It's a Grand Old Flag

For those who follow me on social media, it was certainly no secret that I was more than a little excited by the SANFL Grand Final.

After an eight-year Premiership drought, the mighty Redlegs claimed their 31st Premiership in the most heart-stopping fashion, beating the North Adelaide Roosters by one point with the last score of the game.

As a Redlegs fan, the heartbreak of the 2018 Grand Final loss to the Roosters is still a sore point. This year the tables were turned. Finishing Minor Premiers and enjoying a week off before the big day, North Adelaide were the hot favourites, with Norwood coming off the back of two hard-fought victories against Glenelg and the Adelaide Crows.

In a fantastic game for neutral supporters, this year’s Grand Final was close from the first siren. North led for the entire first half but were unable to put the game beyond the reach of the resilient Redlegs. The second half saw the Legs come out firing, taking a five-point lead and lifting the spirits and voices of the Norwood-dominated crowd. The Roosters responded with two late goals putting them seven points ahead at the final break.

Stretching their lead to 17 points halfway through the final quarter, the horror of the 2018 final began to plague the minds of the Norwood faithful. Then, two late goals from Richards and Jarvis made it a 5-point ball game with less than 10 minutes to go.

With all 28,000 spectators on the edge of their seats, the atmosphere was palpable. A tap down from a boundary throw-in into the hands of Matt Panos ended with a left-foot snap on the run to put Norwood ahead by a single point and cement his legendary status as one of Norwood’s greatest ever players.

Any Premiership is special, but for me, this one was especially so. It was a timely reminder of the true value of the Norwood Football Club to our community, and more broadly, the important role sport plays in our society. Back at Norwood Oval, it was clear to see the joy this victory brought to thousands of men, women, and children united in celebration.

Founded in 1878, the Norwood Football Club has been a mainstay of our community for 144 years. As the world around us has changed remarkably over the last century, it is the stable, reassuring nature of sport and community clubs like the Norwood Football Club that gives us a sense of belonging.

Congratulations Norwood, this is truly one for the ages.