AFL Sydney Men’s and Women’s Premier Division Match Preview – Round 4
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Written by Michael Shillito
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The season rolls on, and we’ve made it to round 4. Last week’s round provided some interesting results; and this week we could see the ladder begin to sort itself out. And for the teams that haven’t got the results they were hoping for, it’s time to lift their game; or the top contenders could easily get away from them.
It’s looking like another great weekend for footy. By now everyone should be fit and firing, and there’s no excuse for not getting the job done this week.
Inner West Magpies have the bye in the Mens this week. They’ll be looking to this week off to regroup and prepare themselves for a surge. No wins from their first three games, and they’ll need to come back stronger when they return to action.
In the Womens, Macquarie Goannas have the bye this week. They’ve had a solid start to the season, and will want to capitalise on the momentum they built up last week.
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MENS PREMIER DIVISION
UTS Bats v UNSW-ES Bulldogs
Waverley Oval, Saturday 2:20pm
Eastern Suburbs bragging rights will be on the line at Waverley Oval as the Bats take on the Bulldogs. UTS will be looking to build on their win from last week, while the Bulldogs will be keen to bounce back after a shock loss.
The Bats go into this contest with a 1-1 record for the season, and with winning form and confidence after getting up over Manly by 3 points in a thriller last week. In a low-scoring contest, the Bats got themselves out to a lead but had to hang on for dear life in the latter stages of the match as the Wolves got to within a kick. But the Bats defended brilliantly when it mattered, ably assisted by the efforts of Harrie Lahy, Joshua Lee and Sam Herbert; and got the job done. It was a result that brings plenty of cause for optimism to the UTS camp, but this will be an even tougher test.
The Bats will be taking on UNSW-ES. The defending champions won their first two matches easily enough, but last week at Henson Park they came unstuck against North Shore, going down by 38 points. Sam Thorne, Jasper Hardy and Sam Gaden did plenty of work for the Bulldogs, but they were unable to reproduce the form of last year’s Grand Final and were well beaten around the ground by the Bombers. It wasn’t a great day for the Bulldogs, but they know all too well that they must put that behind them and prepare to fight back in this contest.
It’s been many a long year since the Bats have got up against the Bulldogs in an Eastern Suburbs derby. The Bats will be giving it their all this time, and will sense the opportunity. The Bulldogs can’t expect to have everything their own way in this contest, and they’ll be made to work hard to get the result this time. But the Bulldogs will be motivated to bounce back, and they can’t afford to take UTS lightly in this contest.
East Coast Eagles v Pennant Hills Demons
Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
The Hills are alive with the sound of football, as the Eagles take on the Demons in the Hills derby at Kanebridge Oval. It’s a short turnaround for the Demons, and the Eagles will need to capitalise on that as they look to kick-start their season after a difficult start.
Last week the Eagles were at Sydney Uni No 1 against the Students, and it was another tough afternoon for the Eagles. Unable to score a goal in the first half, they would go down by 74 points to remain winless this far in 2023. Although Daniel Gauci and Marshall Poynter never gave up and Nathan Fokes worked his way to a Rising Star nomination, the Eagles lacked the personnel to be competitive against Sydney Uni in what would be another tricky afternoon. Three games for three heavy losses so far in 2023. Now, against one of their traditional rivals, the Eagles must lift their game.
They’ll be up against a Pennant Hills side that returned to the winners’ list in the ANZAC Day blockbuster against Inner West at Picken Oval. Trailing by four points at the long break, the Demons took control of the contest with a four-goal run in the premiership quarter and closed out a 16-point win. Josh Boag, Nick Richards and Mitchell Kunigiskis picked up plenty of the ball for the Demons, showing the form that they’ll be looking to replicate in this match.
It’s looking like a tough season for the Eagles, and now is the time they need to step up and regain control of their season. They have an opponent who will be tired, having only played last Tuesday, and they need to make that advantage count. But, even with the short turnaround time, the Demons are confident and will be looking to build on Tuesday’s form to establish themselves in the top five.
Manly-Warringah Wolves v Sydney University Students
Weldon Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
After being stunned on the road last week, Manly return to their Northern Beaches home for a match-up against the undefeated Students; in a clash that could tell us plenty about the likely destiny for both these teams in 2023.
