Dynasty built on lots of legwork

Norwood players celebrate their 2014 SANFL grand final victory. Source: News Corp Australia

WHEN Nathan Bassett returned to Norwood in 2010 to essentially rebuild the club from the ground up he had two clear mandates.

He insisted on a structure whereby every Norwood footballer would train as if they were playing and were taught in a way that any player could step into the team at any time and perform.

The other was a promise to blood the kids which was part of his vision he sold to the selection panel when he was interviewed for the job.

So come Round 1, Norwood had six teenagers run out against Glenelg and they were belted by 12 goals.

And things got worse before they got better.

They lost to South Adelaide, the Eagles and Westies and were suddenly 0-4 and football manager Mark Ross remembers the conversation in Bassett's office.

"When we were 0-4 it looked pretty ordinary but I remember he kept saying that he needed to coach to make individuals better," Ross said.

"So you go back to thinking about coaching rather than results, and that was the turnaround."

Bassett's mindset might have changed but he never once diverted from his plan to play youth and create a unified club — which some rival clubs are now trying to emulate.

"That's been our philosophy — the number one priority is the junior system and structure," Ross said.

"They've been taught at a junior level how it is they want them playing and they've just got to get better at their craft.

"If you were to watch Norwood train, we train exactly the way we want to play.

"We watched Port Power train today and sometimes when you watch an AFL team train you go 'phew, look at that', well the drills they were doing was the same sort of drills we are doing."

Suddenly Norwood — a club which had won two premierships in 26 years when Bassett arrived in 2010 — has now won three on the trot and shows no signs of stopping.

Central District's magnificent nine flags in 10 years isn't quite under threat but it's not impossible we may see something like it again.

Everyone from the board down is committed to the cause and that includes trainers, water boys and statisticians.

"They know what their job is and they go and do it," Ross said.

The commitment from the players and coaches has been matched by a commitment from the board to fork out for recruits and upgraded facilities such as $30,000 for an ice bath in the changerooms.

Chief executive Geoff Baynes said the club was committed to doing everything possible for its players and coaches.

"I'm sure with Bassett and it certainly is with Ben (Warren) it's 'what more do we need to support you to get the right result on the ground?'" Baynes said. "In the end we believe that our success is built around our club culture and part of that is the way we treat the players and what we try to provide for them."

The last three seasons have yielded premierships but also individual success such as the 15 players who have been drafted during the premiership years.

Players like Paul Puopolo, who Bassett told to get fit and play attacking footy from defence, is now a two-time Hawthorn premiership player.

Others like Jarryd Cachia, Nick Lower and Matt Thomas are guys who spent more time at Norwood than they did with their AFL clubs the first time around and got a second chance at the top level.

The challenge when Bassett joined Essendon last year was whether Norwood — or more specifically his replacement — could maintain the rage. Enter full forward Ben Warren.

Ross describes Warren initially as the "reluctant coach" who had to be told he was the right man for the job.

Redlegs coach Ben Warren marshalls his troops. Source: News Corp Australia

But like the 0-4 Bassett endured in 2010, Warren faced his own moments of truth in his first season. Having lost 12 players from its 2013 premiership team, Norwood started the 2014 season 2-4.

Then the following Friday night at The Parade they trailed Adelaide by four goals closing in on quarter time and the season was slipping away.

Not many thought they were watching the would-be premier that night, yet the Legs rallied to win by 31 points and only lost three games for the rest of the season on their way to the flag.

"There's always a few doubts when you're not winning," Warren said. "But the group at the time needed to play some footy together and certainly believed in what had been created at Norwood."

Warren played in Norwood's 2012 and 2013 premierships but said the 2014 flag as coach was the most satisfying.

"It was great to see it unfold as the year went on," he said. "There were doubts whether we'd be able to do it and to see the delight of not just the players that day but others as well and supporters was fantastic."

The exodus this summer is barely a blip on the radar compared the previous year with only four players from the grand final side not returning to The Parade. Crucially, one is captain Kieran McGuinness, meaning James Allan is now the club's oldest at 29.

NATHAN BASSETT'S 2010 COACHING DEBUT

*Norwood starts the season 0-4 including a 12-goal loss to Glenelg

*Breaks the drought against Port Adelaide at home.

*Finishes the regular season in 3rd place with a 12-8 record. Wins a thrilling preliminary final against the Eagles by five points.

*Makes the grand final but lose to competition giant Central District by one goal.

BEN WARREN'S 2014 COACHING DEBUT

*Redlegs lost 12 premiership players from the previous year and start the new season 2-4.

*Trail Adelaide by four goals closing on quarter time at home the next week, then rally to win by 31 points.

*Norwood goes on to lose only three more games for the remainder of the year and finish the regular season 2nd with an 11-7 record.

*Beat Sturt in the qualifying final and then Port Adelaide twice — in the semi final and grand final in which they held on to win by just four points.

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