NORWOOD has raided Woodville Oval to come away with a rebound seven-point win over the Eagles on Friday night, in our Round 4 featured match. The Redlegs were comprehensively beaten by Sturt last time out, but bounced straight back onto the winners list after a competitive contest under lights.

Woodville-West Torrens dominated the early proceedings, notching up the first 20 points of the game while keeping Norwood scoreless through 15 minutes. Though for all the Eagles’ good work, they only had a six-point lead to show for it come quarter time.

The Redlegs eventually snuck ahead 15 minutes into the second term, with help from a 25-metre penalty, and despite the lead changing hands they remained in front by the narrow margin of two points at the main break.

Two quick goals to start the third term saw Norwood skip away, before extending the buffer out to 17 points just as momentum started to shift. A Patrick Weckert snap breathed life into the Eagles’ cause before three quarter time, though they remained more than two goals in arrears.

Things looked dire for the Eagles when Will Rowlands popped up for a major in the opening minute of term four, but Weckert looked like being his side’s x-factor at the other end. Consecutive goals to the tall forward brought the margin back to a single point.

That was as close as Woodville-West Torrens got to the victory though, as Rowlands again struck to give the visitors some breathing space and help them hold on in the wet. The result sees Norwood sit fourth at 3-1, while the Eagles are 1-3 in sixth spot.

With the South Australian Under 18 squad recently announced and six members taking the field (all for the Eagles), we noted how each of them performed – plus a look at who impressed for the victors. That, and a look around the grounds, below.

>> 2023 SA U18 state squad

SCOUTING NOTES

Woodville-West Torrens:

#8 Callum Fairall (Defender/Midfielder)
27/08/2005 | 187cm | 71kg

It was a fair night out for Fairall, who ended up as the Eagles’ top ball winner with 24 disposals and seven marks. The top-ager started in defence but also rolled through midfield, proving composed behind the ball and making good decisions. In the face of pressure, he showed great spacial awareness to flick passes out to free players, while also drawing opponents or absorbing contact whenever necessary. His use by hand was more prominent early on, before his kicking came to the fore thereafter.

#11 Kade Herbert (Midfielder)
03/04/2006 | 183cm | 76kg

Herbert hardly had a huge game, but had his moments throughout the four quarters. He notched up 14 disposals and laid two tackles after starting brightly, being tapped to at stoppage and even taking a ruck contest himself. The bottom-ager was also rotated forward.

#17 Rome Burgoyne (Defender)
29/08/2006 | 181cm | 76kg

Burgoyne was unfortunately taken out of the game when notching his one and only touch for the game on Friday night. The bottom-age Port Adelaide father-son candidate was pushed while kicking, and seemed to have his ankle/lower leg give way underneath him.

#18 Pat Toole (Wing)
05/04/2005 | 182cm | 77kg

There’s a bit about Toole, who showcased his speed and smarts on both sides of midfield. His first eye-catching act was a running foray down the wing, where the top-ager backed his pace with an opponent right on his tail. Toole snapped a nice goal to give Woodville-West Torrens the lead in term two, but his best moments saw him step through traffic with power and rip the ball away to the outside. He finished with 15 disposals and five inside 50s.

#25 Tom Luck (Ruck)
06/04/2006 | 194cm | 85kg

Another impressive Eagles bottom-ager, this time in the tall category, Luck dominated the ruck battle once again with 27 hitouts to go with impressive numbers of 21 disposals and seven clearances. As the figures suggest, he leant on his athleticism to win the taps, but also followed up well and was quite clean with ball in hand. Doing the basics well, his mobility was a real strength and Norwood had few answers for his all-round skillset.

#29 Patrick Weckert (Key Forward)
23/01/2005 | 191cm | 93kg

Returning to the Under 18 setup after two League games, Weckert looked like being the difference for Woodville-West Torrens, booting four goals and doing so in crucial moments. He was gifted his first in the second quarter via a 25-metre penalty, and snapped truly just before three quarter time to give the Eagles a sniff. His consecutive majors then lit up the fourth quarter, with two set shot conversions bringing the margin back to a point. Outside of his scoring feats, Weckert was typically present aerially and nearly pulled down mark of the year, while also rotating through the ruck.

Norwood:

Will Rowlands was undoubtedly the star of the show for Norwood, who didn’t boast any state squad members on the day. The forward booted three goals from 22 disposals and five marks, popping up when his side needed him most.

The Northern Territory native kicked his side’s first and last goals, with the latter proving the sealer. He defied his 179cm standing with a couple of terrific overhead marks, but also did his usual work burrowing in at ground level.

Skipper Jacob Jones was also prolific for 22 touches and 10 tackles in midfield alongside Eamonn Cronin (19 disposals), while Darcy Emerson clunked eight marks and racked up seven rebound 50s in defence.

Others to impress included Jay Polkinghorne, who was the Redlegs’ spearhead up forward. He brought strong presence inside 50 and booted two goals from 10 touches and five marks. 

Jack Michalanney, the brother of Max, also did some nice things behind the ball, while small midfielder Jacob Newton often got his legs pumping but was less prolific than usual on return.  

AROUND THE GROUNDS

Returning Glenelg skipper Ben Ridgway led his side to its third win of the Under 18 season on Saturday, leading all comers with 31 disposals and the Bays beat South Adelaide by 43 points. Lucas Camporeale was the victors’ next best with 24 touches, while Bodie Ryan had it 22 times.

James Dutton (five goals) and Conor Gluyas (four) hit the scoreboard, along with Harry Francis (two goals, six marks, 15 hitouts). Bottom-ager Sid Draper stood up for South in the loss, picking up 27 touches and six clearances.

Sturt maintained its status as league frontrunner with a seven-point win over North Adelaide at Prospect Oval. The Double Blues trailed at the second and third breaks, but did just enough in term four to get over the line in win number three.

The victors had 10 individual goal kickers, including state squad members Loch Rawlinson (22 disposals), Declan Gladigau (19), and Luca Slade (19). North’s Evan Bradley booted four majors, while Angus Tully and Jed Dignan won the most ball.

Central District was the round’s other winner, bouncing back after its first loss of the season to down West Adelaide by 65 points on the road. The Bulldogs led from the opening goal, kicking 13 of the game’s first 14 majors in a comprehensive victory.

Trent Tattoli was at his accumulative best, racking up 39 disposals, 12 marks and two goals in the win. The likes of Will McCabe (23 disposals, seven marks), Beau Ryan (23 disposals, one goal), and Sebastian Wauer (three goals) also made their mark.