Adelaide surged to a big win to remain entrenched in the top three while the Bulldogs suffered another heavy defeat, and Port Adelaide continued their mid-season revival with a strong victory at Alberton.
Read all about it in this week's SANFL Wrap.
Central District 4.9.(33) def by Adelaide Crows 11.12.(78)
Adelaide cemented themselves further inside the SANFL top three with a commanding 45-point win over Central District at Elizabeth on Saturday afternoon.
With persistent rain falling for much of the game, the contest developed into a scrappy affair as both sides struggled to move the ball with any fluency in trying conditions.
After a relatively even first half, Adelaide kicked away with 6.7 to no score in the third quarter to lead by 46 points at the final change and put the game beyond doubt.
Adelaide benefited from an even spread of contributions, with the weight of numbers and depth in Adelaide's midfield coming to the fore after half-time.
Chayce Jones (21 disposals, five clearances and a goal) continued his new midfield role and was one of Adelaide's most effective mids, while Zac Taylor (17 touches and eight clearances) relished more midfield time and worked hard in the clinches.
SANFL-listed mid Jay Boyle (19 disposals) played one of his best games of the season and was able to find more of the ball, while ruckman Lachie McAndrew (43 hitouts and 11 tackles) controlled the ruck duel and gave his midfielders excellent service.
Lachie Sholl (20 disposals and four inside 50s) and Billy Dowling (19 possessions and a goal) were important playmakers on the wing and were key in moving the Crows forward.
Luke Nankervis (19 touches and a goal) stood out with his cleanliness in difficult conditions and had several important moments with ball in hand.
Charlie Edwards (21 disposals and five rebound 50s) provided plenty of drive from defence with his attacking ball use, while Nick Murray (17 disposals and five rebound 50s) made a successful return from injury and took some key intercept marks in defence.
Small defender Hugh Bond played an excellent shutdown role on Aiden Grace and largely kept him out of the game, while James Borlase competed strongly in the air against Jack Tomkinson and neutralised several one-on-one contests.
At the other end, Chris Burgess was Adelaide's main threat in attack and defied the wet conditions to kick four goals, while Kieran Strachan (11 touches and a goal) played mostly up forward and took some impressive pack marks.
While Central District struggled without Mani Liddy and Harry Grant in the midfield, there were several key players who stood up in their absence and helped fill the void.
Kai Pudney (game-high 28 disposals) was prolific on the wing and worked hard to support at both ends of the ground to continue his recent run of good form.
Leyton Chisolm (18 disposals and seven clearances) was tireless at the coalface and won plenty of contested ball, while Kyle Presbury (21 disposals and five clearances) enjoyed an outstanding first half in the midfield before fading slightly after half time.
Billy Iles (19 disposals and five rebound 50s) continued his form revival with a dynamic display at half-back, while Jack Callinan (15 touches) showed great composure for a young player under intense pressure in the back half.
Mihail Lochowiak (14 disposals) slotted in nicely at half-back in his first league game since 2023, while Zach Adams (16 disposals) was more impactful the longer the game went and largely negated the influence of Karl Gallagher.
Port Adelaide 10.14.(74) def Woodville-West Torrens 8.11.(59)
Port Adelaide continued their mid-season revival with a third consecutive win after defeating Woodville-West Torrens by 15 points at Alberton on Saturday.
With a stronger contingent of AFL-listed players resulting from the Mid-Season Draft and a shrinking injury list, Port's form continues to stack up and withstood a stern test from the Eagles.
A strong breeze favoured the southern end of Alberton for much of the day, as only two points separated the teams at half-time, before Port used the wind to good effect in the third term to open up a 14-point lead at the final change.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, the wind dropped dramatically in the final quarter as Port held firm and played out the clock with great maturity to claim victory.
Draftee Christian Moraes responded to his AFL axing with an outstanding performance, tallying 24 disposals, six tackles and four clearances as he played significant midfield minutes and impressed with his skill and decision making.
Jack Watkins (22 disposals and five clearances) worked hard around the ground and featured prominently with his running power, while Ivan Soldo (35 hitouts and five clearances) took most of the ruck duties and was prominent with his ground-level work.
Rory Atkins (20 disposals) split his time between wing and half-back and found plenty of the ball, while Dylan Williams (27 touches and 11 rebound 50s) continually repelled the Magpies from defence.
Josh Lai (19 possessions and seven rebound 50s) appears to be relishing his new role in defence and broke the game open with his blistering pace, while Jez McLennan (17 disposals) was resolute down back and pushed forward to kick a crucial late goal.
Jeremy Finlayson also responded well to his AFL demotion with a strong performance in attack, kicking two goals from 16 disposals and also pinch-hitting in the ruck.
Tall forward Ollie Lord was largely well-held by veteran Jordan Moore but still managed two goals, while mid-season draftee Ewan Mackinlay (19 disposals and a goal) stood out with his game-breaking speed and dynamism around goal.
With injuries continuing to ravage the Eagles, especially through the midfield, ex-Bomber Kobe Mutch led the way with a terrific performance in the engine room, gathering 28 disposals, 12 tackles and 10 clearances in a lion-hearted display.
James Rowe (26 disposals, six clearances and eight inside 50s) again spent most of the day in the midfield and was a key contributor with his classy ball use out of the stoppages.
Joe Sinor (21 disposals and 11 tackles) also played more midfield minutes and cracked in hard for his side at the coalface, while Sam Rowland (18 disposals) worked tirelessly on the wing.
Max Beattie (26 disposals and eight rebound 50s) continued his rich vein of form at half-back as the key architect in the Eagles' ball movement, while Max Litster (21 disposals) fought strongly both in the air and at ground level against Mackinlay.
Jordan Moore did well to negate Magpie tall forward Ollie Lord in the aerial contests, while Lukas Cooke (19 touches and seven rebound 50s) commanded the backline while keeping Jack Whitlock goalless.
Connor Ballenden (four goals) again played a key role up front with his contested marking and aerial competitiveness, while Zac Buck (16 disposals and a goal) and Zane Williams (17 touches) worked hard up the ground as the main small forwards.
