2024 Hostplus SANFL League Second Semi Final Preview

Sunday September 8
Norwood v Central District | 3.15pm | Live and Free on Seven & 7plus | SANFL Now | AFL.com.au & AFL Live App | Live radio on 1629 SEN SA & SEN App

Head to Head – Overall
Played – 154
Norwood – 82
Central – 72

Head to Head – Finals
Played – 13
Norwood – 5
Central – 8

Recent Form
Norwood has won last three and seven of the last eight games

Last Finals Meeting
2017 Elimination Final – Central 17.13 (115) d Norwood 10.7 (67) at Adelaide Oval

2024 Meetings
Round 15 – Norwood 12.14 (86) d Central 6.8 (44) at The Parade
Round 7 – Norwood 16.11 (107) d Central 8.9 (57) at X Convenience Oval

Jacob Kennerley (Norwood) v Dyson Sharp (Central)
Norwood’s captain has spent time playing across half-forward this season but when he heads into the centre square, he could line-up on dynamic Central ball magnet Dyson Sharp. While Kennerley boasts premiership experience from 2022, Sharp is destined for higher honours such has been his ability to step up whenever required. The 17-year-old is coming of collecting 21 disposals and five clearances in the First Semi Final while Kennerley will be refreshed from a week’s rest after helping guide his side to the minor premiership.

Izaak Twelftree (Norwood) v Rhett Montgomerie (Central)
There’s plenty of personnel move in and out of the Redlegs’ attacking structure late in the season but the one constant has been the much-improved Izaak Twelftree. Booting 25 goals in a breakout 2024 campaign, the versatile Norwood forward can play tall and small, making him the ideal match-up for Bulldogs defender Rhett Montgomerie. A master at reading the flight of the ball from the back half, Montgomerie will need to keep an eye on Twelftree while also providing the sort of rebound which yielded him 18 disposals and eight marks in the Qualifying Final.

When Norwood led from go to whoa in overpowering Central by 42 points at The Parade just six weeks ago, you could hardly have predicted a Redlegs-Bulldogs second semi-final, let alone thinking of it as a mouth-watering prospect.

Back then, Norwood was top with a 13-3 record, Central (10-6) was fourth – where it finished in 2023 – and last year’s grand finalists Sturt and Glenelg were second and third. But, while Norwood maintained its place on top of the table and claimed the minor premiership – albeit having to hold off a Sturt side on a 13-win run by percentage – the Doggies weren’t thinking about everyone else’s expectations that they would be playing in another elimination final. They were thinking higher, and higher, and they weren’t going to give up their expectations without one hell of a fight.

When reigning premier Glenelg came to the Ponderosa in Round 18 third place was on the line but still people were writing the Doggies off – well, they were trailing 0.5 to 5.4 early in the third quarter. But clearly one of Central’s trademarks right now is to never give in. The Dogs booted the next six goals and sensationally won by a point, after 10 successive losses against the Bays.

So, when Central trailed Sturt 1.2 to 5.8 early in the third quarter of the qualifying final, rather than resignation there remained steely resolve. “Only a fortnight earlier we were in a similar situation – we didn’t feel we were out of the game, we felt the scoreboard wasn’t super favourable but it wasn’t beyond reach,” coach Paul Thomas said. Even without Magarey Medallist Harry Grant, sidelined with a fractured jaw and concussion,  the Dogs were up for the fight, reeling off the last seven goals to incredibly win by 11 points, ending a run of eight successive losses against the Blues.

They didn’t snatch the lead until 18 minutes into the last term when Isaiah Dudley snapped superbly from the pocket, before Leyton Chisholm sparked huge celebrations on the scoreboard hill when he ran into an open goal deep into time-on. Tough midfielder Kade Dittmar was outstanding, while 17-year-old Dyson Sharp, who made his debut in the win against Glenelg, showed what a wonderful future he has in the game, looking composed in collecting 21 disposals and kicking a goal to go with 10 tackles.

There’s one thing Norwood will be expecting from Central – a fight to the finish, even though they beat the Dogs by 50 points at Elizabeth before their comfortable win at The Parade. Plenty has happened since then with Central becoming used to breaking hoodoos and having a new belief its best is good enough. But the Dogs still have to climb a mountain. And against Norwood it starts with Magarey Medal favourite, man mountain Harry Boyd. The Jack Oatey Medallist as best-afield in the Redlegs’ 2022 grand final triumph against North Adelaide, the match-winning ruckman has had a standout campaign, coach Jade Rawlings describing it as “incredible and as strong a season as I have ever seen from a ruckman”. The 26-year-old, who won The Advertiser SANFL Player of the Year award, averaged a staggering 21 disposals, 42 hit-outs and 10 clearances, along with a league-leading 117 ranking points. To show his dominance, he has had 224 more hit-outs than closest rival, Adelaide’s Kieran Strachan, and 57 more clearances than Sturt skipper James Battersby, who is No. 2 in the league.

He also has had plenty of help as the Legs have leapt from seventh last year – with six wins – to minor premier – with 15. Baynen Lowe has stepped up as a quality midfielder, while the likes of Billy Cootee and Mitch O’Neill are all class and pick up touches seemingly at will. Izaak Twelftree is making his mark as an opportunist forward with 25 goals for the season, while Jack Heard and Tom Donnelly have been supreme down back in a side that concedes just 53 points a game. But the most sobering thought for the other three sides chasing the flag is the talent the Legs still have looking to return when it counts. Declan Hamilton, Jackson Callow – who has booted a team-best 28 goals – Finn Heard, Connor McLean and grand final match-winner Matt Panos are all on their way back from injuries. The Dogs will need to be at their fighting best – and they might not be able to concede a five-goal start this time.