Tough start to SANFL season for Norwood

Norwood’s 2025 SANFL season got off to a challenging start on Saturday night, going down to a wayward North Adelaide side by 32 points at Coopers Stadium.

On a perfect night for football at The Parade, the Redlegs under new coach Jade Sheedy went down to a quality Roosters lineup, 8.19-67 to 5.5-35.

The Roosters ran all over the home side in the first half, leaving Norwood 43 points down and on the ropes mid-way during the second term. But, the Redlegs worked their way into the match as North Adelaide squandered countless opportunities in the second half.

Norwood kicked three goals to two after half time, as its game improved as the night went on, but it was 3.3 to 2.10 in the second half in a game dominated by the red and white.

Gun Roosters Keenan Ramsey and Alex Spina were well held, but Angus Schumacher (26 disposals) and Oskar Faulkhead (23) were a handful.

The returning Nik Rokahr was the leading ball winner on the ground with 29 disposals, while Jack Heard had 24, Matt Ling 23 and Cooper Murley 21 for Norwood as the ball lived in North’s forward half for much of the game, 53-36 inside 50m entries.

Norwood’s backs defended diligently, restricting the Roosters to eight goals from 53 entries with plenty of pressured and wayward shots, but Norwood’s struggles came transitioning the ball into the forward line.

When they could escape from their defensive zone, the Redlegs looked dangerous running the ball through the midfield but constantly broke down transitioning into forward 50, with dropped marks, missed kicks and skill errors.

Norwood headed into Round 1 with an extensive injury list, with Baynen Lowe, Izaak Twelftree, Alastair Lord, Thomas Donnelly, Jacob Newton, Connor McLean, Ben Simpson, Ethan Warburton, Will Rowlands and Luke Surman (late out) on the sidelines.

But with injury comes opportunities, as five players made their Round 1 debuts – Liam Ling, Connor Ling, Josh Gillow, Daniel Gauci and Tom McCallum.

Surman was a late out for Norwood (ankle), so it was Finn Heard, Rokahr, Billy Cootee and Jacob Kennerley in the first centre bounce, up against former Redleg ruckman Alex van Wyk, with winger Jake Cresswell finding the first kick of the evening.

Rokahr sent Norwood inside 50m and the game, and season was underway for the Redlegs.

Norwood had several good looks inside 50m, five in the first five minutes. But delivery let the Redlegs down.

It looked that Norwood had the first goal on the board, but it was touched off Cresswell’s soccering boot. From the kick out it was North which drew first blood, a goal through Frank Szekely.

After a free flowing first five minutes, the game became stagnent as the contested game took over in North’s forward half. Norwood did well to hold up, restricting the Roosters to 1.4-10 to 0.1-1 after 15 minutes.

North was dominating territory, with 11 consecutive inside 50m entries, and eventually Ewan Mackinlay kicked the Roosters second.

F. Heard provided an excellent forward 50m contest to spill the ball to Jayden Gale, who missed the roving goal on the run.

The Redlegs defenders stood up under the pressure of 16 first quarter inside 50m, and would have been happy to go in and reset at quarter time 17 points down, but North unfortunately found their third in the final minute from Kelsey Rypstra.

Recruits for their respective clubs Rokahr (Norwood) and Angus Schumacher (North) started the game strongly, each with 10 disposals in the first term. Rokahr had five clearances.

At the first break, North led disposal +18, tackles +2, marks +12 and had 16-9 inside 50m entries for 10 scoring shots to two.

Trailing 3.7-25 to 0.2-2 at quarter time, Norwood needed to respond.

The Redlegs again moved the ball nicely along the wing and through the middle of the ground, but lacked polish moving inside 50m. Dropping marks, and missing players in space with wayward kicks.

It looked to be North’s night, as the Roosters slammed home two quick goals early in the second term to make it a 37-point lead at the eight-minute mark, 5.9-39 to 0.2-2.

North added another to make it a match high 43 points, and from there the Redlegs managed to maintain the football.

The highlight of the first half was Norwood’s first goal, which came off the boot of debutant Liam Ling at the 19-minute mark of the second term.

Norwood enjoyed a good patch before half time, and Gale booted the Redlegs second goal three minutes later to make the half time margin 31 points, 6.9-45 to 2.2-14.

Rokahr was well held in the second term with just three disposals, while Schumacher (18 disposals) and Faulkhead (17) had found plenty of the footy.

Inside 50m evened up 25-19 at the half, but the big difference was the way the teams were directing the ball into their attacking zones.

Jackson Callow set the tone coming out of half time, with a big bump on Rooster Lee Minervini, but again it was North that responded on the scoreboard, with Mitch Harvey booting the Roosters seventh goal two minutes into the half.

The Roosters started the third quarter strongly, locking the ball in their attacking zone, but it was for a return of 1.5 and another shot out on the full, which kept Norwood in the contest.

The Redlegs looked dangerous when they could escape defensive 50m, as McCallum went bouncing through the middle of the ground, finding L. Ling with a wobbling ball, who turned and spotted Mitch O’Neill 40m out.

O’Neill nailed the set shot, and reduced the margin to 35 points and gave Norwood a heartbeat, which would have annoyed the Roosters who had dominated the term for no scoreboard reward.

Again North squandered a forward foray, and the Redlegs went down the other end, where F. Heard and Rokahr couldn’t nail goals which would have brought the margin back under 30 points.

Despite North’s dominance in the third term it was one goal each, and the door was ajar at three quarter time, 34 points in arrears. 7.14-56 to 3.4-22.

Kennerley came storming out of the centre square to start the final term, but sprayed the shot wide, which was a snapshot into the night for the Redlegs. Looked dangerous running forward, but lacked polish on final delivery.

F. Heard nailed a huge goal a few seconds later, to make it 28 points. Norwood was alive.

North kicked a settler straight after, and had other chances to ice the game but missed.

The Redlegs kept hanging around, and Pierce Seymour made the most of a down-field free kick and nailed the goal, and Norwood’s momentum continued to build.

In the end it just wasn’t Norwood’s night, leaving itself too much to do, but the improved second half is momentum to take into next Saturday’s Round 2 clash with Woodville-West Torrens.

Norwood 0.2, 2.2, 3.4, 5.5 – 35

North Adelaide 3.7, 6.9, 7.14, 8.19 – 67

Goals: Gale, F. Heard, Seymour, L. Ling, O’Neill

Best: J Heard, Murley, M Ling, Rokahr, Binder

Norwood’s extensive injury list was felt most at Reserves level, with the inexperienced Redlegs going down to North Adelaide by 109 points on Saturday night.

The Redlegs played 12 debutants, including three current U18s in Harper Bromson, Kristian Gould and Jeff Rozenbilds, as well as James van Wyk, Jack Michalanney, Jake Hill and Luke Scott who are in their first season of senior football.

North kicked four unanswered goals in the first quarter and never looked back on its way to a 18.11-119 to 1.4-10 win.

Jack Hodges was the sole goal scorer for Norwood, while George McLeod was the Redlegs best player with 31 disposals on a tough night.

Charlie Molan (19 disposals) and Rozenbilds (17 disposals) also showed good signs in their first outings for Norwood’s Reserves side.

Norwood 0.0, 0.0, 0.2, 1.4 – 10

North Adelaide 4.3, 9.3 16.5, 18.11 – 119

Best: McLeod, Molan, Rozenbilds, Aherne, M Hodges

Goals: J Hodges