AFL Sydney Premier Division Men’s & Women’s- Round 14 Preview
Written by Michael Shillito
Seven into five won’t go.
In both the Mens & Womens Premier Division comps, there are seven teams still in the finals race; but only five can make the playoffs. Two will miss out. There’ll be some hard luck stories, but for the moment it’s up to the teams still in contention to ensure it won’t be them who are left out at the business end of the season.
There’s still five weeks to go for the Men. Manly have the bye this week. The Wolves won’t be playing finals this year, but in their absence there’s some games that will be of critical importance as to how the finals take shape.
Only three weeks to go in the Womens comp, so it’s a mad scramble to the finish line. The top three, who will have the double-chance in the finals, look safe. But the two sudden-death spots are well and truly still up for grabs; and it’s looking extremely tight.
MENS PREMIER DIVISION
Pennant Hills Demons v Sydney University
Mike Kenny Top Oval, Saturday 1:40pm
The Demons take on the Students at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday afternoon in a game of high stakes. The Demons sit outside the top five and can’t afford a slip-up here; while the Students will be desperate to remain in the top three and stay in pole position for the double-chance. It’s a massive game in the context of finals qualification, and you can catch all the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
The Demons returned to the winning list at Kanebridge last week, snapping a four-game losing streak with a 35-point win over East Coast. Stephen Wray and Jason Blakemore were instrumental for the Demons in a welcome return to form; and now that the losing streak is over, the Demons have some work to do to regain their position in the top five. Over the years, we’ve seen time and again that the Demons can get the job done when it matters.
The Students make the trip to Cherrybrook with winning form on the board, on the back of a 54-point win over Manly at Sydney Uni No 1 last week. A flying start laid the foundations, and there was no way the Students were letting the Wolves back into the contest. Sam Gilfedder and Nathan Tang led the way for the Students; and the Students will be looking for another big effort from them to get over the line in this clash.
The two teams faced off in round five at Sydney Uni No 1, and on that occasion the Demons took the honours with a 15-point result. The Demons are at home this time, and will be looking to replicate that result. If they don’t, their match ratio drops under 50% and they’ll be up against it so far as making the finals is concerned. But the Students also have a battle on their hand, and this is the sort of game they need to win if they are to get the double-chance in the finals.
St George Dragons v Inner West Magpies
Olds Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Fifth hosts fourth in this high-stakes clash at Olds Park on Saturday. The Dragons and the Magpies have had plenty of tightly-contested encounters in seasons past, and there’s plenty on the line this time round to ensure another close battle is likely.
The Dragons will have hit the training track hard this week, determined to bounce back from a heavy loss last week; when they took on the ladder-leading UNSW-ES at Henson Park but went down by 94 points. Tyler Gorman-Brown and Nelson Carey kept putting the effort in all day, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Dragons in the contest. The Dragons remain in the top five, but the Sword of Damocles rests over their head; and they must hit back hard this week to stay in the five.
Inner West Magpies also will be looking to hit back after going to North Shore by 13 points on a heavy track at Picken Oval last week. Nick Pleming and Kel Evans were in the thick of the action for the Magpies as they put up a good fight against the Bombers; but were ultimately unable to pick up the points. The Magpies remain in fourth place, still very much in the hunt for the double-chance; but this is the sort of game they need to win if they are to be genuine contenders.
The two sides met in round nine at Wagener Oval, and on that occasion the Magpies came from behind to claim a 13-point win. This time the Dragons have the home advantage, and they need to make it count. It will be hard for both these teams to make the finals; and the team that misses out could well look back at this game and ponder what might have been. Up for grabs is not only the points the winner gets, but the points the loser doesn’t get.
UNSW-ES Bulldogs v UTS Bats
Henson Park, Saturday 2:30pm
An Eastern derby always has plenty of passion in it; and there’s a lot to play for when the Bulldogs and the bats face off on Saturday afternoon. There’s plenty at stake, especially for the Bats.
The Bulldogs are safely in the finals, and with a two-game break on top of the ladder, they can tighten their grip on the minor premiership in this clash. Last week they mathematically guaranteed their finals place in style, blowing St George out of the water by 94 points at Henson Park. Darcy Cordell and Cooper Kilpatrick were standouts for the Bulldogs, but they had winners all round the ground; and when they’re on a roll it takes something special to stop them.
UTS haven’t played for two weeks, with a washout and a bye keeping them sidelined. Their last game was in round 11, and resulted in a 21-point win over Pennant Hills. Reid McNamara and Kyle Emley led the way for the Bats as they levelled up their win-loss ratio; but have been held there for two weeks of inaction. But now is the time the Bats must make their move, leave nothing in the tank and launch their campaign for a finals berth.
