North Adelaide: 4.8 32
Line Up
Norwood
F: M. Evans, Warren, Grigg
HF: James Aish, Dawe, Jefferies
C: Phillips, Thomas, Fuller
HB: Pfeiffer, McGuinness, Bode
B: Stevenson, Georgiou, Kirwan
R: Baulderstone, Webber, Suckling
INT: Davis, Dumont, Zorzi, Fantasia, Bampton
IN: M. Evans, Fantasia
North Adelaide
F: O’Sullivan, Johnston, Langford
HF: Ryswyk, Stewart, Gordon
C: Thiele, Fenton, Campbell
HB: Blee, Hill, G. Thring
B: Keller, Dalwood, Clinch
R: Miles, Shannon, M. Thring
INT: Amato, J. Craig, Anderson, Williams, Boles
IN: Williams, Boles
Match Summary
Courtesy of Redlegs Museum
A serious case of deja vu hit the Norwood Football Club after ninety years of trying. Back in 1922 Norwood defeated West Adelaide to win the premiership and fast forward to 2012, they repeated the dose. In 2013 a dominant minor round saw them minor premiers and after another comprehensive victory in the second semi final against West Adelaide they proceeded into the Grand Final. Back to 1923 Norwood won back to back titles, beating North Adelaide in the Grand Final. On to 2013 and North is trying to emulate the Redlegs 1984 effort of winning the Premiership from fifth position.
This year's team was massively different to 2012 with ten new faces. To quote the Advertiser head line on the 7 Oct 2013 “Norwood's 'all-sorts' a special team” says Bassett. The coach was right, with three teenagers, James Aish, Orazio Fantasia and Trent Dumont, two players recently from non league ranks in Sam Baulderstone and Liam Davis while injuries to Kieran McGuiness, Matt Fuller, Darren Pfeffier had stopped them playing in the 2012 final. Add AFL listed players Matt Thomas, Lewis Stevenson and Mitch Grigg, talented recruits Ben Warren, Jace Bode, Simon Phillips, Brett Zorzi and Mat Sucking and last but not least players that came from the country zones or through junior development, Alexis Georgiou, Andrew Kirwan, Brady Dawe, Ben Jefferies and Tim Webber filling out the 21.
In a surprise (and un-planned!) move that was to pay great dividends later, Norwood won the toss and kicked to the southern end against the breeze. Experience counts in grand finals and Norwood hit the ground running, bottling the ball up in their forward zone for much of the first quarter, but poor kicking for goal stopped them from putting scoreboard pressure on the Roosters. Finally at the eleven minute mark, Matt Thomas put Norwood's first goal on the board. A strong pack mark by Davis later gave Norwood their second goal. In between, Ryswyk had put North on the board and the damage could have been worse but for a great defensive clearing spoil at the top of the goal square by McGuinness.
In the second quarter Norwood got right on top with goals to Warren, (fine snap over his shoulder) a towering bomb from nearly sixty metres out by Fuller and a long goal from Jack Oatey medallist Brett Zorzi. In keeping with Norwood's year there was a very even spread of good players throughout the game and any of the mid fielders Grigg, Thomas and Dumont could have been in the running for the Jack Oatey medal. They won the midfield battles ( clearances 43 to 32 ) and as they had throughout the year, helped transfer the ball quickly into the forward line to score or to keep it pinned in the forward fifty. The perfect example came at the twenty first minute mark when the ball went from half back into Warren's arms in the goal square for his second of the quarter to push the Redlegs out to a 33 point lead. Unfortunately a poor last two minutes of the quarter allowed North two goals and the momentum, going into the half time break.
The third quarter saw North break the Norwood stranglehold at the stoppages and gain some quicker ball movement into their forward line through run and handball. They had the Redlegs under pressure but thankfully some great defensive efforts and rebound from the likes of Georgiou, Stevenson and company showed why the Legs had such a brilliant defensive record.
The Roosters kicking poorly at goal with 1-5; many of their entries were wide going into the forward line and a couple of other opportunities went begging for the quarter allowing the Legs to hold the lead at three quarter time.
The last quarter came and Norwood got their back to back dream. Thirteen points up, kicking with the breeze, fresher legs and the Redlegs with their great shut-down, pressure football, finished the stronger. Warren completed his excellent game at the nineteenth minute with a wonderful 30 metre dribbling kick from near the boundary line that curled round and through the big white sticks to give him four goals. Two goals from Grigg, the first a roving snap over his right shoulder and then a 50 metre goal finished a tiring North team. This was to be the last game at AAMI stadium after forty seasons, a venue where Norwood were ultimately successful on seven occasions.
Scores
| Norwood | North Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 17 | Q1 | 1.2 8 |
| 6.5 41 | Q2 | 3.2 20 |
| 6.8 44 | Q3 | 4.7 31 |
| 10.12 72 | Q4 | 4.8 32 |
Goal Scorers
B Warren 4, M Grigg 2.1, B Zorzi 1.1, M Fuller 1.1, M Thomas 1, L Davis 1, D Pfeiffer 0.3, B Dawe 0.1, O Fantasia 0.2, S Phillips 0.1, rushed 0.2
Best on Ground
B Zorzi, B Warren, T Dumont, M Grigg, L Stevenson, M Fuller, A Georgiou, S Baulderstone
Jack Oatley Medal
The Jack Oatley Medal was a awarded to Brett Zorzi.
| SAFA/SAFL/SANFL Grand Finals |
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1889 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 |
| Norwood Football Club 2012/2013/2014 SANFL Premiers |
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| Phillips • Dawe • Jefferies • Webber • Bode • Kirwan |
| Coach |
| Basset |