Norwood has produced a breathtaking final-quarter comeback to defeat Sturt by 14 points and secure the 2026 Hostplus SANFL League premiership, recovering from an 18-point deficit at the last change before a packed Adelaide Oval.
Final Scores
Norwood | 4.4 (28) | 5.5 (35) | 8.6 (54) | 13.9 (87)
Sturt | 3.2 (20) | 5.5 (35) | 11.6 (72) | 11.7 (73)
MATCH SUMMARY
The Redlegs looked in danger of watching another Grand Final opportunity disappear when Sturt surged clear late in the third term. Instead, Norwood launched a devastating response, piling on 5.3 to 0.1 in the final quarter to claim a 13.9 (87) to 11.7 (73) victory before 38,340 people. It was the club’s 32nd League flag and its first since 2022. It also gave Jade Sheedy a third premiership as a senior SANFL coach, after his back-to-back successes with Woodville-West Torrens in 2020 and 2021.
The decisive figure was Tristan Binder. Well contained through the first three quarters, the Norwood spearhead found a remarkable way to reshape the contest when the pressure was at its highest. He kicked four goals in the final term from only four disposals, turning a game that was slipping away into a red-and-blue celebration. Binder’s opening major was a quick soccered finish from close range. He followed it with a bouncing shot from deep near the boundary, then broke free of a tackle to snap another from 35 metres. His fourth, a set shot after the siren, brought the final margin and the party at The Parade end of the ground. “I’m lost for words,” Binder said. “I was pretty garbage for the first three quarters, but my teammates got around me and told me I could still help the team win. I didn’t realise I could do something like that, so I’m ecstatic.”
Baynen Lowe was awarded the Jack Oatey Medal after a polished best-on-ground display. His 27 disposals and two goals gave Norwood drive throughout the afternoon, while his long set shot in the last quarter was pivotal in placing Sturt under enormous pressure. Norwood had been the competition’s standout side, arriving with 16 wins from its past 17 matches and the benefit of a week off after its second semi-final victory.
The Double Blues entered their third straight final with an understrength side and made two significant late changes. First ruckman Amos Doyle was withdrawn after team lists had been lodged, with former Port Adelaide forward Jed McEntee called into the team. Casey Voss also took the field despite a dislocated shoulder in the preliminary final, leaving Daniel Fahey-Sparks with a heavy share of the ruck duties.
Norwood made the early play. It held a 15-8 advantage for inside-50 entries in the opening term and accumulated 111 disposals to Sturt’s 76. The Redlegs had 34 more touches for the quarter, but their wastefulness near goal prevented a more commanding scoreboard lead. Tom Emmett kicked two goals on the run, while Loch Rawlinson also found the big sticks. Norwood’s control of the ball translated to only an eight-point lead at quarter-time. Heard seemed to give Norwood the launch it needed early in the second quarter. His clever snap pushed the margin out to 13 points and suggested the Redlegs were ready to turn their territorial edge into a meaningful advantage.
Sturt resisted again. Josh Hone found space in heavy traffic and kicked truly, then Ash Johnson made a difficult mark running back with the flight before converting from an awkward angle. The scores were level at 5.5 (35) each at half-time, despite Norwood producing more of the early attacking play. Zac Becker was vital to the Double Blues’ survival. The attacking half-back had 15 disposals and five marks by half-time, continually reading the ball well and cutting off Norwood attacks. He ended with 24 touches and eight marks in a tireless display.
Norwood moved ahead after the long break through Lowe and Declan Hamilton, restoring a 12-point margin. It was another moment when the Redlegs appeared poised to take ownership of the contest. Instead, Sturt produced its best patch of football.The Double Blues kicked four goals in nine minutes, overturning the deficit and then charging to a 13-point lead. Their energy around the contest lifted, their forwards became dangerous, and Norwood’s normally reliable system was suddenly under intense strain.
Kobe McEntee received a diving-mark decision after the ball had bounced, adding to Sturt’s momentum. Johnson then delivered an unforgettable finish, sidestepping Jack Heard before running in from 45 metres and kicking truly. Sturt had opened an 18-point advantage at three-quarter-time and appeared to own the contest’s closing stages.
Sheedy asked his players to see the deficit differently. In his view, a three-goal lead can place as much pressure on the team ahead as it does on the side chasing, because a leading side can become conservative while the opponent gains the freedom to attack. “They had all the momentum, but I believe being three goals up in a game of footy is the hardest
position to be in,” Sheedy said. “You can tighten up a little bit, you can go into preservation mode, and it gave us freedom to play. That was our message.”
Norwood carried out that message with authority. Its pressure became fiercer, it attacked with more speed and certainty, and Sturt could no longer find the answers it had supplied for three quarters. The Redlegs won the final inside-50 count 15-6 and turned their dominance into the goals that had earlier eluded them. Binder’s first finish shifted the mood. His long bouncing goal made the comeback feel real. When he escaped a tackle and snapped another, Norwood had seized the lead and Sturt was suddenly battling to halt a tide of red-and-blue momentum.
Lowe’s long kick extended the advantage before Binder completed his astonishing run with another major on the move. The last-siren goal was not needed to decide the flag, but it was the perfect final statement from the player who had made the comeback possible.
Sturt did have one chance to reclaim the lead. Ash Johnson’s set shot at the 22-minute mark of the final term fell short, but it was the Double Blues’ only scoring shot for the quarter. Their return of one behind contrasted starkly with Norwood’s five goals. For all the disappointment, Sturt’s effort was immense. Captain Tom Lewis had 21 disposals and five clearances, while Will Snelling collected 21 touches and laid 13 tackles. Voss battled through for 19 possessions and six marks, Emmett kicked three goals from eight disposals, and Johnson and Hone added two each.
Norwood, however, had the stronger finish. Alongside its stars Lowe, Binder, Dittmar, Rokahr, Heard and Boyd, Lachlan Murley and the Ling brothers made telling contributions when the game was in the balance. The victory continued Norwood’s perfect record against Sturt in Grand Finals. Their earlier meetings came in 1941 and 1978, the latter remembered for Phil Gallagher’s dramatic late mark. The 2026 edition produced its own indelible memory, as Binder transformed the match in a matter of minutes.
The Redlegs’ eighth consecutive win completed a brilliant campaign. After the frustrations of recent September exits, Norwood rose when the premiership was there to be won, and Binder’s astonishing final quarter ensured its name would again sit atop the SANFL honour roll.
BEST PLAYERS
Norwood: Lowe, Binder, Dittmar, Rokahr, F. Heard, Boyd, Murley, M. Ling
Sturt: Becker, Lewis, Snelling, Frederick, Emmett, Coomblas, Sadler
GOAL SCORERS
Norwood: Binder 4, Callow, Lowe 2, Murley, Swinnerton, F. Heard, Hamilton, C. Ling
Sturt: Emmett 3, Hone, Johnson 2, Rawlinson, Fahey-Sparks, Burrows, K. McEntee
JACK OATEY MEDAL: Baynen Lowe (Norwood)
PLAYED AT
Adelaide Oval
By Connor Walsh