The King returns in 2024

Norwood veteran Matthew Panos will play for the Redlegs once again in 2024. 

The 32-year-old will add to his tally of 145 SANFL matches and 172 goals in the red and blue next season.

During his time at Norwood, Panos has won two SANFL Premierships (2014 and 2022), the 2014 Jack Oatey Medal, a Michael Taylor Medal, captained the club, represented the State and suitably gained the nickname “the King”.

Panos said he was excited to pull the Norwood guernsey on in 2024.

“I am pretty keen to get stuck into it and have a successful year in 2024, I feel like my form in the back half of the 2023 season was pretty good.

“I had a bit of an injury issue at the end of the last pre-season and missed the first month of the 2023 season which was unfortunate, but I ended up playing 13 League games to end the year and the body felt quite good. It gave me the confidence to back that up again this year.

“The boys are refreshed from the break and ready to go in pre season.”

Panos made his SANFL debut in 2009, before being drafted to the Western Bulldogs.

He played VFL football for Williamstown from 2010 to 2012, before returning to Norwood for the 2013 season. Now he’s knocking on the door of 150 SANFL games.

“It would mean a lot, and would be a special moment personally to reach 150, hopefully I can get there this year,” Panos said.

“It has been a long ride and a tough journey at times. There have been some amazing highs and some deep lows since I started.”

Being the oldest statesman on the list, Panos said he enjoyed taking on a mentor role to young players coming through.

“I am the oldest player at the club by quite a few years and I have enjoyed that role of being able to help the younger lads,” he said.

“I have been captain in the past and in the leadership group for a long time – a lot of the lads were in primary school when I started – so the boys poke a bit of fun at me about ‘the old man tax’, but I enjoy the banter and kind of being the ‘Dad’ of the group.

“I am happy to take players under my wing and impart some wisdom.

“We have some players from interstate, and some that haven’t grown up with the football club so am happy to share some knowledge and history about Norwood. I have been a fan of Norwood since I was a kid and I really like doing that.”

Panos has re-committed to Norwood for 2024, alongside he likes of Harry Boyd, Jackson Callow, Declan Hamilton, Matthew Ling, Jacob Kennerley, Jack Heard, Pierce Seymour, Thomas Donnelly and Jack Saunders.

This week the club announced the recruitments of South Adelaide’s Mitch O’Neill, North Launceston’s Ben Simpson, and Essendon’s Billy Cootee.

“Twig (Coach Jade Rawlings) is an amazing coach, everyone loves him and how he gets everyone together is really good – our game style, how we plan, how we prepare for games is amazing. We are lucky to have him at the club.”

Panos was excited about how the 2024 list was stacking up.

“We did lose some experience in Nunny (Matthew Nunn), Roks (Nik Rokahr) and Wilko (Mitch Wilkins) but we have recruited well, and those coming in will learn and adapt quickly,” he said.

“We will start pre-season earlier this year – a result of winning the Grand Final in 2022 was that everything got pushed back and that may have hurt us a bit at the start of 2023.

“We have a young and exciting list, everyone is keen to learn and grow and develop as players, so the club is buoyed by that.

“Hopefully we will hit the ground running.”

By Josh Teakle, Norwood FC

Matthew Nunn, Nik Rokahr, Josh Richards, Cameron Ball, Lachie Pascoe, Harry Allen, Kobe Tozer, Beau Baldwin, Noah Hyde, Taj Rahui, Sam Nehme, Peter Minervini, Tyrin Book, Ethan Haylock, Dannen Blacker, Hugh Strickland, Jack Chiswell, Matt Dnistriansky, Mitch Wilkins, Michael Stingel.