By Andy Paolacci
Norwood Knows No Better than Premiership Glory
The Norwood Football Club has been crowned the 2014 ‘Choose Tap’ EFL Division 1 Premiers in front of a packed house at Bayswater Oval with a resounding 51-point victory over a hapless Balwyn outfit.
The Norsemen were challenged in the early proceedings, but were never headed, as they piled on 11 goals to four after quarter-time to cap off a stellar season for Denis Knight’s men.
Leigh Williams was prolific up forward, with a match-winning six-goal performance, that saw him claim the Blue Ribbon Medal after being adjudged best on ground.
The match started in indifferent fashion, with no side able to register a goal for the first seven minutes of the match.
Then, from a Balwyn kick-in, Norwood forced the turnover, with the ball falling its way to Jordan Gysberts, who made no mistake from 15 metres out.
Norwood then made it two in a minute when good clearance work from Rhett Jordon saw Williams on the end of an inch perfect pass, with the latter making no mistakes from 45 metres out.
Balwyn, on the back of their early poor start, looked to retain possession and were all too happy to concede ground if meant the ball stayed in their hands.
However, their failure to move the ball from its defensive half saw the Norsemen’s Zac McCubbin burst from the pack and deliver up to Williams, who, in taking a contested mistake, made it three on the trot for the men in black.
The Tigers, starving for a response, found it through their targetman in Blake Broadhurst.
His clever play on the half-forward line found his fellow partner in crime, Luke Barker, with the latter registering the first goal on the board for the Tigers.
And, minutes later, Shane Tregear got off the leash on the wing to deliver long to Broadhurst who found space and kicked truly from the set shot.
Norwood responded by peppering the goals, but to little effect, before a brilliant individual effort from the Norsemen’s Jayden Kroussoratis saw him snap his first goal from 40 metres out, much to the delight of the Norwood faithful.
More importantly, Balwyn’s Kris Pendlebury showed his prowess in the stoppage, delivering perfectly to Broadhurst, who kicked a decisive goal after the quarter-time siren to reduce the margin to 11 points at the first break.
One felt Balwyn had worked their way back into this game, though they were lucky not to be further behind, with the profligacy of the Norsemen all too evident boasting nine shots on goal to Balwyn’s three in the opening stanza.
Balwyn enjoyed more of the ball in the initial stages of the second term, with their ability to retain possession under pressure a feature of their play.
Their persistence paid off, with Toby Ryan allowed a yard of space, and his bullet-like pass found Tregear, who made it four straight for the Tigers, as momentum swung their way.
Norwood needed a steadier, and they got it through Connor O’Sullivan following good lead-up play from Dean Poynton.
From here, the next ten minutes demonstrated why Williams is pure class and one of the premier forwards of the competition.
Firstly, he fended off his opponent in the marking contest from the Norsemen’s next inside 50 before summing up the situation perfectly with a checkside kick that extended Norwood’s lead to 16 points.
From here, the Norsemen took control; this time it was McCubbin breaking the lines and connecting with Williams who, unopposed, booted his fourth major of the half from the angle.
And, just to ensure that things come in threes, Rhett Jordan’s run-and-carry was too much for the Tigers to handle, with that man again, Williams, at the end of it, slotting a handful of goals all before half-time – a brilliant effort.
With the half-time siren ringing out amid a 31-point lead to the Norsemen at the main change, it was hard to think Balwyn had led some 20 minutes ago, but 16 scoring shots to five told the story of a one-sided first half.
The second half commenced with Williams and Norwood continuing on their merry way.
Firstly, good work by captain, John Holmes, saw the Norsemen advance the ball inside 50 with Williams settling best to register his sixth on the board before key involvements from Matt McCormack and Matthew Jessop saw the Norsemen thump home the goals in what was quickly becoming a one-sided contest.
In fact, after Norwood’s initial three goals of the term, the Tigers found themselves an even 50 point behind, with Norwood amazingly tripling Balwyn’s score, 75 to 25, five minutes into the premiership quarter.
From here, the game fell into a bit of a lull, with Norwood seemingly in full control and Pendlebury off the field with a season-ending injury.
Broadhurst continued to get involved for the Tigers, but he was having to work upfield to get his kicks.
Balwyn did peg a couple back, as Matt Sheppard twice got off the leash to seal two in the space of five minutes, but the Tigers were still staring down the barrel of a 36-point deficit.
The Tigers’ Mitch Keedle tried to lift his side to further cut the margin, but the steadfast defending of the Norsemen kept the Tigers at bay, as Williams missed an opportunity to make it seven.
The three-quarter time siren rang out at Bayswater Oval, with the Norsemen now boasting a score double that of Balwyn’s (78 to 39).
Truth be told, it probably came at the right time for the Norsemen, as Balwyn began to win the one-on-one battles in the latter stages of the third term.
Balwyn started the better of the two sides at the start of the final quarter but two disappointing efforts on goal from Ryan and Broadhurst meant they were only reducing the deficit with behinds.
For all of Balwyn’s endeavour, it was the Norsemen who drew first blood in the final term when a series of handballs found the overlapping player in Alex Calder, who capped off a good day with his first major.
Calder’s goal seemed to deflate the Balwyn side, with the Norsemen proceeding to launch a series of forays forward, Lochie Dickson providing the link between midfield and offence, Jessop putting the finishing touches on the board with his second for the day.
The Tigers showed grit to pull out back through Barker, but the party had already started at Norwood, with the Norsemen cheering on Gysberts’ second for the game minutes later.
In fact, Gysberts’ second saw the 2014 EFL Division 1 premiership winners bring up the 100, and, more significantly, bring the premiership cup back to Norwood with a comfortable 51-point triumph.
Blue Ribbon Medallist: Leigh Williams
Norwood:
Goals – Williams 6, Gysberts 2, Jessop 2, Calder, McCormack, Kroussoratis, O’Sullivan.
Best – Williams, McCubbin, Poynton, Bull, Jordon, Aver, Wynn,
Balwyn:
Goals – Barker 2, Broadhurst 2, Sheppard 2, Tregear.
Best – Broadhurst, Tregear, Watts, Gilchrist.