Adelaide has fallen to Norwood by 31 points at The Parade despite a vintage four-goal performance from SANFL captain Ian Callinan.
Callinan booted the first goal of the game in a dream start to his 100th SANFL appearance. The Crows burst out of the blocks with the first five goals of the match to build a commanding 32-point lead midway through the opening term.
The Redlegs responded emphatically after quarter time however, and had clawed the deficit back by the major break. Former Melbourne utility Michael Newton bagged eight goals to steer the reigning premiers to eventual victory in front of a healthy crowd at Norwood Oval.
The home side booted 11 goals to Adelaide’s five in the second and third terms to break open the game and leave the SANFL Crows stranded in tenth place on the league table.
Jarryd Lyons was Adelaide’s best performer, gathering 34 disposals, eight marks and three goals in another standout performance in the midfield.
Andy Otten (23 disposals, nine marks) and Luke Thompson (26 disposals, 10 marks) battled bravely against the tide in defence, while Cameron Ellis-Yolmen showed his versatility with an effective run-with role on Norwood danger man Matthew Panos.
The loss was Adelaide’s fourth consecutive defeat since the Club’s first-ever SANFL win in Round Three.
The lead flipped back and forth several times in the second term when the Redlegs made their charge. Despite winning many key indicators including contested possessions and clearances, the Crows could not halt the Redlegs’ run with a string of three Newton goals late in the third stanza giving the home side a 19-point buffer at the final break.
The Crows could not bridge the gap in the final term as the reigning premiers went on to notch their third win of the season.
Adelaide State League coach Heath Younie said it was a missed opportunity for the SANFL Crows team after such a promising start.
“I’m really disappointed,” Younie said post-match.
“We had much more of the ball and in the end they just hunted us. I think they scored 12 goals off of our turnovers.
“Full credit to Norwood. They got at us and we didn’t handle it well.”
Younie said the group needed to get back to basics in order to return to winning form, with the Crows to face South Adelaide next Sunday afternoon at Noarlunga.
“We fumbled at times, missed simple handballs and we didn’t kick the ball that well. So we need to go back and just address those fundamentals.
“But it’s not all doom and gloom. I thought in patches we played really well as you saw in that first quarter. Tonight was just one of those opportunities that went begging.”
ADELAIDE 5.2 7.3 10.6 11.8 (74)
NORWOOD 2.3 7.6 13.7 16.9 (105)
GOALS
Adelaide: Callinan 4, Lyons 3, M. Thompson, Carroll, Knight, McKernan
Norwood: Newton 8, Phillips 3, Dematteis, Webber, Dawe, Roocke, Wilson
BEST
Adelaide: Lyons, Callinan, Otten, Spina
Norwood: Newton, Webber, Evans, Kirwan, Phillips, McGuiness
INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Norwood: Bampton (ankle)
