Junior Match Reports: Three in a row for Norwood U18s

Norwood had to fight right to the end against the bottom of the table West Adelaide on Saturday, but the Redlegs managed to record an eight-point victory and extend their winning streak to three.

The Redlegs sit fourth on the ladder with a 6-3 win-loss record, but are only percentage off top spot with first placed Central District, second Woodville-West Torrens and third South Adelaide all matching Norwood on 6-3.

The Redlegs host Centrals this Saturday at The Parade in what will be a high-stakes clash, given the close nature of the ladder after nine rounds.

Norwood hosted the winless but highly competitive Bloods on Saturday and got the two points, 9.7-61 to 6.17-53 and can consider itself lucky West Adelaide didn’t kick straight in front of goal.

Redlegs U18 Captain Jacob Jones has led the way all season and again relished in the role on Saturday with a game-high 29 disposals, seven tackles and seven clearances.

Jones leads the League in disposals, averaging 25 across his nine games this season, with a season high of 36 coming against Westies in Round 8.

Jaidyn Mead had 27 disposals on Saturday, while Jackson Savage had 22 and 11 marks.

Norwood’s goals came from Latrelle Sumner-Pickett (two), Caleb Barton, Grant Catalano, Darcey Cullen, Tristan Edwards, Ben Purdie, Brayden Rachwal and Declan Tomney.

West Adelaide started strong with four goals in the opening term, putting Norwood behind the game early.

It could have been a lot worse as the Bloods had eight scoring shots to four in the opening term, equating to 4.4-28 to 2.2-14 at quarter time.

The Redlegs steadied into the game with the only three goals of the second term, coming through Cullen, Purdie and Sumner-Pickett to take a two-point lead into half time, 5.3-33 to 4.7-31.

West Adelaide again squandered opportunities with just three behinds coming in the second term.

It was a tough challenge in the third term with each side booting two goals to level the scores at three quarter time, 7.5-47 to 6.11-47.

Tomney snapped the first goal of the final term in the opening 90 seconds to give Norwood the lead back, before the Bloods went on a run of kicking five consecutive behinds to make it a one-point ball game with 10 minutes to go.

Sumner-Pickett and Edwards both had chances to get kick goals for Norwood, but it was eventually Rachwal which got the important final goal to put the Redlegs nine points in front in the dying minutes.

Norwood managed to hold on in the final moments as West Adelaide continued to push for its first victory of the season.

Norwood 2.2, 5.3, 7.5, 9.7 – 61

West Adelaide 4.4, 4.7, 6.11, 6.17 – 53

Goals: Sumner-Pickett 2, Barton, Catalano, Cullen, Edwards, Purdie, Rachwal and Tomney

Best: Mead, Sumner-Pickett, Savage, Butcher, Jones

Like Norwood’s League side on Friday night, the U16s first half was full of promise before letting itself down with a poor second half. 

The Redlegs hosted West Adelaide at The Parade on Saturday with the Bloods running away with 46-point win, despite the scores being level at half time.

The game was locked at 3.3-21 apiece at the main break, and when Robert Varcoe kicked the first goal of the second half the Redlegs led by six points.

But, from that point forward West Adelaide went on to kick the last eight goals of the game to run out 4.5-29 to 11.9-75 winners.

Darcy Speyer had 32 disposals, five tackles and five clearances for Norwood, while Micah Kretschmer had 26 touches.

Oliver Gribben was good in the ruck with 18 disposals and 18 hitouts.

Varcoe kicked two goals from his 12 disposals, while Elliott Gavin and Kaden Gilby were the other goal kickers.

It was a tough loss for Norwood, which defeated West Adelaide by 10 points in its previous encounter last week.

The Redlegs sit eighth on the U16s ladder, but sit just two wins out of the top four with a win-loss record of 3-6.

Norwood 1.2, 3.3, 4.3, 4.5 – 29

West Adelaide 3.0, 3.3, 7.6, 11.9 – 75

Goals: Varcoe 2, Gilby, Gavin

Best: Kretschmer, Speyer, Minervini, Gribben, Varcoe