AFL Sydney Premier Division Men’s and Women’s – Round 6 Preview
Written By Michael Shillito
Round 6 this weekend will take us a third of the way into the season. The ladder is starting to take shape, but there’s some important games this weekend. Conditions are looking good for footy; and an upset or two could throw everyone’s assumptions about the season out the window.
Mens Premier Division
Pennant Hills Demons v North Shore Bombers (Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 2:40pm)
Tune in LIVE and FREE on Kayo Sports CLICK HERE or via the AFL Sydney Facebook Page from 2:35pm this Saturday for the AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division ‘Match of the Round’
This week’s match of the round will be a keenly anticipated fixture as Pennant Hills renew their rivalry with North Shore. It’s third v first; and for the supporters of both clubs scattered around the globe, this match can be streamed live at the AFL Sydney Facebook page and on Kayo Sports.
The Demons have some strong form behind them, and last week they won their fourth game on the trot, doing it in style with a flying start laying the foundations for a 129-point win over Camden at Fairfax. Harry Maguire has been a goal-scoring machine in recent weeks, and the Demons will be looking to him to add to the five goals he managed last week. Watch out also for Maine Vidler, who has been in career-best form in recent weeks.
The Bombers also come into this game on the back of a three-figure margin, after jumping Manly in the first term to set up a 101-point win at Gore Hill last week. Nick Hill continued his strong development up forward as he created numerous opportunities to end up with a five-goal haul; while midfielder Ned Campbell was again impressive as he continues another prolific season.
The two clubs have had some great battles over the years, and this is a clash with plenty of potential. The Demons haven’t lost since the opening round, while the Bombers are undefeated. There’s no shortage of talent ready to step up and deliver when the game is in the balance. With the home ground advantage and some impressive form in recent weeks, the Demons will fancy their chances of pulling off the upset here.
Inner West Magpies v Camden Cats (Picken Oval, Saturday 12:00pm)
It will be a high noon shootout at Picken Oval, as an Inner West side needing a win to stay in the top five does battle with Camden.
The Magpies hang on to their spot in the top five by a thread, after being pipped at the post by UTS in a thriller at Picken Oval last week. The Magpies have been well served by the efforts of Brandon Lagana and Ben Klemke, who have both featured in the Magpies’ best player list in every game so far in 2021. But for the Magpies to be consistent challengers, there need to be others in their lineup whose best form for the season is yet to come.
The Cats have had to battle against the odds this season, and it was another tough outing for them last week at Fairfax, when they fell 129 points short against a red-hot Pennant Hills side; their fourth three-figure margin in the first five rounds. The Cats have had to dig deep in tough times, and will be looking to follow the example set by Kyle Veerhuis and Jayden Flanagan last week as they kept working tirelessly against the odds.
The Magpies will need a win here to stay in the top five, and will be the hottest of favourites to get the job done. For the Cats, they will be keen to put up a competitive effort and stay within touch of their opposition for as long as they can. They’ve given up some big leads early, this time round they’ll be desperate to avoid being jumped as they look to build a competitive performance.
UNSW-ES Bulldogs v St George Dragons (Henson Park, Saturday 12:20pm)
The Bulldogs are back at home this week, and this time they’ll be playing host to a desperate St George team in an early Saturday clash at Henson Park that has plenty at stake.
It was a return to the winning list for the Bulldogs under lights at Kanebridge last week, as they won every quarter to pull away from East Coast and record a comfortable 53-point win. Mitchell Conn and Bailey Foote were dominant forces for the Bulldogs; and they will again be looking for another dose of leather poisoning to create attacking opportunities for their team.
St George go into this clash on the back of a 57-point loss at home to Sydney Uni last week. The Dragons were never in the contest after a slow start; although some accurate finishing prevented the scores from completely blowing out. Noah Casalini has developed into a key cog in the Dragon forward line, and added another four goals last week; while young gun Jacob Dol comes into this game with some good form behind him after a strong effort around the ground last week.
Only one loss so far this season and an impressive percentage sees the Bulldogs sitting comfortably second on the ladder. The Dragons sit in seventh place, with two wins from their first five. The Bulldogs look to be the favourites here, but if the Dragons can rise to the occasion and pull off the upset, it’s the sort of scalp they need to claim if they have a claim to be finals contenders in 2021.
