XBlades AFL Sydney Round 7 Preview

Written by Michael Shillito.

After a week off for the Representative Rounds, and a successful clash against Black Diamond AFL, we’re back to clubland this week and another round of Premier Division.

It’s another big week of footy, and in a tightly contested competition, this week’s results will again be crucial to how the ladder shapes up. Round 7 has the ability to decide who the genuine contenders are.

 

Pennant Hills Demons vs. Sydney University

Two of the competition’s in-form teams will face off at Mike Kenny Oval when Pennant Hills take on Sydney University.

After a slow start to the season, the Demons have made their way into the top five off the back of a two-game winning streak.

The last start saw them play some of their best footy for the year as they were too good for UTS.

There were plenty of experienced hands who led the way that time, and seasoned veterans such as Aaron Crisfield and Ranga Ediriwickrama will again be players to watch.

Sydney University had a bye before the Representative Round, but the Students will have trained hard and will be hoping the extended break hasn’t affected their momentum.

A few thumping wins before the break have seen the Students soar to top of the ladder. Tim Barrett has been handy on the forward line, while Kane Murphy and Luke Vella have been consistent ball magnets this year – the Demons will need to keep them quiet.

It’s a clash between two of the competition heavyweights and the stakes are high. The Students have had some massive wins lately, but they will find Pennant Hills a tough opponent who will put up solid resistance.

 

Western Suburbs Magpies vs. UTS Bats

Western Suburbs and UTS face-off at Picken Oval in a do-or-die clash. The winner stays in touch with the top five, while the loser will find themselves at risk of falling away.

The Magpies went down to St George at their last start but they have been competitive in most of their games this season.

Nick Salter has been a standout and will again be a big force for the Magpies, while Brent Mumme and Dan O’Connell have also hit some good form lately.

After three losses on the trot, UTS will be thankful that the Representative break came when it did.

The Bats have been working hard during the break but now is the time to stand and deliver the results. They have the cattle to get it done, and the likes of Daniel Crouch and Peter Kilroy have been in solid form. But for the UTS faithful, it is time to lift and return to the winners list.

It’s a crunch game – both of these teams are outside the top five. The winner keeps themselves within striking distance of the playoffs, but the loser will need to then turn their form around quickly to get back into finals contention. Expect a tight struggle between two desperate teams – there won’t be any easy possessions in this game.

 

Manly Wolves vs. North Shore Bombers

There’s nothing like a local derby to get a rivalry going, and the Battle of the Spit Bridge at Weldon Oval is certainly up there with the most heated of them, as Manly take on North Shore.

Simply, Manly’s season is on the line in this clash. The Wolves have won only one game so far this season, and on the back of a few heavy losses, find themselves in unfamiliar territory at the bottom of the ladder.

But there’s too much talent in this Manly side for them to stay there for long. Returning premiership stars Tyrone Armitage and Lachlan Kilpatrick will have key roles to play for the Wolves after their stints away from the club. Manly will look to them to lift the team back to the lofty heights they have enjoyed before.

North Shore had a heartbreaking loss to the UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs last start, but they remain in the top five.

There’s no shortage of Bomber players with the capability of turning this game on its head. Shaun Crane, Kyle Devlin and Daniel Shacher were listed among the bests in the Representative game last week, and they will be keen to maintain that form for the Bombers this week.

The Bombers have never won at Weldon so they will be desperate to break that hoodoo and get some local bragging rights. With the teams from third to fifth, level on games and separated by less than one percentage point, not only the wins but the margins are critical.

 

St George Dragons vs. East Coast Eagles

There are always plenty of scores to settle when a Grand Final replay comes around. Especially so this time around, as last year’s runners-up St George host defending champions, East Coast Eagles.

The Dragons turned their fortunes around in their last game, as they were too good for Wests and recorded a comfortable win.

There’s plenty of impressive Dragons around the park to keep an eye on. Nathan Kenny was the star last time with a bag of seven goals, and he will be keeping the Eagle defenders on their toes this time.

Keep an eye on Dom Michalak, who has been featuring prominently for the Dragons this season – the Eagles can’t afford to allow him any easy possessions.

The Eagles come into this game on the back of a big win over Manly last start, which gave them not just four valuable competition points, but some valuable repair to their percentage.

Much of the damage was done by the twin forward targets of Mark Weekes and Jamie Vlatko, and they will be a handful for the Dragon defenders in this clash.

There are plenty of scores to settle, and although nothing will ever fully ease the pain of last year’s Grand Final loss, the chance is here for the Dragons to put things right as they see it. The Eagles will have plenty to say about that though, and this contest could well go down to the wire.

 

UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs – bye

While these teams battle it out, the second-placed UNSW Eastern Suburbs have the bye. The Bulldogs will be having a big week on the training track, ensuring the break won’t slow the impressive momentum they have been building in recent weeks.