Teams: Round 8

Norwood will host Woodville-West Torrens at Coopers Stadium this Sunday in another First Nations Round Triple Header. 

It will be a top of the table SANFL clash, as the 7-0 Redlegs take on the 5-2 Eagles from 2:30pm. A Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony will take place on field pre-match.

Sunday’s Round 8 clash has the makings of an enthralling encounter as the best defensive team in Norwood, takes on the best scoring team in Woodville-West Torrens.

Norwood has averaged 49 points against across the first seven weeks of 2024, the next best is Glenelg at 56 points against. Alternatively the Eagles average 94 points for (Glenelg next best with 80 points for).

Redlegs assistant coach Ben Patrick said the Eagles like to play a fast game of football.

“Every game in this competition is a hard one, we respect every opposition, but in particular the next two games against Woodville-West Torrens and Sturt are really tough,” he said.

“The Eagles up until the last two games have been going really well, they have brought in some new players and they have a new coach with a new game style.

“They like to move the ball quickly and we need to defend as well as we have all year.”

Norwood is coming off its best performance of the season, a 50-point 16.11-107 to 8.9-57 win over the third placed Central District in Elizabeth in Round 7, which included an 11-goal third quarter.

The Eagles went down to Glenelg 11.12-78 to 10.7-67 in Round 7.

Like Norwood, the Eagles have shared their goal kicking load, with key forward Connor Ballenden booting 14 for the year, Luke McKay 11, James Rowe 10, Patrick Weckert 10 and Matthew Goldsworthy eight.

The Redlegs will be without one of their premier midfielders Mitch O’Neill, who will miss with an ankle injury.

Jack Saunders has been named on an extended bench, after returning through the Reserves last week after recovering from an ankle injury.

Ben Simpson, Alec Wright and Zach Morris have also been named on the extended bench.

Norwood Reserves are also hoping to keep their unbeaten run alive, when they take on the sixth placed Woodville-West Torrens on Sunday.

The Reserves game commences at 9:30am, followed by the SANFLW match at 12:10pm, and the SANFL match from 2:30pm.

FIRST NATIONS ROUND GUERNSEY

Norwood’s Senior Men’s and Senior Women’s sides will take to the field this weekend wearing First Nations Round guernseys designed by Redlegs SANFLW player Tesharna Maher. 

This season the SANFL has aligned the SANFL and SANFLW First Nations Rounds to be played over the same weekends – the Senior Men’s Rounds 7 & 8, and SANFLW Rounds 11 & 12.

With First Nations Rounds spanning two weeks the Redlegs will wear the guernsey against Central District at Elizabeth on May 25, and then against Woodville-West Torrens at Coopers Stadium on June 2.

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