New Norfolk continue their great legacy with win over Metro

Photo:  Action from North Chigwell tonight between Metro and New Norfolk. [PlessPix]  

(Men’s Southern Championship 4. North Chigwell, Friday, 13 May 2022)

Metro 2 (Liam Binning, Sam Jacob)

New Norfolk 9 (Christopher Driver 4, Paul Cairns 2, Martin Cairns, Morgan Brown, Damien Nieuwesteeg)

HT:  0-4   Ref:  S Fagg

Metro:  Bowerman;  Austen, Banks, Binning, Doust, Facey, Hopson, Kafer, Larter, Rooney, Turner  (Subs:  Jacob, Phillips)

New Norfolk:  Sheppard;  Brown, M Cairns, P Cairns, Crosswell, Driver, Nieuwesteeg, Plunkett-Smith, Rhodes, Russell, White  (Subs:  McBeath, Piskula, Willing)

Photo:  New Norfolk's Paul Cairns finds a way past a Metro opponent. [PlessPix]  

New Norfolk staked their claims for top spot in the Men’s Southern Championship 4 with a 9-2 win over mid-table Metro at North Chigwell tonight.

The visitors led 4-0 at the interval before adding another five goals in the second half.

Christopher Driver was New Norfolk’s leading marksman with four goals.

Paul Cairns netted twice, while Martin Cairns and Damien Nieuwesteeg scored a goal apiece.

Photo:  A Metro defender clears a New Norfolk attack. [PlessPix]  

Metro looked down and out at half-time but they rallied a bit after the resumption and scored consolation goals through Liam Binning and Sam Jacob.

New Norfolk is generally associated with Aussie Rules and one of the greats of that code, Peter Hudson, as well as coached such as Trevor Leo.

But, New Norfolk have a long history in the game of football in Tasmania.  In 1907, a team called New Norfolk British Association Football Club was formed by Joseph James Bolding Honeysett, a pioneer of the game in Tasmania.

J J B Honeysett and his son, Joe Jr, had a property at New Norfolk and had travelled to Hobart the previous year to watch a game at North Hobart.  It was played between the stewards and firemen of two ships that were currently in the port of Hobart.

Photo:  A Metro player clears the ball from a New Norfolk opponent. [PlessPix]  

After that game, the Honeysetts organised a team and challenged the stewards from the ships to a game.  The seamen won 3-2 but the Honeysetts were not deterred and formed the New Norfolk club mentioned above the following year.

It’s good, therefore, to see New Norfolk still involved in Tasmanian football these days.  The town was not represented in some years, but they’re definitely back now.

Photo:  New Norfolk's Paul Cairns (left), who has played at the highest level in Tasmania, in possession against Metro tonight. [PlessPix]

Photo:  New Norfolk's Peter McBeath (centre) challenges for the ball. [PlessPix]