AFL Sydney Premier Division Men’s and Women’s – Round 10 Preview
Written By Michael Shillito
We made it halfway through the regular season with a well-deserved week off! A breather, and a chance to get over any little niggles but this Saturday we’re back into it for the second half of the season. For our top teams, this is a chance to extend their advantage and get the team balance right ahead of the finals. For the others, it’s time to string some wins together while it’s still mathematically possible to make it. There’s some fascinating match-ups this week that could tell us a lot about how the season will shape up.
Men’s Premier Division
Sydney Uni v UNSW-ES (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 1:50pm this Saturday for the AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division ‘Match of the Round’
The Students and the Bulldogs have faced off in the last three Grand Finals, and at the moment are 3rd v 2nd, entertaining the strong possibility of meeting in the big dance again. Up for grabs here is not just ladder position but a key psychological edge for the business end of the season. This game will be streamed live on AFL Sydney’s Facebook page and on Kayo Sports; so wherever you are, you don’t have to miss a second of the action.
The Students have won their last six games on the trot. In the last round before the long weekend break, a flying start against East Coast at Kanebridge was enough to get them on their way to an easy 49-point win. Keep an eye out for Lewis Stevenson and Aaron Day, who featured prominently against the Eagles last start and will be looking to continue that momentum into the second half of the season.
UNSW-ES have only dropped one game so far this season, and in their last start were ruthless in their demolition of Manly at Weldon Oval; holding the Wolves to a single goal to record a 112-point win. Brandon Jack and Tom Banuelos were unstoppable up forward, each of them booting five goals as the Bulldogs had no shortage of attacking targets. It was the sort of form that shows why they are once again a leading contender for this year’s premiership.
The two sides met at Henson Park in Round 3, and on that occasion the Bulldogs took out a comfortable 53-point win. The Students haven’t lost since. Expect a closer battle this time round; and with Sydney Uni having the home advantage this time, there shouldn’t be much separating the two sides when the final siren sounds.
Inner West Magpies v Manly Wolves (Picken Oval, Saturday 2:00pm)
There’s always a keenly-fought battle when the Magpies and Wolves face off, and there’s plenty to play for this time around when they meet at Picken Oval on Saturday. At their last start, the Magpies missed an opportunity to move into the top five when they were never in the contest against St George at Old’s Park and went down by 61 points. The loss leaves the Magpies in seventh spot, six points behind the Dragons and with some work to do in the second half of the season if they are to return to finals action.
The Magpies had plenty of contributors, with Josh Robinson and Pat Wilmot featuring prominently; but the Magpies will be all too aware they have to lift considerably if they are to be premiership contenders. The Wolves have had to wait two weeks to bounce back, but will be looking to hit back hard after they were easily beaten by UNSW-ES at Weldon Oval at their last start.
The Wolves found themselves held to a single goal and went down by 112 points. Ryan Wearne and Nick Marsh went down fighting, as they tried time and time again to hold back the Bulldog charge, but the Wolves didn’t have the firepower to match it with one of the competition heavyweights.
The two sides met at Weldon in the opening round of the season, and on that occasion the Magpies got up in a thriller by five points. This time round, the Magpies will need a win to stay within sight of the top five. The Wolves, with just two wins so far this season, will need to get a winning streak going if they are to have any hope of catching up with the pack; and this is their opportunity.
Pennant Hills v St George (Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 2:40pm)
A match that could have plenty of implications for how the ladder shapes up when finals come around will be fought out at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday when fourth-placed Pennant Hills meet fifth-placed St George. Pennant Hills have won their last two starts.
The last game before the break was at Trumper Park, where the Demons led all the way to record a 47-point win over UTS. There were plenty of winners around the ground for the Demons, with Charles Allison being the pick of them; while Jonathan Moran continued his strong development with a Rising Star nomination. There’s plenty to like about the Demons’ form in the first half of the year, and they’ll be keen to keep that run going.
The Dragons go into this game with winning form on the board, on the back of a 61-point win over Inner West in the last game before the long weekend. Dominic Soffe and Miles Flanagan were ball magnets all day, picking up plenty of possessions as the Dragons wore the Magpies down. It was the Dragons’ third win on the trot, and they’ll be going into this game with plenty of confidence. The Demons are a game ahead of the Dragons going into this match, but the Dragons have a better percentage. A Pennant Hills win will keep them within striking distance of the double chance. But if the Dragons can get the result on the road, their grip on a finals berth will be tighter.
