Norwood has gone down to Glenelg by five points in a thrilling 2024 SANFL Grand Final in front of 35,129 fans at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. 

It went down to the final seconds as Norwood scrambled for a go ahead goal, but it wasn’t to be.

The Redlegs led by as much as 25 points early in the third term, before Glenelg captain Liam McBean turned the game on its head with five second half goals to lead his side to a 12.9-81 to 11.10-76 win.

McBean finished with seven goals and received the Jack Oatey Medal in his third Grand Final win.

The lead changed seven times throughout the game, including three times in a thrilling final quarter, and McBean himself edged his Tigers back in front on four occasions.

It was incredible scenes in a last quarter for the ages, as the Tigers turned for home 13 points in arrears, before early goals to McBean and Lachie Hosie (who was held stat-less in the first half) kicked early majors to get within one point at the nine-minute mark.

McBean put Glenelg in front two minutes later. From there Harry Boyd and Declan Hamilton kicked clutch goals to give the Redlegs a sniff. But the Tigers had every answer.

The Tigers kicked five goals to Norwood’s two in the last quarter, and booted eight of the last 10 goals to lift the Thomas Seymour Hill Premiership Cup for a second consecutive year.

Norwood was outstanding for much of the game, having to play one short when Finn Heard went down with an elbow injury just five minutes into the contest. He couldn’t return to the field.

After a two goals all first term, Norwood kicked five goals to two in the second quarter to go into half time 18 points in front, thanks to three goals in eight minutes before the break.

Baynen Lowe, Billy Cootee and Mitch O’Neill were running riot in the second term, and Glenelg looked was on the ropes.

Tristan Binder dribbled through his second goal to give Norwood a match-high 25-point lead. From there Glenelg started its comeback mission. Led by their captain.

Norwood started the game well. Its pressure was incredible, making Glenelg’s defenders uncomfortable.

The Redlegs dominated the first 10 minutes of the game through possession and field position, and eventually got the first goal, a dribbler through Jackson Callow.

The Minor Premiers were holding up well in defence, Pierce Seymour taking several important intercept marks but the Redlegs were breaking down across the middle, turning it over on the wing routinely.

Another midfield turnover from a long kick led to Glenelg’s first goal through Cole Gerloff.

Glenelg enjoyed a good patch of form, and found a second goal when McBean took a strong contested mark 35m out at the Southern End.

McBean’s goal gave his side a 2.2-14 to 1.3-9 lead.

Norwood worked the ball nicely from a boundary throw in, using the width of Adelaide Oval, finishing with a goal to Cooper Murley to put Norwood in front at quarter time.

The Redlegs led 2.4-16 to 2.2-14 at the first break.

Norwood led inside 50m 10-9, tackles 23-22, and disposal 80-71, while Glenelg led marks 13-20 and clearances 6-9.

O’Neill had seven disposals, while Cootee, Seymour and Jacob Kennerley each had six. Matt Snook had eight and James Bell seven for Glenelg in an entertaining first term.

Bell started the second term strongly once again, and Glenelg found Luke Reynolds 40m out. Norwood was lucky to be let off the hook with a wayward set shot.

Norwood turned the ball over from the kick out, and Matthew Allen found McBean 10m out, who nailed the Tigers third goal to put Glenelg in front 3.4-22 to 2.4-16.

In a real arm wrestle of a game, Callow inserted himself into the contest, winning a centre clearance and drawing an off the ball free kick on defender Oscar Adams 20m out. Callow went back and nailed an important goal for the Redlegs.

It was goal for goal at Adelaide Oval, until Baynen Lowe drew a high free kick and converted a 45m set shot. Norwood was now in front by seven points.

Norwood’s forward pressure was again outstanding, and forced Darcy Bailey to panic kick directly to the waiting Henry Nelligan on the paint of 50m. Nelligan’s set shot just drifted over the hands of the defenders for a goal.

Glenelg was making its presence felt, with another late hit this time from Darcy Bailey on O’Neill.

A perfect Harry Boyd hitout went to Kennerley at half forward, who quickly snapped and found Binder 30m out. Binder goaled from his set shot to put Norwood up by 12 points at the 25-minute mark of the second term.

Another Norwood goal would make it interesting, and it came through Lowe who broke the paint of 50m and nailed his second goal of the second term.

Glenelg controlled the first half of the second term, before Norwood’s midfield lifted off the back of Cootee, Lowe, O’Neill and Kennerley all having an influence in the second half of the term.

Norwood’s three goals in the eight minutes before half time helped the Redlegs to an 18-point lead.

The Redlegs trailed by six points at the four-minute mark of the second term, but from there kicked five of the next six goals to go into the main break with a 7.5-47 to 4.5-29 advantage.

Lowe was outstanding in the second quarter with six disposals and two goals and went into the main break with 11 disposals, two goals and five tackles.

Norwood’s major ball winners were Cootee with 15 disposals, O’Neill with 14, Lowe with 11, Kennerley with 10 and Seymour with 10.

Snook had 17 for Glenelg.

Disposals were even at half time 156-149 in Norwood’s favour. Norwood was also leading tackles 42-37, hitouts 24-18 and clearances 20-16. Glenelg led marks 24-36 and inside 50m 24-23.

Hosie and Will Chandler were both held to zero disposals to half time. Alec Wright was doing an outstanding job on Hosie, and Alastair Lord on Chandler.

Glenelg again went after Norwood physically, and mostly late or off the ball, with Murley, Sam Morris, Lowe, Matt Ling, and Brodie Carroll all getting up from contests.

It felt Glenelg was on the ropes, when Binder found the first goal of the second half. A dribbler to put the Redlegs up by 25 points.

Glenelg was on the canvas, but their captain McBean stepped up to kick a crucial long range goal to make it 19 points and give his side some belief. It would be McBean’s day.

The Bays found some heart and another goal three minutes later when Reynolds snapped his first. It was the first time Norwood’s defence gave a Glenelg forward any room and they capitalised.

McBean was Norwood’s biggest worry, and he got rid of his opponent and marked in the goalsquare to bring the margin back to eight points. It was his fourth goal.

Hamilton nailed a crucial goal just before three quarter time to make it a tense 13 points at the final break.

McBean owned the last quarter, kicking three goals and Hosie two.

Boyd’s goal at the 15-minute mark nearly brought the house down, putting Norwood back in front. But McBean and Hosie put Glenelg 10 points in front at the 19-minute mark.

Hamilton dribbled another goal home to bring it back to four points, and it was on.

Another Hosie set shot hit the post, and with five points in it and three minutes to go it was a mad scramble to the line.

Lowe could have been awarded a holding the man free kick 45m out, but it wasn’t to be and the ball ended up at Glenelg’s half forward line when the siren rang.