James Allan makes switch to Norwood Redlegs
ONE of the SANFL's fiercest current rivalries just got a little fiercer with three-time Magarey Medallist James Allan switching from North Adelaide to Norwood.
ONE of the SANFL's fiercest current rivalries just got a little fiercer with three-time Magarey Medallist James Allan switching from North Adelaide to Norwood.
The Redlegs gained the prized signature of three-time Magarey Medallist Allan today, a week after his contract negotiations with North broke down.
Allan is returning to SA following a year home in Victoria. He played at Prospect from 2007-12 and won three Magarey Medals and initially stated a desire to rejoin the club.
The switch to Norwood adds to a growing rivalry between the Redlegs and Roosters, who played off in last year's grand final and will clash on Anzac Day this year.
In 2012, then Norwood coach Nathan Bassett described North's one-point win over his side at Prospect as "lucky" angering some North fans, who reminded Bassett of the comment a year later when the Roosters beat the Redlegs again.
Allan follows another Magarey Medallist, one of his mentors Andrew Jarman, in switching North to Norwood.
Jarman left Prospect for The Parade in 1990 and won a premiership with the Redlegs in 1997. Success will be a motivator for Allan who joins a back-to-back premiership team.
The Redlegs initially expressed hesitance to recruit Allan but football manager Mark Ross said their view changed after interviewing him.
''We wanted to make sure someone who is 28, going on 29 is able to adapt to what it is we do," Ross told the SANFL website.
"We needed to find out what he has experienced in the past from coaches. How he has received
feedback …
"Then there was what he was looking for personally. When we realised he wanted some success, wanted to learn about leadership and wanted to become a coach one day it became more appealing to us as you are bringing someone into your organisation with leadership qualities."
Norwood is only able to recruit two players from outside its zone because of a sanction for a salary cap breach in 2012.
The club has also signed Brisbane player Callum Bartlett but has been able to resign former players Alex Forster (Fremantle) and Angus Clarke.
The Redlegs have lost 11 players from last year's premiership team including Brett Zorzi (retired), Ben Warren (retired), Mitch Grigg (Adelaide), Lewis Stevenson (Port Adelaide), James Aish (Brisbane), Matt Fuller (Western Bulldogs), Matt Thomas (Richmond), Alex Georgiou (Melbourne) and Mat Suckling (Collingwood VFL).