UTS Bats v East Coast Eagles (Waverley Oval, Saturday 1:15pm)
After being forced onto the road last week, the Bats return home to Waverley this week for a clash with East Coast Eagles. For the Bats, it’s a battle to stay in the top five; while the Eagles will be desperate for a win to stay in contention.
UTS had to travel to Picken Oval to take on Inner West last week; but in the end they were able to emerge with the points after getting up in a thriller. Losing the lead in the last quarter, it took some heroics from Sam Williams with a long goal deep in time-on to get over the line, continuing his impressive run as a spearhead in their attacking machine. Tom Borrillo was also in strong form for the Bats, and will again be looking to make a key contribution to the UTS cause this time around.
It was a disappointing evening for the Eagles last week, held to just five goals at Kanebridge Oval to go down to UNSW-ES by 53 points. Bailey Stewart and Aaron Drinkwater battled tirelessly all night, and can again be counted on to work hard this time. But the Eagles are still looking for the spark that can kick-start the momentum they need to build something out of this season.
Three wins from their first five games has been an impressive opening for the Bats, vastly improved on their winless 2020 season. They find themselves in fourth place and with some momentum they will be looking to capitalise on as the season continues. But it’s high stakes for the Eagles, and they can’t afford to drop this one if they wish to keep themselves in contention to be a part of the business end of the season.
Manly Wolves v Sydney Uni Students (Weldon Oval, Saturday 2:30pm)
Manly host Sydney Uni at Weldon Oval in a game that carries plenty of importance for both sides.
The Wolves slumped to their third loss on the trot last week, when they were never in the contest against a red-hot North Shore side at Gore Hill and went down by 101 points. It wasn’t the result they were hoping for; but a silver lining for the Wolves was the form of Ryan Wearne and Jack Field who both put in their best games for the season and will be keen to capitalise on that momentum this time around.
After being winless in the first three rounds, the Students have now won two on the trot. Last week at Olds Park they led all the way with four unanswered goals in the first quarter setting up a 57-point win over St George. Izaac Hughes contributed four goals for the Students, cementing his place in the Premier Division lineup; while Sam Bennett also stood and delivered.
With one win so far this season, and losses in their last three contests, the Wolves will be looking to exploit their home conditions to turn their form around. Meanwhile, the Students are building some momentum after a slow start to their season, and will be looking for a win here to enter the top five. But it’s now or never for the Wolves, and this is the sort of game they need to win if they are to stay in touch with the top five and remain in finals contention.
Womens Premier Division
Pennant Hills Demons v North Shore Bombers (Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 12:40pm)
Tune in LIVE and FREE on Kayo Sports CLICK HERE or via the AFL Sydney Facebook Page from 12:35pm this Saturday for the AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division ‘Match of the Round’
There’s plenty to play for in this clash of two clubs in their second season in Premier Division, as the Demons play host to the Bombers on the lower oval at Mike Kenny Oval. This match will be streamed live on the AFL Sydney Facebook page; and also live on Kayo Sports.
The Demons celebrated their first win of the season last week when they got out to an early lead against Macquarie Uni with four unanswered goals in the first quarter and went on with the job to record a 42-point win. Laura Donohue spearheaded the Demons charge with a bag of four goals, while Eleanor Rugg was a key contributor around the ground.
North Shore go into this game with a 3-2 record so far this season. But it was heartbreak for the Bombers last week, going down to local rivals Manly by just two points at Gore Hill after pushing the defending premiers all the way. The Bombers will be keen to bounce back hard this week, and will again be looking for the likes of Georgia O’Hare and Dom Carruthers to back up last week’s solid efforts with more big performances.
Having broken their duck last week, the Demons will be keen to use that breakthrough result to string together some wins and work their way into finals calculations. But they will face tough competition against a North Shore team that will be determined to get back on the winning list after getting so agonisingly close last week.
UNSW-ES Bulldogs v Southern Power (Henson Park, Saturday 2:50pm)
With a two-game gap opening up between sixth and seventh, but only five finals spots up for grabs, any game between two teams in the top six is critical; and we have such a clash at Henson Park on Saturday as UNSW-ES play host to Southern Power.
