Norwood rises to sixth after gritty win at Alberton

The lead changed 10 times at Alberton Oval on Sunday afternoon, but when the final siren blew it was Norwood that held a 17-point advantage, securing its fourth win of the season and jumping to sixth on the SANFL ladder.

The Redlegs took all day to finally break down their old rivals in Port Adelaide, kicking five goals in the last quarter to claim a 15.3-93 to 12.4-76 victory, jumping from eighth to sixth and also securing their first win against a top-seven ranked side.

It’s been a challenging year at The Parade for first year coach Jade Sheedy, battling an injury list of 20-plus players early in the season, and losing five matches by 21 points or less, but the last month and a half of football has seen the tide start to turn.

The Redlegs have now won four of their last seven matches, and sit two wins outside the top five with six games remaining against Central District (fourth), Eagles (fifth), Adelaide (third), West Adelaide (10th), North Adelaide (eighth) and Port Adelaide (seventh).

It was a perfect day for football at Alberton Oval, with Norwood taking on a Port Adelaide side that ran out with 18 AFL listed players, plus captain Nick Moore and gun midfielders Jack Watkins and Jez McLennan.

Jayden Gale was a late in for forward Izaak Twelftree who withdrew with groin soreness.

Norwood kicked an impressive 15.3 from 11 individual goal kickers, including Tristan Binder who booted three goals, two from Finn Heard and two last quarter goals from captain Jacob Kennerley – his second being a goal of the year contender from the bowling green pocket.

Port Adelaide’s tall forwards Ollie Lord (five) and Jeremy Finlayson (five) were a real headache, kicking 10 of the Magpies 12 majors.

Nik Rokahr was the leading ball winner on the ground once again, with 27 disposals and five clearances, while Baynen Lowe at times looked a class above with 25 touches, four clearances and a goal in a best on ground performance.

Kennerley was excellent when the game mattered most with two last quarter goals to go with his 20 disposals, while Cooper Murley was all class off half back with 20 disposals (19 kicks).

Norwood had 60% of the possession in the opening 10 minutes of the match, and had +19 disposals in the opening quarter (95-76) but only led by five points at the first break.

The opening term went goal for goal, with Lowe, Binder and Charlie Molan kicking goals for the Redlegs, and Finlayson and O. Lord for the Magpies.

Norwood had no trouble getting it inside 50m, but went long to an always outnumbered Jackson Callow. Port looked more precise moving forward and their talls benefitted.

Eventually Matthew Ling broke the goal for goal deadlock, intercepting in the middle of the ground, taking a bounce, breaking the 50m and nailing a nice goal to put Norwood 11 points in front.

Port managed to hang around and kick another through O. Lord just before the quarter time siren, to make it five points 4.1-25 to 3.2-20.

Pierce Seymour had a huge first term with six important marks from his seven disposals, while Lowe started with eight touches and the first goal of the match.

Ling and Nik Rokahr each had seven touches in the first term, while Mani Liddy had nine disposals and three clearances for Port.

Norwood moved the ball with a lot more care and precision in the second term, and found early set shot goals to Finn Heard and Callow as a result.

The tall forward’s first goals of the match helped the Redlegs to a handy 16-point lead, 6.1-37 to 3.3-21 from six individual goal kickers.

O. Lord seemed to be the difference for Port, kicking his third as an instant reply.

The Redlegs missed multiple tackles, gave away free kicks and made skill errors, while Port started to play the game on its own terms. The home side found three consecutive goals through Finlayson’s second and O. Lord’s fourth from a 25m penalty to put the Magpies in front.

After butchering the ball going inside 50m on multiple occasions, Norwood finally found an entry that favoured its forwards, resulting in a crumb to Molan and a walk-in goal to Mitch Nicholas.

It was three goals apiece in the second term, and Norwood led by four points at the main break, 7.1-43 to 6.3-39.

The Redlegs had seven goal kickers, and Port two with O. Lord booting four and Finlayson two.

Murley had 14 disposals across half back, while M. Ling and Lowe had 12 disposals and a goal apiece. Port’s Watkins had 15 disposals, while Liddy was well held in the second quarter, finding just three touches and going to the half with 12.

