strong contested marks.
Josh Morris (19 disposals and eight rebound 50s) put in another strong performance, while Sam Rowland kept Lachie Charleson quiet and collected 22 disposals himself as an effective distributor out of defence.
