AFL Sydney Men’s and Women’s Premier Division Match Review – Round 2

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Written by Michael Shillito

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A week on, a week off, and now it’s time to really get stuck in and build some momentum. Round 1 before the Easter break saw four teams get their season off to a solid start; while the teams that weren’t successful have had two weeks to regroup and now are looking at a fresh beginning.

UTS in the Mens and Manly in the Womens have another week to wait before they can right the wrongs of the opening round; they have the bye this week. After going down in the opening round, there’s some work to be done and it’s a long wait for them to get back into it.

Sydney Uni in the Mens and UNSW-ES in the Womens, after byes in the opening round, enter their respective competitions this week. They’ve had a longer pre-season than the others, but now they’re pumped and ready to go.

It’s looking like a good weekend ahead, a bit of midweek rain to soften the grounds but nothing that should get in the way of this weekend’s action. There’s no excuses from the conditions, just hard work to be done to get some good footy played and the premiership points accumulating.

MEN’S PREMIER DIVISION

Manly-Warringah Wolves v Inner West Magpies

Weldon Oval, Saturday 2:00pm

The first match to get under way is the battle between the Wolves and the Magpies. One beat last year’s wooden spooner, the other went down to the defending premiers. But now we have a clash that will give both teams an indication of their form for the season ahead.

The Wolves hit the ground running in their opening round game at Kanebridge, dominating from start to finish to complete a 92-point demolition of East Coast. Lachlan Beehag was the standout, kicking four goals in a best-on-ground performance, while Willem Smit and Thomas Trevaskis also featured prominently for the Wolves. Confidence will be high for the Northern Beaches side after such a strong opening effort, and they’ll be seeing this match as an opportunity to build on that momentum and establish themselves early as one of the competition’s front-runners.

Inner West Magpies had a tough opening round, drawn to face off against defending premiers UNSW-ES at Picken Oval. The Bulldogs were too good on the day, and the Magpies found themselves on the wrong end of a 59-point result. Kyle Veerhuis, Michael Tuttle and Ben Klemke battled tirelessly against the odds, but the Magpies didn’t have the firepower to match it against the reigning champions. But with lessons learnt, they’ll be ready to take on the Wolves and kick-start their 2023 campaign.

There’s a long way to go this season. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. But the Wolves would like nothing more than to go 2-0 and set the challenge for teams below them to catch them if they can. But the Magpies will have plenty to say about that. After returning to playoff action last year, they’re keen to make a further impact in 2023; and that impact starts here.

East Coast Eagles v North Shore Bombers

Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 2:30pm

The Eagles have their second home game for the year on Saturday. But after going down by 92 points to Manly in the opening round, it doesn’t get any easier for them as they take on a red-hot North Shore in this week’s Kanebridge match-up.

Round one was not the start to the season the Eagles were hoping for, as they were unable to match it with Manly. The Eagles were unable to draw twin flags from the goal umpires until the third quarter, and by then the game was already out of reach. Harry Elbourne, Nathan Coxall and Cameron Edwards tried hard all day; but too many of the Eagles players were below the form they know they’re capable of, and will have worked hard during the Easter break to lift their game ahead of this match.

North Shore wasted no time in getting their season up and running, having little difficulty in getting past UTS by 92 points at Gore Hill in the opening round. Goal-sneak Max Thomas helped himself to four goals, while Mitch Crisafulli, Ned Campbell and Sam Barkley picked up numerous touches of the ball during the afternoon. The Bombers made the Grand Final last year and are looking to go one better this year; and made a statement that they mean business with a comprehensive first-up result.

After a difficult opening clash, the Eagles know all too well they have to lift their work-rate and get more reward for effort. But this is a tough opponent in North Shore, who hit the ground running in their opening game and have ambitions to go one better than last year’s Grand Final appearance. North Shore will go into this game as hot favourites, but they can’t afford to take the Eagles lightly. The Eagles will be determined and will have to come out fighting. They can’t afford another heavy loss this time.

Pennant Hills Demons v Sydney University Students

Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 2:40pm

It’s the second clash at Mike Kenny this season, and the Demons will be keen to continue on their winning ways in this contest. But they’ll be facing a tough opponent in the Students, who take to the field for the first time in 2023 after their opening round match. It’s a pivotal contest to the season ahead; and if you can’t make it to Greenway Park for this clash, you can catch the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.

