According to the pre-season hype, the Norwood Football Club (along with Croydon, Blackburn and Lilydale) was touted as one of the EFL's big improvers in 2009.  Sadly for Norwood fans, the anticipated improvement did not materialize into finals football for our senior team.   Norwood's ability to win the matches it expected to win, was equally matched by its inability to play competitive footy against the competition’s better teams. 

Expectations of Norwood’s improvement were driven by two major factors.  Firstly from the players emerging from the successful 2008 Colts team. Secondly from the quality of recruits that Norwood was able to secure pre-season including Stuart Hill and Jarrod Bayliss (from Box Hill); together with Shane Clayton, Mark Jansz, Scott Grainger and Damon Clarke (from Euroa).  Unfortunately a serious knee injury to Jansz forced him to announce his retirement prior to the 2009 season even commencing.

For the first time in many seasons, Norwood did not change its senior coach during the off season.  Kevin Tibaldi's second year in charge gave the club some much needed stability within its senior coaching ranks.  A second year of tuition under the Tibaldi game plan was expected to see an improvement in how the players combined together as a team.

Norwood's expected progress was disadvantaged by several factors outside of its control.  Season long injuries to Ryan Walkenhorst, Scott Day and Rohan Williamson obviously hurt the club, as did the retirement of back pocket Andrew Hodgson. The unavailability of David King, who appears to be on the verge of a successful NFL punting career, was another negative Norwood had to cope with. 

Norwood enjoyed the relative luxurious playing surface of Luther College during much of its pre-season training.  The advantage of improved training conditions however, did not lead to the anticipated superior levels of fitness.  Norwood's lack of fitness early in the season (in comparison with the other EFL Division One teams) heavily contributed to the disappointing losses handed out by Blackburn, Noble Park and East Burwood in Rounds 1, 2 and 3 respectively.  Norwood struggled to match teams with lots of run and leg speed. 

After a brilliant opening fifteen minutes of football against East Burwood, club veteran Andrew Jennings copped a nasty hamstring injury that forced him from the field.  Jennings did not make it back into the Seniors team again in 2009.

During Rounds 4 through to 6, Norwood was finally able to display some improved form as it strung together three wins against Knox, East Ringwood (away), and Scoresby.  The win at East Ringwood in particular was one of the season's highlights, with Brent English booting four goals in a best on ground effort.

Norwood went into its Round 7 home match against early pace setters Lilydale on the back of three wins and a great deal of confidence.  Unfortunately the reality of where the Norwood Football Club was really at, hit big time in this match.  The Norsemen were smashed by the then ladder leaders in a major psychological blow.  Subsequent losses to Blackburn and Croydon confirmed that Norwood had not kept pace with the division's other anticipated improvers.   Lilydale’s, Blackburn’s and Croydon's ability to run and carry the ball quickly in numbers from the half-back line through the midfield, highlighted an area of the game that Norwood needs to get better at; both from an attacking and defensive perspective.

The Round 10 clash against Wantirna South would prove to be a pivotal match for the Norwood Football Club.  At the conclusion of Round 9, Norwood was lying in second last place on the EFL ladder, only two games and six percent ahead of relegation rivals Wantirna South.   For Wantirna South, this match was their Grand Final ... their only realistic opportunity to avoid relegation was to win this match.  For Norwood, a victory would almost certainly ensure EFL Division One footy in season 2010.  Both teams were obviously ready to play.  Early in the first quarter, a sickening behind the play incident left star Norwood onballer Shane Clayton with a broken jaw, a season ending injury that probably cost him a best and fairest award.  Norwood could have responded in two ways to this incident, go the knuckle or go the ball.  Norwood wisely resisted the urge to retaliate and concentrated its efforts on winning the footy.  In a superb display of solidarity to one of its most respected players, the Wooders crushed Wantirna South by a remarkable 178 points.  Clayton's great mate Damon Clarke responded in style with eight goals in what he described as a "once in a decade performance".

Norwood continued its momentum with a solid victory at Knox in Round 11, exacting revenge on its narrow loss at Knox in 2008 when Norwood finished the game with only thirteen fit players.  The home clash against Noble Park in Round 12 represented Norwood's last realistic chance to maintain its finals hopes.  Improved team morale emanating from the Clayton incident was expected to carry Norwood to victory, but it was the Norseman's inability to cope with ultra-windy conditions that led to its eventual downfall. Incredibly, despite the win; Noble Park's coach Alan Ezard was sacked only days later.

