Norwood moves to 6-0 after Friday night win

Norwood secured its sixth straight win of the 2024 SANFL campaign, after downing Adelaide by 18 points at Coopers Stadium on Friday night. 

The Crows kicked a goal in the opening minute of the match, but Norwood answered back quickly and led for the remainder of the contest, going on to win 10.12-72 to 7.12-54.

Mitch O’Neill again led Norwood’s disposal count with 32 touches, seven clearances and three tackles, while Billy Cootee had 27 disposals, and Baynen Lowe 24 disposals, eight clearances and five tackles.

Ling (24 disposals) and Jackson Callow (one goal, 12 disposals) both returned to the side for Round 6 after missing last week through injury, but captain Jacob Kennerley again watched on with a leg injury.

Adelaide’s Billy Dowling kicked the first major of the night, before Norwood’s Izaak Twelftree – who has been marking everything that’s come his way this year – marked and went back to kick the home side’s first goal of the night.

Thomas Donnelly was locked in an enthralling battle against Crows forward Lachie Gollant, who kicked five goals in the SANFL Showdown last week. Gollant giving away an early free kick from a scuffle with Donnelly, before (Gollant) taking a strong mark on the lead in front of the dour defender a few minutes later.

Gollant finished with two goals for the night.

Another intriguing battle was Harry Boyd and Kieran Strachan in the ruck, with Strachan drifting back in defence and competing for intercept marks. A role he played well in the first term with six disposals and three marks.

Boyd finished with 47 hitouts, 12 disposals and eight clearances, while Strachan had 32 hitouts, 22 disposals and eight marks.

After 20 minutes of the contest it was locked at 1.2-8 apiece, with Norwood dominating the inside 50m count 12-5, but the Crows were leading clearances 9-5.

Finn Heard bent the second goal through for the Redlegs.

The Crows had two quality goal scoring opportunities late in the first term, but missed them both, which allowed Norwood to go into quarter time four points in front.

Norwood led 2.2-14 to 1.4-10 at the first break. The inside 50m entries leveled up, with Norwood leading 14-12, while the Crows led clearance 12-8.

Ling had eight disposals in the first quarter, while O’Neill and Pierce Seymour had seven each.

Norwood started the second term brightly, winning the first clearance, and kicking the first goal through Sam Morris.

Norwood’s forward pressure was evident all night, and Connor McLean laid a lunging tackle to ensure a Crows defender sprayed a ball out of bounds. McLean got the reward moments later, taking a mark on the lead, and going back to kick Norwood’s fourth goal.

Declan Hamilton made it four goals on the trot soon after later, sneaking forward from the wing and snapping a classy goal in front of Coopers Hill.

Hamilton’s goal put the Redlegs 23 points in front.

The Crows were hanging on, and found an instant response with back to back goals through Lachie Murphy and Gollant to make it 11 points at the halfway mark of the second term.

It had been a tough and physical battle throughout the first half, and the next goal was important. It was again F. Heard that found it for the Redlegs, snapping through his second and restoring a 17-point lead at half time.

Norwood led 6.6-42 to 3.7-25 and were also +26 in disposals, +16 in hitouts, +7 in inside 50m, and had resurrected a slow start in clearances to be +7 at half time.

Ling had a big second quarter with 10 disposals, taking his half time tally to 18. Cootee had 15 disposals to the half, and O’Neill 14. Dowling was the Crows leading ball winner with 11 touches and a goal.

Norwood again went forward from the first centre clearance of the third term, and ended in a goal to Callow.

McLean kicked a goal of the year contender in the Coopers Corner pocket, and the margin was out to a match high 29 points.

In an anti-climax for the Norwood crowd, Adelaide’s Jay Boyle responded with a walk-in goal a minute later to snap a three-goal run for the Redlegs.

Crows had two goals in a row when Gollant guided his second goal through the big sticks. Adelaide kept hanging around and the Gollant goal made it 18 points.

As he has done all year, Cootee stood up when it counted and nailed a long running goal just before three quarter time to make it a 26-points margin.

Darcy Clifford converted an important set shot just before the break to give the visitors some hope with a 20-point deficit at three quarter time.

