AFL Sydney Premier Division Men’s and Women’s – Round 1 Preview
Written by Michael Shillito
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We’ve waited through the summer for this moment, and now it has come. A new season, new beginnings, and a new challenge. In the next few months, dreams will come true and hearts will be broken. For some, the sweet smell of success; for others, disappointment. And for all, the belonging that comes from being a part of our great game.
After two seasons of covid disruption in 2020 & 2021, and then the rain and ground closures playing havoc with the fixturing last year; we can only hope that 2022 brings us some form of normality and a full season with home games and away games. Not just in Prems, but in the other divisions as well, where they haven’t been able to play many games in the last few years.
In the Mens’ Premier Division, we have the same nine teams as last season. UNSW-ES were the benchmark last season, but they’ll have to lift the bar again in 2023. Sydney Uni have the bye in the opening round, and they’ll join the competition after the Easter break.
In Womens’ Premier Division, we’re down to nine teams for 2023. Inner West Magpies won’t be playing this year. And Macquarie Uni, with their long history in womens footy, have joined forces with the Goannas to bolster their stocks for the season. East Coast are the reigning champions, but they’ll face some stiff competition again this season and defending their title won’t be easy. UNSW-ES have the bye first up, so they’ll be taking it easy this weekend in anticipation of starting their season after the Easter break.
Win or lose, sink or swim, triumph or tragedy; it’s great to have the footy back!!
Men’s Premier Division
East Coast Eagles v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 12:50pm
AFL Sydney Match of the Round coverage on Kayo Sports Live from 12:40pm – Click here
First match to get under way will be at Kanebridge Oval, as the Eagles play host to the Wolves. They were the bottom two teams last year, and are both looking to climb the ladder in 2023; and here is an opportunity to get the season off to a flying start. It’ll be a game to keep your eye on, and if you can’t get up to Rouse Hill you can follow this one live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
Last year was one the Eagles would prefer to forget at this level. 15 games played, won none of them and a percentage of less than 30. Surely they will lift in 2023. There’s some new faces around the club, and plenty of players who have worked hard through the off-season to improve their game. A first-up win would do wonders for the squad, and this is one that is winnable.
Manly won three games last season, hitting their best form in the last few weeks and will be looking to carry that forward into 2023. Encouraging for the Wolves was the development of young talent, with their Under 19s teams going deep into the finals in both competitions; and you can expect to see several of the young guns from those campaigns make their way into senior footy in 2023.
The two sides played twice last year, and it was the Wolves who saluted on both occasions. A 28-point win at Gore Hill in the opening round was followed up with a comprehensive 50-point result at Weldon in round 15. This time round the Eagles have the home advantage, and will be looking to make it count. Both teams faced their struggles last year and are looking for an improved output in 2023, and here is the golden opportunity to get their season off to a cracking start.
North Shore Bombers v UTS Bats
Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 1:30pm
The Bombers and the Bats commence their respective 2023 campaigns on the synthetic at Gore Hill, in a match that will tell us plenty about what each side can aspire to this season.
North Shore had a solid 2022 season, and made it through to the Grand Final. Early in the last quarter they got within two goals of the Bulldogs, but were unable to get any closer and the dream of breaking their premiership drought was to elude them again. But even with a few departures, there’s a very strong team in the black and red again in 2023; and no reason why they can’t expect to have a crack at the flag this season. But they have to make the finals first, and that starts here.
In 2022 the Bats started the season full of promise, winning three of their first five games. But as injuries and wet weather set in, they fell away and would win only two more matches for the year. This year they have to last the whole season, and that starts here. A credible performance against one of the leading contenders will be a boost for the team; but they can’t afford to get blown away. It’s time for the Bats to dig deep.
Last year the two sides played twice, with the Bombers collecting easy wins on both occasions. A 59-point win at Gore Hill in round 9 was followed by a convincing 106-point result at Trumper Park in round 16. The Bombers will again be the hottest of favourites here; but the Bats will be working hard in this contest. There will be upsets in 2023, and the Bombers can’t take the Bats lightly.
