Redlegs run away from Port in Anzac Round

Norwood has started its 2024 SANFL season with four straight wins following an 18-point Anzac Round victory over Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Saturday night.

The Redlegs and Central District remain the only undefeated teams after four rounds.

On Saturday night Norwood fought out a tough 8.13-61 to 6.7-43 win over the Magpies.

It was a scrappy first half, with Norwood finding itself 10 points down midway through the second term, before kicking six unanswered goals to go up by a match-high 31 points late in the third term.

Billy Cootee had 21 disposals, along with five tackles and three clearances, while Mitch O’Neill had 20 disposals with 10 tackles and four clearances.

Full Forward Jackson Callow was a late out with injury, but Connor McLean kicked three goals from seven scoring shots, and took six marks. Finn Heard kicked two goals from his 18 disposals and nine marks.

Port started brightly and kicked the first goal of the match through Tom Scully.

McLean found the perfect reply with two quick goals to put Norwood up by seven points, both coming through set shots in front of the PAFC clubrooms.

It was a tight and physical game early, as both sides registered seven inside 50m entries to the 18-minute mark, while Norwood laid 15-9 tackles to continue the pressure it had shown through the first three matches.

The Redlegs had a run-on and created chances to expand on a seven-point lead, but sprayed three gettable shots wayward.

Norwood went into quarter time with a seven-point lead, 2.3-15 to 1.2-8 with McLean registering both Redlegs goals.

O’Neill again led the disposal tally for Norwood at quarter time with six disposals, four tackles and two clearances.

The Magpies led disposals 70-62 at the first break, while Norwood led clearances 10-5, hitouts 12-5, tackles 27-20 and marks 18-9, but couldn’t put the break on the scoreboard.

McLean had the first shot of the second term, and hit the post, before flying over a pack one minute later. He missed again from close range, and Norwood moved nine points in front, ruing multiple missed chances at 2.5-17 (and two out on the full) to 1.2-8.

Norwood led the inside 50m entries 6-2 early in the second quarter, and found several intercept marks at half forward, but couldn’t make Port pay on turnover.

The win-less Port Adelaide was showing a lot of fight, and kicked one against the run of play through a Bailey Chamberlain snap and had back to back goals when the Magpies capitalised on a turnover through the middle of the ground. This ended up in a Jake Weidemann goal in the goalsquare.

Port went to a 3.3-21 to 2.5-17 lead at the 12-minute mark and had a spark.

Clean passages of play were hard to find, which suited Port.

The Magpies had a third straight goal, when Lachlan Charleson snapped truly from a boundary throw in to put the home side up by 10 points. Their biggest lead of the match.

From the centre bounce, Norwood went forward and small forward Henry Nelligan drew a free kick 25m out. He booted a much-needed Norwood goal.

Jacob Kennerley and Baynen Lowe combined for the next centre clearance, with Lowe hitting Matt Panos on a long lead. Panos couldn’t finish, but Norwood had wrestled back the momentum.

Izaak Twelftree gave Norwood back the lead, taking a strong contested mark 15m out and converting.

F. Heard did the same three minutes later to boost Norwood’s lead to nine points just before three quarter time.

Norwood was dominating centre clearance and won another, with Cootee finding McLean on the lead with a bullet pass. McLean again hit the post to take his first half output to 2.3 from five disposals and five marks.

Both sides booted three consecutive goals in the second quarter, with Norwood taking a 10-point lead into the main break, 5.7-37 to 4.3-27.

Declan Hamilton, Kennerley and O’Neill had 10 disposals apiece to the half, as Norwood dominated the first half inside 50m numbers 24-16, as well as winning the clearances 19-12, hitouts 20-12, disposals 134-126 and marks 35-24.

Norwood pushed to extend its lead to start the second half, but Port defended well and kept the Redlegs to 0.4 in the opening six minutes.

In one of the cleanest plays of the night, Norwood worked it from a half back stoppage, down the wing and found Goy Lok on the lead. Lok finally converted and moved Norwood 20 points clear at the 10-minute mark of the third term.