The game was in the balance and Twelftree laid a lunging tackle, to allow Henry Nelligan to swoop and kick the all-important first goal of the last term to quickly make it a 28-point game.

Crows Captain Jack Madgen again answered with the next for his side soon after.

The Crows kept threatening, but again their accuracy let them down, kicking four consecutive behinds and the Redlegs maintained the three-goal final buffer.

Norwood has a bye next week due to the State game, but take on the in-form Central District in Elizabeth in Round 7.

The Redlegs are also undefeated at Reserves level following a 13.10-88 to 8.16-64 win over North Adelaide at The Parade on Friday night.

Norwood 2.2, 6.6, 9.10, 10.12 – 72

Adelaide 1.4, 3.7, 6.8, 7.12 – 54

Goals: F. Heard 2, McLean 2, Callow, Cootee, Hamilton, S. Morris, Nelligan, Twelftree

Best: Lowe, O’Neill, Donnelly, Hamilton, Cresswell

Norwood remains the only undefeated team in the Reserves competition, following a 24-point win over North Adelaide at Coopers Stadium on Friday evening.

In a quirk to the SANFL Reserves fixture, Norwood has played North Adelaide three weeks in a row (due to Norwood’s League fixture including games against Port, North and Adelaide) for seven, 36 and 24-point victories.

Norwood forward Liam Robinson kicked another three goals and moved to the top of the Reserves league goal kicking tally with 18, Jayden Gale and Alex van Wyk were the others to kick multiple goals for the Redlegs.

Alec Wright was best on ground for Norwood with 24 disposals, six tackles and a goal, while Ben Simpson had 22 disposals, nine clearances and six tackles.

Ruckman van Wyk had 20 disposals, eight clearances and 29 hitouts

Norwood kicked the first goal of the game, a snap from Lachie Bates down the Roger Woodcock End.

Bates had a good start to the game with seven disposals and a goal in the first quarter.

North booted the second through Max Blacker, before Norwood responded with another two before the first break through Wright and Robinson to go into quarter time with a nine-point lead.

Norwood was lucky North didn’t convert, kicking 1.5-11 to the Redlegs 3.2-20.

The Redlegs lost inside 50m 11-7 and tackles 18-9 in the first term, but controlled the ball around the ground with 26 marks to 11.

North Adelaide found an early goal in the second quarter, through Angus Tully.

From there, Norwood looked on top for most of the second term, with Bates setting up an easy run in goal for Robinson and the Redlegs managing to lock the ball in forward half for long periods.

The home side couldn’t capitalise on the scoreboard, and the Roosters made them pay on the counter attack with two close range goals to Shaydan Close just minutes apart.

Close’s second goal gave the visitors a three-point lead.

Goy Lok wrestled back the lead for Norwood with an accurate set shot down The Parade End, and Gale again made it a nine-point game with a clever snap in front of the players race.

North Adelaide forward Tadhg Evans took a mark 40m out with 20 seconds on the clock, but missed after the siren.

The Redlegs went into the half time break with a 6.4-40 to 4.8-32 lead.

Bates and Ben Simpson had 10 disposals each in the first half, with Simpson winning four clearances and laying five tackles.

North still led inside 50m entries 24-17 and tackles 29-21 at the half, but Norwood were leading disposals 146-137 and marks 39-21.

Norwood’s van Wyk was the dominant ruck, in the absence of Marco D’Annunzio and Jordan Neal, and had 19 hitouts to half time.

The Redlegs put their foot down midway through the third quarter, and kicked four unanswered goals to open up a match-high 29-point lead early in the last quarter.

North did well to kick the next two goals to make it interesting, a 17-point game at the half way point of the final term.

Tristan Binder kicked the sealer at the 19-minute mark to make it 24 points and six straight wins for Norwood’s Reserves.

Norwood has a bye before a tough road trip to Elizabeth to take on the third placed Central District in Round 7.

Norwood 3.2, 5.6, 10.6, 13.10 – 88

North Adelaide 1.5, 4.8, 5.13, 8.16 – 64

Goals: Robinson 3, Gale 2, van Wyk 2, Bates, Binder, Lok, Nicholls, Saywell, Wright

Best: Wright, Simpson, Bogle, Bates, McLeod