Redlegs secure big win over South

Norwood’s scintillating first quarter set up a strong 52-point win over South Adelaide at Coopers Stadium on Sunday.

It was the Redlegs first win at The Parade for the 2025 season, and it was all-but over at half time as the home side booted eight unanswered goals to lead by a commanding 48 points at the main break.

South kicked the first goal of the afternoon within the opening 90 seconds of the game, and it seemed the Panthers came to play. But, Norwood squashed any hope of an upset, piling on the next six to round out the first term.

The Redlegs led by 33 at quarter time 6.3-39 to 1.0-6 and were all over the Panthers, leading inside 50m entries +10, disposals +26, marks +9, tackles +3 and clearances +1 in a dominant quarter.

Everything was coming off for Norwood with Tristan Binder kicking Norwood’s first from the Premiers Bar pocket, Declan Hamilton curling one home, Jacob Kennerley nailing his goal from 50m, Cooper Murley goaling on the run and Billy Cootee rounding out a perfect quarter with a classy finish in front of Coopers Hill.

The game became a real dour affair in quarters two and three, as South clawed its way into the contest (with little progress made on the scoreboard).

Jackson Callow kicked the only goals of the second quarter, and Norwood led 8.8-56 to 1.2-8 at the major break, after the Redlegs booted a wayward 2.5 to South’s 0.2 for the term.

The Redlegs rounded out a strong first half with +57 disposals (159-102), + 13 marks (47-32), +7 clearances (22-15), +16 inside 50m (28-12) and 16 scoring shots to three.

Cootee and Isaac Saywell had 11 disposals each, while Luke Surman was having a big impact with 13 hitouts and four clearances to go with his eight disposals.

Both teams lost a player during the third term, with Redleg Baynen Lowe coming off following a solid collision on the far wing, before young Panther Jay Chapman hurt his knee five minutes later.

South won the third term with two goals to one, both from Damon Freitag, while Norwood’s only goal was a lucky one as Finn Heard made the most of a South skill error on the goal line.

Leading by 40 points at the final break, but having kicked just three goals since quarter time Norwood was keen to finish strong.

Binder kicked his second goal in front of the scoreboard to make it 45 points, and Callow booted back to back majors and suddenly the game was out to a match-high 59 points.

Emmanuel Ajang kicked South’s fourth and final goal of the game in the dying minutes, and the final score read 12.12-84 to 4.8-32.

Callow finished with four goals to make it 26 for the year (equal second on the Ken Farmer Medal tally), while Binder was the other multiple goal kicker with two.

Cootee and Kennerley were the leading disposal winners on the ground with 23 apiece.

The Redlegs have won three of their last five games, with the losses coming against top placed Sturt (four points) and fifth placed Central District  (11 points).

Norwood has a huge match next Saturday at Coopers Stadium against the second placed Glenelg, in a week where the club celebrates its 1975 SANFL Premiership Reunion.

Norwood 6.3, 8.8, 9.9, 12.12 – 84

South Adelaide 1.0, 1.2, 3.5, 4.8 – 32

Goals: Callow 4, Binder 2, Cootee, Hamilton, F. Heard, Kennerley, Murley, Twelftree

Best: Cootee, Murley, Kennerley, Surman, Lord

It was only a brief stop in the top five for Norwood’s Reserves side, who dropped back down to seventh following a 27-point loss to ladder leaders South Adelaide. 

The Redlegs bounced into finals contention with two wins and a draw against Sturt, West Adelaide and Central District across their previous three outings, but the in-form Panthers proved too strong in a 9.15-69 to 6.6-42 win.

Jack Saunders kicked two goals from 16 disposals for Norwood, while Ben Simpson gathered 21 disposals and six clearances in his first game of the year. Simpson was named best on ground his his return game from a foot injury.

Oscar Hodge also had 21 touches, four tackles and kicked a goal.

Marco D’Annunzio was strong in the ruck with 44 hitouts, five clearances and seven tackles.

The Redlegs were jumped early, as the Panthers kicked four goals to one in the opening term.

Norwood was lucky South didn’t kick straight in the second term, booting 0.5, before Norwood got on the board through Saunders.

Saunders goal kept Norwood in the hunt at half time, trailing by 16 points, but South put the foot down with 3.4 in the third quarter to Norwood’s 1.1.

Trailing by 31 points at the final change, Norwood got the game back to three goals in the opening 10 minutes of the quarter with majors to Jack Aherne and Hodge, but South steadied and held on to claim its seventh win of the Reserves campaign.

Norwood 1.1, 2.4, 3.5, 6.6 – 42

South Adelaide 4.3, 4.8, 7.12, 9.15 – 69

Goals: Saunders 2, Aherne, Cook, Hodge, Turner

Best: Simpson, Hodge, Walls, D’Annunzio, Krollig