The last meeting between the two teams, back in Round 2 at Olds Park, saw the Demons get up by 25 points. There shouldn’t be much in it this time round.
North Shore v UTS (Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 3:20pm)
The Bombers take on the Bats at Gore Hill in a match which the home side will be favourites, but where they can’t afford to take the opposition lightly.
North Shore went into the break undefeated on top of the ladder, and underlined their impressive form last start when they travelled to Fairfax Reserve and were untroubled in defeating the Cats by 131 points. Ned Campbell was unstoppable as he drifted forward time and time again to finish with six goals, while Reed Van Huisstede picked up myriad possessions around the ground. The Bombers have had plenty of winners so far this season, and won’t want to stop their winning run now.
The Bats went down to Pennant Hills by 47 points in their last start; but could have got a lot closer had they not missed some shots at goal in the first half that they should have converted. A half-time score of 2.9 cost them a shot at claiming the scalp of a finals contender. Ash Backlund and Daniel Crouch were impressive for the Bats, but that match was a missed opportunity. This time, on the road against a top team, the Bats will need to make every post a winner.
The Bombers haven’t dropped a game all season, and won’t want to drop any momentum at this stage of the year. They’ve beaten the Bats already once this season, when they recorded a 57-point win at Waverley in Round 2. But the stakes are high for the Bats, who have been in the top five for most of the season but are now sixth, a game behind St George. A loss here and they risk dropping back and losing sight of the five. They’ve worked too hard to let this year’s finals opportunity slip without putting up a fight.
East Coast v Camden (Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 4:00pm)
Desperation stakes will be high when the Eagles face off against the Cats in a twilight encounter at Kanebridge Oval. In a season where wins have been hard to come by, four valuable competition points are on offer.
The Eagles found themselves up against it against Sydney Uni at their last start, when they conceded five unanswered goals in the first term. It was a reasonably competitive effort after that, but the slow start meant they were never in the contest and went down by 49 points. Tom Zdrillic proved a handy target up forward to finish with four goals, while Alex Foxall was in the thick of the action around the ground; and they’ll be looking to build on that form this time round.
It’s been a tough season for Camden, and the Cats were well beaten by North Shore in their last start as they were held to two goals and went down by 131 points. Josh Bannister and Will Gamble kept pushing through against the odds, but the Cats didn’t have the manpower to match it against the top team. This time round, against an opponent that has saluted just once so far in 2021, they’ll be looking for a closer contest.
The Eagles won by 72 points when the two sides last met, in Round 3 at Fairfax Reserve. With the home ground advantage this time, the Eagles will be keen to break their losing streak and salute for the second time this season. But for the Cats, in what has been a tough season, this game is their opportunity to finally record a win. Expect them to lift and fight all the way, this is their biggest chance for a while to break through.
Womens Premier Division
Sydney Uni v UNSW-ES (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 4:20pm this Saturday for the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division ‘Match of the Round’
Our live streaming match this week is a university derby at Sydney Uni No 1, as Sydney Uni hosts UNSW-ES. The game will be shown live on the AFL Sydney Facebook page and on Kayo Sports. If any of the teams currently in the top five are to be dislodged from the finals, one of these teams is going to have to use this match to kick-start a winning streak.
In the last start before the long weekend, Sydney Uni was never in the contest at Kanebridge Oval against an impressive East Coast team, held to a single goal to go down by 41 points. The experienced hands of Louise Stephenson and Chaylee Reeve battled tirelessly to repel repeated Eagle raids, but Sydney Uni will be looking for some more attacking firepower in their quest to build a winning score this time round.
The Bulldogs have had to wait two weeks for a chance to redeem themselves after a disappointing performance at Weldon Oval in their last start; where they struggled against a red-hot Manly side and went down by 110 points. But even on a disappointing day, they had some joy with Emelye Blades playing her way to a Rising Star nomination, while Mattison Ball also battled tirelessly. But the Bulldogs will be desperate to bounce back this time after such a heavy loss.
The two sides have met before this season. In Round 3 at Henson Park, it was the Bulldogs who prevailed by 26 points. This time Sydney Uni are at home. With Sydney Uni two games out of the five, and UNSW-ES three games out; it’s now or never. A loss here, and it’ll be hard to bridge the gap to this year’s finals.
Inner West v Manly (Picken Oval, Saturday 10:15am)
It’s an early start at Picken Oval for a replay of last year’s Grand Final, as Inner West Magpies will play host to last year’s premiers.
