Norwood U18s start season with back to back wins

Norwood’s U18s are off to a positive start in 2025, claiming a nine-point win over West Adelaide at Hisense Stadium on Saturday afternoon to make it two victories from two outings.

Redlegs captain Darcy Speyer was outstanding, leading from the front with 35 disposals, seven clearances, six marks and a goal in the 10.13-73 to 9.10-64 win.

After a tight first half, Norwood led by seven points at the main break, 6.6-42 to 5.5-35. But the Redlegs made their move after half time, with four goals to one in the third quarter, with the margin stretching out to a match-high 33 points.

West Adelaide rallied with the final four goals of the game, and if it managed to kick accurately it may have been a different story, booting 3.4 to 0.3 in the final term.

“The game was a real arm wrestle for the first half, both sides were struggling to defend transition between the arcs and majority of scores were coming from turnover,” Norwood U18 coach Alex Newell said.

“We were performing strongly around contest and clearances led by Darcy Speyer and just needed to tighten up our ability to lock it in our front half and prevent rebound 50’s. We managed to do this in the third quarter kicking 4.4 and getting the games on our terms.

“We knew West would come home strong, and given we had played in 39 degrees the week prior and they didn’t we knew it would be a challenge physically. West certainly got on top in the last and charged home with 3.4 to 0.3 but we executed our game mode method in the final minutes to hold them off.”

Balyn O’Brien was again strong across half back with 15 disposals, while Luke Scott had 32 touches, Noah Daw 30 and James Annese 25.

Harry Lake booted three goals for Norwood, as Annese, Mitchell Stevenson and Jonty Thompson each kicked two.

“To start the season 2-0 on the back of a strong pre season is really pleasing, both wins have come in challenging manners so we take a lot of learnings from that and look forward to another test in Port Pirie next week,” Newell said.

Norwood 2.4, 6.6, 10.10, 10.13 – 73

West Adelaide 2.1, 5.5, 6.6, 9.10 – 64

Best: Speyer, O’Brien, Annese, Kelly, James

Goals: Lake 3, Annese 2, Stevenson 2, Thompson 2, Speyer

Norwood’s U16s got their season underway on Saturday, going down to West Adelaide by nine points at Hisense Stadium in a come from behind win.

It was the first game for new U16 coach Peter Turner, and his side brought the effort and intensity in a game they potentially should have won.

Norwood led by a match-high 29 points in the second quarter and finished with 22 scoring shots to West’s 16, but the visitors had a horror day in front of goal, returning 9.13-67 to 12.4-76.

The Redlegs were the better side in the first half, kicking six goals to two and leading 6.8-44 to 2.3-15 at the 18-minute mark of the second term.

Westies kicked back to back goals through Percy Burgoyne and Samuel DePalma just moments before half time to get themselves back in the hunt, just 17 points adrift.

The Bloods took full control, kicking nine of the next 10 goals to turn the 29-point deficit into a 16-point lead.

Norwood looked buried when West kicked the first three goals of the final term, but responded with two of its own through Lachlan Leach and Tyler Hitch to bring the margin back to three points.

Andrew Comakis goaled for the Bloods to make it tricky, and they managed to hold on to the nine-point win.

Leach led Norwood’s disposal tally with 20 and a goal, while Charlie Best, Kai Ivins and Oliver Easton each had 19 touches.

The Redlegs had their hands full with West midfielder Lauence Andriani, who collected 41 disposals, six clearances, five tackles and nine marks.

After a two-win season in 2024, Norwood looks a much improved side in 2025.

Norwood 2.4, 6.8, 7.11, 9.13 – 67

West Adelaide 2.3, 4.3, 8.3, 12.4 – 76

Goals: Costanzo 2, Gray 2, Carr, Hitch, Leach, Nak, Tyrrell