Centrals win an arm-wrestle in Elizabeth

Norwood’s frustrating win-loss-win-loss pattern continued on Saturday at Elizabeth’s X Convenience Oval, where Central District ran out 19-point victors in an arm-wrestle.

The Redlegs will be ruing a poor patch of form and goal kicking in the second and third quarters, where the Bulldogs booted 5.4 to Norwood’s 0.7, in an otherwise tight encounter that finished 13.6-84 to 9.11-65.

Scores were level at quarter time, before the Bulldogs led by 10 points at both the half and three quarter time breaks.

Norwood threw everything it could at Centrals in the last term, getting the margin back to single digits on four occasions, but the Bulldogs had an answer every time. Their defence stood tall under pressure and ended up kicking four to two fourth quarter goals to snuff out any serious challenge.

Norwood’s Nik Rokahr had another 30-disposal game, whilst also collecting eight clearances. Billy Cootee and Baynen Lowe finished with 25 disposals apiece, while Pierce Seymour was again sensational with 23 disposals, 10 marks and a goal.

Norwood were +48 in disposals, but the Bulldogs showed more composure around the ground and looked more dangerous moving forward.

The Dogs looked on from the outset, putting the Redlegs under the pump in the opening term, and Norwood was scrappy as a result, making skill errors and giving the ball back to Centrals in dangerous positions.

The home side kicked three goals in the first eight minutes of the contest through Aiden Grace, Finn Reed and Kade Dittmar and the Redlegs were feeling the pressure.

Norwood gained a fortunate 25m penalty which brought Seymour 40m out from goal. The key defender nailed his second goal for the season to get the Redlegs on the board.

Redlegs small forwards Jayden Gale and Connor Ling finished with quality snapping goals to amazingly level the scores at the first break, 3.1-19 apiece.

Norwood led disposals 89-70 and marks 32-16, but were trapped deep in its defence for large portions of the term, as the Bulldogs went inside 50m 14 times to the Redlegs eight.

It was a perfect day for football, but both sides struggled with the heavy surface at times, but Seymour was again excellent to start the game with 10 disposals and a goal in the opening term. Following on from his incredible first term at Alberton last Sunday.

Norwood’s Tristan Binder and Central’s Jake Gasper kicked goals for their sides in the opening three minutes of the second term, but from there it was a tight and contested battle, neither side willing to give an inch.

The game was played in Central’s forward half, and Dittmar finally broke the deadlock with a goal to put the Dogs six points in front.

After the early Binder goal, the Redlegs booted 0.6 for the remainder of the term in a frustrating period for both sides, as the Bulldogs also struggled with 3.4 in front of goal in the second quarter.

At half time, the home side led 6.5-41 to 4.7-31.

Lowe had 16 disposals to half time, Rokahr 15 and Seymour 15, as the three leading ball winners on the ground. Luca Whitelum had 13 for Centrals.

Norwood led disposals by 45 in the first half, 176-131 and marks 61-37, while the Bulldogs led tackles 25-17, clearances 15-12 and inside 50m 25-20.

Norwood controlled the start of the second half, but couldn’t make any inroads on the scoreboard.

Grace booted the first goal of the half for the home side, which made it four consecutive Bulldogs goals and a 15-point lead.

While the game looked an even battle in general play, the Dogs were doing all the damage on the scoreboard, which suddenly read a 22-point advantage when Anzac Lochowiak marked and goaled at the top of the goalsquare.

Norwood had to get the next one, and managed to snag one through Gale who was standing all alone on the goal line.

The Redlegs were enjoying a dominant patch, and found a second major five minutes later through Callow, and a third when Ollie Sanders nailed a set shot. Quickly the 22-point margin was trimmed to four, 8.6-54 to 7.8-50.

Centrals forwards looked dangerous every time the Dogs transitioned the ball inside 50m, and Grace kicked a third goal just before three quarter time to return the 10-point margin at the final break, with both sides booting 3.1 in the third term.

Kicking towards the Chris Gowans End in the final term, where Centrals were hosting a 2005 Premiership Reunion, Norwood hit the post with an early shot.

It was a crucial miss, as Centrals went down the other end and nailed the first goal of the quarter through Jack Callinan.

Norwood peppered the ball inside 50m, but didn’t favour its forwards as Centals stood up in defence. The Redlegs fifth inside 50m entry for the quarter finally led to a goal, a classy dribbler through Lowe to make it eight points at the eight-minute mark.

The last quarter went goal for goal, with Reed kicking his second for the Bulldogs followed by Binder’s second for Norwood, making it seven points.

Despite the margin, it felt that Centrals were going to hold on and they broke the goal for goal deadlock with Beau Thomas and Lochowiak majors from close range to put the game beyond reach.

Saturday’s loss didn’t make a late-season finals run any more difficult for Norwood, as Woodville-West Torrens went down to West Adelaide, Port lost to Sturt and North Adelaide lost to South Adelaide, meaning the Redlegs remain two wins outside the top five.

It’s going to be a massive Round 14 match at Coopers Stadium next Saturday as Norwood hosts the Eagles in a must-win game for both clubs.

Norwood 3.1, 4.7, 7.8, 9.11 – 65

Central District 3.1, 6.5, 9.6, 13.6 – 84

Goals: Binder 2, Gale 2, Callow, C. Ling, Lowe, Sanders, Seymour

Best: Thomas Donnelly, Finn Heard, Nikolaus Rokahr, Pierce Seymour, Billy Cootee

Norwood’s Reserves were outplayed from the opening bounce at Elizabeth’s X Convenience Oval on Saturday, with Central District taking out a 23-point win.

It was a disappointing fourth consecutive defeat for the Redlegs, who remain one and a half wins outside the top five (with the Draw against West Adelaide).

On Saturday, the Bulldogs kicked the first four goals of the game to lead by 26 points at the first break and make the Redlegs play catch up for the remainder of the afternoon.

Norwood fought back after quarter time with goals to Jack Hodges, Charlie Cook and Jack Aherne to get the margin back to six points.

Centrals booted back to back goals before half time to make it a 16-point game at the main break, 6.3-39 to 3.5-23.

The Redlegs came back from the half time break with a spark, but could only manage one goal (Ben Simpson) from five wayward scoring shots.

Norwood’s 1.4 was costly when Dusty Geister nailed two goals in three minutes for the Bulldogs to advance the six-point lead past three goals at three quarter time.

The game was put to bed early in the last term when Geister booted a fourth and Tallan Rosenzweig a second to make it a 30-point Bulldogs lead.

Norwood kicked three last quarter goals through Cory Stockdale, Jacob Jones and Simpson, but it was too little too late as the Bulldogs steadied with two goals of their own to run out 13.4-82 to 8.11-59 winners.

Simpson had another good outing in his fourth game back from injury, with 30 disposals, 11 clearances, seven tackles and two goals.

Daniel Gauci has put together three quality performances in a row, gathering 28 disposals and five clearances on Saturday, his third consecutive 26-plus disposal, five-plus clearance and five-plus tackle game.

The Redlegs take on the Eagles at Coopers Stadium this Saturday, who have won just one of their past eight matches as their Senior Men’s squad battles a long injury list. It will be the fourth time Norwood plays Woodville-West Torrens this season in the Reserves competition, before back to back games against West Adelaide.

Norwood 0.1, 3.5, 5.9, 8.11 – 59

Central District 4.3, 6.3, 9.3, 13.4 – 82

Goals: Aherne 2, Simpson 2, Cook, J. Hodges, Jones, Stockdale

Best: Max Hodges, Ben Simpson, Daniel Gauci, Tyson Walls, Liam Ling