By JARROD POTTER
EFL Division 1 – Round 3
THIS was not a battle, nor was it a skirmish, charge, raid or siege.
We celebrate the grandeur of football in these terms, as hard bodies fly off each other in pursuit of the red leather, but all Noble Park and Norwood did was square off in a game of football, no more, no less.
Australia-wide, we stopped as a nation Saturday to celebrate the bigger picture.
We highlight and celebrate the stellar achievements of men and women who squared off against far greater enemies in the real battles on the fronts of war.
Before a season-defining match-up, Norwood and Noble Park put aside their burgeoning rivalry – even if only for a brief moment – to honour our Anzac forefathers and foremothers.
After the solemn, dignified respect was paid, the scene was set for what may be a finals’ preview between two powerhouse EFL squads.
Kyle Martin was emphatic in the first quarter, booting five goals at full forward to leave the reigning premiers Norwood scratching its head on how to stop him.
As it turns out though, Noble Park was pretty effective at stopping its own run-and-carry, as entries to the forward half were sloppy and resulted in countless turnovers.
Norwood on the other hand kept it simple – two kicks from defence to hit up the tall forwards. It was a winning tactic as Leigh Williams and Brent English (five goals each) proved superb in the Wooders’ forward arc.
Not even the resolute defending of Stewart Kemperman, Jarrod Plymin and Trent Robertson could halt the Wooders’ march as the Bulls’ efforts soon fell apart.
A two-goal lead at the final break was erased effortlessly as the Wooders flew through to kick four goals in four minutes and storm home to a 20-point victory.
Noble Park coach Mick Fogarty said recruiting his fantastic squad didn’t make the Bulls a done-deal in the premiership race and it showed on Saturday there’s still plenty left to tick off.
“Full credit to Norwood, they were just too good for us in that last quarter,” Fogarty said.
“Today was a really good test and I’m actually pretty happy about the way we performed against last year’s premiers.
“People seem to think that just because Noble Park has got back Martin, Valenti, Harper… we’ve got Ziggy Alwan and big Vergim Faik… they seem to think that’s a done deal now… we’re good enough to play off for a premiership.
“But the realistic thing is that we have a lot of hard work to do – we expect to have a good year, but it’s an insult to the other good sides that made finals and Norwood won a grand final last year.”
Fogarty summed up the occasion best of all, as the ability to live peacefully and play sport is a gift passed down to current Australians from our hard-fighting brethren of past and present wars.
“Fantastic day and we’re lucky to be able to play on this day because of them (Anzacs),” Fogarty said.
“So if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be here, so we’re grateful for what they did for our country.”
Noble Park hosts Knox this weekend for a chance to bounce back to the top spot in EFL Division 1.
