AFL Sydney Premier Division Men’s and Women’s – Round 7 Preview
Written By Michael Shillito
As autumn rolls on, the weather is noticeably cooling down. But on the field, the action is heating up as the race for the finals continues and another full round of fixtures is scheduled for Saturday.
Mens Premier Division
Sydney Uni v Pennant Hills (Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 1:50pm)
Tune in LIVE and FREE on Kayo Sports CLICK HERE or via the AFL Sydney Facebook Page from 1:45pm this Saturday for the AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division ‘Match of the Round’
The Students and the Demons have had some epic battles in recent years, the 2017 Grand Final is one that comes to mind. And another installment in this rivalry is scheduled for Sydney Uni No 1 on Saturday afternoon. This match will be streamed live on AFL Sydney’s Facebook page and on Kayo Sports.
After an indifferent start to the year, the Students have built up some momentum with wins in their last three games to sit just outside the top five. Last week they led all the way to record a 67-point win over Manly at Weldon Oval. Thomas van Dongen had a Premier Division debut to remember, and the Students look to have unearthed a good prospect. Also watch out for Michael Nettheim, who has worked his way into some good form in recent weeks.
Pennant Hills’ 4-game winning streak came to an end at Mike Kenny last week when they went down to a red-hot North Shore team by 55 points. The Demons put in plenty of effort, with Mitch Blow and Brad Hunt showing the way; but in the end it wasn’t enough to trouble the Bombers. The Demons remain in third place, but will be keen to record a win to stay there.
There’s not usually much in it when these two sides play off; and another close encounter can be expected this time. The Students have worked their way into some good form in recent weeks, but their form will be tested against a Pennant Hills side that has proved themselves capable of matching it well against the top sides.
St George v UTS (Olds Park, Saturday 2:20pm)
Two teams with ambitions of being there at the business end of the season face off at Olds Park in a game that may well tell us plenty about which of them is a true contender for playoff action.
St George go into this game having put up a credible performance against UNSW-ES last week but unfortunately for them it wasn’t enough to pull off the win. Inaccurate kicking in the first half cost the Dragons a realistic shot at the upset; and although they won the second half they would go down by 33 points. The Dragons were well served by the experience of Alex Wynn and Dominic Soffe; who will again be called into action this time round to deliver the key plays to get the Dragons over the line.
The Bats were made to fight for their result last week, but in the end they were able to get over the line to defeat East Coast by just two points at Waverley Oval. When the game was there to be won, it was the likes of Hugh Anstey and Matt Titsha who stood and delivered. Like many of their wins this season, they’ve had to work for it but they keep getting the job done.
At the moment the Bats sit in fourth place with four wins from six games; while the Dragons are seventh with two wins. The Dragons can narrow the gap if they get the win, making the battle for spots within the top five extremely tight. But if the Bats can get the four points here, their claim to a finals berth will be considerably strengthened while a key rival will find themselves in a much more difficult position.
Camden v Manly (Catherine Park, Saturday 2:30pm)
A new venue hosts its first Premier Division match when the Cats take their home game against Manly to Oran Park and give the facilities at Catherine Park a workout.
The Cats are yet to sing the song this season and have copped some heavy losses this season. But last week against the Magpies at Picken Oval was a vastly improved performance as they defended grimly to hold their opponents to a sub-100 score for the first time this season. Mitch Sapiatzer and Josh Bannister were prominent performers for the Cats; who will be looking to show some more resolute defence and contesting every possession to back up last week’s much more credible performance.
The Wolves also have struggled for form in recent weeks, going down in their last four games. Last week at Weldon they were unable to match it with a Sydney Uni team hitting some good form and went down by 67 points. Kieran LeJeune and Nick Marsh continued to work tirelessly against the odds all day; and the Wolves will be looking to them to continue the effort this time round.
Premiership points have been hard to come by for both teams this season, but there’s four of them on the line here; and you can expect to see both teams showing plenty of desperation here. After a slow start to the season, a win would do wonders for morale and self-belief; and just maybe kick-start some momentum. But only one team can achieve that.