Despite getting beaten in the hitouts, Luke Surman was having a big influence around the ground with 10 disposals, three big marks and four clearances. Seymour had seven marks from 11 disposal, and Rokahr had 11 touches and three clearances.

It was an even game on the stats sheet, as Norwood led inside 50m by three (24-21), marks by 10 (59-49) and disposals by seven (167-160), while Port led clearances by one 17-16 and tackles by seven (21-15) in what was a low-tackle, free-flowing game.

Skill errors continued to plague Norwood to start the second half, leading to Port’s first two majors of the second half. Christian Moreas’ goal put the Magpies in front, before Jack Whitlock helped them to an eight-point lead.

Norwood’s eighth individual goal kicker was Jayden Gale, who capitalised from an off-ball free kick, and get the Redlegs back on track.

Gale intercepted an errant Port defender’s kick 30m out from goal and set up a Binder major, who became Norwood’s first multiple goal kicker, dribbling through his second to put the visitors back in the lead.

As they’d done all day, the Magpies responded immediately through Finlayson’s third.

The final 10 minutes of the third quarter was tense, and Binder kicked a third goal from a perfect set shot to help the Redlegs to a three-point three quarter time lead, 10.1-61 to 9.4-58.

There had been eight lead changes in the opening three quarters, and became a ninth time when Finlayson converted his fourth goal from a ruck free kick.

Finn Heard made it 10 lead changes less than a minute later, and from there the Redlegs made sure there were no more.

The visitors put the game to bed with four unanswered goals and five in the last term to secure an impressive win to give themselves a chance to make a late season finals run.

Three of Norwood’s four wins have come on the road, and will be keen to continue its strong away form when it travels to Elizabeth to take on the Bulldogs next Saturday.

Norwood 4.1, 7.1, 10.1, 15.3 – 93

Port Adelaide 3.2, 6.3, 9.4, 12.4 – 76 

Goals: Binder 3, F. Heard 2, Kennerley 2, Callow, Cootee, Gale, C. Ling, M. Ling, Lowe, Molan, Nicholas

Best: Baynen Lowe, Nik Rokahr, Thomas Donnelly, Matthew Ling, Jacob Kennerley

Norwood’s Reserves put up a good fight against the fourth placed Woodville-West Torrens on Saturday afternoon, but were eventually overrun in the last term, going down by 14 points at Coopers Stadium.

The Redlegs led for most of the game, and by as much as 17 points in the second term, but the Eagles booted seven of the last nine goals (including five in the last term) to run out 10.9-69 to 8.7-55 winners.

Norwood had 113-more disposals, took 27-more marks, and laid-nine more tackles, but couldn’t stop the Eagles momentum in the second half when they got a roll on.

Off-season recruit Daniel Gauci had one of his best matches for Norwood with 32 disposals (18 in the first half), five tackles and six clearances, while Max Hodges continued his strong season with a best on ground effort.

M. Hodges had 22 touches, while Jake Cresswell had 32 disposals, George McLeod 30 and Ben Simpson 25 and a goal.

First year senior player Jack Michalanney played his first game since Round 2, returning from injury and had 19 disposals and eight marks, while U18 Jeff Rozenbilds also had a good game with 21 disposals and a goal.

Norwood also debuted a new ruckman, Indhi Kotzur who signed with the club from the Wodonga Raiders in the Ovens & Murray Football League last week before the June 30 clearance cut off. The 19-year-old Kotzur – a big presence at 199cm – had 12 disposals, 12 hitouts and kicked a goal.

The Redlegs play the sixth placed Central District in Elizabeth this Saturday, before taking on the Eagles once again in two weeks time for the fourth time this season.

Norwood 2.1, 5.3, 6.4, 8.7 – 55

WWT 0.4, 3.5, 5.6, 10.9 – 69

Best: Max Hodges, Daniel Gauci, Calem Krollig, Tyson Walls, Jake Cresswell

Goals: Aherne 2, Cook, J. Hodges, Kotzur, L. Ling, Rozenbilds, Simpson