Round Twelve Men’s and Women’s Premier Division Match Previews
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Written by Michael Shillito
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The days tick by as time relentlessly marches onwards. On Saturday, June turns into July and our season reaches the two-thirds mark. And from there, we’re counting down to the finals.
In the Mens, there’s a massive gap between fourth and fifth. But that last finals spot is still up for grabs. Meanwhile in the Womens, last week’s results saw a few upsets that threw the finals race wide open. The gap between fourth and fifth isn’t as big, Macquarie Uni aren’t safe yet; while there’s plenty of competition for that last finals spot.
This week St George in the Mens and UNSW-ES in the Womens have the week off. For the Dragon men, the equation is simple; they have to win more games than Manly from here. After the bye, they have a few winnable games in a row, and need to burst out of the blocks when they resume. While for the Bulldog women, there’s no time to lose and they’ll likely need to win all their remaining games to have a shot at the finals.
For everyone else, there’s important games to be played this week. Four points on the line.
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MEN’S PREMIER DIVISION
UTS Bats v North Shore Bombers
Waverley Oval, Saturday 12:40pm
UTS (7th) – Played 9, Won 2, Lost 7, 50.17%
North Shore (1st) – Played 10, Won 10, Lost 0, 275.90%
It’s an early start at Waverley for the clash between the Bats and the Bombers. For UTS, this is close to their last chance to stay in the finals race; but it’s a tough one against a North Shore side that has swept all before them so far this season.
The Bats have struggled to get themselves going consistently in 2023, and their slim finals hopes copped a near-fatal blow when they were never in the hunt against St George at Olds Park last week; trailing all day and going down by 51 points. Will Edwards, Jack Calabro and Pat Gillingham kept putting the work in, but the Bats never looked a threat and were unable to challenge the Dragons. It’s been an all too familiar story this season for the Bats. If they drop this one, they could find themselves three games plus plenty of percentage behind Manly, and it’s hard to see how they could make up that ground before the finals.
The visitors, North Shore, have been in impressive form in 2023 and sit two games plus plenty of percentage clear at the top of the ladder. They underlined their unbeaten status at Gore Hill last week when they were 84 points too good for Pennant Hills. Jordan Law continued his purple patch on the forward line to finish with six goals; while Isaac Edmunds and Sam Barkley also featured prominently for the Bombers. They’ve been the benchmark so far in 2023, and few sides have seriously challenged them to date.
For UTS, it’s now or never. A loss here, and the gap to the finals would appear to be insurmountable. They just have to throw everything at this challenge, there’s no more chances. But standing in their way is the irresistible force of the Bombers, who have barely put a foot wrong all season and are flying high in form and confidence. When the two sides met at Gore Hill in the opening round, the Bombers got up by 92 points. The Bats are going to have to put on something special here and North Shore will be hard to stop.
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Sydney University v Pennant Hills Demons
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 2:25pm
Sydney Uni (3rd) Played 9, Won 7, Lost 2, 126.55%
Pennant Hills (4th) – Played 10, Won 7, Lost 3, 117.37%
While the top four appear safe to be playing in finals this year, one of them faces the tough task of sudden death in the finals. And this game between the Students and the Demons at Sydney Uni No 1 could well be pivotal in determining who gets the double-chance and who has to go the hard way through the finals. There’ll be plenty of interest in this clash, and for those who can’t get to the Campus, you can still take in the action with this match being streamed live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.
Sydney Uni return to action after the bye last week. In their last start, they were tested by East Coast at Sydney Uni No 1, and only a kick separated the two sides at the last change. But the Students found a way to get through, ably assisted by the efforts of Tim Barton, Riley Fitzroy and Nick Lees. It wasn’t totally convincing, but you’re never going to be at your best every week; and the Students have shown they know how to lift their efforts for the big games that count. And this week is one they’ll need to lift for.
Like the Students, the Demons have also won seven games, but have played one more game and have an inferior percentage. And their percentage copped a hit at Gore Hill last week when they were blown away by North Shore, going down by 84 points. Josh Boag, Mitchell Blow and Michael Carroll kept putting the work in; but the Demons never looked like threatening the Bombers. And it doesn’t get easier for the Demons this week, as they again line up against a quality opponent.