It’s rare for the Demons not to be part of the finals action, and they were disappointed to miss out last year. But this time round they got off to the perfect start against St George at Mike Kenny Oval, getting the early jump and leading all the way to record a 51-point win. Against last year’s Preliminary Finallist, it was a pleasing result for the Demons and one that gives cause for optimism for this season; particularly the impressive form shown by the likes of Rising Star nominee Cameron Mitchell, Sam Eynaud and Luke Skrivanic. The Demons are on a mission, and this game will be a true test of where they are up to in 2023.

Sydney Uni had the bye in the opening round, and have therefore had an extra two weeks of pre-season before now they are finally ready to play for points. Last year’s finals series didn’t go the way the Students wanted, as they went out in back to back finals losses to finish fourth. It’s been a long wait, but now they have the opportunity to put things right and make an impact in 2023; and it starts here.

This is a game that will tell us plenty about the season that lies ahead of us. Are the Demons set to be improvers and work their way back to the finals in 2023? A strong performance will suggest that’s a strong possibility. But if Sydney Uni get on top, it will send an ominous message to the rest of the comp that the blue and gold hoops are on their way and will take some impressive work to stop in 2023.

St George Dragons v UNSW-ES Bulldogs

Olds Park, Saturday 2:40pm

Two teams that had good seasons in 2022 will be in contention at Olds Park when the Dragons take on the Bulldogs, in a game where the winner will have built some great momentum for the 2023 season.

St George made the Preliminary Final last year, but didn’t get the start they wanted this season at Mike Kenny Oval in the opening round; when they were jumped early and were never able to get back into the contest against Pennant Hills, going down by 51 points. Tim Coenen, Ben Hodgson and Kyle McKellar kept putting the effort in, but too many others were unable to have a meaningful impact on the day’s events. But with two hard weeks on the training track, the Dragons are ready for this one, and looking to put in a strong performance.

Meanwhile, reigning premiers UNSW-ES travelled to Picken Oval for their season opener, and did enough to emerge with a 59-point win; getting their campaign for back-to-back flags off to a flying start. It was solid rather than spectacular, a win helped along by the prolific ball-winning efforts of Sam Thorne, Lachlan O’Callaghan and Charlie Burgess-Hoar. There’s plenty of talent and class in this Bulldogs lineup, and nothing that we’ve seen so far suggests they won’t be there at the business end of the season again this year.

The Bulldogs are a hard opponent to beat, but the Dragons will be desperate for the upset. After having come so far last year, they won’t want to be 0-2 to start this year. The Dragons will be keen to establish Olds Park as a fortress, and they’ll want to make a statement here. The Bulldogs can’t afford to rest on their laurels in this contest.

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WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION

Southern Power v UNSW-ES Bulldogs

Waratah Oval, Saturday 12:10pm

It’s a lunchtime spectacular at Waratah Oval as Southern Power play their first home game for the season against a UNSW-ES side that takes the field for the first time in 2023.

It wasn’t the start to the season that the Power were hoping for when they travelled to Mike Kenny Oval and were well beaten by Pennant Hills, unable to score a goal until the last quarter and going down by 62 points. Ellie Veerhuis, Amelia Martin and Laura Kent kept trying hard, but it was a tough opening to the season for the Power. This time they’re on their deck and looking to make the home ground advantage count.

UNSW-ES enter the competition this week after the opening round bye. After an eighth-place finish last year, they have ambitions of moving up into finals contention, and this is an opportunity for them to hit the ground running. An extra couple of weeks rest and preparation, and they are pumped and ready to go. There’s some new faces in the team, and they’re ready to make an impact.

After a solitary win last season, the Power will be looking to improve this season; and they had a tough opening round on the road. But if they are to make a move up the ladder in 2023, they need to make their games in the Shire count, and this is a prime opportunity for them. But the Bulldogs, looking to start their season on a high, will have plenty to say about that. Expect to see plenty of desperation in this contest, a game neither side will be willing to concede without a fight.

Pennant Hills Demons v Sydney University

Mike Kenny Oval (Lower oval), Saturday 12:40pm

The Demons play their second home game at Mike Kenny Oval, taking on Sydney Uni. It’s a game that will be keenly anticipated, and you can catch all the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.