The two sides played at Waverley in round three, with the Bulldogs getting up by a whopping 119 points. The Bats can’t afford that to happen again. There’s no time to lose for the Bats. With a match ratio of 50% and a poor percentage, their finals hopes are hanging by a thread. Five weeks flat out, there’s no time for the Bats to lose. This game will be tough, but they need a credible performance.
North Shore Bombers v East Coast Eagles
Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 3:20pm
An important game for the Bombers on the Gore Hill synthetic matches the home side against East Coast Eagles. The Bombers are well placed, but they need to build up a buffer here for the onslaught to come.
North Shore took out a 13-point win against Inner West at Picken Oval last week to maintain second spot on the ladder. There wasn’t much in it all day, but the Bombers managed to keep themselves in front; with Max Thomas and Jake Veale featuring prominently for the Bombers. Without looking totally dominant, the Bombers have worked themselves up to second on the ladder; and they’re building momentum quite nicely.
East Coast are yet to salute this season, and last week at Kanebridge they were blown away after half time by Pennant Hills to go down by 35 points. Despite the best efforts of Daniel Gauci and Baylee Jones, the Eagles weren’t able to find the firepower to get the result. Time is running out, and the Eagles won’t want to go through the season empty-handed. This would be a boilover, but it’s a scalp the Eagles would love to claim.
The two sides have played this season, back in round four at Kanebridge. The Bombers won comfortably by 50 points; and this time they’re at home. At the moment they sit in second place, but they’ll be looking for not just the win but the margin, to build up a percentage buffer. The Bombers have a tough draw in the last few rounds, and any premiership points and percentage they can build up now will be valuable for them to hold on for the double-chance in the finals.
WOMENS PREMIER DIVISION
UNSW-ES Bulldogs v UTS Bats
Henson Park, Saturday 10:50am
The Bulldogs and the Bats face off in a morning game at Henson Park, a high-stakes local derby. Sixth v seventh, both teams knocking on the door of the top five. Time is running out, and a loss would be devastating for the finals hopes of both teams.
The Bulldogs sit in sixth place, level on games with North Shore and Inner West; but their poor percentage could hold them back, and they will need to win one more game than the Bombers or the Magpies to make the finals. Last week they kept themselves in the hunt with a 24-point win over Southern Power. Senna Gulden and Imogen McDonald were pivotal to the Bulldogs’ success; and with the stakes so high and no margin for error, they’ll need to put in big efforts again this time round.
The Bats are in seventh, a game behind the Bulldogs; with a better percentage than the Bulldogs but not as good as the Bombers or Magpies. In a tight finals race, they need to not -just win but win by enough to bridge the premiership gap. But they made a big step towards repairing their percentage last week with a big 87-point win over Macquarie Uni. Jessica Quade chipped in with four goals and Marnie Robinson was best on ground as the Bats kept piling on the goals to keep themselves in the hunt.
When the two sides met in round three at Waverley, the Bulldogs fell over the line by just four points. With so much to play for, you can expect another close one. In the last two rounds the Bulldogs have Inner West and Pennant Hills, both away. Both are winnable, but neither are certainties. The Bats host Sydney Uni and North Shore in the last two rounds; and would likely need to win both of them to be a finals chance. For both teams it’s tough; for the loser of this game, almost terminal. There is no room for a slip-up, they can’t afford a mistake here. Expect a tight tussle, both teams are fighting for their lives.
Manly-Warringah Wolves v Macquarie Uni Warriors
Weldon Oval, Saturday 12:00pm
We’re set for a high noon shootout at Weldon Oval as the Wolves host Macquarie Uni. Manly will be looking for a win to wrap up the double-chance in the finals, but the Warriors won’t be making it easy for them.
The Wolves go into this game looking to bounce back after going down to Sydney Uni by eight points last week. The Wolves were 16 points to the good at half time, but ran out of legs in the second half to drop the game and fall behind the Students on the ladder. Andrea Roditis and Eliza McEwan worked hard for the Wolves, but that was one that got away; and the Wolves will be sure to work on putting in the effort for the full four quarters this time.
It was a disappointing result for the Warriors at Blacktown last Saturday, when they were never in the hunt against UTS and went down by 87 points. Hannah Cezero and Chloe Davis tried hard, but it was one of those days for the Warriors when nothing was going to plan. For much of the year the Warriors have shown signs of progress, and they won’t want to drop their guard for another poor result this time.
In round nine at Macquarie Uni, the Wolves had the better of proceedings to take out a 37-point win. If they can get up here, they will ensure a top-three finish and avoid sudden death in the first week of the finals. That’s plenty to play for. If the Wolves don’t get it done, they have tough games against East Coast and Inner West in the last two rounds; and give the Bombers and the Magpies a sniff for the double-chance.
