AFL Sydney Men’s and Women’s Premier Division Match Preview – Round 3
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Written by Michael Shillito
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Two rounds down, and we’re seeing some movement on the ladder; with some early front-runners finding their positions on the ladder. But there’s still plenty of time for those who haven’t got the start they wanted to turn their fortunes around. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
We’ve got some big Mens Premier Division clashes this week. Saturday at Henson Park promises plenty, with a replay of last year’s Grand Final; with both UNSW-ES and North Shore undefeated so far this season. And on the ANZAC Day public holiday, all eyes will be on Picken Oval for the traditional ANZAC ceremony and blockbuster footy clash.
And some clashes in the Womens that have the potential to sort out the ladder and tell us who are really contenders in 2023.
St George in the Men’s and Pennant Hills in the Womens have the bye this week. For the Dragons, a chance to regroup and plan their fightback after a heavy defeat last weekend; while the Demons women will be training through and planning to maintain their momentum after getting up in a thriller last week.
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MEN’S PREMIER DIVISION
Sydney University Students v East Coast Eagles
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 1:05pm
Sydney Uni No 1 hosts its first Premier Division action for the season on Saturday afternoon, with a blue and gold derby between the Students and the Eagles; two sides that have had vastly different openings to this season.
Sydney Uni played their first game for the year last week at Mike Kenny Oval. The Students led all day, but struggled to shake off a persistent Pennant Hills side who kept themselves within striking distance; and in the end the Students got over the line by just 18 points. Angus Jones kicked five goals and Harry Morrison four, as they were able to come up with the goals they needed when put under pressure; while Harry Whitaker, Dom Goddard and Max Kozlik featured prominently around the ground, with Goddard making his way to a Rising Star nomination. It wasn’t totally convincing, but the Students found a way to get the job done, as top sides need to do.
Meanwhile it’s been a difficult start for the Eagles, well beaten in their first two games. Last week at Kanebridge they were up against a red-hot North Shore team and were unable to make an impact, held scoreless in the first quarter on their way to a 92-point defeat. Angus Edwards, Scott Brown and Nathan Coxall tried hard, but the Eagles didn’t have the firepower to match it with the Bombers on the day. They’ve got another tough opponent this time round; and they know only too well they’ve got to find something more in order to narrow the gap.
The Students will go into this one as the hottest of favourites, and it will take something special for the Eagles to pull off the upset. But the Eagles can’t afford to lie back here, there’s work to be done. After two heavy losses, they need to lift and play the football they know they’re capable of. If they can find that extra gear, the Eagles can put the Students under pressure.
UTS Bats v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Waverley Oval, Saturday 2:20pm
Are Manly the real deal in 2023? Two big wins to open the season and there’s a spring in the step at Weldon that we haven’t seen for a while. But this is a game that will test where the Wolves are really at, as they travel to Waverley for a clash against the rested-up UTS.
The Bats haven’t played since round 1, having had Easter and the bye since then. They’re rested and refreshed, and ready to get back into it. Round 1 wasn’t a great outing for them, when they went down to North Shore by 92 points at Gore Hill. Anthony Eussen, Josh Lee and Thomas Borrillo kept putting the work in, but the Bats struggled to match it with a strong North Shore lineup. But now they’ve fine-tuned their preparation, and on their home deck at Waverley it’s time to stand and deliver.
Last week at Weldon Oval, Manly had their second big win on the trot when they took on last year’s finalist Inner West Magpies and came out on top with a 40-point win; a margin that could have been even greater but for some inaccurate finishing when they finished with a scoreline of 8.24. Kyle Martin, Taine Wright and Nick Marsh led the way for the Wolves, but it was an impressive all-round performance that sees Manly well placed after two rounds. There’s a long way to go, and some hard games ahead; but so far so good for the maroon and whites.
The Bats need a win here to kick-start their season, and with the home ground advantage, now is the time to stand tall and make it happen. But this will be a tough clash against a Manly side that’s high on confidence. The Wolves would love to get the season off to a 3-0 start, and although there’s harder clashes to come, it would create a handy buffer for them to prepare a run for the finals. This is a clash that will tell us plenty about what we can expect to see from both these teams in 2023.
