FIVE to debut as Norwood announces Round 1 SANFL Team

Norwood will kick off its SANFL Premiership defence on Friday night when it takes on Woodville-West Torrens at Coopers Stadium. 

The SANFL game will take place from 7:40pm, while the Reserves will play at 5pm. The club will unveil the 2022 SANFL Premiership Flag prior to the SANFL clash.

In what will be a big night for the club, five players will make their debuts during the SANFL game, including Logan Evans, Jack Saunders, Matthew Ling, Oliver Sanders and Luke Bogle.

Still eligible for U18s within the Norwood program, 17-year-old Evans will debut at SANFL level on Friday.

Returning to his junior club after a stint on Hawthorn’s AFL list and making his AFL debut last year, Saunders will also make his SANFL debut.

Off-season recruit Bogle will play his first match for Norwood, after playing 37 SANFL games and kicking 21 goals with South Adelaide.

Ling came to Norwood over the off-season, crossing the border from Geelong’s VFL program in 2022. He was drafted to Sydney with Pick 14 in 2017 and played four AFL games.

Sanders is also an interstate off-season recruit, playing his football at North Launceston.

Both Sanders and Ling will line up on the wings, Saunders and Bogle at half forward, while Evans will start on the bench before running through the defence.

The teenager, Evans, impressed Senior Coach Jade Rawlings throughout the Trial Match period.

Evans had his guernsey presented to him by 2022 Premiership hero Matthew Panos post training tonight.

“Coming up as an under-age player last year, playing a lot of Reserves footy and seeing him grow over the past 12 months as well as being in the State Hub as well (is exciting),” Panos said.

“I know the boys love having Logan in the team, he has had an unbelievable pre-season, and it’s an honour to present his first senior guernsey to him.”

New to the Leadership Group, Jack Heard will play after recovering from a hand injury, while Connor McLean and Mitch Wilkins will also play despite being under an injury cloud.

Panos, Pierce Seymour, Jackson Callow, Patrick Walker, Cory Stockdale, Josh Richards and Luke Surman will miss Round 1 through injury.

Norwood Captain Matthew Nunn was excited by the challenge of taking on Woodville-West Torrens in Round 1.

“Round 1 has come around quick, this is an exciting time of year,” he said.

“It’s strange that we played them (the Eagles) in a Trial just last week, but I am feeling confident – we have had a good pre-season. We are coming off a successful year last year, but we can’t expect that its going to happen again. We want to keep getting better.

“We had a bad run with injuries at the back end of last year, it’s not possible to get around those with surgeries involved – it’s no big deal, we played last year through injuries and we have the program and players to play their role.

“It’s going to be a good crowd on Friday night and hopefully a big win.”

For all information about tickets, memberships, and attending the game click here

Check out the SANFL and Reserves teams below.