PORT ADELAIDE fell agonisingly short of finals football after suffering a devastating 10-point loss to Norwood, ending its 2025 SANFL campaign.
A tense, high-stakes final quarter saw traditional foes Port Adelaide and Norwood battle it out and leave nothing on the field, with both sides desperate to continue their season in September. Pressure mounted as every minute passed, especially with a goal-drought that extended late into the quarter. At the 22 minute mark of the last quarter Norwood broke the drought, sealing Port Adelaide’s fate.
The three quarters preceding the final term however were anything but deadlocked, with the game full of sunshine, momentum shifts and bursts of dominance. Norwood had a dream start on a dream day for football with a goal in the first minute, before Port Adelaide piled on the next five majors, four belonging to retiring Rory Atkins.
The second term followed the same script as the Magpies added another four goals to their tally, thanks to lightning-quick ball movement from youngsters Josh Lai (23 disposals) and Will Lorenz (19 disposals, five clearances), extending Port Adelaide’s lead at half time to 28-points.
It was inevitable though that the Norwood fans at Coopers Stadium would erupt as the Redlegs kicked six goals to one in the third term, stealing back the lead from Port Adelaide and holding a two-point advantage at the final break, setting the stage for the do-or-die fourth quarter where the sun would eventually set on the Magpies’ season.
While heartbroken with the result, coach Hamish Hartlett was extremely proud of his side’s early dominance and fight which was on showcase throughout the entire match.
“We started the game exceptionally well,” Hartlett said.
“We got the ball going our way out of stoppage regularly, our ball movement was looking really clean, and we were kicking some score.”
Still, the Magpies couldn’t fight their way over the line as Norwood controlled the game from half time onwards.
“We just couldn’t get things going around stoppage and tried to play the game in our back half for a little bit in the second half, which was tricky to do,” Hartlett lamented.
“[But] I can’t really fault the effort from all the players tonight… Right to the end, I thought they tried their hearts out.”
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Hartlett was pleased with his side’s growth, going from 10th position in 2024 to fighting for a finals spot in the last quarter of the season.
“It’s been a more enjoyable year in terms of getting some more wins on the board and challenging some of the better teams, whereas last year, we were a bit further off the pace,” Hartlett said.
Hartlett was also impressed with the contributions across the year of new faces Jack Watkins and Jez McLennan, cementing themselves as leaders and hard-nosed, fearless Port Adelaide footballers.
“We couldn’t have been happier with the output that we’ve received from Jack Watkins and Jez McLennan this year. They’re both incredibly professional athletes, they’ve got a great passion for the footy club in such a short period of time… they’ve been unbelievable for us,” Hartlett praised.
Proud of his team’s development, Hartlett hoped that 2026 will be yet another step forward.
“There is an upwards trajectory in the development of our young AFL-listed players, and that of the SANFL-contracted players too. I think the list of contracted players that we’ve had this year has been really vital,” Hartlett said.
“We will look to keep improving that part of the squad.”
Port Adelaide’s 2025 SANFL season will now conclude, finishing 6th with a 7-11 record.
SCOREBOARD
PA 6.5 10.7 11.10 11.11 (77)
NW 3.6 5.9 11.12 12.15 (87)
Goals: Atkins 4, Williams 3, Chamberlain 2, Moore, O’Reilly
Best: Lai, Watkins, Atkins, McLennan, Weidemann, Lorenz