Manly last week travelled to Waverley on the back of wins in their first two rounds, but found themselves on the wrong end of a three-point thriller against UTS. The Wolves made a move late in the game to get to within a kick, but were unable to find the winner when they needed it. Ky McGrath, Taine Wright and Ryan Wearne worked hard for the Wolves; but it wasn’t quite enough to get them over the line. This week, back at their fortress at Weldon, they’ll have learned some hard lessons about closing the game out and will know what they have to do here.
Sydney Uni have won both their matches so far in 2023, and faced little difficulty in getting past East Coast by 74 points at Sydney Uni No 1 last week. Spencer Krochmal, Jack Dimery and Nathan Tang were instrumental in the Students’ success. So far so good for Sydney Uni, but there’s plenty more work to be done; and they will need to be ready against a Manly side that will go into this one with plenty of determination.
The Students go into this clash undefeated, but they’ll have to work hard to maintain that status. Manly are primed for an upset here, and they’ll be throwing everything they have at this contest. Sydney Uni can’t afford to sit back and rest on their reputation; they have to get the job done here against what is sure to be a determined opponent. Manly are ready, and the Students will need to bring their best game to Weldon.
North Shore Bombers v St George Dragons
Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 3:20pm
A twilight encounter at Gore Hill sees North Shore take on St George, a replay of last year’s Preliminary Final. It’s an important clash in the context of this season; and if you can’t get to Gore Hill for this one, you can catch all the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
The Bombers won that Preliminary Final last year, and they’ve also started 2023 on a positive note with three wins on the trot. In last week’s Grand Final replay at Henson Park the Bombers were superb, locking the Bulldogs out of the contest and finding the answering goals when they mattered to record a convincing 38-point win over the defending champions. It was a win built around the efforts of Sam Barkley, Jack Woodman and Ned Campbell; and a result that sees the Bombers sitting pretty on top of the ladder and looking good so far this year.
The Dragons return to action after the bye last week. Their last start in round 2 was a disappointing day for the red-and-whites, as they were unable to keep up with UNSW-ES at Olds Park and went down by 107 points. Nelson Carey, Tim Coenen and Tyler Gorman-Brown never threw in the towel, but it was one of those days for the Dragons when nothing was going right. The result leaves them 0-2 for the season to date; and this is another tough contest at a venue where the Dragons haven’t recorded a win for many a long year.
These are desperate times for the Dragons. They have a game in hand, but won’t want to be stuck on zero points as April draws to a close. To be part of the finals action again in 2023, they can’t afford to let the top five get too far ahead of them. It won’t be easy against a North Shore side on a mission; but the Dragons desperately need the win here. They will lift, scrap and fight for every possession; and the Bombers can’t afford to take this one lightly.
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WOMENS PREMIER DIVISION
North Shore Bombers v Southern Power
Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 11:50am
The first match to start in this round is the broadcast match, with the Bombers taking on the Power in a lunchtime showdown on the Gore Hill synthetic. For those who can’t be at Gore Hill, you can catch the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
Last week at Henson Park, the Bombers took out their first win of the season with a 22-point result against UNSW-ES. Lucy Yates and Tilly Eder featured prominently for the Bombers, while young gun Ava Barraclough earned herself a Rising Star nomination. The Bombers got on top early and maintained their lead for the rest of the day; in a return to form after struggling in the first two rounds. But now the breakthrough win is on the board, it’s time to build some momentum.
Southern Power are yet to hit their best form this season, and last Saturday at Waratah Oval was a tough afternoon for the team from the Shire. They were unable to trouble the scorers, and went down to Macquarie Uni by 122 points. Amelia Martin, Ellie Veerhuis and Laura Kent tried hard, but the Power struggled to find the firepower to put the Goannas under pressure. The trip to Gore Hill won’t be any easier, but the Power need to dig deeper and find something to reverse last week’s form.
With a win on the board, and the home ground advantage, the Bombers will fancy their chances. Here is an opportunity to turn that first win into a streak and make a move up the ladder. But the Bombers will have to get past a Southern Power side with nothing to lose, who will be desperate and rolling the dice, looking to turn their fortunes around. The Bombers will have to earn this result, it’s not something they can take for granted.
