New era beckons for classy Redlegs in win over Adelaide

NORWOOD strengthened its push for a new SANFL dynasty, storming into the major round in second spot and brandishing a September-ready game with a with a 55-point win over Adelaide.

SANFL: Norwood v Adelaide at The Parade. Michael Chippendale of the Redlegs flies for a mark over Jason Porplyzia of the Crows. Picture by Matt Turner.

NORWOOD strengthened its push for a new SANFL dynasty, storming into the major round in second spot and brandishing a September-ready game with a with a 55-point win over Adelaide.

A Redlegs win was never in doubt in the final home-and-away match of the season, a twilight clash at The Parade that declared the two-time defending premiers are no spent force in the AFL reserves era.

Michael Newton kicked an unblemished 6.0 from just eight kicks, Liam Davis booted five and Callum Bartlett was a clearance king leading a supreme midfield in just his 13th senior game.

Norwood could barely be faulted — even considering the understandable ease-up with finals a week away.

The switch, the spread, the delivery, the penetration inside 50, the positioning, the forward efficiency and the conversion — remind us again which team is the full-time professional unit?

Adelaide was filled with teenagers and a handful of Amateur top-ups, that’s true — and those youngsters had a front-row seat on the basics of league footy.

The Crows were cramped by Norwood’s pressure as much as their failure to adapt to the small ground.

In the end, Norwood finished with almost double the number of kicks to handballs, 207 to 113. At the other end, Adelaide went at 166 to 162.

The result was a Redlegs side that played with certainty, confidence and class. Adelaide accumulated stats, coughed up possession and got burnt on the turnover.

By time-on in the second quarter, the scoreboard showed a 54-point gulf and the only direction this one was going was a Norwood bath.

When Gavin Hughes thumped the post with a difficult shot on the run two minutes later, Coopers Hill erupted in raised arms and beer froth. It wasn’t the genuine desperation of flubbing a matchwinner with two minutes on the clock — this was the kind of grinning, mock outrage that Michael Clarke might flash for missing a full-toss to bring up his 300.

When everything’s going so right, it’s impossible to believe even one thing might go wrong.

Until then, Adelaide had just two majors, the first a scrambling effort by Rory Atkins six minutes into the second quarter and another through a strong Jack Osborn mark straight in front.

By contrast, Norwood churned out goal after goal, capitalising on swift movement and precision skills. Despite Crows forwards Lewis Johnston and Jared Petrenko anchoring the defence, Davis and Newton had three each before the Crows could make any real impression on the board.

Adelaide won the third quarter — by a point — and kicked the first goal of the final term to bring it back to 47 points.

The Crows had their chances to add some token respectability as Norwood saved their legs but blew five successive shots until Cam Ellis-Yolmen finally ended the run with his second.

NORWOOD 5.2 12.6 15.9 18.12 (120)

ADELAIDE 0.3 3.6 6.10 8.17 (65)

Best: Norwood: Bartlett, Roocke, Davis, McGuinness, Newton, Kirwan, Chippendale, Phillips. Adelaide: M. Crouch, Kerridge, Graham,

Goals: Norwood: Newton 6, Davis 5, Phillips 3, Bode, Dawe, Persinos, Roocke. Adelaide: Ellis-Yolman, Osborn 2, Atkins, Callinan, Kerridge, Knight.

Injuries/reports: None

Umpires: Medlin, Crosby, Lowe

Crowd: 2728 at Norwood Oval