Redlegs finish season on a 10-game winning streak while Roosters limp into finals on five losses

AN ankle injury to Mark Evans was the only sour note for Norwood in its emphatic 51-point win over North Adelaide on Sunday.

AN ankle injury to Mark Evans soured Norwood's emphatic 51-point victory over North Adelaide at The Parade on Sunday to complete their minor round commitments.

The forward was stretchered from the ground in the closing minutes of the game and will have scans on Monday.

He has already been cleared of a fracture and the club is hopeful he could still be available for the second semi-final in two weeks.

Another small forward Josh Donohue is also on the injury list after damaging his calf in the third term.

The Redlegs will regain Brett Zorzi, Brady Dawe and Mitch Grigg, however, and will go into the finals as a raging hot favourite after another statement of intent on the competition yesterday.

They will be coming off 10 successive wins when they open their major round campaign in the second week of the finals while the Roosters will limp into the elimination final against Central District on the back of five consecutive losses.

The Roosters challenged the Redlegs early and even had the lead three minutes into the second term when Max Thring kicked a goal.

But that only sparked the Redlegs into action and they took control courtesy of relentless pressure and a disciplined attitude to maintaining the structures demanded by coach Nathan Bassett.

''Our ball use going forward was quite good and our press and pressure was generally good enough to slow North down by the third quarter,'' Bassett said.

''We were able to keep the ball in our forward line for extended periods.''

The Redlegs' superb pressure was best illustrated in the third quarter when the Roosters had only three visits inside their attacking 50 and failed to register a score.

Matt Thomas was outstanding on the ball for the Redlegs while Matthew Fuller and Alex Georgiou were among those to have a huge influence, shutting down Roosters' forward forays before sparking run.

The Redlegs choked the Roosters' run and as has become their trademark, they punished opposition mistakes.

Everything the Roosters did was under pressure and they struggled to find freedom to move the ball.

''For a quarter we played the game on even terms but that is was all them (Redlegs),'' Roosters coach Josh Francou said.

''After half-time it was disappointing how we fell away.''

###