UNSW-ES Bulldogs v North Shore Bombers
Henson Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Few matches in Premier Division will be as keenly awaited as this one. A replay of last year’s Grand Final at the Grand Final venue, with both the Bulldogs and the Bombers starting the 2023 season in impressive form. It’s definitely one to watch, and if you can’t get to Henson Park you can catch all the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
Defending champions UNSW-ES have done everything right so far in their quest to defend the title, and they showed they mean business last week as they recorded an emphatic 107-point win over St George at Olds Park. Kieran Emery spearheaded the charge up forward with five goals, while Brodie Romenski, Thomas Baxter and Sam Thorne were active around the contests all afternoon. The Bulldogs are on a roll. They’ll be expecting to be challenged here, but it’s a challenge they’ll be ready for.
No premiership last year for the Bombers, but in the early rounds this season they’ve put that disappointment behind them and hit the ground running. Last week they travelled to Kanebridge, and a 54-0 opening quarter set the tone for the day as they dominated from start to finish to record a 92-point win. Max Thomas was again unstoppable up forward to finish with six goals; while Sam Barkley, Josh Rayner and Ned Campbell picked up myriad possessions for the Bombers. They’re in form and they’re ready, but this will be a tougher test.
For North Shore, a win here won’t right the wrong of last year, but it would send a strong message that they’ve lifted further in 2023. But the Bulldogs also have plenty to play for, and will be keen to inflict a strong psychological edge over a team they’re likely to face off against again at the business end of the season. These are two great clubs in strong form and ready to put on a show. There’s plenty to like about this contest, and it should be a cracker; and don’t be surprised if it’s close.
Inner West Magpies v Pennant Hills Demons
Picken Oval, Tuesday 1:10pm
ANZAC Day at Picken Oval is a special day in the AFL Sydney calendar. Before the match, a remembrance ceremony will take place, wreaths will be laid and The Last Post played; as we remember those who fought for our country. Inner West Magpies always put on a special service to mark the occasion and to pay tribute to those who took up arms.
Lest we forget.
This ceremony, and the match that follows, will be shown live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
Last week at Weldon wasn’t a game the Magpies will look back on with fond memories. They were never in the contest against Manly, coming out at the wrong end of a 40-point margin. Jack Rule, Callum McEvoy-Gray and Campbell Lovell never gave up, but it was one of those days for the Magpies where nothing was going to plan. It’s never great to start the season 0-2, and the Magpies will need to lift their work rate this time round to make their way onto the winning list. There’s no time to lose.
Pennant Hills hit the road for the first time this season, after playing their first two games at Mike Kenny. The Demons last week went down to Sydney Uni, pushing one of the competition’s top teams all day but never able to take the lead and they went down by 18 points. The Demons have plenty of goal-scoring options in form; with Theo Moraitis kicking six goals last week and Harry Maguire four, while Michael Carroll and Josh Boag looked good around the ground. The Demons will be ready for this contest, and ready to make an impact.
It’s always a blockbuster contest on ANZAC Day, and for the Magpies it’s time to make a stand. They would have been disappointed with their performance at Weldon last week, and now is the time to put things right and kick-start their 2023 campaign. But it won’t be easy against a well-drilled Pennant Hills side. There’ll be plenty of desperation, and this should be a closely fought contest.
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WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION
UTS Bats v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Waverley Oval, Saturday 12:40pm
Two from two on the road for UTS. So far so good. And now the Bats have the home ground advantage for a fixture that will tell us a lot about where they are at, as they take on Manly at Waverley.
Last week the Bats travelled to Gipps Road to take on the Goannas, and it was a day to remember for the Bats as they extended their lead in every quarter to take out a comfortable 32-point win. It was a day for April Devine, who helped herself to four goals; while Tanya Kennedy and Melissa Lindsay also featured prominently. It was a result that leaves the Bats with a share of the ladder leadership, two away wins on the trot and well placed. But this match will test them.
Manly were runners up last year, but the Wolves went down in the opening round this season; as East Coast repeated the Grand Final result. The Wolves were well served by the efforts of Molly Woods, Ashleigh Carter and Kate Salmon; but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 15-point loss. Since then they’ve had the Easter weekend and the bye, a long wait before they can finally take the field. They’re fresh, they’ve regrouped, they’re ready to go. It’s time to get this done!
Where are the Bats really at? Are they genuine contenders? If they can get the result in this match, knocking off one of the league’s high-flyers to maintain their unbeaten status, it will make the rest of the league sit up and take notice. But the Wolves will have plenty to say about that. Even with a game in hand, they won’t want to still be winless when this round is out. The Wolves will be looking at this match to kick-start their 2023 campaign.
