Get to know Alastair Lord

Alastair Lord has returned to his junior club Norwood for the 2024 season, following two seasons on Essendon’s AFL list.

The 20-year-old defender said it had been a smooth transition back into life in Adelaide and the Norwood Football Club.

“It’s been a good adjustment moving back home,” he said.

“I have been really welcomed by the boys and there are plenty of faces I recognized straight away – everyone’s helped me with the transition.”

Lord was taken with Pick 46 in the 2021 AFL draft, and made an interesting AFL debut in Round 8, 2022 – never making it on the ground.

“I was the Medi Sub in my debut – while I didn’t go on the ground it was a great experience to be a part of it on game day. One game, one win,” he said.

“It was a great experience (at Essendon in 2022 and 2023), I learnt a lot about myself as a person and footballer and it will hold me in good stead for the future.

“I learnt off some senior players and coaches.

“Being a half back Andy McGrath (former number 1 draft pick, now played 134 games with the Bombers) had a massive impact on me – I tried to model my game on him and learnt a lot.

“Mason Redman (103 games) was another one, I lived with him in my first year and learnt a lot from him.”

Lord said it was nice to return to Norwood alongside former Redlegs teammate Cooper Murley, who spent the last two years at Collingwood.

“Murls and I played juniors at Norwood together right through from U13 to U18 – we won an U18 premiership together as bottom ages,” he said.

“There are a lot of the boys on our list from that U18 premiership side – that’s helped me ease back into the club.

“Someone that’s been great for me has been Matthew Ling, he has been great this off-season with his football and leadership in general.”

Lord will be hoping to make his Norwood debut in the Round 1 Easter Thursday clash with Sturt at Coopers Stadium.

“A debut has been all I have been able to think about since moving back, and if it’s on Thursday night against such a good opposition like Sturt that’s exciting,” he said.

He took to the field in Norwood’s two Trial matches against North Adelaide and South Adelaide.

“The boys have been itching to get into it all season, and it was good to come up against some opposition,” he said.

“We got the win, but it was more important to get the clarity on the things we have been working before Round 1 V Sturt.”