By Ryan Long
Overview:
After missing out on a top-five finals position in 2019, Norwood returned in 2021 to finish fourth with an impressive 5-3 record.
They were one of three Premier Division clubs that only played the eight games for the year leaving us with a lot of unknowns about how they would have performed in the cancelled finals series.
Over the off-season, the pressure was on the Wooders to return to the finals after having three sixth-placed finishes in the previous four seasons. The Wooders best was worthy of that finals position, taking care of contenders such as Balwyn and South Croydon with a well rounded defensive game. Unfortunately, their consistency was an issue, dropping games to Doncaster and Berwick after coming off big wins.
Norwood averaged just 59 points against, not once did a club reach a triple-digit score against them. The backline led by Tristian Tweedie worked incredibly well as a defensive unit, keeping clubs to nine goals or less in six of their eight matches.
The club has also done another fantastic job of focusing on inclusion and multicultural awareness within their club culture. Norwood introduced the first-ever indigenous guernsey to the EFNL in their clash against South Croydon this year. The jumper was designed by Norwood’s own Jamie Bennell, a proud moment for him and the entire Norwood Football Club.
Best Win: Round 2: Norwood 10.9 69 def. Balwyn 5.13 43 @Mullum Mullum Reserve
Norwood really stamped themselves as a threat to be reckoned with in 2021 when they defeated Balwyn by 16 points at home. After coming off the back of a 10-goal win against North Ringwood, many were still waiting to see how the Wooders would compete in a match against a serious contender.
They ticked all the boxes against the Tigers, winning the clearance battle by 13 and having 24 more contested disposals than their opponents.
Considering the year that Balwyn’s holy trinity of Gobbels, Lisle and Haley had, it was an extremely impressive defensive effort to keep the Tigers to just five goals for the afternoon. Tristan Tweedie impressed senior coach Marty Pask, holding the back six together, having 14 disposals and 4 rebound 50s.
Tom Maloney was everywhere, racking up 28 disposals, 11 clearances and 9 inside 50’s.
It was the first time in a while that the club had knocked off a true premiership contender, it’s something they’ll hope to repeat multiple times next season.
Worst Loss: Round 12: Berwick 9.10 64 def. Norwood 3.12 30 @Edwin Flack Reserve
A bleak afternoon in poor conditions saw Norwood giving up a crucial four points at the time to the newest Premier Division club in the EFNL, Berwick.
Inaccuracy and failure to convert on the scoreboard meant all hard work done in the middle was for nothing. Despite having more scoring shots than Berwick at three-quarter time, the Wooders trailed by 24 points kicking a dismal 1.12(18).
Norwood won the disposal count by 20 (334-314), the clearances by eight (40-32) and the inside 50 count by six (45-39). Blake Pearson played one of his best games for the year in the middle, giving his forwards plenty of opportunities.
At the other end of the ground, the Wickers’ Harrison Money and Trent Thomas kicked five goals between them in the club’s third win in the EFNL.
A really disappointing result coming off the back of a great win against the dogs. These will be the types of losses they’ll be desperate to avoid next season if they want to stamp themselves as a genuine contender.
Standout Player: Blake Pearson
An incredible year for the Port Melbourne premiership player, winning his first-ever EFNL league best and fairest, finishing on 14 votes, tied with Vermont’s Lachlan Johns.
He finished second in the club’s best and fairest, right behind Thomas Maloney who also had an outstanding year. Pearson averaged 22 disposals a game, six inside 50’s and five clearances. His ability to impact the game off his boot can’t be understated, it’s a key reason Norwood was excited to recruit him back to the club.
In his standout game for the year, Pearson helped Norwood get over the line against South Croydon having 29 disposals and seven tackles. The powerful gamechanger is sure to receive plenty of attention from opposition midfielders next season as he’s one of the most dangerous players on the field.
Off-Season Focus:
The Wooders couldn’t have done much better in their back half this season, a clear focus for the club, if they want to transition into a finals contender to a premiership contender, their forward half is the key area of improvement.
Jayson Spurell led the scoring with 19 majors for the year while just three other players had more than five goals for the season.
Comparing that to a Balwyn or a Vermont, the Wooders don’t have the sort of firepower to match those clubs if the game broke out into a shootout. In losses to Berwick and Doncaster, the Wooders were able to match them in the clearance battle yet failed to do any damage on the scoreboard.
With enough depth in the midfield and backline, Norwood could boost their premiership credentials with another noted goal-kicker inside fifty.