2nd Semi Final: Central v Norwood - 3.10pm @ AAMI (Sun 19/9)

[Grahaml]

Dogs fans don't recall 79.

[Royal City]

Yeah, that would be the year. Minor premiers. Same as 89 IIRC.

We finished a distant 3rd in 89 behind North and Port. Basically we were the best of the rest that year as Port and North were far ahead of the rest of the comp.

Think we were 10-15 up at half time against Port in the QF and got utterly destroyed in the 2nd half and lost by 80 odd.

Then achieved the usual straight sets exit back then

[NO-MERCY]

It don't matter if Central lose to Norwood this week as they'll turn it around GF Day.
Its probably best they lose & get another game under their belts ( Centrals ) as they have had a few injuries of late & i think some players need more game time.

[Dogwatcher]

Yeah, that would be the year. Minor premiers. Same as 89 IIRC.

We finished a distant 3rd in 89 behind North and Port. Basically we were the best of the rest that year as Port and North were far ahead of the rest of the comp.

Think we were 10-15 up at half time against Port in the QF and got utterly destroyed in the 2nd half and lost by 80 odd.

Then achieved the usual straight sets exit back then

Gee, I'm going well today.

[Pseudo]

I listened to muchof the Norwood Glenelg game on 5aa yesterday and one thing they repeated a few times was Norwoods leg speed. Will this worry Udogs or can Udogs cover it?

Well they had to say something, to cover up the gaps left by the fact that none of them knew the players' names...

[Zathrus]

Was about to mention that one.
How about 75 and 89?

Dogs were out in straight sets in '79 I reckon.

Minor premiers 79, lost the second semi to Port, and then somehow lost the preliminary final to South. Out in staight sets. Same year Duckworth won his magarey medal

[jim5112]

Impressive win by the Norwood this week, but Centrals are likely to be harder to beat than Glenelg.

They have oodles of confidence and finals experience;
If they fall behind, they don't just drop their heads and give up;
If the game gets rough, they don't just play for frees, they attack the ball and the player harder;
Their full forward can kick more than 20 metres.

Looking forward to this game to see how Norwood handle real pressure.

[Aerie]

I don't think I've seen an SANFL final with a team so structured the way Norwood were on Sunday.

It was the "full court press" from the outset and they choked Glenelg into submission.

It was basically Clarkson's Cluster from a few years ago when the Hawks won the premiership and most of the AFL teams use it now. For example, if Glenelg were kicking from a Norwood behind, all 18 Norwood players were zoning an area from their half back line towards their goals and they would move in a grid to cover wherever the ball would be next. There was not one Norwood player in the Glenelg forward 50, even if a Glenelg player dropped back to the goal square. They will also always start with at least 7 defenders and let Glenelg have an extra on baller as they did on Sunday.

This is an ugly way to play football. If the team is losing the supporters would go nuts because it is not the type of football we've enjoyed growing up with. But, it is winning, and that is all that matter isn't it? West and North try it as well, but don't do it any where near as well as Norwood do. Norwood have the necessary attacking mindset to go with this game plan to make it effective. Most teams have tried this game plan at stages, but no one has done it with the effectiveness that Norwood displayed on Sunday.

So, if Norwood stick to the game plan so well like they did on Sunday, how can they be beaten?

Central will need to move the ball a lot faster than Glenelg did - and you'd expect they will. They will need to run harder forward than Glenelg did - again, you'd expect they will. However, I'm starting to think Bassett might have got a season ahead of his rivals and may pinch a premiership before everyone else catches up?

What does this mean to the competition? Well, IMO the attractiveness of SANFL footy has gone backward a step or two in the last couple of years. If Bassett wins, I can see it getting worse.

So, for football's sake, I hope Central beat them this week and either Glenelg or Eagles take care of them the week after. I can't see it happening though.

[topsywaldron]

This is an ugly way to play football. ... If Bassett wins, I can see it getting worse.

Merde.

Unlike some other teams Norwood try and score when we've got the ball. An average of nearly fourteen goals a game after our winless start is testamant to that. Across the same period you averaged just a goal more than us, hardly the football of the heavens you seem to be insisting you play.

[Pseudo]

This is an ugly way to play football.

Frankly I found Glenelg's style of play - look for a quick handball, freeze like a startled rabbit, then kick sideways or (heaven help us) backwards in search of a looser player - far more unattractive than the disciplined team game which Norwood served up. You may have found this aesthetically appealing, but I just found it cr@p.

