Westies spoil Norwood’s party in club’s 100th SANFLW game

Saturday afternoon was the 100^th time a Norwood Football Club side ran out to compete in a SANFL Women’s match, the first club to do so in League history.

It was meant to be a day of celebration at The Parade, as Sarah Branford notched up her 50th match, Charlee Brooksby made her debut and past Norwood players watched on from the stands to commemorate the milestone. But on the field West Adelaide ruined the party in a clinical 27-point win.

Norwood was held to just one behind in the second half, as the Bloods ran all over the hosts in the 5.12-42 to 2.3-15 result.

The Redlegs defence was under the pump all afternoon, and after holding firm in the first half, the avalanche of inside 50m entries and clearances eventually got the better of Norwood.

West Adelaide was outstanding and ended up winning inside 50m +26 (47-21), clearances +10 (35-25) and disposals +19 (235-206), which equated in 19 scoring shots to five. An impossible task for the Redlegs diligent defenders.

The visitors dominated these metrics most of the day, but couldn’t put it on the scoreboard in the first half.

The Redlegs led by four points at half time, 2.2-14 to 1.4-10, but were able to make the most of their 12 forward 50m entries, while the Bloods couldn’t capitalise on their 22 visits into their attacking zone.

West Adelaide put two goals on the board on the other side of half time to quickly turn the four-point deficit into a 10-point lead at three quarter time.

Two further goals came in the final term to put the game to bed.

Norwood actually started the game positively, as Emma Clark kicked the first goal of the game for the home team, following a strong forward 50m tackle from Charli Hazelhurst who caused the turnover.

From there West Adelaide looked the more composed team transitioning into its forward line.

The Bloods struck back with the next goal from Lucy Waye and with this West took back the lead.

At the first break, Westies led 1.2-8 to 1.1-7.

Last year’s best and fairest Jade Halfpenny was outstanding for Norwood in the first term, with nine disposals.

Norwood’s pressure was exceptional in the opening quarter, laying 23 tackles to West’s 14, while the Redlegs also led clearances +2 and marks +3, but trailed inside 50m entries -2.

The Redlegs looked sharp coming out of quarter time. Emily Bartsch did well to touch a Bloods dribbling shot over the behind line, which proved crucial with the next goal coming from the kick in.

Norwood moved the ball quickly to the wing to Jiarna Zerella, who belted the ball inside 50m where Hazelhurst finished with the goal, snapping over her shoulder.

Norwood led 2.2-14 to 1.4-10 at the main break, and it was now the home side that looked dangerous moving forward. The Redlegs had five inside 50m entries for two scores (1.1), while the Bloods had gone inside 13 times for 0.2 in the second term.

The Bloods did well to restrict Halfpenny to just one disposal in the second term, but it was Kiana Lee that started turning the screws with six touches in the term and nine for the half.

Ruby Ballard had 12 disposals and Zoe Venning 11 for the Bloods.

The Redlegs defence was doing an outstanding job, with the home side trailing inside 50m entries -10 and clearances -4. But it was Norwood leading by four points on the scoreboard.

The ball was parked in West Adelaide’s forward half to start the third term, going 9-1 inside 50m entries in the opening 12 minutes.

This time the Bloods were able to put some scoreboard pressure on, transforming nine entries into four scores, 2.2 to no score down the other end.

Norwood fought back late in the third term, stringing together back to back forward transitions and managing to lock the ball in its 50m attacking zone.

But this time it was the Bloods who defended strongly to conclude a dominant third quarter from the visitors, which saw them gain 11-5 inside 50m and 9-6 clearances to boot 2.2 to no score.

It was West Adelaide leading 3.6-24 to 2.2-14 at the final break.

It was more of the same in the final term, as West continued to belt the ball inside 50m, and to the Redlegs credit their defence continued to hold sway.

Norwood couldn’t move the ball past half way, and West Adelaide couldn’t strike the winning blow, kicking three behinds in the first seven minutes.

This kept the door ajar for the Redlegs if they were good enough to penetrate through the strong wall West had built across half forward.

Instead it was the Bloods, who finally kicked the all-important first goal of the final term to go 19-points in front. It came off the boot of former Redleg Alana Lishmund.

A minute later the game was well and truly buried, when Emma Kilpatrick kicked one of the goals of the season out of the centre bounce.

The Redlegs finished the game strongly, moving the ball well from half back, but in the end they were outclassed by the Bloods for most of the afternoon.

It wasn’t to be on the field for Norwood, but off the field there was still much to celebrate. 100 matches of Norwood in the SANFLW.

The 0-2 Redlegs travel to Hisense Stadium next Sunday to take on North Adelaide in a SANFLW double header, starting with West V South Adelaide, followed by Norwood V North Adelaide.

Norwood 1.1, 2.2, 2.2, 2.3 – 15

West Adelaide 1.2, 1.4, 3.6, 5.12 – 42

Goals: Clark, Hazelhurst

Norwood remains the only undefeated SANFLW Development League side after surviving a last quarter charge from West Adelaide at Coopers Stadium on Saturday.

The Redlegs claimed an eight-point win over the Bloods, who fought to the end against the red-hot Norwood.

Westies started and ended the game strongly, but Norwood dominated the third term to make it tricky for the Bloods who now sit seventh at 1-3.

Norwood trailed by six points at quarter time, before it held Westies to one behind in the second term, while the home side slammed home two goals.

The half time score read 3.0-18 to 2.1-13.

Norwood dominated the third quarter, but were wayward in front of goal, booting 1.5 to West Adelaide’s 0.1.

The Redlegs led by 15 points at the final change, and as West came charging out of the blocks in the final term the home side were ruing missed opportunities from the third quarter.

Luckily for Norwood, it held off the fast finishing Westies to round out winners 4.5-29 to 3.3-21.

The Redlegs take on North Adelaide at Hisense Stadium on Sunday as they look to make it five on the trot.

Norwood 1.0, 3.0, 4.5, 4.5 – 29

West Adelaide 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3 – 21

Best: Rusden, Almond, Cameron, Hand, Jaffer

Goals: Rusden 2, Jaffer, Cox