Inconsistent form across the year plagued Norwood’s 2023 season campaign while the club successfully brought back the Netball program, taking home a premiership.
Senior Men’s
Ladder Position: 8th (7-11, 92.70%)
Best and Fairest: Michael Wenn
Leading Goalkicker: Rhett Jordon (32 Goals)
Summary:
Difficult year for the Norsemen who battled to find consistency from week to week.
The club slipped down to eight this year despite a bit of expectation to be a finals contender at the start of the season.
It was difficult to get a clear idea of where they sat with a very inconsistent form line. Norwood had some big wins that included knocking off Noble Park, East Ringwood and Doncaster East. However, on the flip side, they also lost to Park Orchards, Berwick and Blackburn twice after being in winnable positions.
At the end of the season, Marty Pask stepped down from the role of senior coach. Despite not reaching the ultimate success that the club was looking for, he did have a great impact on this side over his tenure at the club.
Key Players:
Michael Wenn starred as the club best and fairest winner, one of the top ruckman in the league. Wenn also made this year’s Team of the Year for Premier Division.
Dylan Feltham was consistently impressive, averaging 24 disposals per game, more than any other player in the senior side.
Their forward line was consistent with Rhett Jordon, Hugh Johnson and Jamie Bennell combining for 79 goals this year.
Best Win: Round 12 – Norwood 12.16 88 def. South Croydon 4.9 33 @Cheong Park
A 55-point win over the Dogs in the annual NAIDOC Round clash was one of the biggest highlights for Norwood in 2023. The margin might not be a true reflection of just how dominant of a performance this was.
The game was essentially over by Half Time after Norwood slammed home six goals to zip in the second quarter for a 40-point lead. The second quarter saw the visitors dominate all the key statistics, eight more clearances, eight more inside 50’s, 28 more disposals and 11 more marks than South Croydon.
Yarran Jaffer-Williams put together one of his best performances at his new club, with three goals on the day.
Michael Wenn was best on ground, dominant in the ruck with 42 hit outs, 25 disposals and 10 clearances.
Off-Season Focus:
Expect a very different side in 2024.
A lot of their key players that have been at the forefront of the club’s success have moved on, including Tristan Tweedie returning to East Ringwood, ruckman Michael Wenn to Doncaster East and Rhett Jordon who has his opportunity to try his hand at coaching with Croydon.
It certainly leaves a lot of holes in the current list and a bit of work to do before Round One. It does provide a great opportunity to their younger core that’s coming up through the Under 19’s.
Brett Moyle takes over the role of senior coach with Norwood after a season with Wantirna South. He’s been able to bring former St.Kilda star Justin Koschitzke to the club as an Assistant Coach, set to work closely with the side’s key position players and rucks.
Back to ten teams in the division, Norwood as well as a few sides around their mark will be under the pump early to get off to a strong start.
Netball
One of the great stories of the season was the return of Norwood’s Netball program.
Returning to the competition, Norwood entered three teams into the Bendigo Bank 2023 Netball season.
Norwood Purple was the first side, competing in Division Seven where they won eight games and finished up in sixth position on the ladder. Their improvement came as the season went on, winning their last three games of the year.
In Division Eight, Norwood Black won the seven games to also finish sixth. In her first season with Norwood, Emily Thomson won the league best and fairest award for the division. She had a fantastic year in defence, a difficult opponent for opposition goalers to match up on, a great achievement and recognition for her efforts.
Leah Haag at the other end of the court was just as important, averaging 18 goals per game, finishing with 256, the most of any player in the division.
The side’s most successful team was Norwood Gold, the Division Nine Premiers. A dominant season, they won 15 out of 16 home and away matches. After a 19-point semi final victory against Montrose, Norwood met Chirnside Park in the decider which turned out to be a thrilling finish. Norwood held on by just one goal to win the flag.
Samantha Olsen capped off her great season with not only the Blue Ribbon Medal for best on court in the Grand Final, but also the league best and fairest award.
Madisen Werkmuller was also key to that premiership side, another leading goal shooter winner, 223 goals in the Home and Away season.
The club has also entered three teams in the Summer Netball competition that is running now.
