Adelaide completed its 2021 SANFL season with a spirited second half fightback at Coopers Stadium on Saturday, but Norwood kicked away late to run away with a 43-point victory.
The Crows kicked just one goal to half time and trailed by 38 points, before booting six of the next eight goals to put the pressure on the Redlegs, who were playing for a top three spot.
The Crows got within 11 points during the last quarter, but Norwood kicked the last five goals to win 14.11-95 to 7.10-52.
In wet conditions Sam Berry played a tough brand of football (in a defensive midfield role on dual Magarey Medallist Mitch Grigg) and finished with 15 disposals, 15 tackles and five clearances.
Lachie Gollant kicked two goals from six scoring shots, while Josh Worrell found 17 disposals and 2021 SANFL (club) Best and Fairest Strachan gathered 14 touches, 39 hitouts, five clearances and four tackles.
Adelaide’s season finished with five victories, and coach Michael Godden said he was proud of his side’s progress considering it was the first year of senior football for many of his young players (given the Covid-19 layoff last year).
“It has been a very good learning season, but we would have liked to have won more games,” he said.
“A lot of these players had the chance to learn what it (senior football) was all about, and we will only be better for it.
“The growth of the group is exciting, it’s been a different year for me because I have coached teams that is more experienced in senior footy, so I really enjoyed passing on my experience to our young players, it’s been fun.
“The boys have answered all of the challenges and we have improved a lot in the second half of the year – we are very confident in the direction of that this football club is taking.”
Given what was on the line for Norwood, a strong crowd rolled into Coopers Stadium and played a vocal role in helping its side over the line.
In slippery conditions it was a scrappy and physical start from both sides.
Adelaide was up to the challenge in the first term, but missed three set shots towards the scoreboard end, before Norwood’s Harry Boyd slotted the first goal of the match at the 16-minute mark.
The Redlegs looked to move the ball slowly along the wing (96 disposals to 55 in the first quarter), but Adelaide’s half back line was holding firm.
Eventually Norwood got on a roll and found two goals in four minutes to establish a 16-point lead late in the quarter.
Mid-season draftee Patrick Parnell snapped Adelaide’s first goal in the last 90 seconds of the term and the Crows went in to the first break nine points behind.
Key defender Nick Murray started strongly for Adelaide with six disposals in the first quarter, while Sam Berry laid six tackles to quarter time.
The Crows continued to defend strongly to restrict Norwood’s scoreboard damage, but eventually weight of numbers helped the Redlegs boot two late goals to build a 38-point buffer at half time.
Worrell was a busy man in defence and found eight disposals in the second quarter to take his tally to 12 at the main break.
Adelaide escaped from half time a different team, kicking the first three goals of the third term through Lachie Gollant (two) and Parnell to make it a 20-point ball game.
Crows captain Matthew Wright nailed a classy set shot from the pocket at the 22-minute mark and Tariek Newchurch made it five Adelaide goals for the quarter.
Trailing by 18 points at the final break, the Crows kept charging forward and Fischer McAsey (who took five marks from nine disposals) goaled from 35m to make it a two-goal game early in the last term.
But it was party time from there for the Redlegs who nailed the last five goals to close out the home and away season.
SANFL
Adelaide: 1.4, 1.5, 6.7, 7. 10 (52)
Norwood: 3.1, 7.7, 9.7, 14.11 (95)
Best: Gollant, Strachan, Borlase, Hamill, Davis, Berry
Goals: Gollant, Parnell, McAsey, Newchurch, Wright
