Crows regular Chris Knights pushed his case for a return to the AFL by some good signs in his first game for nearly two months. He had 23 possessions as a half-forward and wingman for the Eagles, won some important clearances and ran hard.
Rookie defender Luke Thompson made a good league debut for the Eagles across half-back, picking up a dozen possessions and catching the eye with a couple of strong spoils and some good runs from defence.
Sturt based rookie Matt Jaensch had another good game, with 18 possessions and a great goal. Matt Wright, still short of a run after a delayed pre-season, had 14 possessions playing in the midfield and as a small forward for North Adelaide.
Defender Phil Davis (16 possessions, five marks) controlled his position for most of the game and young ruckman James Craig played off the bench for North Adelaide’s league side and had five possessions.
Shaun McKernan showed promise as a key defender for the Panthers in the Easter Thursday night match against Norwood. He was aggressive and was good in contested situations. Daniel Talia had eight possessions playing at centre half forward for the Panthers.
Rookie Aidan Riley was listed as Sturt’s best player in the reserves after a powerful performance at half-back and through the midfield. He had 15 possessions and his contested ball was again a feature of his game. Jarrhan Jacky had eight possessions in the Eagles reserves.
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