Inner West v UNSW-ES (Picken Oval, Saturday 2:30pm)
After an up-and-down season, Inner West sit in fifth place. But to stay in the top five, they have a fight on their hands as they take on UNSW-ES at Picken Oval.
The Magpies remain in fifth place on the back of a 78-point result against Camden at Picken Oval last week. The Magpies held the Cats to just three goals, but had some frustration along the way as they were unable to get the massive percentage booster they were looking for. Josh Zoppo looked good up forward for five goals, while Daniel O’Connell was another key performer for the Magpies.
The Bulldogs were forced to absorb plenty of pressure by a determined St George side at Henson Park last week, and had the Dragons kicked straight in the first half they could have found themselves in a spot of bother. But in the end, the Bulldogs opened up too big a lead for the Dragons to chase down and a comfortable 33-point win was the result. Young guns Byron Middleton and Hudson Laycock led the way for the Bulldogs, with Middleton earning himself a Rising Star nomination. It wasn’t always pretty, but as they so often do, the Bulldogs did enough to get the job done.
The Bulldogs haven’t done much wrong this season, and comfortably sit in second place having dropped only one game this season. The Magpies haven’t had everything go their way, but sit in fifth place with a narrow percentage lead over Sydney Uni. But if the Magpies are to stay in the top five, they will need to claim one of the competition’s top scalps, and here is their opportunity.
East Coast v North Shore (Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 5:50pm)
The round concludes with a twilight fixture at Kanebridge Oval as East Coast Eagles take on North Shore Bombers in the Metro Line Derby.
East Coast have saluted just once so far this season, but were unlucky not to record their second win last week when they fell an agonising two points short against UTS at Waverley. Bailey Stewart continued his consistent performance, while Tim Organ was hitting the right notes to keep the Eagles in the contest. This season has delivered some frustration for the Eagles, but they’ll keep working to turn their fortunes around.
North Shore continued on their winning ways last week as they extended their lead in every quarter to record a 55-point win over Pennant Hills at Mike Kenny to maintain their unbeaten record so far in 2021. The Bombers have attracted some quality recruits this season; with Jordan Law and Reed van Huisstede bolstering an already strong lineup that has seen the Bombers make their way to the top of the table.
The Bombers would have to go into this game as favourites, but the Eagles are a determined opponent. On their home turf under lights, the Eagles will be keen to pull off the upset; a result they will need to accomplish to stay within sight of the top five.
Womens Premier Division
Sydney Uni v Pennant Hills (Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 4:20pm)
Tune in LIVE and FREE on Kayo Sports CLICK HERE or via the AFL Sydney Facebook Page from 4:15pm this Saturday for the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division ‘Match of the Round’
Sydney Uni and Pennant Hills face off in a desperation stakes match of the round on Saturday evening. To the fans of Sydney Uni and Pennant Hills around the globe, you can catch this match streamed live on AFL Sydney’s Facebook page and Kayo Sports; so don’t miss a second of the action!
With a 1-5 record so far this season, Sydney Uni have plenty of work ahead of them. Last week they were never in the contest against a red-hot Manly side at Weldon Oval, going down by 27 points. GWS defender Louise Stephenson and Isabella Grey kept working hard all afternoon, but it wasn’t enough to get the points. This time round Sydney Uni will be looking for an all-round team effort to get the season back on track.
The Demons also go into this game with a 1-5 record, but were unlucky not to record their second win of the season when they went down to North Shore by just 3 points at Mike Kenny Oval. Charlotte Owen kept working hard all afternoon for the Demons, while Ella Morris worked her way to a Rising Star nomination; and the Demons will again be looking for them to step up and maintain the form that saw them trouble one of the stronger teams in the competition last week.
With both teams three games away from fifth place, it’s now or never if either team is to be a finals chance. For one of these teams, a chance is here to get some momentum going and build the morale. It’s going to be even harder for the loser of this game to get anywhere near the playoffs.
Southern Power v UTS (Waratah Oval, Saturday 11:50am)
Southern Power return to Waratah Oval this week for a lunchtime clash against the Bats.
