Five things we learnt from SANFL Round 19: Norwood dare to dream, Woodville-West Torrens load up and North Adelaide keep the premiership faith
Norwood are peaking at the right time, a three-game winning streak has the Redlegs dreaming of 2021 premiership glory. FIVE THINGS WE LEARNT FROM ROUND 19 HERE
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THE anticipated influx of high-calibre personnel paired with a style specifically designed to prosper in September has Norwood daring to dream.
A three-game winning streak has hoisted the Redlegs from being in danger of dropping out of the top five to securing a qualifying final tilt against reigning premier Woodville-West Torrens at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
As well as obvious momentum, Norwood possesses, statistically, the competition’s second-most miserly defence, capable of muting the explosive firepower of the likes of the Eagles, minor premier Glenelg and North Adelaide.
WATCH THE REPLAY BELOW: PORT ADELAIDE v GLENELG
“Our way has been built to stand up in finals,” Redlegs coach Jade Rawlings said.
“The group has started to develop a level of belief in how we play and we’re reasonably stable.
“We’ve always trained our players to be going as well as they can, mentally and physically, at this time of the year.
“We don’t want to be just part of the finals. We want to have an impact.”
Norwood will be bolstered against the Eagles by the long-anticipated return of influential captain Matthew Nunn, who has been sidelined for the past two months with a hamstring injury.
By sewing up the double chance and thereby ensuring their campaign will last at least another fortnight, the Redlegs aren’t feeling compelled to rush the returns of classy dual Michael Taylor Medallist Brad McKenzie, veteran goalsneak Paul Puopolo, Nick Pedro, Isaac Saywell, Michael Talia and Dom Barry.
“Nunn will play,” Rawlings confirmed.
“With the others there’s still a bit of uncertainty. McKenzie and possibly Pedro will be close but Saywell and Puopolo still have a bit to do.
“We have some really crucial decisions to make based on conditioning and getting the right balance.”
One man who will figure after making a successful return from an AC joint injury in last Saturday’s 43-point win against Adelaide is Cole Gerloff, who looms as a potential finals X-factor.
Gerloff slotted a season-best three goals against the Crows and snared a sensational mark-of-the-year contender, flying high above Adelaide pair Ben Davis and Hayden Kernahan.
“I’ve had a good look at Puopolo’s two big grabs (earlier this year against Sturt and Port Adelaide) and Gerloff’s was right up there,” Rawlings said.
“He came in and impacted. He’s a ground-level player who can mark and finds ways to snap goals at really important times.
“He brings something different for us.”
EAGLES LOADING UP FOR FINALS
WOODVILLE-West Torrens is set to be bolstered for the qualifying final against Norwood by the return of experienced pair Daniel Menzel and Luke Thompson, who missed last Saturday’s 104-point demolition of Central District.
“They both pulled up really sore from the previous week’s game (against Sturt),” said Eagles premiership coach Jade Sheedy.
“After winning last week, we had the flexibility to give them a rest this week and make sure that they’ll be really good for next week’s game.”
With the absence of Thompson in defence, the Eagles blooded 19-year-old Max Lister, who impressed for SA in the recent under-19 State game against WA.
“We know what Max gives us and he went really well,” Sheedy said.
“I would have loved to have played him earlier in the year but it didn’t quite fall that way. He’s a tough kid and a really good kid to coach.”
Lister finished with 23 disposals and seven marks to press his claims for a spot in the Eagles’ finals team.
The Eagles have beaten Norwood by 47 and 36 points in their two meetings this season, but Sheedy said that would count for little in the finals.
“I think no matter who you play, finals is a different ballgame and its going to be a tough game,” said Sheedy.
“Norwood has had a tremendous year and is tough to play against and we know it’s going to be a really tough qualifying final.”
ROOSTERS KEEP THE FAITH
IF North Adelaide was shattered after blowing an opportunity to nail down a finals double chance on Saturday, coach Jacob Surjan wasn’t showing it.
Known to get heated at times in the coaches box, a relatively calm Surjan put his team’s shock 70-point belting to a rampaging Sturt at Unley Oval down to simply a bad day at the office.
But the grim reality is that the Roosters are officially off the boil after consecutive defeats to Norwood and Sturt after they had won their previous six matches to position themselves to gain the invaluable double chance in the finals.
Now they will have to come from the elimination final.
North fell to a hard-tackling Norwood at Prospect and then to a pacy Sturt, which made it look slow at times.
Asked if his team needed a further injection of pace, Surjan felt he had enough speed on the park with the likes of Billy Hartung and Robbie Young.
“We just couldn’t get any movement, get anything going for ourselves,’’ Surjan said.
He felt Saturday’s hiding was more a case of Sturt showing how good it could be.
“It wasn’t our day,” Surjan said.
“The boys know they’re good enough, they just didn’t execute what they wanted.”
And with the fleet of foot Sturt having 45 more kicks and 57 more marks, the Double Blues outworked their opponents into space.
“We couldn’t get any fluency. They controlled the ball really well,” Surjan said.
BROADBENT TO BOOST PANTHERS
SOUTH Adelaide should be at full strength for the elimination final against North Adelaide, with ace defender Matthew Broadbent cleared to return from injury.
The veteran missed the comfortable 43-point win against West Adelaide at Noarlunga Oval on Saturday because of minor hamstring tightness.
“He’ll be ready to go,’’ Panthers coach Jarrad Wright said.
However, even with a full contingent available, Wright knows his side must be more efficient if there is to be a second week of finals action.
South was wayward in front of goal against the Bloods, finishing with just 12 goals from 29 scoring shots.
“North is traditionally a sharpshooting team, so we have got to take our opportunities,” Wright said.
“We are in the finals now, will be at full strength and can have a go.”
West coach Brad Gotch had already started the planning process for 2022 well before this season had finished, with recruiting being at the forefront of his mind.
He is hoping there will not be a mass exodus of experienced players while improved skills and decision will be a priority in the pre-season, as well as working on the mental aspects of the game.
Having had a season in the role, Gotch believes he will benefit from having more understanding of the group.
“There is this mental thing, being down for a few years, which is going to take longer (to eradicate) than I anticipated,” Gotch admitted.
“It makes me more determined. It is more about execution and understanding everything connects, cohesion. Another year of pre-season will be really big. It is a good group and I feel positive.”
HIGH PRAISE FOR BULLDOG
CENTRAL District coach Paul Thomas has heaped praise on Bulldogs skipper Jarrod Schiller following his 200th game against the Eagles on Saturday.
Schiller was one of the Bulldogs best in the 104-point defeat, collecting 19 disposals and six
clearances.
Thomas spoke highly of Schiller’s influence in what has been a trying year for Central, which finished second bottom with a 4-14 win-loss record.
“Jarrod has been super this year, he does a lot of heavy lifting for us,” said Thomas.
“I have been fortunate enough to be involved with him as a teammate and now in a coaching
capacity and to have him as a captain has been a real pleasure.”
Schiller is a dual best and fairest winner at the Bulldogs and has also represented SA in two State games.
In good news for the Bulldogs, the 29-year-olds appears certain to continue playing next season.
“He’s very intelligent. I don’t think people realise how smart he is on the field and how organised he gets our group,” Thomas said.
‘He doesn’t miss a training session, he does everything right and puts the footy club and his team first. He’s been outstanding.’’
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