REIGNING SANFL Women’s runner-up Norwood has not spent much time talking about last year’s heartache, and is instead fully focused on getting back to the last game of the season.

The Redlegs secured a finals spot after missing out the year before, and came from fourth to reach the decider – only to lose to South Adelaide – but now coach Brad Ferrall says it is all about 2025.

“We’ve been really positive and to be honest we haven’t really talked about the grand final. It’s not something that we need to dwell on, it’s certainly not a positive memory so it’s not something I want to discuss all the time,” he said.

“We realise that we were pretty close last year and South are obviously still the benchmark but we think we’re not too far away. Every season changes but we’re confident but also wary that if we don’t put in the work then a chance to redeem ourselves on the big stage isn’t guaranteed.”

Ferrall said the playing group had worked really hard over the off-season, with the Redlegs’ fitness showing during a 32-point win over the team they knocked out in last year’s elimination final, Central District. The 2024 SANFLW Grand Finalists also made a trip down to face the Tasmanian state side, though went down narrowly after a late goal to the home side.

There will be little time for Norwood to build into the season, with a first-up assignment against the Panthers in a massive grand final rematch down at Noarlunga. Ferrall welcomed the challenge, with his troops set to face the reigning premiers in Round 1 for the fourth straight season.

“Might as well get it out of the way, we’ll find out pretty quick where we’re at,” Ferrall said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that South are the premiership favourites.

To test ourselves against them early and find out if we’ve got a lot of work to do or if we’re going okay, it’s a really good sign so I’m looking forward to it and I’m sure Rick will have some tricks up his sleeve. No better way to start then we get a good indication and I’m sure get some pretty good learnings out of the game.”

As for the year ahead, the Norwood coach said while 2024 was heartbreaking, looking back on the campaign, he viewed it as only “year one” of the journey.

“We didn’t really get all the way there last year and that’s fine,” Ferrall said. “It was year one with a new gameplan and all of that. I don’t think win-loss is an accurate measure that’s the result, so for me it’s creating that good environment that players want to be around with great culture and providing them the opportunity to learn and grow and then at the end of it once we’ve developed players and a good culture, that’s where the rewards come.

“I know it sounds simplistic, but the scoreboard’s irrelevant of a lot of the things we do, it’s just a bi-product of the things we do if we do them well.”

BRAD FERRALL ON…

TOP-AGE STATE ACADEMY MEMBERS

Charli Hazelhurst

“She’s finally probably got a good run at it with her body. Her body let her down a lot in the last 18 months. But she’s had a good run at it with that and she’s fit and playing some really football. We’ll use her in a few different roles this year. She’s super versatile I’m not actually sure there’d be a player in the draft as versatile as she is, so she’s an absolute star and a star across two sports so I wouldn’t be surprised if you see her going as the first South Australian picked in the draft this season.”

Lottie Almond

“She’s going to get her shot at League, it’s just a matter of when and biding her time and we’re actually speaking about just giving her the opportunity to be educated in a couple of different spots as well which will potentially help her. She’s talented and we’ve just got to work with her and support her and develop her into that League player.”

OTHER YOUNG GUNS

“Charlee Brooksby, she’s just got a bit of a quad injury at the moment, but until her quad injury she was flying and would have probably been starting in our League side for our first trial and our trip to Tassie, but unfortunately her body has let her down a little bit there. She’s going to be a star there’s no doubt about that.

“I think Kate’s (Kate Alexander) gone to another level and certainly strive towards one of the absolute benchmark rucks in the comp. I think all three of Charlee Brooksby, Kate Alexander and Elke Cameron have continued to improve and shown us that they are going to be stars of the future.”

MATURE-AGE PRESEASON PERFORMERS

“Not more than they’ve been the last year, but Emily Bartsch has been really good as well, and it’s just another preseason under her belt and another season of playing footy last season. She’s certainly developing and growing. She’s probably the one for me that really is looking like they could continue to improve and even improve towards an AFL spot.

“Then Tahlita Buethke and Kiana Lee have both been able to mature and are certainly capable of massive things this season.”