Norwood’s Foxtel Cup campaign has come to an abrupt end for the second year in succession after being outclassed by East Perth at Patersons Stadium on Tuesday night.
After being beaten by another WAFL club – East Fremantle – at AAMI Stadium last season, the Redlegs were again knocked out in the opening round after losing to the Royals by 50 points.
Missing several key players due to work commitments, the undermanned Legs were no match for the WAFL powerhouse, which boasted several of West Coast’s AFL-listed youngsters.
Without regular captain Kieran McGuinness, triple Magarey Medallist James Allan, key forward Michael Newton and star midfielder Matt Panos, the visitors didn’t score a goal until acting captain Simon Phillips snapped truly three minutes into the third term.
It mattered little though as the hosts – with Brant Colledge, Simon Tunbridge and Brendan Lee all prominent -had already established a match-winning 40-point lead in wet conditions at the Subiaco venue.
Emerging Norwood key forward Tom Clayton thought he had his side’s second major when he snapped truly, only to realise he had played on just as the siren for three-quarter time sounded.
Thankfully for Ben Warren’s charges, they avoided the lowest ever Foxtel Cup score when Mac Bower soccered off the ground in the goal square 14 minutes into the fourth quarter.
Norwood’s tally of 2.3 15 only just eclipsed that of Mount Gravatt’s 2.1 13 in the 2012 Foxtel Cup.
With just three full days rest before the match compared to some Royals players who enjoyed a two-week build-up, the Redlegs were best served by midfielder Kane Murphy (12 disposals, three clearances) and defenders Tulio DeMatteis (15 disposals) and Steve Baldasso (12 disposals five tackles) who battled valiantly.
The Royals enjoyed a dominance in the ruck thanks to West Coast bigman Scott Lycett and former Melbourne giant Paul Johnson helping to gain a 16 hit-out advantage.
The only downside for East Perth was a sickening collision between Lycett and Colledge which ended the game despite there being a minute left to play in the final term.
Colledge, who was running back with the flight of the ball, made contact with Lycett’s knee with the force of the incident enough to force Colledge’s mouthguard out of his mouth.
The promising utility – who finished with 18 disposals, seven tackles, four clearances and a goal – then had to be stretchered from the field.
Norwood’s loss means there are no SANFL clubs left in the race for this year’s Foxtel Cup after West Adelaide succumbed to Tasmanian team Western Storm at Adelaide Oval in April.
FOXTEL CUP SCOREBOARD
East Perth 2.4 6.6 8.8 9.11 (65)
Norwood 0.1 0.2 1.3 2.3 (15)
BEST – East Perth: Colledge, Tunbridge, Lee, Payne, Lycett, Clutterbuck.
Norwood: Murphy, DeMatteis, Baldasso.
GOALS – East Perth: Tunbridge 2, Colledge, Lee, Maginess, J. Smith, Oakley-Nicholls, Main, Lycett.
Norwood: Phillips, Bower.
At Patersons Stadium, Perth
– courtesy sanfl.com.au
