Norwood turn to Adelaide Crows to seek positive response to upset SANFL grand final defeat to North Adelaide

Norwood was expected to win the SANFL grand final, only to be upset by North Adelaide. So how will the Redlegs respond this season? Captain Jace Bode reveals the club turned to an unlikely source for advice on how to move forward.

• Redlegs post profit but AFLW games under microscope
• ‘Too nice for footy’: Tributes for Enright
• Griggs pull up socks for MND fight
• Why Norwood fans should be excited about 2019
• SANFL 2019: All your team’s ins and outs

Norwood’s debrief following the upset grand final loss to North Adelaide contained some wise words from Adelaide.

The Crows went into the 2017 AFL premiership decider as favourite, only to cop a hiding from Richmond.

The Redlegs had been a hot title fancy against the Roosters after being the dominant outfit in the minor round before a second semi-final triumph over Woodville-West Torrens.

Norwood captain Jace Bode during the SANFL grand final. Picture SARAH REED

“We got information from the Crows in terms of how they handled the 2017 loss,” Redlegs captain Jace Bode said.

“A big part of that was as a club needing to review the game and take ownership, not let it sit in the backburner and start to talk about it in pre-season.

“It was best to address it early on after the game. We got together as a group to watch the game, have some pizza and a few beers and discuss some things we could have done differently in the lead up and in the game.

“You can be the best team all year and not bring your best game on the day and unfortunately that is what happened in the granny.”

The response to the review had been extremely positive, according to Bode, and the players had returned to training in terrific physical condition.

The Redlegs trained at Rostrevor College until this month because of the redevelopment work at Norwood Oval and AFLW commitments at the ground.

Bode claimed the grand final loss hurt more than the 2009 defeat when he was a member of the Sturt line-up beaten by Central District.

“It was a different feeling,” he said.

“Sturt played its grand final in the preliminary final when we beat Glenelg because we had not beaten Glenelg in so many games.

“We were happy just to be in the grand final. We were young and inexperienced and Central was obviously formidable back then.

“With old age where I am currently sitting, you realise how hard opportunities are to play in grand finals. This hurt more knowing how hard it was to get back there.”

Bode said the grand final loss to the Roosters motivated people differently and for him it had been a driving force in pre-season.

He also noted the squad had altered with “new recruits”, players leaving the club and the involvement of youngsters who were not affected by the loss and were driven to succeed.

“Maybe I have softened in my old age, but I understand we got beaten by a better team on the day,” he said. “North played amazing footy.

“Apparently it was a great grand final to watch. But we certainly did not play our best.

“We still want to be attacking with ball movement, take games on and be a high scoring side. But let’s tighten up a bit defensively and be more efficient going forward.”