Norwood storms home to beat Port Adelaide in thrilling SANFL second semi-final
NORWOOD picked itself up off the canvas and booted the last four goals of a pulsating second semi-final to book its place in the 2014 grand final.
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NORWOOD picked itself up off the canvas and booted the last four goals of a pulsating second semi-final at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night and book its place in the 2014 SANFL grand final.
In a match featuring two huge momentum shifts, Port Adelaide looked to have landed a knockout blow when Karl Amon put the Magpies 18 points up early in the final term.
But Norwood dug its heals in a matter which has defined its recent dominance of SANFL football and suddenly snatched back the ascendency around the constests that it lost and half an hour earlier.
With Brady Dawe inspirational they drove the ball forward and small forwards Simon Phillips and Josh Donohue sprung to life to boot three of the Redlegs four final quarter goals.
The win pushed Norwood to within one victory of claiming three straight premierships for the first time in 131 years.
In those days they were beating sides like Bankers and Kaupunda in the South Australian Football Association but on Saturday night it beat a Port Adelaide side featuring 15 AFL list players.
Port must now beat a red-hot South Adelaide with a fleet-footed game style suited to Adelaide Oval to avoid a straight-sets exit and earn a rematch with the Redlegs.
The Redlegs signalled their intentions early when their Matthew Panos and Tim Webber inspired midfield gained a clear ascendency.
Its pressure was awesome and they kicked four first half goals from turnovers to lead by 27 points at the main break.
In a five-minute second quarter spree Ed Smart, Anthony Wilson and Peter Persinos all kicked running goals to have the Redlegs crowd on its feet.
But a different Port emerged after the main break and they produced the best 20 minutes of football the SANFL has seen this season to open the Redlegs up and turn a 27-point deficit into a 12-point lead by time-on in the third term.
Magpies coach Garry Hocking switched Jarman Impey on to a wing, moved Nathan Krakouer into defence and implored his side to play with a dare that was lacking in the first half.
The effect was stunning. Port's midfielders — some barely sighted to halftime — got on top and the Magpies ran and moved the ball too quickly for Norwood to set-up its suffocating press.
Port won the third-quarter clearances by 10 and Tom Logan and Aaron Young, both quiet to halftime, had 18 disposals between them for the term.
At that point Norwood looked gone and the character it showed to turn the game around cannot be under estimated.
Dawe was massive, Norwood's half backs like Andrew Kirwan and Michael Chippendale were important the small forward sprunfg to life.
OUR BEST WIN OF THE SEASON: WARREN
BEN Warren has described Norwood’s 13 point second semi-final win over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night as his side’s best in his time as coach and one of the best in his time at the club.
Warren, a two-time premiership player at The Parade, hailed the character his side showed side to respond after a rampant Magpies turned a 27 point half-time deficit into a 17 lead early in the final term.
“We were probably only one-goal away from being flat on the canvas as a football side against the Crows (back in round eight) and for the group to have responded and to now be in a grand final says a lot about us,’’ Warren said.
“It was a massive win for the club tonight. It was a final, Port were well on top.
“They’re a fit team, one of the fittest in the AFL, and our effort to turn the match around showed a lot of character.”
Warren blamed a drop-off in contested football for Norwood’s poor third term and implored the group to dig-in at the final change.
Port coach Garry Hocking said his side would learn a lesson in the importance of playing four quarters in finals.
“If you go through it, besides (Steven) Summerton and (Henry Slattery) we’re a young group, and a young finals group,’’ Hocking said.
“That (the final quarter fade out) was the type of inconsistency that has probably happened in the second half of the year a bit.
“We’ve been in games and out of games … You can’t win the important ones, the finals, against a strong outfit.”
NORWOOD 3.2 8.6 9.7 13.14 (92)
PORT ADELAIDE 1.1 4.3 11.7 12.7 (79)
BEST — Norwood: Webber, Dawe, Kirwan, Jeffries, McGuinness, Baulderstone, Wilson. Port: A. Young, Newton, Amon, Biemans, Clurey.
GOALS — Norwood: Phillips 3, Wilson, Newton, Persinos, Baulderstone, Smart, Bartlett, Panos, Donohue. Port: Newton 2, Shaw, Krakouer, Impey, Sumerton, Biemens, Bruggemann, Logan, Stewart, Amon.
INJURIES — Port: R. Young (arm).
UMPIRES — Medlin, Haussen, Hosking.
CROWD: 13,431.
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