Norwood secured an important, yet scrappy 39-point away win over South Adelaide at Flinders University Stadium on a cold, wet and windy afternoon in Noarlunga.
Both sides struggled to score and move the ball with conviction on a tough day for footy, and a game that had a combined 181 tackles.
In the end Norwood was stronger for longer in an arm wrestle for the two premiership points.
The Redlegs led by just seven points at three quarter time, when the score was 4.14-38 to 4.7-31, before Norwood’s class came to the fore in a five goal to no score final term to run out 9.16-70 to 4.7-31 winners.
The hard-fought victory ensured the Redlegs remained on top of the SANFL ladder after Round 12 with a 9-2 record, ahead of the three sides locked at 8-3 – Sturt, Central District and Glenelg.
Captain Jacob Kennerley and Ben Simpson were late outs through injury, with Goy Lok and Brodie Carroll coming into the League line up.
Despite the challenging conditions for forwards Jackson Callow looked a threat all day and finished with three goals from five shots to go with his 19 disposals and five marks.
Baynen Lowe had 28 disposals, 15 tackles and four clearances, while Pierce Seymour was outstanding off half back for 23 disposals.
Harry Boyd dominated the ruck with 47 hitouts, 12 clearances and 22 disposals, while Billy Cootee had 22 disposals and seven tackles.
It took all day to wear South Adelaide down, but in the end Norwood went +77 in disposal, +44 hitouts, +38 contested possessions, +18 clearances and +21 inside 50m.
The Redlegs also had 14 more scoring shots.
Callow got the first goal on the board through sheer strength, shoving his defender out of the way to gather and snap from close range.
South Adelaide had the better of the starts, finding five of the first seven inside 50m entries. The Panthers first two shots on goal missed, before Noah Howes drilled a set shot to put the home side in front.
It was a freezing day at Flinders University stadium, with rain and wind coming and going throughout the afternoon.
Norwood found some repeat inside 50m entries, but none of it quality and South was able to rebound with ease.
Players were struggling with a slippery ball, but Lowe looked like he was playing with a different Sherrin to everyone else. His cleanliness and skill set up two goal scoring opportunities that were squandered.
After 20 minutes, South led 1.4-10 to 1.2-8 in a first quarter that reached no great heights.
Arlo Draper won a holding the ball free kick and nailed a long set shot to put the Panthers up by eight points at quarter time.
Jake Cresswell and Seymour each had six disposals in the first term. Despite South’s early territory dominance, inside 50m entries were level at the first break, as were most of the key statistics.
Norwood was again under pressure to start the second quarter, and Jack Heard won two crucial one on one contests.
No goals were kicked in the opening 18 minutes of the second term, as the game played out as a wet weather scrap with both sides combining for 70 tackles in the opening quarter and a half.
The Redlegs worked it forward and locked the ball in their forward line, but only had five behinds to show for it in the second term, as the scoreboard edged to 2.5-17 to 1.7-13.
Small forward Jayden Gale was in the right place at the right time to mark a ball that dropped short of a big forming pack 30m out from Norwood’s goal.
Norwood had whittled the South lead from nine points to four in behinds, before Gale went back and nailed the only goal of the second quarter, to give the Redlegs the lead at half time, 2.7-19 to 2.5-17.
Seymour was excellent across half back in the first half with 15 disposals, as was Lowe who had 14 disposals along with 10 tackles. Callow had 11 disposals and a goal to half time.
Panthers midfielder Kobe Mutch was also relishing in the tough conditions with 18 disposals and three clearances.
Not surprisingly it was a high tackle game, with South laying 52 tackles to Norwood’s 38.
Norwood led inside 50m entries 21-18, clearances 15-11 and disposals 162-126. Boyd was a dominant force in Norwood leading hitouts 31-8 in the first half.
The sun finally broke through the clouds and with it Norwood came out from the half time break full of run and enthusiasm.
Callow was gifted the first goal of the second half, capitalising on a down field free kick and then a soft 25m penalty that marched him to the top of the goal square.
The Redlegs looked ominous and had nine of the first 10 inside 50m entries, but they had 1.5 on the scoreboard to show for their dominance.
After 10 minutes Norwood led 3.12-30 to 2.5-17.
South made the Redlegs pay as they went end to end and finishing in a Liam Fitt goal to bring the margin back to seven points against the run of play.
Norwood was getting the rub of the green with the umpires, and Jack Saunders drew a lucky holding free kick. He went back and nailed the goal to get the game back out to 14 points.
Again, against the run of play South responded with the next goal to keep in the hunt as Eamon Wilkinson dribbled one through from the pocket at the Northern End.
South’s Corey Grocock and Norwood’s Cooper Murley both nearly kicked goal of the year just minutes apart from each other, as Grocock hacked it forward from outside 50m and watched it dribble the wrong side of the post, before Murley’s snap from the boundary was just touched on the line.
Declan Hamilton also kicked a cracking goal on the run, but it came after the three quarter time siren and was disallowed… where was today’s highlight going to come from.
At the final break Norwood led 4.14-38 to 4.7-31 in a dour affair.
Lowe had 13 disposals in the third quarter alone, but both sides continued to struggle in front of goal as Norwood kicked 2.7 to South’s 2.2 in the third term.
South forward Howes was injured in a marking contest to start the fourth term and had to be stretchered from the field as the game came to a halt for several minutes.
The game needed a highlight and it finally came when Gale curled home his second goal from the boundary at the Northern End.
Gale’s goal put Norwood in front by 13 points, and a minute later Saunders kicked his second goal to put the Redlegs up by 19 points.
It was going to be tough for South from there.
Callow juggled and reeled in another mark inside 50m, before going back to kick his third goal and all-but iced the game, but Norwood weren’t done as Izaak Twelftree and Alec Wright goaled to put a full stop on a quality Redlegs win.
Callow finished with three, while Saunders and Gale booted two apiece.
Norwood have back to back away games, taking on West Adelaide in Richmond next Sunday.
Norwood 1.2, 2.7, 4.14, 9.16 – 70
South Adelaide 2.4, 2.5, 4.7, 4.7 – 31
Goals: Callow 3, Gale 2, Saunders 2, Twelftree, Wright
Best: Lord, Wright, Graham, Callow, Lowe