After a scrappy and tight first half, Norwood enjoyed the third quarter on its own terms but failed to convert with a 3.4 quarter.

The Redlegs made it five straight goals when McLean snapped his third, as Norwood had 11 of the last 12 scoring shots to break away to a 25-point lead.

F. Heard had a hand in McLean’s third goal with a strong intercept mark at half forward, and he showed his marking prowess in the goalsquare four minutes later to put his side 31 points ahead.

Port’s Francis Evans snapped Norwood’s run of six unanswered goals with a clever left foot snap just before three quarter time, but the Redlegs won the quarter 3.4 to 1.1 to go into the final break with a 25-point lead.

The Magpies did all they could to turn the result around and Hugh Ferrari kicked a cracking goal in front of the Robert Quinn Grandstand to give the home side some hope.

Port was pushing hard, and Norwood was hanging onto a 17-point lead.

Norwood enjoyed some time in forward half, soaking some time off the clock.

Lok took a mark of the year contender on the wing late in the game, and the Redlegs clung on to a 18-point win to sit in second spot, just below the Bulldogs.

Norwood take on North Adelaide at Prospect Oval in Round 5, Saturday, May 4 from 2:10pm.

Norwood 2.3, 5.7, 8.11, 8.13 – 61

Port Adelaide 1.2, 4.3, 5.4, 6.7 – 43

Goals: McLean 3, F. Heard 2, Lok, Nelligan, Twelftree

Best: Boyd, Murley, McLean, Lowe, Seymour

Norwood is unbeaten in both the League and Reserves after four rounds, with the Redlegs Reserves side jumping over the top of North Adelaide in the final moments of Saturday’s game at Prospect Oval. 

Norwood found itself 11 points down with eight minutes to go, before booting the last three goals of the match to run past North on the way to a seven-point win.

Liam Robinson’s fourth goal at the 17-minute mark of the last quarter was the first of the fight back, before Tristan Binder’s third put Norwood in front with three minutes to play.

Mitch Carroll then put the icing on the cake with a 60m goal from a turnover, that bounced 20m out from goal and dribbled through.

M. Carroll’s goal was with the last kick of the game.

Both sides kicked 3.3 in the first term, with Norwood’s goals coming through Henry Slade, Lachie Bates and Binder.

North kicked the first goal of the second term, before Norwood kicked three on the trot before half time to go into the main break with a match-high 15-point lead.

Both Robinson and Binder went into half time with two goals apiece.

The Roosters kicked the first two goals after half time, and finished with a four goal to one third term to take a five-point lead into the final break.

North threatened to run away with it, kicking the first goal of the final term to make it five of the last six goals and create an 11-point buffer.

Robinson kicked his third goal at the seven-minute mark of the final term, which was answered immediately by North’s Brad Ashcroft who also booted four for the match.

From there Norwood kicked the last three of the afternoon to spoil North’s party, and claim an 11.10-76 to 10.9-69 win.

Robinson kicked four goals from 14 disposals, and Binder 3.3 from 11 disposals and eight marks.

Dom White continued his good run of form in his first season at Norwood with 25 disposals, while Luke Bogle had 21 disposals, nine tackles and six clearances in a best on ground performance.

The Redlegs are the only undefeated side in the Reserves competition, and sit two wins clear on top of the ladder, with Central District, Sturt, Glenelg and North Adelaide following, each on two victories for the season.

In a unique Reserves fixture, Norwood takes on North Adelaide again in both the upcoming Rounds 5 and 6, returning to Prospect Oval this Saturday, before hosting the Roosters at Coopers Stadium on May 10.

Norwood 3.3, 6.7, 7.8, 11.10 – 76

North Adelaide 3.3, 4.4, 8.7, 10.9 – 69

Goals: Robinson 4, Binder 3, Bates, M. Carroll, Gale, Slade

Best: Bogle, B. Carroll, Binder, White, Weightman