The Magpies got up against Southern Power by two points in a thriller at Waratah Oval last start. An important result in the context of the season, as it puts the two sides level with six wins; with the Magpies’ superior percentage putting them into third place. Tanya Kennedy and the ever-reliable Lael Kassem stood out for the Magpies, but it was a solid team effort that had propelled them into pole position in the race for the double-chance against Southern Power and North Shore.
Defending premiers Manly have only dropped one game so far this season, and at their last start dominated from start to finish to hand UNSW-ES a 110-point result at Weldon Oval. Isabella Rudolph was in red-hot form, while Holly Graham was also an impressive performer; but they were just two of many Manly players who played their roles to perfection on the day. The Wolves have played some impressive footy in recent weeks, and a re-match with the team they beat in last year’s Grand Final will be a challenge they will relish.
The two sides played in the opening round this year, and Manly on that occasion won by 23 points. This time the Magpies have the home ground advantage. They will need to display some grit and tough defensive work to reverse their fortunes against a star-studded and in-form Manly lineup.
Pennant Hills v Southern Power (Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 12:40pm)
A lunch-time clash on the lower oval at Mike Kenny sees Pennant Hills play host to Southern Power.
The Demons will go into this game looking to bounce back after letting a winning opportunity go in their last start; when they were unable to score a goal in the first half against UTS at Trumper Park. Although the Demons won the second half, they were coming from too far behind to be a threat and went down by 18 points. Eleanor Rugg and Tayla Duguid played key roles in the Demon’s fightback in the second half; and they’ll be looking to continue that momentum in their quest to turn the club’s season around.
Southern Power in their last start went down in a thriller at Waratah Oval to Inner West Magpies, going down by just two points. Sarah Heptinstall and Emily Eaves worked hard all day for the Power, but in the end it was a heartbreaking result for them; one that saw them drop to fourth on the ladder. But, depending on what happens at Picken Oval, here is a chance for the Power to re-enter the double-chance spot on the ladder.
When the two sides met in Round 2 at Waratah Oval, Southern Power had a comfortable 36-point result. This time the Demons are at home and will be desperate to land some competition points; and the Power will have to work hard. Expect a closer contest this time.
North Shore v UTS (Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 5:40pm)
A twilight encounter on the synthetic at Gore Hill sees the Bombers play host to the Bats in a game that could tell us plenty about North Shore’s finals credentials.
The Bombers got out of jail in their last start, trailing at three quarter time at Macquarie Uni but coming from behind and getting home by just three points. Sophie Gidley and Genevieve Love played key roles in the Bombers’ final quarter heroics. It was far from convincing, but as they have done a few times this season, the Bombers found a way to win; and the result sees them with six wins to date, level on games with third and fourth but with an inferior percentage.
The Bats also go into this game with a win at their last start, when a flying start was enough to get them home by 18 points against Pennant Hills at Trumper Park. Kate Heal and Angelique Stramotas led the way; but the Bats had many contributors on the day. It was the Bats’ second win of the season, and they’ll be keen to capitalise on that win to bring some morale and confidence to the second half of the year.
The two sides met at Trumper Park in Round 2, and on that occasion North Shore were 48 points too good for the Bats. The Bombers will go in as favourites this time; but to be a contender for the double-chance in the finals, they will need to not only record the win but boost their percentage, which is currently well behind Inner West Magpies and Southern Power.
East Coast v Macquarie Uni (Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 6:20pm)
The last game this round will be at Kanebridge Oval, where East Coast take on Macquarie Uni. It’s first v last; but the Eagles can’t afford to take this one lightly.
The Eagles haven’t put a foot wrong all season, and at their last start continued their impressive run of form with a convincing 41-point win over Sydney Uni. Tarni Evans led the way with three goals, while GWS-listed Georgia Garnett was gathering possessions at will. The Eagles continue week after week to produce the goods, and they’ll be keen to maintain that run of form as we move into the second half of the season.
Macquarie Uni remain winless, but surely their first win isn’t too far away. They’ve lost a few close ones, and at their last start they led North Shore at three quarter time but were unable to last the distance and went down by just three points. Steffanie Lee and Jodie Hicks led the way for the Warriors, and will need to put in some big performances this week if they are to match it with the competition leaders. The Warriors are unlucky to have not yet saluted this season, but this will be the ultimate test for them.
East Coast have taken all before them this season; and defeated the Warriors by 93 points when the two sides met in Round 3 at Macquarie Uni. But the Warriors have put up some fighting efforts in recent weeks, and you can expect a much more competitive match this time round.