The Power travelled to Henson Park last week and returned with the points after a hard-fought 15-point result against UNSW-ES. As they have done so often, Emily Eaves and Ruby Sargent-Wilson were able to come up with the key plays when the game was in the balance, time and again denying the Bulldogs any chance of getting back in the contest. The Power have lost just once this season, and continue to get the job done week after week.
UTS were unable match it with top side East Coast at Waverley last week, held goal-less to go down by 84 points. Tait Mackrill and Angelique Stramotas were tireless in attempting to stop the Eagle onslaught, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Bats in the contest and the Bats will have had to work hard on the training track this week to recapture their mojo.
Southern Power go into this game as favourites, with the home ground advantage and some winning form behind them. But they can’t afford to drop their guard against UTS. The Bats will be desperate and will come out firing. They need a win against a top opponent to kick-start their season, and here is their opportunity.
Inner West v UNSW-ES (Picken Oval, Saturday 1:00pm)
A hard-fought west-east contest is expected at Picken Oval, as Inner West Magpies take on UNSW-ES Bulldogs.
The Magpies go into this game with their best form of the season to date after a comprehensive 92-point result against Macquarie Uni last week. Rebecca Privitelli contributed six goals to the Magpie cause, while Gillian Behan chipped in with five. With that sort of goal-scoring firepower at the Magpies’ disposal, they have the ability to conjure up a winning score more often than not; and the Bulldog defenders have some work to do this week.
The Bulldogs fought hard against Southern Power at Henson Park last week, but in the end fell 15 points short. Sera Kaukino has been a consistent performer this season and continued her impressive run of form; while Giants-listed Haneen Zreika had a solid debut for the Bulldogs last week to keep the Bulldogs in the contest.
The Magpies sit in fourth place, while the Bulldogs are sixth; a game behind. If the Bulldogs can pick up the win on the road, they will draw level with the Magpies and only be out of the top five on percentage. But the Magpies can consolidate their hold on a spot in the five if they can get the points.
Macquarie Uni v Manly (Macquarie Uni Oval, Saturday 1:30pm)
Macquarie Uni Oval will be the venue for the clash between the Warriors and the Wolves.
The Warriors are yet to salute this season, and were held to just one point by a red-hot Inner West Magpies at Picken Oval last week as they went down by 92 points. Chelsea Quinn and Chloe Davis kept working hard all day against the odds, but the Warriors didn’t have the firepower to match it against one of the competition heavyweights; and there’s plenty of work for Macquarie Uni to do to lift their workrate this time round.
Manly continued on their winning ways last week, 27 points too good for Sydney Uni at Weldon Oval. Holly Graham was unstoppable on the forward line to finish with four goals, while Emily Goodsir was once again a prolific ball-winner. With players of that calibre putting in solid performances for the Wolves, they haven’t put too much wrong this season and their premiership defence continues to look good.
On paper this game looks like a mismatch. But games aren’t won on paper. The Warriors will need to be on the top of their game, scrap for every possession and put the Wolves under plenty of pressure. If they can do that, this game could be a lot closer than the formlines suggest.
East Coast v North Shore (Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 4:30pm)
Ladder leaders East Coast face off against North Shore in what is likely to be a well-contested battle between two of the competition’s form teams.
The Eagles have carried all before them this season, and last week at Waverley they were untroubled in holding the Bats goal-less to record an easy 84-point win. Every week they come up with winning players, and least week it was the turn of Ally Dallaway and Annaleise Barton to stand and deliver for the Eagles. They remain undefeated, with an impressive percentage, and continue to deliver the goods every week.
North Shore sit inside the top five, but were made to work hard last week as they defended grimly against Pennant Hills at Mike Kenny to fall over the line by just three points. Zoe Hurrell and Alyce Keating starred for the Bombers in a game where they had to hang on for dear life; but in the end the Bombers got the job done.
The Eagles haven’t put a foot wrong so far this season, and sit top of the ladder. But the Bombers will be relishing this challenge. They have shown themselves to be competitive against top clubs in their short history in Premier Division, and to claim the scalp of the competition leader on their turf is the challenge they’re champing at the bit to take on.
Photo Leigh Gazzard
