By Jared Beanland.
Norwood’s 2022 season was one of marred expectations, and a negative winning record was not what expected from them for last year. This year the Norsemen look to turn around that ledger and make the finals for the first time since 2015.
Finishing with a record of 7 wins, 10 losses, and a draw, Norwood missed out on the finals by a full two wins. The boys from Mullum Mullum Reserve would have felt a little hard done by given the amount of injuries sustained early in the season, resulting in a start of 1 win and 4 losses.
The turnaround in the late stages of the season was not enough to get them past 7th spot on the ladder, despite impressive late season wins against the likes of Park Orchards and Doncaster. A draw against eventual Semi Finalists Doncaster East showed that the Norsemen had the potential to match it with some of the best in the division in the late stages of the season, but it was too little, too late.
The off season has been marked by the loss of co-Chandler Medal winner Blake Pearson, who has set off to coach the Oakleigh Disctrict Football Club in Division 3. In Pearson, Norwood also loses their leading goal kicker of last year, as he finished the season with 32 goals. Along with Pearson, Norwood have also lost the likes of Callum Spurrell, Lachlan Kennedy, Kieran West, and Michael Pearson, all having proven to be important players throughout their time at Mullum Mullum.
The recruiting efforts at Mullum Mullum look to make up for this loss of manpower, and have set their sights on the Outer Eastern Football League. Recruits such as Jack Hard, Josh Wall, and Liam O’Dea all hale from the Outer East, the latter having won the 2022 Best and Fairest at Woori Yallock. The transfer to the highest division in the EFNL will test these players, yet Norwood are banking on them to prove impactful in their senior line-up.
Also pulling on the boots for Norwood is a player from fellow Premier Division side, Balwyn.
Yarran Jaffer-Williams provided a spark for the Tigers last year, kicking 14 goals in 16 games. A player of his calibre is sure to feature in the Norsemen’s best 22 and have a profund impact.
Along with the Outer East boys, and Jaffer-Williams is former Southport Shark, Callum Searle. A player with VFL experience, Searle pulled the boots on for 9 games during 2022 in the Sharks senior side, not an easy team to crack into given they ended the year runners-up in the VFL. The 24 year old came to Southport via Port Melbourne, and has the capability of playing either in defense or the midfield.
Norwood will start the season with matches against Doncaster, Vermont, Balwyn, and Park Orchards. This will see Marty Pask’s men as a chance to start the year with at least two or three wins, and have a much better start to the season than they had last year.
The Norsemen kicked off their season with a big win away from home at Doncaster. Norwood won by 70 points, kicking the highest score of the round to sit on top of the Premier Division ladder after Round One.
Rhett Jordan starred up forward with six goals in the win with teammate Atkins kicking four of his own.
The club were excited to debit seven new players in what was a massive win for the club to start the season. In his first game for Norwood, Michael Griechen had tremenous impact, named as the best player on the ground.
It’s an exciting start for all Norwood fans, as they look forward to being back on their home deck next week when they host Vermont.
