Brilliant performance sends Redlegs to the top

Norwood celebrated Captain Jacob Kennerley’s 100^th game with a statement 44-point win over Woodville-West Torrens in a top of the table clash at Coopers Stadium on Sunday, replacing the Eagles as the League’s ladder leader.

Norwood dominated every aspect of the first half, without putting the finishing touches on the scoreboard, before blasting five goals to one in a sublime third quarter to turn a 25-point half time lead into 47 at the final break.

The Redlegs went on to claim the win 13.15-93 to 7.7-49 at The Parade in what turned out to be perfect weather, amidst a wet and wild week. In the end, the final margin flattered the Eagles who trailed by a game-high 62 points in the fourth term, before kicking the last three goals in junk time.

Aaron Francis was again brilliant for the Redlegs in defence with 32 disposals and 16 marks. He was well supported by Cooper Murley (28 disposals) and Pierce Seymour (28 disposals, nine marks).

Nik Rokahr was strong through the midfield with 33 disposals, five clearances, five tackles and a goal. The Redlegs had 10 individual goal kickers, with Tristan Binder, Baynen Lowe and Declan Hamilton each kicking two.

Going into the clash 6-1, the Eagles had been depleted during the week, losing three of their most important players to the AFL’s mid-season draft, Lukas Cooke, Max Beattie and Liam Puncher. But, the Redlegs went about their business with the impressive four-quarter, full-squad performance.

Norwood had the game on its terms from the outset, with 99-57 disposals, 14-6 inside 50m entries, 10-7 clearances and 38-17 marks in the first quarter.

The Redlegs set up attack after attack from the back half, with defenders Alec Wright, Francis, Murley and Seymour all getting their hands on the ball.

It equated in Norwood booting three goals to one in the opening quarter, which could have been an even better start, with a 3.4-22 to 1.2-8 score line.

Hamilton, Rokahr and Josh Murphy were the goal kickers for the Redlegs in the first term.

The Eagles responded with a goal in the opening minute of the second quarter, straight out of the centre bounce. The Redlegs were able to get the instant reply through Binder, converting from a mark at the top of the goalsquare.

From there, Norwood dominated the second term, for a frustrating return of 2.6 to the Eagles 1.2, leaving the door ajar at the half-way point of the match.

It was a 25-point margin at the main break, 5.10-40 to 2.3-15, but the stats sheet showed the Redlegs could have put the game to bed, with +72 disposals, +23 marks, +3 clearances, +17 inside 50m entries, leading to 15 scoring shots to five.

The top nine leading ball winners on the ground were Norwood players. Murley had 15 disposals, Rokahr 14 and a goal, Kade Dittmar and Lowe 13 each, and Francis 12 disposals and six marks.

Again they threatened to rip the game apart in the opening stages of the third quarter, kicking back to back goals through Jackson Callow and Lowe to get it out to a 37-point game.

Connor Ballenden gave his Eagles a sniff with one against the flow, before Jimmy Rowe missed one he’d normally kick which would have returned the game to the half time margin of 25-points.

Instead, it was the Redlegs who rolled through the next goal through Hamilton, who became the game’s first multiple goal scorer.

The wheels started to fall off for the Eagles, who blindly kicked the ball inside 50m to Redlegs players, and left Charlie Molan unguarded in the attacking goalsquare down the other end, who popped through Norwood’s ninth goal – the goal that broke the Eagles spirit at 41 points.

Molan’s was Norwood’s fourth of a powerful opening 16 minutes of the third quarter, before Jayden Gale added a fifth just before the final break to make it 10.12-72 to 3.7-25 at three quarter time.

The Redlegs managed to blow the margin out past 10  goals with final quarter majors to Lowe, Binder and Finn Heard, but the Eagles fought the game out with the final three.

After starting the season 0-2, the Redlegs sixth straight win leaps them to the top of the ladder on percentage, alongside fellow 6-2 teams the Eagles and Tigers, while the Double Blues (5-3) and South Adelaide (4-4) round out the top five after Round 8.

Norwood have an eight-day break before taking on reigning premiers Sturt at Unley Oval on King’s Birthday Monday.

Norwood 3.4, 5.10, 10.12, 13.15 – 93

WWT 1.2, 2.3, 3.7, 7.7 – 49

Goals: Binder 2, Hamilton 2, Lowe 2, Callow, Gale, F. Heard, Kennerley, Molan, Murphy, Rokahr