Sydney University v East Coast Eagles
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 3:30pm
It wasn’t the start to the season Sydney Uni had been looking for, and another tough challenge awaits for the Students as they play host to defending champions East Coast on Saturday afternoon.
Sydney Uni led at three quarter time against Pennant Hills at Mike Kenny last week, but their hearts would be broken as it would be the Demons to score the only goals of the final term, which saw the Students go down by a point. Ash Dribbus, Emma Walsh and Maryanne Harley were magnificent for Sydney Uni, but in the end they faced an agonising result. It leaves Sydney Uni 0-2 for the season so far; and they face a real battle to get themselves on the board for the season as they take on the reigning premiers.
Meanwhile the East Coast juggernaut rolls on, with the opposition they have faced being powerless to stop them. Last week it was North Shore at Kanebridge, and the Eagles held the Bombers scoreless until the last quarter on their way to a comprehensive 42-point win. Caitlin Reid, Chloe Arndt and Renee Tomkins led the way for the Eagles, but there were many Eagles who had the better of their opponents on the day. The Eagles have again sent the message that they’ll be hard to stop in 2023; and they’re fully intending to maintain that momentum this week.
The Students so far have been competitive in both their games, but found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard when the final siren sounded. And they have a very tough challenge this week against an East Coast Eagles side that’s looking stronger than ever. It won’t be easy for Sydney Uni, but they have to fight this one out all the way and deny easy possessions to the Eagles. A 0-3 start to the season would put the Students in a tricky position, and they’re going to have to put up a massive fight here.
Southern Power v Macquarie Uni Goannas
Waratah Oval, Saturday 4:10pm
Southern Power have had a tricky opening to the season, and it doesn’t get any easier for them this week as they prepare to take on the Macquarie Uni Goannas at Waratah Oval.
Last week, in their first home game for the season, they were never in the hunt against a rampant UNSW-ES side, going down by 94 points. Laura Stampa, Laura Kent and Amy Kowski tried hard, but the Power struggled to make any impact. Two games in and they’ve had two heavy defeats. Now is the time to step up the intensity, lift another gear and find something. They’ll be lifting the workrate this week. They have to.
Macquarie Uni go into this one with a 1-1 record. After an opening round win, they went down to UTS by 32 points at Gipps Road Oval last week. Michala Ford, Chloe Davies and Caitlin Fletcher toiled relentlessly all afternoon, but the joint-venture side struggled to match it with a greatly-improved UTS side. This week they hit the road for the first time, looking to reverse last year’s final round game where the Power had their only win of last season against Macquarie Uni.
Two heavy defeats sees the Power sit at the bottom of the ladder. Last week was a disappointing result for the team from the Shire. But they know they have to hit back and hit back hard. This won’t be an easy game for either team, and with four valuable competition points on the line, now is the time to stand and deliver.
UNSW-ES Bulldogs v North Shore Bombers
Henson Park, Saturday 4:50pm
A twilight classic is in store at Henson Park on Saturday evening as the Bulldogs take on the Bombers. Four valuable competition points on the line, and you can catch all the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
After the bye in the opening round, the Bulldogs hit the ground running when they entered the competition in round 2. Taking on Southern Power at Waratah Oval, the Bulldogs were unstoppable from start to finish as they powered their way to a 94-point win. Emily Conlan led the way with seven goals, with Shelby Koh contributing five and Hayley Stanford also featuring prominently. But there were few Bulldogs who didn’t play a significant role. It was the ideal start to the season for the Bulldogs, laying a platform that they’ll be keen to build on this time round.
North Shore go into this game with a 0-2 record, and found themselves on the wrong end of East Coast at Kanebridge last week. The Bombers were unable to trouble the scoreboard operator until the last quarter, going down by 42 points. Imogen Hungerford battled gamely against the odds to earn herself a Rising Star nomination, while Lauren Crawford and Lucy Forrest worked hard. But the Bombers will know all too well that they need to do more this week if they are to break through for their first competition points of the year.
One easy win for the Bulldogs, two losses for the Bombers. The Bombers need the win here, but they won’t find it easy against a UNSW-ES side who will go into this clash with plenty of confidence. If the Bombers are to make a run and be contenders in 2023, it starts here. They need to get it done. While the Bulldogs will be enjoying the undefeated feeling, and keen to maintain that for another week.
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