Norwood’s through to the 2024 SANFL Grand Final with big Semi Final win

Norwood will contest for its 32nd SANFL Premiership on September 22, qualifying for the 2024 Grand Final after a commanding 59-point win over Central District in Sunday’s Semi Final.

After a 15-3 season, the Redlegs finished Minor Premiers in 2024 and earnt the rest in the first week of the Finals Series. After a slow start in the Semi Final Norwood kicked 12 goals to two after quarter time to run out 14.10-94 to 5.5-35 winners.

The Bulldogs – who came from behind to beat Sturt by 11 points in last week’s Qualifying Final – led Norwood by eight points at quarter time before a spirited second quarter saw the Redlegs kick five unanswered goals to turn the tide.

The crowd at Adelaide Oval was 11,317 for Sunday’s Semi Finals, with Glenelg knocking Sturt out in straight sets with a run away 31-point win in the early game.

For the Redlegs, Billy Cootee looked at home on the finals stage with 25 disposals, four clearances, four tackles and two classy goals, while Baynen Lowe had 22 disposals, six clearances and four tackles.

Alastair Lord was outstanding in a negating role on dangerous Centrals forward Isaiah Dudley who had just six touches, while Lord had 19 of his own. Tom Donnelly kept the competition’s best goal kicker Aiden Grace to just one major and seven disposals, while Pierce Seymour (19 disposals) and Matthew Ling (21 disposals) were also fantastic in defence.

Cooper Murley kicked a career-high three goals for Norwood, in a day where unusually the Bulldogs won the inside 50m count 46-44 despite going down by nearly 10 goals.

Norwood dominated disposals 318-245, marks 63-35, handballs 130-84, tackles 90-76, hitouts 55-29 and clearances 43-41.

It was a scrappy start, as both sides settled into the contest.

With last week’s final already under their belt, the Bulldogs settled quicker and were on the board first with a long goal and fortunate bounce from ruckman Beau Thomas.

Cootee and Mitch O’Neill were everywhere early, with four touches each in the opening seven minutes, in a game that was bouncing around between the arcs.

It was three inside 50m entries apiece in the opening nine minutes, but Centrals looked more menacing when transitioning forward.

The Bulldogs looked in control and Norwood looked nervous and fumbly in its first final of the year, but the Redlegs managed the next goal when Izaak Twelftree won a vital contest inside 50m and dribbled a classy snap through the big sticks.

Norwood Captain Jacob Kennerley span through his side’s next goal from a stoppage two minutes later to give the Redlegs a five-point lead.

From there Centrals controlled the rest of the quarter, with the next two goals coming the Jai Larkins and Leyton Chisholm.

Centrals had 15-7 inside 50m in the first term and an eight point lead at quarter time, 3.2-20 to 2.0-12.

Dyson Sharp had nine disposals in the first quarter for Centrals and Cootee nine for Norwood.

Norwood came storming out of the blocks in the second term, looking a different team to the fumbly Redlegs in the first and went on to take the game away from Centrals with a five-goal-to-none quarter.

In one of the first clear passages of play of the day, Norwood worked the ball along the wing and into the corridor to Cootee who nailed a running goal from outside 50m.

Tristan Binder got the next goal, winning a strong contest close to goal and slotting Norwood’s go-ahead goal. Now in front, the Redlegs never looked back.

Jackson Callow took a strong contested mark 15m out and converted the Redlegs fifth goal to extend the lead to 11, 5.1-31 to 3.2-20.

Finn Heard won a free kick in a ruck contest 35m directly in front and nailed the goal, to help the Redlegs to a handy 17-point lead mid-way through the second term.

Norwood had held the Bulldogs scoreless for 23 minutes in the second term, strangling every attack Centrals made as Donnelly, Seymour and Lord won big contests in defence.

Murley nailed a swinging snap down the Riverbank end in one of the goals of the year to put the Redlegs up by 22 points.

It was a big quarter for Norwood, kicking five unanswered goals and restricting the Bulldogs to just one behind to go into half time with a 7.1-43 to 3.3-21 advantage.

After his nine touches in the first term, Cootee had just two in the second (including the sensational running goal) and had 11 disposals to half time, while O’Neill and Seymour had 10 disposals each.

Kai Pudney had 12 for the Bulldogs, Chisholm 11 and Sharp 11.

Norwood started to get on top in the second term around the ground, and went into half time leading disposals 146-128, tackles 47-42 and marks 22-16. However, Centrals maintained strong dominance in the clearance (17-26) and inside 50m (16-27) numbers.

Norwood knew it had to keep the foot on the throat, with Centrals overturning a 30-point deficit against Sturt in the Qualifying Final last weekend. A 22-point lead didn’t feel enough.

Binder got the important first goal of the second half.

From there Norwood had several opportunities to put the game to bed but kicked five consecutive behinds and another set shot that didn’t score to hold a 32-point lead which kept the door ajar.

It felt the next goal was massive with the Redlegs managing just 1.6 for the quarter, and it came from a classy long-range set shot from O’Neill.

O’Neill’s goal put Norwood 39 points in front half way through the third term, and it felt that was the deciding factor in the game.

Norwood kicked a wayward 2.7 in the third term, but restricted the Bulldogs to just one goal and held a 34-point lead at the final break, 9.8-62 to 4.4-28.

Rain tumbled during the three quarter time break, and it was Norwood’s to lose holding a near six-goal lead.

Cootee’s sensational day got even better, and put the final nail in the coffin with his second goal from his 21^st disposal.

Henry Nelligan’s first goal helped Norwood to a 47-point lead, and Norwood goals followed from Jake Cresswell and Murley (two), with his second coming on the full-time siren in front of the large Norwood crowd at the Southern End.

Norwood now awaits the winner of next Sunday’s Preliminary Final between Central District and Glenelg in the SANFL Grand Final on Sunday, September 22 at the Adelaide Oval.

Norwood 2.0, 7.1, 9.8, 14.10 – 94

Central District 3.2, 3.3, 4.4, 5.5 – 35

Goals: Murley 3, Binder 2, Cootee 2, Callow, Cresswell, F. Heard, Kennerley, Nelligan, O’Neill, Twelftree

Best: Donnelly, Ling, Lowe, Cootee, Twelftree