With finals football now out of reach, Rounds 13 to 16 summarized Norwood's season in a nutshell.  Comfortable home wins against lowly East Ringwood and East Burwood, combined with a heavy away loss to flag favorite Balwyn. But it was the loss at Scoresby that was perhaps the most disappointing of the season, as Norwood squandered a three goal half-time lead.

With nothing really to play for, Rounds 17 and 18 threw up an interesting challenge to the Norwood Football Club; earn some respect from the top clubs.  Norwood risked being blown out of the water against top three teams Vermont and Croydon, as these clubs continued to jockey for double chances.  A thirty-six point defeat at eventual premiers Vermont was arguably Norwood's most competitive performances against a top class team to that point.   It was a result that proved to the players and supporters that Norwood was maybe a little bit closer than everyone thought to being a serious finals contender.  ...  Norwood's final match of 2009 against minor premiers Croydon was widely regarded as its best for the season, despite the seven point loss.  Norwood refused to throw in the towel at any stage and almost produced one of the upsets of the season. ... Norwood finished the EFL season in 8th place with seven wins from its eighteen matches.

Overall it was a slightly disappointing season by the Norwood Football Club, but the club can certainly take some momentum into its season 2010 after impressive displays against the EFL Grand Finalists in the final two rounds.

The highlights of 2009 included the emergence of the side's younger players.  2008 Colts players Matthew Decler, Dean Poynton, Hayden Jurey, and Leigh Williams have all established themselves as regular senior footballers.  Williams was nominated for the EFL Leader's Young Gun Award, after his best on ground effort against Blackburn in Round 1.  For Williams to play in all 18 matches in his first full season of senior footy is a remarkable effort, considering his comeback from a serious injury in 2008.  Thankfully for Norwood though, all of these youngsters can only get better with further strengthening, fitness and experience.  

From a coaching perspective, the Kevin Tibaldi move of the year was the decision to play Luke Hyatt as a key defender.  Hyatt starred in the final few rounds, beating players such as Jason Cook (East Burwood), Nick Smith (Balwyn), Brad Kelleher (Croydon), and containing Matt Greig (Vermont).  The move of Decler to the backline late in season was also a major success.

The Seniors Best and Fairest results accurately reflected the club's strengths.  Winner Evan Johnson enjoyed a stellar season in the midfield, and consistently kicked goals when moved to the forward line.  Defender Micky Witkowski was again outstanding in 2009, and deservedly finished top two in the B and F.  And despite only playing half a season because of injury, Shane Clayton rounded out the top three.  Hopefully Clayton will pull on the boots for Norwood again in season 2010.

Other players to enjoy solid seasons included hard man Simon Godfrey, key defender Stuart Hill, midfielder Jarrod Bayliss, and ruckmen Jonathon Wynn and Damon Clarke.  In fact Wynn and Clarke arguably formed the best rucking duo in the competition.  And despite missing six matches through a combination of injury and holidays, full forward Ryan Kueffer topped the Norwood goalkicking charts with 41 goals.

At the start of the season it was expected that the Norwood Reserves would play finals footy.  New reserves coach Darren Roth had the boys firing early with five wins in the first 7 Rounds.  But some unexpected player departures soon eroded the club's depth at reserves level.  The reserves season subsequently fizzled out, and the Norsemen could only grab another three wins for the season to finish sixth.  The reserves received outstanding leadership from stalwarts Andrew Jennings and Mark Attard, but it needed more from its other players.  Jennings comfortably won the Reserves best and fairest award.  From the group of emerging youngsters, Kyle Hudson shone brightest playing as a small forward. 

The Colts provided Norwood with its only finals action.  The Wooders recovered from a slow start after winning only two of its opening seven encounters.  A victory against Croydon in Round 18 (its seventh in nine matches) secured the club its finals berth, a great effort by coach Ian Shepherd.   The Colts win against Lilydale in the first week of the finals was probably its best performance of the season.  Unfortunately the season ended abruptly the following week as Norwood fell to Blackburn in the cut-throat First Semi final.   Better players for the Colts in season 2009 included Jake Ford and Jake Buckingham who took out the B & F quinella.

The outlook for Norwood next season is bright, provided everyone sticks together.  The last two matches against Vermont and Croydon show that the club is on the right track, albeit slow and steady.  But Norwood will need to substantially improve its overall strength and fitness if it is to rise up the EFL ladder.   Certainly the availability of new gym equipment will assist the players in this regard. 

With some astute recruiting, continued improvement from the youngsters, maybe a Colt or two to play ones; and some important senior players returning from long-term absences the Norsemen can only improve.  But what’s needed most of all is an outstanding pre-season from all the Norwood players for the club to fully maximize its potential in season 2010.

Smithers.
(Team Manager)