Norwood’s Peter Bampton to get his chance in an SANFL grand final after missing three flags
STEPPING onto the hallowed Adelaide Oval turf for Sunday’s SANFL grand final will be sweeter for Peter Bampton than most after missing out a hat-trick of Norwood premierships.
STEPPING onto the hallowed Adelaide Oval turf for Sunday’s SANFL grand final will be sweeter for Peter Bampton than most.
The Redlegs forward knows what it is like to miss out on a premiership and says he will not be taking the opportunity for granted when Norwood clashes with North Adelaide for the flag.
Bampton, 22, did not feature in any of the club’s three-peat of titles from 2012-14.
He was dropped after playing in the winning semi-final in 2013 then missed out the following year when he sustained a shoulder injury at training on the eve of the finals.
“It was definitely tough at the time and I was pretty down about it,” Bampton says.
“But I think I was probably a bit young and naive, looking back on it.
“Now it’s a bit different and I think I deserve to be there and be in the team.
“I’ve done a lot of work along the way and these chances don’t come around too often, so I’m definitely going to take advantage of it.”
The Redlegs booked their spot in the premiership decider after overpowering the Eagles by 17 points in the second semi-final.
Bampton says he is focused ahead of Sunday’s game but the fact he will be playing in a grand final has taken a while to sink in.
“It was a bit surreal after the (second semi-final) siren went,” he says.
“There was a weird moment of ‘oh wow, we’re actually in a grand final’. It was an overwhelming feeling.”
Bampton, an apprentice carpenter, started his SANFL career as an inside midfielder but has transformed into a forward under second-year Redlegs coach Jarrod Cotton.
“When I first started playing league the game was a lot slower and I was playing as more of a big-bodied midfielder, which worked back then,” Bampton says.
“But now things are different and I’ve had to adapt my playing style.
“I spent about 90 per cent of the match against the Eagles in the forward line.”
Norwood stormed to the minor premiership and has won 14 of its past 15 games under Cotton.
Bampton puts the Redlegs’ dominance down to their willingness to play for one another.