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Brief
History
With the start of a new
millennium, it is fitting
to look back over Norwood's
126 year history and highlight
some of the major events
which have shaped the
club we know today. There
are bound to be arguments
over which are more important
in this selection of six
significant moments for
the Redlegs.
1878
Football Revolutionaries
Australian football was
rapidly changing from
a recreational game to
a competitive sport at
the time the Norwood Football
Club was founded in February
1878. Indeed, those who
established the new club
lead by Arthur Diamond,
Joseph Osborn and Henry
Burnett, were not interested
in a simple run around
the park on a Saturday
afternoon. They wanted
to build a strong, successful
team and to this end aggressively
recruited the best footballers
available including the
cream of expatriate Victorians
living in Adelaide. The
result was a Norwood side
which swept all before
it, winning the premiership
undefeated in its first
season. It was the beginning
of a run of six successive
premierships from 1878-83,
an Australian record since
equalled but never broken.
1901
Redlegs Home at Norwood
Oval
After 23 years in the
competition, the Redlegs
at last found a permanent
home at Norwood Oval.
The club had played home
matches on the east parklands
from 1878, before moving
to Kensington (1882) and
finally to the Jubilee
Oval (1898). Not until
the 1890s was Clarke's
Vineyard in the heart
of Norwood, earmarked
as a recreation ground
by a private company.
This was developed as
Norwood Oval and was taken
over by the Kensington
and Norwood Council in
1905.
The Norwood
Football Club established
its home matches there
from 1901 and the Norwood
Oval soon became "hallowed
turf" to all true
Redleg supporters as well
as being utilised as a
major SANFL venue. The
oval was used for night
football from the 1950s
and was the scene of Norwood's
triumph over East Perth
in the 1977 National Football
League grand final.
1922-23
Norwood's Aerial Dominance
Norwood dominated the
SANFL in the 1920s and
under coach Tom Leahy
the Redlegs completed
four successive grand
final appearances with
back to back premierships
in 1922-23. The outstanding
feature of Norwood's play
during this era was its
superb aerial work, epitomised
by triple Magarey Medallist
Walter Scott, renowned
as a classic high flyer.
With Scott and brilliant
team-mates such as Sid
White, Alick Lill and
Bernie Schumacher, Norwood
won 27 of its 32 matches
and secured crushing grand
final victories over West
(1922) and North (1923).
Further premierships followed
in 1925 against Torrens
and in 1929 against Port.
1950
Oatey's Third Premiership
Jack Oatey's coaching
career at Norwood reached
its zenith with the Redlegs
47 point victory over
Glenelg in the 1950 grand
final (Norwood 15.16 defeated
Glenelg 8.11) It was Oatey's
third premiership in six
season and Norwood's 22nd
pennant overall, way ahead
of Port Adelaide, which
had won just 13 premierships.
With players of the calibre
of Doug Olds, John Marriott,
Lionel Blackmore and Oatey
himself, Norwood was then
clearly the most successful
club in SANFL history.
Unfortunately Oatey was
forced to leave Norwood
in 1956, but he built
another great team at
Sturt in the 1960s and
1970s.
1997
Modern Masters
After a barren period
in the late 1980s and
a time of rebuilding in
the early 1990s in the
wake of the Adelaide Crows
entry into the AFL, Norwood
found itself in the midst
of a premiership drought.
In 1997 Norwood once again
tasted premiership glory,
with a powerhouse performance
in the grand final against
Port Adelaide. The Redlegs
onballers and midfielders
such as John Cunningham,
Anthony Harvey and Andrew
Jarman, simply overwhelmed
the Magpies, as Norwood
scored 13 second half
goals to complete a crushing
73 point victory (Norwood
19.12) defeated Port 7.11).
For the first time since
1984 Norwood was back
on top, more determined
than ever to remain the
dominant force of SA football.
Chris Lane
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