10 Things to Look Forward to in 2021:

Happy New Year on behalf of the Norwood Football Club! In what shapes as another exciting year at the Parade, we’ve compiled a list of 10 things to get excited about in 2021! 

After a long period, our club rooms are back at the Parade! Towards the final rounds of the 2020 SANFL Season, the football club received official handover from builders Schiavello. All home match lunches and dinners will be held in the Norwood Function Room along with official club events such as the AGM and Hall of Fame. What a feeling it will be celebrating a win in our club rooms with the players, friends and family.

Norwood’s recruiting department has had a busy offseason bringing in several new recruits to assist the side in 2021. Headlined by returning Redleg and three-time Premiership player Paul Puopolo, the Redlegs will look to return to the finals in 2021. Jacob Kennerley will add some more dash throughout the side and will complement returning ruckman Henry Crauford and former Sydney Swan Michael Knoll. The club also has secured the signature of promising youngsters, Mitch Cotter, Matt Vardanega and Harry Boyd.

In 2020, Chris O’Connors Under 18 side took out the Torrens University Under 18 Premiership. With a host of young stars within that side, expect many to make the next step playing regular senior football for Norwood in 2021. In 2020 we saw duo Henry Nelligan and Daniel Fairbrother get a taste of league football, however expect, Xavier Tranfa, Cooper Murley, Finn Heard and Ethan Schwerdt to all be pushing for selection this coming season.

After the impacts of COVID-19 at the beginning of 2020, the Season was compromised with only 14 rounds guaranteed with eight clubs featuring. With Adelaide and Port Adelaide poised to return, the highly anticipated Round 1 schedule is planned to be hosted across all four days of the long weekend (April 1-4) in a blockbuster beginning to SANFL’s showcase men’s competition. The Statewide Super League minor round will revert to an 18-round fixture inclusive of three byes, with each bye to be split to ensure SANFL football is played each weekend.

In November 2020, the Norwood Football Club announced that Jade Rawlings will lead the Redlegs for the next three seasons. Rawlings, has spent 20 years in the AFL system as a player and as Coach. Jade played 148 games across three AFL clubs; however, it has been his coaching ability that has seen him remain in the AFL since retiring in 2006 due to injury.

After missing the finals last season, the Norwood faithful are no doubt keen to return to September action, which is the passion incoming Coach Rawlings loves about the Norwood supporter base.

“The thing that really endeared me towards the club is that it expects to be good,” Rawlings said.

“That’s something that really appealed to me in the fact they don’t expect to be middle of the road.

“The Norwood supporters have shown how passionate they are about their club; and there’s been so many parts of this job that’s endeared me to be part of a genuine club that has a passionate and driven supporter base like Norwood.

After the exit of former Women’s Coach Chris Howie, the Norwood Football Club appointed former Assistant Coach Mat Creeper as it’s Senior Women’s Coach for Season 2021. Creeper comes with experience having coached with Steve Symonds at Collingwood last year. With a career spanning over 20 years, Creeper has notched up over 300 games of experience at various clubs around Australia with the West Football Club (Northern Territory) and the Hermit Park Football Club (Queensland) his longest stints.

Creeper went onto mention that he aims to bring a real contested brand of football to the Parade and is fully aware of the capabilities within the list at this current time.

“I think with the list that we have, it’s in very good shape,” said Creeper.

“It’s unfortunate the way the girls bowed out this year, but we want to be a team that’s high in reputation in terms of being strong at the football and highly contested.

“We want to play a brand of football that’s exciting and want to make the Norwood Football Club a place where girls want to come and play football.”

In 2021, the Norwood Football Club will unveil a fresh new Merchandise Range which will no doubt excite our members and supporters. Stay tuned as we unveil a different look which encapsulates the essence of the Norwood Football Club right through from its Official Teamwear to supporter apparel.

Thursday Night Supporter Nights are back! During the 2021 Season the club will be bringing back selection night at Coopers Stadium. With meals and drinks on offer every Thursday, come down with friends and find out who has made the side for the weekends game!

The Premiers Bar offers full bar service as well as bar snacks and large viewing screens for live sport and other entertainment. The Premiers Bar will be open Thursday and Friday nights for all to enjoy an end of week knock-off drink and social catch up, as well as the good old meat raffle and random merchandise giveaways.

After the overwhelming support from members, partners and supporters of the Fortis in Procella range, the Norwood Football Club will be performing it’s march this year to recognise the support shown throughout one of it’s toughest times in history. Pending on COVID-19 regulations the club and its fan will perform a march down the Parade onto Coopers Stadium and will do a lap of honour and provide our players a guard of honour as they enter the field. We will also take a photo in front of the Sir Edwin Smith Stand which will be immortalised forever in our new clubrooms.

The club aims to provide its partners, members, and supporters with the most exclusive content from the heart of the Norwood football club. Stay posted as we aim to create more engaging content which spans from the Senior Coach, player interviews as well as special offers from its club partners.