Adelaide conquers Norwood with brilliant second half in SANFL

Adelaide continued its impressive start to the SANFL season with a strong win over Norwood at The Parade, taking control in the second half.

Norwood's Mitchell Wilkins and Crow's Tyson Stengle compete for the ball. Picture: Dean Martin

Adelaide overcame a hefty deficit to hand Norwood its first loss of the season with a 18-point triumph at The Parade on Friday night.

The Crows kept the top-placed Redlegs goalless in the second half with a highly impressive performance and it is further proof they have serious ambitions to be the first AFL reserves to be claim the flag.

And in the process the Crows showed off some high quality young talent with Chayce Jones and Ned McHenry having a heavy impact.

The Crows have been outstanding early in their games and they again looked on song in the opening minutes with their intent and desire for the contest.

In conditions made slippery by the rain, the Redlegs tried to be a little too cute early and coughed up a string of turnover ball against a Crows outfit applying terrific pressure.

However, the Crows failed to capitalise on their territorial advantage.

Incredibly, the home side was restricted to only four visits inside their attacking 50 in the first 20 minutes. But their efficiency was 100 per cent, nailing a goal with every entry.

The Crows had been inside their 50 12 times in the same period for two goals.

As the opening quarter lengthened the Redlegs were adapting better to the conditions and they were able to match the intensity of the visitors.

The Redlegs continued to adopt the possession game in defence and that was reflected in their 31 uncontested marks. They also dominated disposals with 57 more for the first term.

Crows’ Luke Brown, Ben Davis and Tom Hutchesson went the quarter without a possession, while four teammates had just one disposal.

Redlegs’ Lewis Johnston was busy before midfielder Dom Barry put on a show in the second term with three goals. He took advantage of his side’s defensive actions to bag two goals in the first three minutes and when Brady Dawe kicked a goal two minutes later the lead had ballooned to 33 points.

Barry’s third major, a brilliant soccer effort from deep in the pocket, is a goal of the year contender.

There is plenty of class, in-form acts in this Crows line-up and on the back of more ball in the engine room, they charged back into the contest.

Teenagers McHenry and Jones again showed their potential to have an influence for the Crows and Pat Wilson did what he does best and that is get his and dirty in the thick of the action.

SCOREBOARD

ADELAIDE 2.3 5.6 8.10 12.14 (86)

NORWOOD 5.0 9.5 9.10 9.14 (68)

BEST — Adelaide: McHenry, Jones, Wilson, Hunter, Hamill, Stengle. Norwood: Barry, Johnston, McKenzie, Nunn, Grigg, Baulderstone.

GOALS — Adelaide: McAdam 3, Stengle, Wilson 2, Wright, Jones, Strachan, Johnson, Hutchesson. Norwood: Barry 3, Dawe 2, Baulderstone, Wilson, Stephens, Gerloff.

INJURIES — Norwood: Abbott (leg), Forster (head).

UMPIRES — Burke, Lewis, Crosby.

CROWD — 2046 at Coopers Stadium, Norwood.