[hot dogs]

I reckon this game is too close to call. Some teams match up well on each other and in recent times these two sides have had some really close results. The up side is that we will not take anything for granted and complacency will not set in after seeing Norwood in action against the Bays. This could be the game of the finals.

[FlyingHigh]

This is an ugly way to play football. ... If Bassett wins, I can see it getting worse.

Merde.

Unlike some other teams Norwood try and score when we've got the ball. An average of nearly fourteen goals a game after our winless start is testamant to that. Across the same period you averaged just a goal more than us, hardly the football of the heavens you seem to be insisting you play.

There was something of a unique beauty to watch the way Norwood executed it on Sunday, perhaps because their fierce tackling was exciting to watch. But this was one of the top sides in the comp. Agree with Aerie that if all teams tried to play like this, it would make for some even uglier footy than we've had to put up with at times this year.

[CENTURION]

We both thrive on hard tackling, We will probably smash the crap out of each other!

[leggies]

We both thrive on hard tackling, We will probably smash the crap out of each other!

Agree! I can't see how that can be a boring style of footy. Tough, hard, physical FAIR footy is what we go to see. To be honest, I think the loser of this game will win the GF

[cek]

Does anyone know if Jay Nash has been released by the Power to play for Centrals this week?

[cennals05]

Does anyone know if Jay Nash has been released by the Power to play for Centrals this week?

Pretty sure he has.

[Rik E Boy]

It don't matter if Central lose to Norwood this week as they'll turn it around GF Day.
Its probably best they lose & get another game under their belts ( Centrals ) as they have had a few injuries of late & i think some players need more game time.

I reckon we'll get a better granny if Norwood win this one. If Norwood get done Centrals will smash whoever they play in the Grand Final but if Norwood win this week they get a week off while Centrals can fine tune the machine in the Prelim.

regards,

REB

[mal]

I don't think I've seen an SANFL final with a team so structured the way Norwood were on Sunday.

It was the "full court press" from the outset and they choked Glenelg into submission.

It was basically Clarkson's Cluster from a few years ago when the Hawks won the premiership and most of the AFL teams use it now. For example, if Glenelg were kicking from a Norwood behind, all 18 Norwood players were zoning an area from their half back line towards their goals and they would move in a grid to cover wherever the ball would be next. There was not one Norwood player in the Glenelg forward 50, even if a Glenelg player dropped back to the goal square. They will also always start with at least 7 defenders and let Glenelg have an extra on baller as they did on Sunday.

This is an ugly way to play football. If the team is losing the supporters would go nuts because it is not the type of football we've enjoyed growing up with. But, it is winning, and that is all that matter isn't it? West and North try it as well, but don't do it any where near as well as Norwood do. Norwood have the necessary attacking mindset to go with this game plan to make it effective. Most teams have tried this game plan at stages, but no one has done it with the effectiveness that Norwood displayed on Sunday.

So, if Norwood stick to the game plan so well like they did on Sunday, how can they be beaten?

Central will need to move the ball a lot faster than Glenelg did - and you'd expect they will. They will need to run harder forward than Glenelg did - again, you'd expect they will. However, I'm starting to think Bassett might have got a season ahead of his rivals and may pinch a premiership before everyone else catches up?

What does this mean to the competition? Well, IMO the attractiveness of SANFL footy has gone backward a step or two in the last couple of years. If Bassett wins, I can see it getting worse.

So, for football's sake, I hope Central beat them this week and either Glenelg or Eagles take care of them the week after. I can't see it happening though.

Very good post indeed
When comparing NA/WA/NW the one difference is NW seem to be able to come out of defence and have players to kick to, they very rarely go sideways or backwards
So whilst the legs are playing this style it is still entertaining to watch most times
The reason why the legs are not looking shambolistic is becoz they have a bevy of bounding sprinting rebounding defenders
Given different playing personel and other circumstances this gameplan can also go from watchable to deplorable

[Wedgie]

Comparing Norwoods style of footy to North and West would be like comparing Ussain Bolt to me in the speed stakes.

[robranisgod]

Comparing Norwoods style of footy to North and West would be like comparing Ussain Bolt to me in the speed stakes.

Glenelg actually play that same style as North and West. On Sunday for example three times James Sellar had the ball in the middle of the ground and three times he kicked back to Centre Half Back. When you have marking forward of the capability of Kirby and Grima, why do it. Glenelg have been playing that way ever since Mickan took them over. He gets away with it against North, but he needs to use his attacking options more against the top sides.

I have to disagree with Norwood's style being attractive. It is when Phillips uses his pace and skill to break the game open, but the 18 man clamp drives me mad.