Confident Double Blues set for a Thursday night raid on the Parade

TEAMS: NORWOOD Oval has been a graveyard for Sturt in recent seasons but it goes into Thursday night’s match with “some confidence”.

NORWOOD Oval has been a graveyard for Sturt in recent seasons.

The last time the Double Blues left The Parade with a victory was back in 2010 - when a superhuman rucking performance from AFL-bound Jon Giles narrowly got them over the line.

Since then it’s been one-way traffic, but with two solid wins in the bank in the first two rounds of this season there’s reason to be more optimistic this time for Seamus Maloney’s side.

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Sturt looks an improved side this season and Norwood was exposed in a seven-goal defeat against Central District last round.

“It’s never the easiest place to play,” Maloney said.

“I definitely go in with some confidence.

“We’re in good form and we’ve got a very competitive squad so I think we’ll give a good account of ourselves ... It’s a huge game for us.”

Horrible defensively for much of the past two years, Sturt has held Glenelg to six goals and Adelaide to nine in the past fortnight.

“It’s definitely an area we needed to step up - not just our back six but defending across the ground,” Maloney said.

“We’ve worked pretty hard at it and I think guys are starting to work that out.”

It’s even more impressive given seasoned defender Michael Coad has been released to play in attack and the midfield.

“We’ve tried to settle the back six without him,” Maloney said.

“It’s given him a bit of freedom and he’s going well.”

Coad’s physicality will be needed to win a midfield battle which is always the key to winning against the Redlegs.

“We need to beat them inside to win the game,” Maloney said.

“That’s what Central were able to do to them. That’s the really important part ... to win enough clearances to get the ball in your half.”

NORWOOD v STURT

Norwood Oval, Thursday night, 7.40pm

REDLEGS

Backs: Thomas, Chippendale, Forster

Half-backs: McGuinness, Newton, Bode

Centre: Allan, Webber, Phillips

Half-forwards: Jefferies, Panos, Evans

Forwards: Donohue, Davis, Baulderstone

Ruck: Dawe, Kirwan, Bartlett

Interchange: Bampton, Baldasso, DeMatteis

DOUBLE BLUES

Backs: Page, Hinge, Stephens

Half-backs: Crocker, Coad, Harris

Centre: Calabrese, Tambling, Kane

Half-forwards: Krause, Duldig, Penfold

Forwards: Evans, Beard, Hansen

Ruck: Kurtze, Greenslade, Kirkwood

Interchange (from): Kelly, Bartlett, Watt, Taggert, Gore

WEST ADELAIDE v NORTH ADELAIDE

Richmond Oval, Thursday night, 7.20pm

BLOODS

Backs: Fisher, Keough, Ezard

Half-backs: Milne, Hayes, Gallard

Centre: Newell, Tuck, R. Anderson

Half-forwards: Macreadie, Middleton, Beech

Forwards: Fielke, Webb, Silverlock

Ruck: P. Nelson, Schmidt, Stevens

Interchange (from): Still, Hopton, Schiller, Dijksman, Wong

ROOSTERS

Backs: Kangur, Dalwood, Read

Half-backs: Williams, Hill, Anderson

Centre: Gregg, O’Keeffe, O’Brien

Half-forwards: Ryswyk, Barns, Thiele

Forwards: Campbell, Mitchell, Boles

Ruck: Schahinger, M. Thring, Shannon

Interchange (from): Amato, Combe, De Leonardis, Burton, C. Craig