West Adelaide deals Norwood a loss in Port Lincoln’s Teakle Cup

Norwood travelled over to Port Lincoln to play West Adelaide in the annual Teakle Cup match, but despite a strong start to the game the Redlegs winless season continued with a 12-point loss to the Bloods.

Norwood dominated much of the first half, but led by just 10 points at the major break, before West Adelaide slammed home four quick goals to put the Redlegs behind the game.

The home side attempted to get the game back on its own terms in the final quarter, but were wayward in front of goals (0.4 to 2.1), while West Adelaide defended strongly to take out the 11.8-74 to 8.14-62 win.

Norwood coach Jade Rawlings was disappointed with yet another loss, in a game that his side dominated aspects of – winning inside 50m 64-38 and clearances 43-33, as well as the disposal (319-303), tackle (94-91) and scoring shot (22-19) statistics.

“It was a disappointing performance, we dominated so many parts of the game – we had the ball in our half but weren’t able to convert opportunities, and when the game was on the line we doubled their inside 50m entries for 0.4 and two out on the full,” Rawlings said.

“The opportunities were there, we got out to a 16-point lead (in the third quarter), but just couldn’t do enough right to maintain that.

“We did so much right (in the first half) the statistical game was strong, but it was the action part (that let us down). We had our chances in the third term but for 10-15 minutes of that quarter it was Westies’ game.”

Norwood started the game on fire, kicking two goals in the first 90 seconds of the match, straight from the first two centre clearances.

Co-captain Matthew Nunn was the first goal kicker at the 19-second mark of the game, followed by Matt Panos a minute later.

Norwood’s third inside 50m entry also turned into a goal – a set shot to Nik Rokahr and the Redlegs led by 18 points at the four-minute mark.

Rokahr and Nunn started the game strongly with four disposals each in the first seven minutes as Norwood dominated the disposal count (38-17) and field position, as well as pressured the opposition with strong tackles, smothers and spoils.

West Adelaide worked its way into the match and eventually got on the board at the 13-minute mark – a set shot through Jono Beech to stem the flow.

The Bloods had back to back goals when Hamish Ellem goaled at the 21-minute mark and the visiting side was right in the game, evening the disposal battle.

Norwood managed to kick an important steadier through an under-pressure Panos major to help the Redlegs to a 12-point quarter time lead.

Nunn had eight disposals, a goal and four tackles in the first quarter to get his side off to the perfect start. He finished with a match-high 29 disposals, while Rokahr finished with 27 touches.

Panos had two goals at quarter time, with the scoreboard reading 4.1-25 to 2.3-13 in Norwood’s favour.

Norwood started the second term the way it started the first, dominating the disposal and inside 50m count 5-0 early in the quarter.

The Bloods defended strongly, taking several intercept marks.

Lincoln South junior Ben Jarvis lit up the crowd when he took a hanger in the forward pocket, but he couldn’t capitalise against a tricky wind.

Sam Morris also hit the post with a set shot and Norwood had just two behinds from its dominance. Westies managed to go end to end from the kick out and kick a goal against the flow through Michael Laudato to bring it back to an eight-point margin.

In what was a free-flowing, exciting quarter, Norwood still couldn’t penetrate the last line of West’s defence for a major, and the Bloods again made them pay with a second goal to Beech from the pocket at the scoreboard end, bringing the margin back to two points.

Baynen Lowe took a clever mark at the top of the goalsquare and went back to kick an important goal for Norwood at the 13-minute mark.

Nunn got the resulting centre clearance but West Adelaide were again able to take the intercepting mark 25m out.

Xavier Tranfa was able to find Norwood’s sixth goal late in the term, but West Adelaide again refused to let Norwood get away and answered with the last goal of the half through Isaac Johnson.

The Redlegs led by 10 points at half time, 6.6-42 to 5.2-32 in what had been an entertaining half.

Nunn had 15 disposals to the half, and Harry Boyd 14 disposals and 19 hitouts, which helped Norwood to a 24-14 lead in the clearance battle, and 34-18 inside 50m entries.

The Redlegs again started the quarter strongly and had the first goal of the half when Lowe snapped his second goal, taking the margin out to 16 points. But from there it was all West Adelaide.

The Bloods replied instantly with a long set shot goal to Joel Stevens, and Westies had back to back goals when Luke Redfurn goaled from a snap at the top of the goalsquare.

In the blink of an eye West Adelaide took the lead through Ellem’s second major, making it three goals in three minutes.

The Bloods had four in a row when Laudato ran into an open goalsquare to make it a nine-point margin.

It was a see-sawing affair for the remainder of the term, as Norwood tried to work the ball forward.

Tranfa’s second goal was a timely one, nailing a tough set shot that swung with the wind to make it a four-point deficit on the cusp of three quarter time.

Norwood trailed by three points at the final break – 9.7-61 to 8.10-58 – following a four goal to two quarter.

The first goal of the last quarter was an important one, and both sides squandered good looks at it.

It was a tight, tense last quarter and West defended strongly as Norwood peppered the goalface, but for no avail.

It was a one point ballgame at the 10-minute mark with the first goal finally coming at the 15-minute mark – a West Adelaide goal through Josh Gore to make it a tough seven-point margin.

The final nail in the coffin was the Redfurn goal, helping West to its second win of the season, and leaving Norwood stranded on the bottom of the ladder at 0-6.

Next weekend is a league-wide bye for the State game.

Norwood 4.1, 6.6, 8.10, 8.14 – 62

West Adelaide 2.1, 5.2, 9.7, 11.8 – 74

Norwood Goals: Panos 2, Lowe 2, Tranfa 2, Nunn, Rokahr

Norwood’s Reserves side has landed back to back wins for the first time in 2023 and moved into the top five following it’s 52-point Round 6 victory over West Adelaide.

The Redlegs were coming off a convincing 10-goal Round 5 win over North Adelaide, and managed to back it up against the Bloods at Coopers Stadium on Friday evening, winning 12.12-84 to 4.8-32.

Back from an extended stint on the sidelines with injury Finn Heard kicked two goals, as did Tristan Binder, Jayden Gale and Izaak Twelftree.

Jake Cresswell, Chance Doultree, Connor McLean and Oscar Hodge also booted goals for Norwood.

Luke Bogle had 28 disposals, six clearances and five tackles, while Cresswell had 25 disposals and eight marks to go along with his goal.

Tom Graham – who has been a consistent performer in the Reserves this season – had 25 disposals and 15 hitouts.

Also in return from injury was Josh Richards who had 19 disposals, eight tackles and four clearances.

The Redlegs had the better of a close first quarter, booting three goals to one, before gaining the advantage in the second term with four goals to one. Norwood led by 29 points at half time

Norwood put the game to bed in the third term with another four goals to one, cruising to the 52-point win.

Norwood 3.1, 7.4, 11.6, 12.12 – 84

West Adelaide 1.2, 2.5, 3.7, 4.8 – 32

Goals: F. Heard 2, Binder 2, Gale 2, Twelftree 2, Cresswell, Doultree, Hodge, McLean

Best: Cresswell, Weightman, Nicholls, Graham, Twelftree