Fixture Release

2023 Hostplus SANFL Fixture Release – Norwood starts season with three blockbuster matches

2 years ago – January 31, 2023

Norwood Football Club will start the 2023 Hostplus SANFL League Season with back-to-back-to-back Blockbuster matches at Coopers Stadium.

The SANFL League fixture was released on Tuesday afternoon, with reigning premiers Norwood to take on Woodville-West Torrens under lights at Coopers Stadium on Friday, March 31 in what will be the League’s season-opener.

The Redlegs will play on their home deck for the opening three rounds of the 2023 Season, facing Sturt at The Parade on Easter Thursday (April 6) in Round 2, and North Adelaide on ANZAC Day (Tuesday, April 25) in Round 3.

The Round 3 match against the Roosters will be the traditional Grand Final Rematch, with the first bounce scheduled for 2:10pm.

Norwood will unveil the 2022 Premiership Flag in the Round 1 Fixture against the Eagles. Club CEO James Fantasia said Round 1 will be an exciting night for the club as it will also act as the first SANFL game under the newly installed Coopers Stadium lights.

“We are delighted to be hosting multiple blockbuster games at Coopers Stadium to kick the season off,” Fantasia said.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the new state of the art lighting thanks to VALO.

“To unveil the premiership flag in Round 1, and then to host a significant traditional rivalry match against Sturt on Easter Thursday in Round 2 is so exciting for our club and we hope to see as many Redlegs fans as possible out supporting this match at Coopers Stadium.

“We are hoping to make the Easter Weekend blockbuster match against Sturt a regular fixture and a game to circle on the calendar every year.”

Coopers Stadium will host two matches as part of the AFL’s inaugural Gather Round in April, which will see all nine AFL matches played in South Australia, including Fremantle V Gold Coast and GWS V Hawthorn at The Parade.

“We are excited to be a part of the history making Gather Round, which will showcase Norwood and Coopers Stadium on the National Stage,” Fantasia said.

The Redlegs will travel to Port Lincoln on Saturday, May 13 to face West Adelaide in the Eyre Peninsula Match in Round 6.

“Once again we are demonstrating our commitment to the Eyre Peninsula Region and we are extremely delighted to return to Port Lincoln to showcase our team in front of our parochial Eyre Peninsula crowd,” Fantasia said.

Norwood will play South Adelaide at Flinders University Stadium on the Kings Birthday Long Weekend (Monday, June 12) to conclude Round 9 and a massive first half of the season for the club.

Dates and times for the first 10 Rounds of the season are locked in, but dates and start times for Rounds 11 to 18 will be confirmed later in the year, once the AFL finalises its full minor round fixture.

The SANFL’s First Nations Round will be held over Round 11 and 12, where the Redlegs will face Sturt at Wigan Oval, and Glenelg at Coopers Stadium respectively.

The dual First Nations Round allows each SANFL club the opportunity to host a First Nation-themed match to recognise the enormous contribution Indigenous people make to Australian Football in South Australia.

The SANFL Finals series will commence on Sunday, September 3, with the 2023 SANFL Hostplus League Grand Final on Sunday, September 24 at the Adelaide Oval.