Last week was a harsh reality check for the Bulldogs, as they crashed out of the top five and copped a hit to their percentage when East Coast handed them a 131-point defeat at Kanebridge. There was plenty of effort put in, particularly by Rebecca Mount and Nellie Hicks; but too many of their number were unable to make a significant contribution last week, and they’ll be desperate to hit back hard this time round.
Southern Power continued on their winning ways last week, coming from 11 points behind at the last change to overcome Sydney Uni by 17 points at Waratah Oval. When the game was there to be won, Ruby Sargent-Wilson and Emily Eaves were magnificent; and the Power can again count on them this time round to gather the possessions needed to keep their team in the contest.
After three wins to open the season, the Bulldogs have lost the last two and the heavy loss to the top team last week puts their season at the crossroads. The Bulldogs can’t afford to let their solid start to the season unravel. But this will be a hard test against a well-drilled Southern Power lineup with aspirations of being a premiership force in 2021.
Inner West Magpies v Macquarie Uni Warriors (Picken Oval, Saturday 3:00pm)
It’s a must-win contest at Picken Oval, with the Magpies having the home ground advantage against the Warriors.
The Magpies re-entered the top five last week, leading all the way against UTS at Picken Oval to record a 42-point win. Gillian Behan and Jordan Magee led the way, picking up myriad possessions around the ground and creating enough opportunities to deny their opposition any chance of getting back into the contest.
Macquarie Uni are yet to sing the song in 2021, and the Warriors were never in the contest last week against Pennant Hills at Mike Kenny Oval, going down by 42 points. Abbie Lewis and Ellie Hicks kept putting in the effort all day, as they have so often; but the Warriors will be looking for more contributors able to put the effort in for four quarters.
The Magpies have been in impressive form for most of the season to date, and will go into this one as favourites against a Macquarie Uni team looking for its first win for 2021. But for the Warriors, it’s now or never; and they will need to put in a competitive performance this time around to keep themselves in finals contention.
UTS Bats v East Coast Eagles (Waverley Oval, Saturday 3:25pm)
The Bats return home to the Eastern Suburbs this week, with a clash against ladder leaders East Coast coming up at Waverley Oval.
Last week wasn’t the result the Bats were looking for, as they had to travel to Picken Oval and came home at the wrong end of a 42-point result against a well-drilled Inner West Magpies lineup. Deborah Geraghty and Angelique Stramotis worked hard all afternoon, and will put in the effort this time. But the Bats will need some more strong contributors to hold the star-studded East Coast side at bay.
The Eagles come into this game looking in great touch, undefeated and outright top of the ladder. Last week they were untroubled by UNSW-ES at Kanebridge, holding the Bulldogs to a single goal on their way to a 131-point win. Jordyn Jolliffe has imposed her presence as a handy target up forward, and will be looking to add to the four goals she contributed last week; while Bryany Parker keeps putting in solid efforts week in week out.
After four straight defeats, the Bats will need to turn their fortunes around quickly if they are to keep themselves in finals contention. It’s an enormous challenge against an East Coast side that has taken all before them so far this year. But it’s now or never for the Bats, and they need to rise to the occasion with a strong performance here.
Manly Wolves v Sydney University (Weldon Oval, Saturday 4:30pm)
A twilight fixture at Weldon Oval sees the Wolves play host to Sydney Uni in a game that may well have implications for how the ladder looks.
Manly were given a solid test by North Shore at Gore Hill last week, but in the end they found a way to get the job done and record a two-point win. GWS-listed Emily Goodsir and Rising Star nominee Hannah Woolf stood up and rose to the occasion when the game was in the balance; and the Manly record of finding game-winners at the key moments was maintained.
For Sydney Uni, the season is threatening to get away from them unless they can bounce back to their best form. Last week they led Southern Power by 11 points at the last change, but the Power ran through five unanswered goals in the last term. Amber Laven kicked all five of Sydney Uni’s goals last week, underlining her credentials on the forward line; while Lauren Maneschi showed she has a good future at this level with a strong game around the ground. Sydney Uni will again be looking to them to keep their team in the contest.
With the home ground advantage, Manly will go into this clash as favourites. But Sydney Uni can’t let this one go without a fight. With a two-game gap between the finals contenders and the bottom four, Sydney Uni have to string some wins together to bridge the gap; and it starts here.
Photo by Merrillie Redden