Manly-Warringah Wolves v Sydney University Students
Weldon Oval, Saturday 12:30pm
After these clubs had gone deep into last year’s finals, you’d have had long odds that neither team would have yet recorded a win by the time the two clubs met in round four. But here we are. One of these teams will break their losing streak, while the other risks falling way behind the pack of finals challengers.
Last week the Wolves made the trek to Waverley, but found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard against a vastly-improved UTS side; going down by 26 points after they were unable to score in the first half. Andrea Roditis, Molly Woods and Hannah Woolf battled gamely against the odds, but it was an out-of-character Manly side that struggled to get their game going when forced to play catch-up footy. Manly have had a bye, they have a game in hand; but they need something to kick-start their season.
Sydney Uni’s position is even tougher, with three losses on the board already this year. Last week at Sydney Uni No 1 they were unable to score against a red-hot East Coast side, going down by 52 points. Jasmine Smith, Maryanne Harley and Saskia Johnson kept putting the work in, but the Uni side were powerless to stop the Eagle juggernaut. For the Uni team, there’s no more time to lose, and they have to find something more this week.
There’ll be plenty of desperation on display at Weldon Oval in this contest. There has to be. The winner will have found the spark to finally get their season under way and begin their move up the ladder. But the loser will find themselves on the bottom rung of the ladder, and will have to find something to reverse their fortunes. The stakes are high, and this will be a scrap.
UTS Bats v UNSW-ES Bulldogs
Waverley Oval, Saturday 12:45pm
The Bats are on a roll, and the rest of the league will have to sit up and take notice. Three wins to start the season, and their share of the ladder leadership is on the line as they play host to UNSW-ES in the Eastern Suburbs derby on Saturday afternoon.
UTS have made an early statement that they are a big improver in 2023. Three wins on the trot, equal top, form and confidence are on the way up. The Bats have a spring in their step, after claiming the scalp of Grand Finalist Manly at Waverley Oval last week. The Bats got off to a flying start, holding the Wolves scoreless in the first half, on their way to a 26-point win. Danika Spamer, Georgina McDonnell and Serina Baukes were ball magnets for the Bats; and when they’re in that sort of form they’re hard to stop. Having proven themselves against one of the competition heavyweights, there’s a sense of excitement in the Bats camp as to what they can achieve this season.
The Bulldogs go into this clash with a win and a loss so far this season. The loss was last week at Henson Park, when North Shore got on top early and closed out a 22-point result. The Bulldogs received solid service from Gabrielle Wendelin, Hayley Stanford and Chloe Anderson, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the loss. The Bulldogs were unable to play their best footy last week, but they’ll have trained strongly this time round to regain their best form.
So far so good for the Bats, as they retain a share of the ladder leadership. But they can’t afford to sit back and relax. It would only take a slight reduction in the form they’ve shown so far for the Bulldogs to burst their bubble. For the Bats, the message is clear; keep playing their best footy. It’s been a great start, but there’s plenty more to be done.
East Coast Eagles v Pennant Hills Demons
Kanebridge Oval, Saturday 12:50pm
Hills pride will be on the line in a big clash at Kanebridge on Saturday afternoon as the Eagles take on the Demons. There’s been some good quality clashes between these two sides in recent years, and the Demons have a side that can put the Eagles to the test.
East Coast had a day to remember last Saturday when they travelled to Sydney Uni No 1 and kept the Students scoreless as they powered to a 52-point win. Caitlin Davidson helped herself to four goals, while Jess Whelan, Teagan Germech and Summer Hall picked up numerous possessions around the ground. It was a well-drilled Eagles side going through their paces, and nothing has yet got in the way of their premiership defence. But this should be a tougher test.
Pennant Hills had last week off, no ANZAC Day clash for the Demons women this year. They’re rested, they’ve had a week to recover from any early-season niggles, and they’re ready for action. In their last start a fortnight ago, they had a morale-boosting win over Sydney Uni in a one-point thriller. Keep an eye on Elizabeth Gordon, Amy Court and Hayley Lowe, who featured prominently in that contest and will be keen to maintain their early-season form against a quality opponent.
When the Demons made their run late last season, they stunned the Eagles for an upset win. This time they’re rested and ready for an attempt to repeat the dose. The Eagles will be favourites, but they’re not invincible here. Even if they’re only slightly off their best, the Demons are ready to pounce. This match has the ingredients to produce a fascinating contest; and will be a genuine test for both sides.
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