Inner West Magpies v UNSW-ES Bulldogs
Picken Oval, Saturday 2:10pm
There’s been some keenly-fought battles between these clubs in seasons past, and the Magpies and the Bulldogs will be ready for another big contest at Picken Oval on Saturday afternoon; both with reason to be optimistic about the season to come.
Inner West Magpies returned to finals action last year, breaking an 8-year drought. And it was a credible performance on Elimination Final day last year, although the Magpies fell short. But this is a club on the rise, which has shown steady improvement in recent seasons; and they’re ready to take the next step and be one of the season’s contenders. This will be a test for them, and a challenge they’ll be fired up and ready to take on.
The Bulldogs have taken all before them in recent years. They’ve played in the last four Grand Finals, winning three of them; and they’ve got a star-studded lineup that will once again be the benchmark that other clubs will be comparing themselves to. The Bulldogs are keen to continue their dynasty, and that starts here. They’ll want to make a statement early in the season.
The Bulldogs collected the points in both the meetings last year. In round 2 at Henson Park, there was 11 points separating the two sides. It was more one-sides at Blacktown in round 15, with the Bulldogs getting up by 76 points. This time the Magpies have the home advantage. They only dropped one game at Picken Oval last year; and here is an opportunity to claim a big scalp and turn their clubhouse into a fortress. The Magpies are ready, and the Bulldogs won’t be taking them lightly. This is one to watch.
Pennant Hills Demons v St George Dragons
Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 2:40pm
The Demons and the Dragons will face off at Mike Kenny Oval in a contest that could tell us plenty about the destiny of both clubs in 2023.
It’s unusual for Pennant Hills to miss out on finals action, and last year was only the second time in close to 20 years that the Demons were not there at the business end of the season. There wasn’t much in it, they only missed out by half a game; but you can be sure that the Demons will be throwing everything at the quest to return to the playoffs in 2023. And that starts here, with a game that they must win.
St George had a good year in 2022, making it into the finals and winning two playoff games before falling short against North Shore in the Preliminary Final. They’ve lost a few players, but there’s plenty of quality from their reserves premiership team who will make their way into Premier Division this year. For the first time in a while, the Dragons will have genuine aspirations to take out the title; and if they are to be contenders, this is where it begins. This is the sort of game that separates the contenders from the pretenders.
The two sides split their meetings last year. The Demons won a thriller by two points at Henson Park in the opening round last year, but the Dragons were too good in the return game at Mike Kenny in the final round last year, taking the game out by 31 points and ensuring that it was the Dragons and not the Demons who would be playing finals. The Demons have a point to prove this time, while the Dragons are looking to build on what they achieved last year. This is a contest to look forward to, and one that could give an insight into what to expect from both of these clubs in season 2023.
Women’s Premier Division
Macquarie Uni Goannas v Sydney University
Gipps Road Oval, Saturday 10:40am
AFL Sydney Match of the Round coverage on Kayo Sports Live from 10:30pm – Click here
A new era in women’s footy for Macquarie Uni and the Goannas gets under way with a morning start at Gipps Road Oval; as the Macquarie Uni Goannas take the field for the first time, taking on Sydney Uni.
Macquarie Uni have a long history in women’s footy, and have taken out plenty of premiership success in that time. But last year was a challenging one for them, in which they were only able to sing the song twice. This year they’ve bolstered the squad by joining forces with the Goannas, who have hit the ground running in women’s footy in recent years and took out the Division One premiership last year. It’s a new era, and one that has potential to build a powerhouse in the women’s game.
They’re up against Sydney Uni. The Students had a successful season last year, stringing some impressive wins together to finish in third place. It was a season in which they built up some impressive momentum, and the aim this season will surely be to go one game better and take part in the Grand Final. The talent is there to do it.
Sydney Uni won both their clashes against Macquarie Uni last year, with a 14-point win at Mike Kenny in round 6 followed up by a 31-point result at Blacktown in round 12. But the Students will face some stiff competition this time round, with the joint venture looking to open its existence in style. This will be one to watch, which will give us a good indication of what to expect from these clubs in 2023.