Pennant Hills Demons v Sydney University
Mike Kenny Top Oval, Saturday 12:05pm
Another keenly-anticipated clash will take place at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday when the Demons host Sydney Uni. The Demons won’t be playing finals, while the Students will be fine-tuning their finals preparations after ensuring they will be in the playoffs for at least the first two rounds. You don’t have to miss a moment of the action even if you can’t get there; with the game streamed live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
The Demons went so close to pulling off the boilover of the season last week at Kanebridge. Leading top side East Coast by 11 points at three quarter time, they defended desperately through the last quarter; but it was heartbreak for them as they were pipped at the post by just four points. Elizabeth Gordon and Riley Quinn were magnificent for the Demons in what was a brave fighting effort against all odds. Sadly for them, they were unable to hold on; and with the loss, their finals hopes were gone. But with a win over North Shore and then that effort against the Eagles, the Demons have shown in the last fortnight what they are capable of.
Sydney Uni have risen up the ladder in 2022, and last Saturday at Sydney Uni No 1 they guaranteed themselves the double-chance in the finals in a massive win over Manly. Coming from 16 points behind at the long break, the Students came home with a wet sail to pull of an unlikely eight-point win. It was a win built around the heroics of Maryanne Harley and the experienced Jennifer Lew; and it was a result that saw Sydney Uni leap-frog Manly into second place. Three games clear of fourth and with a better percentage, it’s been a remarkable success story for Sydney Uni in 2022.
When the two sides met at Sydney Uni No 1 in round five, it was a thriller; with the Students getting over the line by just three points. This time the Demons have the home advantage and will be keen to pull off the upset scalp. But the Students are on a roll, have some impressive momentum behind them; and it will take something special to stop them.
Southern Power v Inner West Magpies
Waratah Oval, Saturday 2:00pm
Southern Power return home to Waratah Oval to take on Inner West Magpies. The Power won’t be playing finals this year, but will be looking to finish on a positive note. The Magpies, competition front-runners in the first half of the year, have not yet ensured their finals participation; but can go a long way towards getting there if they can get up in this clash.
It’s been a frustrating season for the Power, and they are yet to sing the song in 2022. Last week they put up a fight against UNSW-ES, well led by the efforts of Emily Eaves and Jemima Wrigley; but in the end they fell 24 points short. They’ve come close a few times, and with only a few weeks to go they would love nothing more than to taste the spoils of victory.
The Magpies also go into this game on the rebound. Last week at Picken Oval they fell behind North Shore on a heavy track and went down by 15 points. As they have so often this year, the Magpies were well served by Elly Jenkins and Madeline Convery; but they were unable to take the points. The result sees the Magpies in fifth place, hanging on to a spot in the top five on percentage. They need to make this game against the bottom side count.
When the two sides met in round nine at Wagener Oval, the Magpies got up by 19 points. The Power put up a good fight against the Magpies that day, and will feel encouraged about their chances of going a step better. But the Magpies can’t afford a slip-up here. In the last two rounds they have the Bulldogs at home then Manly away. If they can’t get up against the Power, their finals chances will be in jeopardy.
North Shore Bombers v East Coast Eagles
Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 5:40pm
It’ll be a tough battle under lights at Gore Hill as the Bombers take on the Eagles. The Eagles have top spot wrapped up, but the Bombers have plenty to fight for with their finals hopes on the line.
North Shore returned to the winning list week, moving up to fourth on the ladder, when they travelled to Picken Oval and returned home with a 15-point win. Liv Edwards and Shannon Smit played key roles for the Bombers to get them over the line; a welcome return to form for the Bombers, and keeps them well and truly in finals contention. But this match, against the high-flying Eagles, will be a tough test for them.
East Coast sealed top spot on the ladder last week when they got up against Pennant Hills at Kanebridge. It was a result that looked in real doubt at three quarter time when the Demons held a shock 11-point lead. But the Eagles, although well short of their best, found a way to get the result done. Brooke Bailey and Chloe Arndt were instrumental to the Eagles’ success as they snatched a result that looked unlikely for much of the evening.
East Coast won the previous encounter between the two sides, with a comfortable 45-point result at Kanebridge in round four. It was part of the Eagles’ run that has taken them to the minor premiership. But the Bombers can’t afford to go down here. Their last two games are against Southern Power and UTS, which are winnable; but a loss here would likely see the Bombers drop out of the top five and be depending on other results in the last two rounds to get back in. North Shore need a win here to keep their finals hopes in their own hands.
