New-look Redlegs still have West Adelaide’s measure

THE personnel of both sides has changed in the past year and so have their ladder positions but Norwood remains West Adelaide’s master.

Norwood’s Steven Baldasso is tackled by West Adelaide’s Lachlan Jennings. Picture: Sarah

THE personnel of both sides has changed in the past year and so have their ladder positions but Norwood remains West Adelaide’s master.

The Redlegs beat the Bloods 7.13 (55) to 5.4 (34) in a scrap at Richmond on Friday night to take West’s position in the top five and chalk their 12th win in 13 matches between the sides.

That streak began in the Nathan Bassett-Andrew Collins era and while both men are gone the dour-nature that defined their clashes remained last night.

In slippery conditions goals were as precious as ever with just five kicked to three-quarter time, before Norwood finally converted its dominance and put on a final quarter show.

The reigning premier banged through five unanswered goals to open the fourth-quarter and showed its best footy is still formidable under new coach Ben Warren

The win pushed the Redlegs into the top five and they have now won two of their past three SANFL matches – a tight lost to the pacesetting Eagles the only blemish – as they begin to build momentum.

The labour intensive nature of his side’s forward entries won’t please Warren but his midfield is showing signs of finding its groove, and the Redlegs still have one of the best spines in the competition.

Sam Baulderstone and Brady Dawe formed a dominant rucking combination last night and also got forward and kicked important final term majors.

The pair helped Norwood enjoy a 42 to 29 clearance advantage and dominate possession 334 to 291.

Down back, veterans Kieran McGuinness and Jace Bode played crucial roles and Matthew Panos and Tim Webber were important around the stoppages.

For Mark Mickan’s Blood’s it continued a frustrating series of results in night football at their home ground.

The Bloods have just one win from four attempts under lights at Richmond this season and skill level in dewy conditions remains an Achilles heel.

West battled hard to stay with Norwood for three quarters but struggled to win enough clean ball all night.

Its defence led by Daniel Caire and Adam Hartlett was manful but the Bloods are desperately lacking midfielders who can break the lines.

Condition made clean football difficult and only one goal was kicked in a scrappy opening term. Anthony Wilson ran hard up the wing then roved a contest in the forward 50m eight minutes into the match.

The second term featured some more attractive end-to-end transitions but virtually all of them seemed to be thwarted by dominant backlines. West’s first goal came 10 minutes into the second term through Ryan Dijksman.

Norwood continued blowing chances early in the third term as Richard Newell brought Westies to within a point before Pete Persinos ended a run of nine straight Norwood behinds.

The side remained almost deadlocked until early in the final term when a brilliant soccer goal from Wilson ignited Norwood.

Dawe followed with back-to-back majors, the later a brilliant pick-up and snap on his non-preferred right boot before the brilliant Baulderstone sealed the result with a running goal from 50m.