2022 Norwood Pocket Profile

SANFL’s ZAC MILBANK breaks down all you need to know about the Redlegs heading into the 2022 Hostplus SANFL League season.

Saturday March 5
Sturt 11.10 (76) d Norwood 11.4 (70) at Coopers Stadium

Saturday March 12
Norwood 11.8 (74) d West 7.7 (49) at Hisense Stadium

Saturday March 19
Adelaide v Norwood at West Lakes – 12.30pm

Delisted after playing just five games with AFL giant Collingwood, Jay Rantall has a point to prove with Norwood in 2022.

The 186cm midfielder is an exciting prospect, who can play through the centre square of the wing, giving the Redlegs’ midfield rotation a boost for this season.

Originally from Warnambool, the 20-year-old said he felt The Parade was the place to take his game to the next level.

”It was a pretty easy decision in the end for me, to play at Norwood,” Rantall said.

“Their game style suits me and the leadership and mentoring from Jade and others is really going to help me a lot to develop my game.”

With so much personnel change at The Parade in the off-season, exciting teenage defender Max Michalanney will be given every opportunity to push his claims for a League berth.

The son of Redlegs premiership player Jim Michalanney, Max Michalanney is eligible as a father-son selection for Adelaide, resulting in him training with the Crows during summer.

Known for his ability to intercept in the air, Michalanney is still very much growing into his body but that won’t prevent Norwood coach Jade Rawlings from selecting him should his form warrant.

”Max is a likeable young fella and is passionate about his footy,” Rawlings said.

”He’s quite slight but he plays in a strong manner so we’re looking forward to having him part of our senior program.

”Nothing is off limits with Max, if he plays and performs at a level which demands senior selection, he will be treated like everyone else.”

Torrens University SA U18 coach Tony Bamford profiles Norwood’s players

Riley Verrall
Riley is considered an experienced player at SANFL underage level. He has been used primarily as a medium-sized defender across half-back in his 26 games for the Redlegs. As a defender he likes to play up high and involve himself in offensive possession chains when an opportunity presents. He has shown an ability to play on different types of forwards (tall, medium and small). This year we anticipate he may spend some time in his usual half-back role while also going into the midfield to play as a ball-winner inside the contest. Riley is currently working on learning some midfield craft along with making better decisions when in possession of the ball.

Max Michalanney
Max is aligned to Adelaide FC’s Next Generation Academy as a potential father-son draft prospect. Max is also a member of the current 2022 NAB AFL National Academy. He played both games for SA’s U17 team last year along with 2 games in the SA U19 team. Max is an intelligent footballer with great composure and ball use efficiency as a medium/tall defender. He has the ability to beat his direct opponent in one-on-one contests while also leaving his man to assist at other contests. Max is currently working on building his body size and strength to prepare himself for the game at higher levels.

Tyson Walls
Tyson has made a name for himself as a small midfielder in SANFL underage footy and for Rostrevor College in the past 2 years. He can find the footy in traffic and uses his fast feet to get on the outside before using the ball well on offense. He has developed high training standards for himself over time that will assist him to maximise his potential. At his size, he will need to learn to play other roles outside of his traditional midfield role such as high half-forward or small forward as he progresses through the grades.

Taj Rahui
Taj is an excitement machine when he is carrying the ball and taking on the opposition with his legs. Taj can run and penetrate the ball in offense well at SANFL U18 level. He has also shown a sound ability to win his share of contests when playing as a defender. Taj has what AFL clubs are looking for in elite endurance and speed. The growth in his game must come from developing his clean hands to complement his speed as well as his kicking efficiency coming out of the back half of the ground.