Redlegs fall short in last quarter comeback

Norwood’s spirited last quarter fightback was not quite enough to run over the top of Sturt at Coopers Stadium on Friday night, with the reigning premiers escaping with a five-point Round 1 win.

It was a tough, physical and at times spiteful season opener at The Parade, and it looked like the Double Blues had done enough half way through the last term when they surged to a match-high 23-point lead.

Enter debutant Matthew Harms, who nailed back to back goals in front of The Premiers Bar, add another goal from skipper Jacob Kennerley… and the Redlegs were back to within five points with six minutes to play.

Norwood couldn’t nail the go-ahead shot, and from there the Double Blues, who had all the answers all night, were able to take some time off the clock and finish with the ball inside 50m when the siren blew on the 10.11-71 to 9.12-66 result.

Trailing by 14 points at the final break, Norwood made a huge fist of the comeback with three goals to one in the final term, but the damage was done earlier in the game when the visitors kicked four unanswered goals to erase a positive Redlegs start.

That run, which included three goals in four minutes to start the second quarter was a vital momentum changer, after Norwood had the better of the first term. And, from there Sturt was able to respond to every challenge Norwood threw its way.

The first term was spiteful, just as you would expect between two bitter rivals.

Sturt midfielder Tom Emmett belted Norwood recruit Aaron Francis with a very late hit, and the Double Blues gave away another down field free kick in the first 15 minutes as the Redlegs looked all over them around the ground.

Norwood got on with the job, settling into its gameplan quicker than the visitors, and it was another Norwood debutant, Josh Murphy who provided what will be one of the highlights of the season. A 60m bomb from inside the centre square to kick his first goal for the Redlegs.

Ben Simpson followed suit a couple minutes later, with a second goal for the Redlegs who sprinted out to a 14-point lead.

Norwood was dominating, leading clearances +6 and inside 50m +6, when Sturt kicked its first goal, one that dribbled over the back of a pack in the goalsquare through Jed McEntee.

At quarter time, the home side led 2.4-16 to 1.1-7, and left several goal scoring opportunities on the table… a tale of the tape for the home side.

Another first gamer, Kade Dittmar (who crossed over to The Parade from Central District) had eight disposals in the opening term, while Harry Boyd had 11 hitouts, four disposals and three tackles.

Norwood barely touched the football in the opening six minutes of the second term, in a period where Sturt piled on three goals to take a nine-point lead.

If the first quarter was spiteful, the second was just brilliant football, and after the initial onslaught from the Double Blues, it was a great tussle.

Connor Ling snapped Sturt’s momentum with a high swinging goal, to bring it back to three points. But, it seemed the Double Blues had the answers in the second term, kicking the next two majors.

Murphy and Simpson both slotted their second goals back to back, and Norwood hit the lead once again.

The Double Blues were able to kick two red-time goals to frustrate the Redlegs just before half time, and make it an eight-point lead at the main break, 7.2-44 to 5.6-36, following six Sturt goals to Norwood’s three.

At half time, Dittmar had 13 touches, five tackles and four clearances, while Nik Rokahr had 11 disposals and Simpson 10 disposals to go with his two goals. Reigning Magarey Medallist Tom Lewis had 15 disposals for Sturt.

Norwood were +9 in clearances and +1 inside 50m, but were -6 disposals, -10 tackles and -18 marks, with the home side only taking 18 marks in the first half.

Sturt did a fantastic job to trap Norwood in its defensive half for most of the third quarter, and while it only equated to a two-goal-to-one quarter, it felt the Double Blues had the momentum heading into the final break.

The visitors extended their eight-point half time lead to 14 at the final break, 9.6-60 to 6.10-46, as both sides kicked inaccurately in the third term, Sturt’s 2.4 to Norwood’s 1.4.

Norwood lost key forward Jackson Callow through injury early in the game, so it was up to Finn Heard and first gamer Murphy as the tall targets in the forward line to stand up.

At the other end, the usually dangerous Pierce Seymour, Jack Heard and Alastair Lord had been well held, with Seymour having five disposals and one mark, and J. Heard and Lord six touches apiece in the opening three terms.

Seymour was swung forward to see if he could create a forward half contest, but the Double Blues got the first goal of the last term through Sam Conforti, and it looked a bridge too far for the Redlegs as the margin quickly ballooned out to 23 points.

Norwood fought to the death, but it wasn’t quite enough to take the points in the opening round.

It was good signs from the first gamers, as Harms and Murphy kicked two goals each, while Dittmar had 23 disposals, 13 tackles and seven clearances and Francis 19 touches to go with five marks across half back.

The Redlegs face grand finiallists Glenelg on Good Friday at the Bay in Round 2.

Norwood 2.4, 5.6, 6.10, 9.12 – 66

Sturt 1.1, 7.2, 9.6, 10.11 – 71

Goals: Harms 2, Murphy 2, B. Simpson 2, C. Ling, F. Heard, Kennerley