Norwood’s SANFLW season is ALIVE with huge R11 win

There was only one option for Norwood in Round 11. It was a win against Sturt at Unley Oval… and win they did.

Heading to Thomas Farms Oval on King’s Birthday Monday, Norwood sat two wins and percentage behind the fourth placed Double Blues, with four matches remaining in the SANFLW competition.

Norwood went inside 50m 43-more times in one of the most one-sided games of the year, but despite this territory dominance the Double Blues remained in the game until the last quarter.

In the end, weight of numbers helped the Redlegs claim a 5.5-35 to 0.1-1 victory to move just one win away from a finals spot with games against South Adelaide (second), Glenelg (eighth) and Centrals (seventh) to come.

Despite having 30 more (36-6) inside 50m at three quarter time, the Redlegs had been held goalless in quarters two and three and led by just 15 points at the final break.

Finally, Kiana Lee stepped up with a mark in the goal square to put the game out of reach, with Candice Belbin and Jade Halfpenny also kicking majors in the final quarter to run away with a quality percentage boosting 34-point win.

Aside from their amazing final term against Centrals, the Redlegs put together their best quarter of the season in the opening term. Dominating the Double Blues from the first bounce.

Norwood’s stats sheet dominance would have been eye watering for the Sturt coaching box at quarter time, as the Redlegs went into the first break with +21 disposals, +2 tackles and an amazing +18 inside 50m entries.

They kept the home side to just one inside 50m for the first term, while sending inside their own attacking arc 19 times.

Norwood managed two goals from its dominance, through Adrienne Davies and Sharmaine Crosby, whose speed was worrying the Sturt defenders.

The Redlegs had a couple more shots that fell short, but it was a good start in a must-win contest.

Sturt had to respond in the second quarter, and did so by halting Norwood’s momentum and turning the game into a scrap.

The game was played between the arcs, with just nine inside 50m managed between the two sides (5-4 Norwood’s way).

The disposal tally evened up, while each team laid more than 20 tackles in a tough quarter of football.

No goals were scored, which allowed Norwood to take a 13-point lead into half time, 2.2-14 to 0.1-1.

Georgina Birchall was loving the contested game, with 11 disposals in the opening half, while Amelia Rusden had nine and Lana Schwerdt eight.

Sturt’s Isobel Kuiper was leading the way with 15 disposals and six clearances.

The Redlegs were still dominating territory, going inside 50m 24 times to Sturt’s five in the first half.

It was a similar story in the third quarter, as the ball lived in Norwood’s forward zone, heading inside 50m eight times to Sturt’s one in the opening 10 minutes.

Again it was to no avail, as the Redlegs managed just two behinds as Sturt’s defence stood tall to again leave the dominant visitors goalless for the second straight quarter.

Despite the stats sheet reading 36-6 inside 50m entries at three quarter time, Sturt was somehow still well and truly in the contest just 15 points behind.

At the final break, Norwood led 2.4-16 to 0.1-1.

Status-quo remained, as Norwood continued to pound the ball inside 50m and eventually the dam wall fell over with goals to Lee, Belbin and Halfpenny.

The Redlegs season is now well and truly back on track, moving to 4-7 alongside West Adelaide, and chasing down the fourth placed 5-6 Double Blues.

Norwood has a bye next week, before hosting South Adelaide in another season defining Round 12 game at Coopers Stadium on Sunday, June 22.

Norwood 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, 5.5 – 35

Sturt 0.0, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1 – 1

Goals: Crosby, Davies, Halfpenny, Lee, Belbin

Best: Halfpenny, Brooksby, Schwerdt, Rusden, Birchall, Branford