It was the perfect season opener for the Demons in round one, as they took control against Southern Power from the start and were never threatened, cruising to a comfortable 62-point win. Brianna-Lee Wade led the way, kicking five goals in a best-on-ground performance, while Rebecca Ives and Elizabeth Gordon also featured prominently for the Demons. But it was a solid all-round effort, dominating the game from start to finish, that will lead to plenty of cause for optimism for the season ahead. But this will be a tougher contest.

It wasn’t the start to the season that Sydney Uni were hoping for when they travelled to Gipps Road for the opening round. They led at three quarter time, but were unable to hold on and lost to the Goannas by eight points. Emma Walsh, Maryanne Harley and Amelia Causley-Todd were key performers for the Students, but in the end they fell just short. There’s plenty of time left in this season, but they won’t want to fall behind the pace early; and here is their chance to pick up their form.

The Demons are on a roll, while the Students will be picking themselves up from their opening round loss. The Students, after a strong season last year, won’t want to be on the back foot with a 0-2 record; and you can expect them to come out swinging in this contest. But the Demons are in form, and this won’t be an easy game for Sydney Uni. This one will be tight and there won’t be easy scoring opportunities. There’s too much at stake for that.

East Coast Eagles v North Shore Bombers

Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 12:50pm

Defending premiers East Coast unfurled their flag in style in the opening round and commenced their campaign to go back to back with a comfortable first-up win. This week they’re at home again, playing host to a North Shore team that will be desperate after their opening round loss.

The Eagles began their season with a replay of last year’s Grand Final, and repeated the dose with a 15-point win over Manly. Caitlin Davidson led the way, scoring four goals in a best-on-ground effort, while Abbey Martin and Anneleise Barton were also prominent performers for the Eagles. Again they looked to have the answers, and whenever Manly looked ready to threaten the Eagles came up with the answers to maintain their lead. They already look like they’ll be hard to beat again in 2023.

Meanwhile at Gore Hill, North Shore suffered a 12-point loss in a low-scoring season opener against UTS. Elle Carroll, Louise Anderson and Jenny Tennant battled hard all day for the Bombers, but it wasn’t the start to the season they were looking for. And with a tough away clash this week, the Bombers are all too aware they need to lift considerably this time around.

There’s no tougher away trip than East Coast at Kanebridge, and that’s the challenge the Bombers are facing. The Eagles are on a roll, and will be strong favourites as they embark on their quest for back to back premierships. But, looking to replicate last year’s finals appearance, the Bombers will be doing all they can to avoid going 0-2 to start the season. The Bombers have to scrap and fight here, they can’t afford to let themselves be blown away.

Macquarie Uni Goannas v UTS Bats

Gipps Road Oval, Saturday 3:40pm

It will be a clash of two opening round winners in a twilight fixture at Gipps Road as Macquarie Uni Goannas take on UTS Bats; in a clash where the winner can establish themselves as one of the league’s early front runners.

In their first game as a joint venture entity in Premier Division, the Goannas showed the whole is greater than the sum of the parts as the new-look team found their way to a first-up win. There wasn’t much in it, two points behind Sydney Uni at the last change, but a strong last quarter saw them emerge with an eight point win. It was a win based around the efforts of Elisha Williams, Caitlin Fletcher and Olympia Plummer; and one that has the potential to set them up for the season ahead.

The Bats also enjoyed the spoils of a first-up win when they travelled to Gore Hill and emerged victorious. It was a tight, low-scoring clash for three quarters, with only one point separating the two teams at the last change; but three goals in the last quarter was enough to get the Bats over the line, thanks to the efforts of Georgina McDonnell, Charlotte Owen and Tanya Kennedy; while Ella Parker worked her way to a Rising Star nomination. It was a pleasing result for the Bats, and they’ll be keen to follow it up with another four points this week.

Macquarie Uni and UTS both missed out on the finals last year, and will be keen to start 2023 on a winning note to get themselves into contention early. And here is the opportunity. One of these teams will be 2-0 to start the season; with winning form, momentum and confidence running their way. That’s what’s on offer here; the chance for a flying start and building the winning mentality that can carry them through the tough challenges ahead.