These teams played each other in round 2 at Mike Kenny Oval; and in a close contest the Students got up by 18 points. With the loser of this contest at heightened risk of facing sudden death in the finals; there’s plenty on the line and another closely-contested battle looks likely this time. This game has the ingredients to be a cracker of a contest, and everyone in this game should be hyped up and ready for action.
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Manly-Warringah Wolves v East Coast Eagles
Weldon Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Manly (5th) – Played 10, Won 4, Lost 6, 105.08%
East Coast (9th) – Played 10, Won 1, Lost 9, 38.79%
A keenly-anticipated clash sees the Wolves take on the Eagles at Weldon Oval. For the Wolves, this is a chance to build a buffer to strengthen their hold on fifth place; while the Eagles will be looking for a chance to get off the bottom.
Manly hold on to fifth place, in the box seat to play finals; and with St George having the bye this week, a win for the Wolves will place them a game plus percentage clear, although the Dragons will still have a game to play. Last week they travelled to Picken Oval, and after a tight first half they pulled away in the second half to take a big 74-point win over Inner West. Zac Youlten spearheaded the charge with six goals, while Byron Laws, Taine Wright and Barry O’Connor were in the thick of the action around the ground. The Wolves have a couple of tough games coming up, so will need to build a buffer if they are to hold St George out of the finals; and a win here is critical.
East Coast have saluted just once this season, and were never in the contest against UNSW-ES at Kanebridge last week, going down by 77 points. Scott Brown, Justin Harding and Mitch Bradley never stopped putting the effort in; but the Eagles faced the familiar story of not having the man-power to match it with the top sides. The finals looks out of reach for the Eagles, but in the rest of this season they’ll be looking for signs of progress; and another win or two in the hope of avoiding the dreaded wooden spoon. And to claim the scalp of a potential finalist would go a long way towards making that happen.
The two sides faced off at Kanebridge in the opening round this season, and on that occasion the Wolves crushed the Eagles and took out a 92-point win. This time it should be closer, and the Eagles will need to show more desperation than they did in the season opener. But this is Manly’s chance to strengthen their hold on the finals, and the Wolves won’t be letting this one go without a fight.
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UNSW-ES Bulldogs v Inner West Magpies
Henson Park, Sunday 2:10pm
UNSW-ES (4th) – Played 10, Won 8, Lost 2, 207.56%
Inner West (8th) – Played 10, Won 1, Lost 9, 72.10%
Sunday footy returns this weekend when East meets West at Henson Park; as the second-placed UNSW-ES play host to Inner West Magpies. The Bulldogs are in strong form while the Magpies have been struggling; but the Magpies will be keen to scrap and fight and make this a hard afternoon for one of the competition’s powerhouse sides.
Will Kieran Emery kick the ton? No-one’s done it in Premier Division since 2009, but the big Bulldog has already made it to 50 this year. He was unstoppable against the Eagles at Kanebridge last week, helping himself to a bag of nine goals. Emery spearheaded the Bulldogs’ charge to a 77-point win; while Brodie Romensky, Tom Williamson in his first Premier Division game for years and Owen Turner also played key roles. The Bulldogs are again looking a formidable side in their quest for back-to-back premierships; and the Magpies are going to have to put on something remarkable to slow them down.
Meanwhile the Magpies have had a difficult season in 2023. Since they recorded their only win of the season back in round 6, they’ve lost five in a row and only percentage keeps them off the bottom of the ladder. Last week at Picken Oval they took it up to Manly for a half, trailing by only nine points at the long break; but fell away badly after half time to go down by 74 points. Ben Zoppo, Nick McCormack and Ben Klemke kept working hard; but it was an all-too-familiar tale for the Magpies as they were unable to match it with Manly on the day. Now they’re up against a powerhouse team, and they need to show more grit and fight this time.
When the two sides met at Picken Oval in the opening round of the season, the Bulldogs barely raised a sweat but still recorded a comfortable 59-point win. The Magpies need to make it closer this time. A loss here would leave them at the bottom of the ladder if East Coast pick up a win. The Magpies have shown in the past they can make life difficult for top teams, and that’s the spirit they need to find this time. If they don’t, the Bulldogs will be in cruise control for the afternoon.
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WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION
Manly-Warringah Wolves v East Coast Eagles
Weldon Oval, Saturday 12:30pm
Manly (3rd) – Played 9, Won 7, Lost 2, 200.00%
East Coast (1st) – Played 10, Won 9, