Teakle Cup Teams

Norwood heads to its Regional Zone of the Eyre Peninsula for The Teakle Cup this Sunday, taking on the Adelaide Crows at Port Lincoln’s Centenary Oval.

It’s the fourth time Norwood has hosted a SANFL match in Port Lincoln, winning two of the three encounters so far against West Adelaide, but this year its the Crows making the trip for the first time.

Adelaide have started the season strongly, winning its first three matches against Westies, North Adelaide and Glenelg, before going down to the Eagles in Round 4.

Norwood has had a tough start to the SANFL season, winless from its first four matches against the Roosters, Eagles, Double Blues and Tigers.

Despite the 43-point loss to Glenelg last week, signs were better for the Redlegs who led the game by two points in the final stages of the third quarter, before the Tigers kicked eight last quarter goals to run out 18.11-119 to 11.10-76 winners.

Norwood has made three changes to the Round 5 side with injuries to Connor McLean (groin) and Tom McCallum (knee), while Jake Cresswell has been omitted. McCallum will face a large chunk of the season on the sidelines with a knee injury he sustained in Round 4, but was cleared of an ACL rupture.

Marco D’Annunzio, Charlie Molan, Oliver Sanders, Jack Saunders, Isaac Saywell and Ethan Warburton have come into an extended 25-man squad for the Port Lincoln trip.

Molan is coming off back to back best on ground performances in the Reserves, while Saunders also found some form in the Reserves last week with 20 disposals, 14 tackles and a goal.

Warburton has been impressive at Reserves level after overcoming a shoulder injury pre-season.

Four local EP boys have been selected, including Captain Jacob Kennerley, Jacob Newton, Jayden Gale and Tristan Binder.

Both the Crows and Redlegs players fly into Port Lincoln on Saturday and heading to Centenary Oval for Captains Runs that afternoon (Crows 2:45pm, Norwood 3:45pm).

The Round 5 game will start at 2pm on Sunday.

Norwood’s Reserves side take on Woodville-West Torrens at Woodville Oval for the second time in four weeks, playing the Eagles on Friday, May 2 from 7pm.