Last minute goal sinks Norwood

Sturt clutched a four-point victory out of the jaws of defeat, leaving Norwood devastated on the final siren at Unley Oval on King’s Birthday Monday.

The Redlegs held a 15-point lead with six minutes to go, before the Double Blues came storming home with three goals, including the Casey Voss match winner that dribbled over the line in front of a large and loud home crowd.

The Double Blues somehow claimed a 11.10-76 to 10.12-72 win over the Redlegs to keep their unbeaten start to the 2025 SANFL season in tact.

Norwood overcame a fast starting Double Blues (who took a 15-point lead into quarter time) to control the middle portion of the game, and work its way into a winning position.

It looked like it would be Norwood’s day, when Oliver Sanders made the most of a down-field free kick to put the Redlegs 14 points in front 20 minutes into the final term.

From there Sturt’s Angus Anderson, Josh Hone and finally Voss kicked three goals in the final six minutes to steal the most unlikely win.

Sturt started the better team, dominating the first term with three goals to one and leaving a lot more out there, going in with a 3.5-23 to 1.2-8 lead at quarter time.

Norwood was lucky to be just 15 points down, with the Double Blues enjoying 16-5 inside 50m entries, +17 disposals and +9 tackles, in a dominant early performance.

The Redlegs would have been in further trouble if it weren’t for ruckman Luke Surman who drifted back in defence to chop off three Sturt scoring attempts in the first term alone.

Mitch Nicholas started well for Norwood on the wing with seven disposals in the opening term, while Tom Emmett was everywhere early with eight disposals, three big tackles and a goal to quarter time. Voss was also damaging off half back.

Against the top of the table Sturt, Norwood needed to make every post a winner, and unfortunately let several chances go begging in the second term.

It was a quarter that Norwood controlled, finding repeat inside 50m and creating opportunities, but after 22 minutes the Redlegs had booted a waywrd 2.6 to Sturt’s 0.1.

The two goals were highlights, with Billy Cootee nailing a long shot on the run, and Jackson Callow converting a perfect set shot from 50m in front of the new club rooms.

The goals helped the Redlegs to a slender two-point lead, which the visitors had worked hard for and possibly should have been greater if they could convert.

In the blink of an eye, all of Norwood’s hard work was undone as the Double Blues kicked two goals in two minutes through stars Will Snelling and Hone to return to the lead before half time.

Sturt led 5.7-37 to 3.8-26 at the main break.

Norwood dominated the third term, booting five goals to one and put itself in a winning position, turning the 11-point half time deficit into a 13-point three quarter time lead.

Coming into the game with 13 goals from his last three matches, Callow again looked unstoppable in the marking contest in the forward line, kicking two goals in the third term.

Baynen Lowe also kicked two goals from quality set shots, and at the final break Norwood led 8.10-58 to 6.9-45.

The rain got heavy at three quarter time, and it was goal for goal early in the term, with Amos Doyle and Connor McFadyen nailing goals for Sturt, while Izaak Twelftree slotted one from a contest for Norwood. It was eight points the difference mid-way through the term.

Sanders stepped up with Norwood’s final goal of the day, before Callow’s sixth shot at goal just faded left.

The rest was history, as Sturt managed the final moments of the game better and claimed its ninth straight win to start the season.

Norwood goes into the bye with a win-loss record of 2-7, now four games outside the top five.

Norwood 1.2, 3.8, 8.10, 10.12 – 72

Sturt 3.5, 5.7, 6.9, 11.10 – 76

Goals: Callow 4, Lowe 2, Cootee, C. Ling, Sanders, Twelftree

Photo: Nelson Miles NFC