AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division – Round 18 Preview
Written by Michael Shillito
Finals are in the air as we move into another big weekend of footy.
It’s the last round of the regular season for the Men. We say farewell to UTS, Manly and East Coast this weekend. While the loser of the Pennant Hills v St George game will also hit the mothballs. Inner West Magpies have the bye this week, a chance to recover from any niggles and get ahead with their finals preparation; having qualified for their first finals series since 2014.
MENS PREMIER DIVISION
UNSW-ES Bulldogs v East Coast Eagles
Henson Park, Saturday 12:20pm
A lunchtime start at Henson Park, in a match that sees first take on last. The Bulldogs already have the minor premiership wrapped up, while the wooden spoon is already headed to East Coast; and nothing that happens in this match can change that. But the Eagles will be hoping for one last big effort to close the curtain on a disappointing 2022.
The Bulldogs have been the front-runner throughout the season, racing to the top of the ladder early and setting the standard for the competition. But last Saturday at Gore Hill, the Bulldogs showed that, although the top team in the competition, they are not invincible. In a game where the lead changed hands multiple times, the Bulldogs found themselves one point short when the final siren sounded. Tom Baxter and Darcy Cordell had been magnificent; but the Bulldogs were unable to take the points. In the overall scheme of things it hasn’t affected the Bulldogs’ ladder position, and may just be the wake-up call they needed ahead of the finals.
East Coast have had to wait a fortnight for their final game, after the bye last week. Their last start was against Sydney Uni, and saw them go down by 85 points. Brandon Clark and Nathan Coxall battled tirelessly against the odds, but the Eagles were unable to find the firepower to stay competitive against the Students. Yet to salute in 2022, this is the final game. One more opportunity, one chance to find a positive ending to a year that hasn’t produced the goods.
The two sides met at Kanebridge in round 10, with the Bulldogs 107 points too good on that occasion. In a contest of first v last, the Bulldogs will have to go in as the strongest of favourites. But the Eagles have nothing to lose, and this is the last chance to avoid going through the season empty-handed. One more chance to fly the flag and to compete. While the Bulldogs will be going out to restore their winning momentum before the playoffs.
Pennant Hills Demons v St George Dragons
Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 2:40pm
The stakes don’t get much higher than what’s on offer at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday. The bottom line is simple. The winner plays finals, the loser doesn’t. There’ll be plenty of the faithful from both clubs making the trip to Cherrybrook for this; but if you can’t get there, the next best thing is the live stream on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
The Demons go into this game in sixth place. They need the win, a draw won’t cut it. Last week at Weldon, needing a win to stay in finals contention, the Demons were given a test by a determined Manly side before pulling away in the final stages to win by 26 points. It wasn’t totally convincing, but when the game was there to be won, it was the likes of Jackson Potter and Sam Eynaud who stood and delivered. We know from recent experience that the Demons are capable of doing some damage in the finals and making a move at the business end of the season. But they have to make the finals first.
St George can get to third, and the double chance, if they win this match and Sydney Uni lose to North Shore. The Dragons kept themselves in the race for third last week when they defended staunchly to record an 18-point win over Sydney Uni in a low-scoring contest at Olds Park. In tight moments when the game was there to be won, it was the likes of Ben Hodgson and Matthew Kannan who stood tall and got the job done. Their finals spot is not yet secure, and they must win here to be part of the finals. But if the Dragons can get the points, they’ll be waiting on news from Sydney Uni as to the double-chance.
The two clubs met in the opening round of the season at Henson Park, and on that occasion the Demons came from behind to defeat the Dragons by just two points. The stakes are higher this time. The winner will be part of the business end of the season to which both clubs aspire. The loser will lick their wounds and think about 2023. Expect a tight and tough contest again this time. For both clubs, there is literally no tomorrow.
UTS Bats v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Weldon Oval, Saturday 3:30pm
The contest between the Bats and the Wolves at Waverley Oval will have no bearing on the upcoming finals series. But for both clubs, although the dream of finals was not to be, this is a chance to see 2022 out on a high and sing the song one more time.
UTS’s season has unravelled badly in recent weeks, and last Saturday at Wagener Oval they were never in the contest against a Magpies side looking to wrap up a finals appearance, going down by 68 points. Xavier Barry-Murphy and Billy Kanakis kept putting the effort in, but the Bats never looked like getting into the contest as they slumped to their fourth heavy defeat in a row. A season that promised much early hasn’t delivered; but here is one final chance to salvage something from a year that has fallen below expectations.
Although Manly won’t be part of this year’s finals, the Wolves have hit their best form of the season in the last couple of weeks. Last week at Weldon they got off to a flyer against Pennant Hills and pushed them all the way before going down by 26 points. Taine Wright and Nick Marsh were impressive for the Wolves, as they gave potential finallists Pennant Hills plenty of anxious moments. They won’t be playing finals this year, but the Wolves will want to finish on a positive note and take some positives from the last few weeks into 2023.
When the two sides met at Weldon Oval in round five, the Bats took out a 25-point win. That was early in the year, when finals aspirations were still around. It’s a dream that wasn’t to be for either club. But no-one wants the season to just fizzle out. This is one last chance to fly the flag, one last chance to impress, one last chance to sing the song. The chance to make Mad Monday a celebration and have something to build on next season. It’s there for the club who is strong enough to reach out and take it.
Sydney University v North Shore Bombers
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 4:00pm
There’s always plenty of feeling and passion in a contest between Sydney Uni and North Shore; and the Students and Bombers will be looking to gain a key psychological edge on their rivals ahead of the finals. This is no dead rubber, not to anyone from either of these clubs.
Sydney Uni could drop to sudden-death if they drop this game and St George beat Pennant Hills. The best thing the Students can do to avoid sudden death is win this. They find themselves in that precarious situation after going down to St George by 18 points at Olds Park. Jack Dimery and Louis Wilson featured prominently for the Students, but they struggled to kick a winning score against dogged Dragon defending. Back on their smaller home deck, the Students will be looking for a more attacking mindset to get a winning score on the board this time.
North Shore, after looking a bit shaky at the half-way point of the season, have powered through the second half. An eight-game winning streak was highlighted last week at Gore Hill, when in a see-sawing contest the Bombers knocked off ladder leaders UNSW-ES by a point. It was a win built around the marking power of Josh Rayner and Jack Woodman; with the Bombers holding their nerve at the key moments to get over the line. The Bombers have built some handy momentum; and although whatever happens here won’t affect their place in the Qualifying Final, maintaining the rhythm they’ve built will hold them in good stead for the finals to come.
When the two sides met at Gore Hill in round three, Sydney Uni came home strongly to complete a nine-point win. If the Students fall behind here, they’ll be keeping an anxious eye on scores from Mike Kenny. Otherwise it’s plain sailing ahead to a re-match against the Bombers in the Qualifying Final. But this is no time for keeping tricks up their sleeve. Here is a chance to land a blow on a finals rival, and neither team will want to pass on that opportunity.
