Payneham Norwood Union sets sights on finals after disappointing season start
An Adelaide Footy League power has experienced a surprisingly poor start to its division one campaign and finds itself in a relegation battle halfway through the season. Can it make a late finals push?
Adelaide Footy League juggernaut Payneham Norwood Union will either launch a finals bid or plunge into a genuine relegation battle in the next month of division one action.
The Falcons have surprised many with their struggles in the first half of the year after losing the 2024 preliminary final to eventual premier Port District, now sitting just a game above the relegation zone in round 10.
Coach Jeremy Cini’s side went through a number of changes in the pre-season, losing a number of players including gun midfielder Jed Spence, while adding the likes of Norwood premiership player Sam Morris and initially struggled to gel during six consecutive losses to start 2025.
Led by Redlegs premiership captain Matthew Nunn, the Falcons have gradually edged closer to the level of footy they are known for, tallying three consecutive wins to be an outside chance at finals.
“Just getting the boys to gel has been the main challenge and I probably assumed they’d understand game planning and roles a bit quicker than what was realistic,” Cini said of the tough start.
“We’ve nailed that now and I think we’ve found some pretty good form with the way guys have been playing.
“It was also the way we were going about it and the intent to defend as a whole group.
“We were inconsistent with the buy-in and the boys have now realised we need to get better defensively and that when we can do that, we can beat the best teams.”
PNU suffered its worst loss of the year in round six, going down to Golden Grove by 81 points away from home.
Since then, the Falcons have defeated Broadview, Prince Alfred OC and most recently Glenunga to move out of the bottom two and sit two wins below the top five.
Cini said the Golden Grove game was a major wake-up call for the group.
“That game was our worst for the year by a mile and I didn’t hold anything back from the boys when we looked back over it.
“The response we’ve had since then has been really important and we’re happy with the win over Glenunga last weekend – we knew it was essentially a four-point game for us and I was really pleased with what we produced.
“We’re staying optimistic at the moment and we’re building some good momentum.”
Cini’s side has still missed a number of big names in recent games but will likely see the return of former North Melbourne player Brad McKenzie this week, with versatile star Tom Wagner also set to rejoin the group soon.
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He believed his side was capable of changing its fortunes to truly enter the finals race during make-or-break games against the likes of Rostrevor OC, Salisbury North, St Peter’s OC and Sacred Heart OC.
“The coming weeks are likely going to determine what happens with our season,” he said.
“The boys understand what’s on the line and I know they’re going to perform.”
Originally published as Payneham Norwood Union sets sights on finals after disappointing season start
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