Australian Football

Match Report

The 2nd Semi-Final would once again bring the Redlegs and the Bloods together. Up until last season's finals, this match was a frequent stop for the Bulldogs who took out every one of these games from 2000 up to 2011 on their way to their many Grand Final appearances and premierships. On 51 occasions, the team emerging victorious from a 2nd Semi has gone on to win the flag. Aside from aforementioned Bulldogs feats during the noughties and in 2010 and 2011, there is of course the Magpies who last did this in 1999 in one of many seasons that they took out the flag. Those that have lost this match have still managed to rebound and take the title, among the 18 times that this has happened you only need to look as far back as 2006 when the Eagles lost to the Dogs and then repaid the favour two-fold a couple of weeks later. There is also the Sturt outfit of 2002, another one of the Bulldogs' lost chances at premiership glory after a successful 2nd Semi. The Bloods and the Redlegs have met twice previously in this finals match, of course there was the 2012 encounter that the Redlegs won by 44 points in a lifeless afternoon of football. But before that, there was the 1983 series that saw the Redlegs go down to the Bloods by 74 points on their way to the premiership. Norwood would be dumped out of the finals the following weekend by Sturt.

During the course of the minor round, the Redlegs took all the points. Starting with the Anzac Day match in Round 5 at The Parade, then following games at Richmond in Round 10 and again at Norwood in Round 17. The Bloods came very close in the latter contest, going down by three points. But today, the Redlegs were about to make an example of the Bloods and perhaps separate the men from the boys. Norwood got started straight away, keeping the Bloods to just 1.1 while they went their merry way to boot 8.2 and take a 43-point lead at quarter-time. They would not need to be the least bit concerned from here despite taking the foot off the pedal. Norwood would instead put the foot on the throat of West, the gap would simply creep out in small increments over the course of the game. The margin would be extended by a mere point by half-time, the 'Legs scoring 2.4 to 2.3 in the second term to make the gap 44 points by the long break. If the Redlegs were really trying to break the game apart well and good, they failed in the third quarter, a streak of inaccuracy saw them kick 2.7 to 1.2 as the deficit went out to 55 points by the final change. Every little mistake the Bloods made would be punished by the dominant Norwood outfit, the final margin would end up being 56 points after a 2.3 to 2.2 final term with the Redlegs heading into another premiership decider while the Bloods are now facing a rampant North next weekend.

Norwood named Matt Suckling as their best on ground, while the Bloods named Ben Macreadie as their standout on an afternoon of very few highlights.