Australian Football

Match Report

The final match for the weekend would have been touted as the match of the round, two of the closest neighbours in the SANFL clashing at Prospect Oval in a battle of third vs. fifth... the Roosters against the Redlegs. The Roosters were crowing loud and clear at The Parade earlier this season, handing the Redlegs this season's most humiliating drubbing up until the Bloods' Round 16 result bumped this one down to number two -- only going by the score kicked by the opposition in this case. Norwood scored just 2.7 as North hammered them by 92 points back in Round 3, the Roosters kicking nine goals to one in the first half then another seven in the other. 15 behinds scored by North suggest this could have been even worse! Norwood's grip on fifth at this point was not assured with the Blues breathing down their neck, so their victory against West back two weeks ago was quite important. Reading this far, we already know that Sturt's loss across town helped their cause but putting their position in the finals beyond doubt was even more important. North's win against the Panthers down at Noarlunga did ensure they held onto second spot a bit longer, because a Norwood win would only mean a percentage difference in positions. 

A case of the wobbles crept into the Roosters' forward line as they found themselves down by 15 points at the first change, the board reading 2.5 to 5.2. The Roosters wasted more chances in the second term, but cut the Redlegs' lead down to a pair of kicks going into the rooms at the long break. North outscored the 'Legs 4.5 to four goals without a miss, the deficit back to 10 points at half-time. The visitors had some goal scoring issues of their own in the third quarter, the Roosters cutting down their lead even further in a relatively even period. North were back to within one goal of their 2018 Grand Final opponents at the final change, scoring 3.1 to 2.3 and setting up a grandstand finish. That gap however, was as close as the Roosters got, Norwood holding back the home side's challenge to score 2.2 to 1.2 and leave Prospect with a two-goal victory. A measure of sweet revenge from their earlier humiliation at The Parade. 

Richard Douglas has to be one of the favourites for the Redlegs' B&F night, finishing with 29 disposals, five tackles and nine marks. North would vote in Campbell Combe as their best afield with 26 disposals and 10 tackles.