North Shore Bombers v UTS Bats
Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 11:50am
A lunchtime spectacular at Gore Hill Oval will see the Bombers face off with the Bats. After North Shore edged UTS out of last year’s finals, the Bats will come into this one with a point to prove.
North Shore were successful in that final round showdown at Trumper Park last year, and were able to get into the finals. An Elimination Final win and a loss in the Minor Semi-Final saw the Bombers finish fourth last season, their best ever finish at this level. A solid season, but one they’re keen to further improve on in 2023, building on the foundations of last year.
The Bats come into this one looking for revenge. It had been a good season for them, but their finals quest fell at the final hurdle. This year they’re looking to make the next step and become a playoff team; and that starts here. This is the sort of game they need to win, and you can be sure they’ll throw everything at it.
The Bombers won both the clashes between the two teams last year. A 34-point win at Gore Hill in round 9 was followed by that fateful clash in the final round last year, when the Bombers got up by 24 points. But now the slate is wiped clean and it’s the start of a new challenge; and for two teams with not much likely to separate them, here is the opportunity to get the 2023 campaign off to a flying start.
Pennant Hills Demons v Southern Power
Mike Kenny Oval (Lower Oval), Saturday 12:40pm
Pennant Hills take on Southern Power at Mike Kenny Oval, in a clash that both teams will be looking to as an opportunity to launch their 2023 campaign in style with a first-up win.
Pennant Hills last year took some time to get their season going, but hit some form late in the year with a few wins over finals teams. It came too late for them to make a run at the finals, but the Demons had built up some momentum that they’ll be looking to carry over into 2023. Having left their run too late last year, they’ll be keen to accumulate some competition points early; and this is one game they’ll have pencilled in as a good chance to kick-start the season.
It wasn’t a great 2022 for Southern Power, and they didn’t get to sing the team song until the last round of the season. They won’t want to wait so long to clock up a win this year, and will need to come out firing in this opening round. There’s some exciting talent in the Power lineup who have gained valuable experience through the trials of last year, and with another pre-season under their belt they’re ready to make the next step.
The two sides would only play once last year, in the opening round; and the Demons got up by 12 points at Henson Park. They’re again opening the season against each other, and there’s four valuable competition points on the line. The quest for a stronger 2023 than last year starts here, and both sides are fit and firing and ready to go.
East Coast Eagles v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 3:10pm
AFL Sydney Match of the Round coverage on Kayo Sports Live from 3:00pm – Click here
This will surely be one of the most keenly-anticipated season opener games in many a long year. A replay of last year’s epic Grand Final, with the Eagles unfurling their flag before what is sure to be a hotly-contested match against the Wolves. It doesn’t come much bigger than this, and there’s sure to be a good roll-up at Kanebridge for this one. But even if you can’t get there, you can still catch the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
Last year was a bit of a roller-coaster for both clubs, and the Eagles were looking shaky on their way to the Grand Final. But when the competition decider came around, they rose to the occasion and put in a dominant performance. Manly weren’t able to get up on the day, but in getting to the Grand Final they maintained their perfect record at this level in completed seasons of being a Grand Finallist. But they’ll want to go one better in 2023, and have a strong squad again this season.
There were four clashes between these teams last season, resulting in a 2-2 split. The opening round last year at Gore Hill saw the Eagles prevail by 30 points. But the Wolves reversed that result in round 15, with a comprehensive 37-point win; and backed it up in the Major Semi-Final with a 20-point result to get into the Grand Final. But in the game that mattered most, the Eagles turned the tables and prevailed by 18 points.
This is only the Eagles’ fifth season in Premier Division and the Wolves’ fourth, and one of those seasons was never completed. But already these clubs have developed a strong rivalry and proven themselves to be the elite performers at this level. A rivalry that takes on another chapter in a game that will see the winner send a strong message to the rest of the league that they mean business in 2023.
