SANFL Round 10
Norwood v Eagles
Friday August 28th, Coopers Stadium
Match Review by Sarah List
Norwood’s season has more twists than an M. Night Shyamalan movie, and supporters are waiting with bated breath to see if like one of Shyalaman’s works it’s a brilliant end or a stinker. The Legs have lurched from solid wins jobs (v the Bloods and South) to hapless gameplay against league leaders Glenelg and North Adelaide. Fans could understandably detect some nervousness hosting the top of the table Eagles for Round 10 at Coopers Stadium. The Legs desperately needed a win to edge closer to the top four to play finals, and to show they have what it takes against the top sides to win.
The first quarter had the Eagles showing why they had been the team to beat all season.
their solid zoning approach in defense proved impenetrable to the Legs, and their three goals set them up solidly at the first break. Norwood had few clean opportunities to score, but stayed in touch via a super effort from Douglas.
The second quarter saw a shift in energy. Norwood prefers playing possession footy, but against the zoning of the Eagles, it was ineffective and often easily turned over. Realizing this, the Legs switched to a running game, focusing on moving the ball forward at speed. The results were immediate with two rapid fire goals from Pinyon, who continues to provide a clear target in the forward lines for the red and blue. Bampton, Panos (with 2), Barry and Grigg piled on goals for the home side, and suddenly a 13 point deficit became 23 points up at half time.
The third quarter saw a continuation of Norwood’s dominance, as the Eagles were exposed for lacking game plan B or C. Norwood kicked ahead with two more goals to a single point, and the Eagles were lucky it wasn’t a larger margin as the Legs dominated in their forward lines.
It was an even scrap in the third quarter, with the Redlegs inconsistently applying their running game, which meant the Eagles zone regained its effectiveness. Neither team seemed able to pull away effectively and the margin remained relatively unchanged at the final siren from the third quarter. After a mixed season, Wilson’s magic revived in spectacular fashion with two goals late in the proceedings, and the home side ran out convincing winners by 40 points. This was the consistent and highly skilled performance that had been lacking in recent weeks, and the only question is – can Norwood keep it up and squeak into the top four?
ROUND 11
CENTRAL DISTRICT — NORWOOD
X CONVENIENCE OVAL, SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER, 2:10PM
STURT — SOUTH ADELAIDE
PETER MOTLEY OVAL, SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER, 2:10PM
GLENELG — WEST ADELAIDE
ACH GROUP STADIUM, SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER, 4:10PM
W/VILLE-WEST TORRENS — NTH ADELAIDE
MAUGHAN THIEM KIA OVAL, SUNDAY 6TH SEPT, 2:40PM
No Comments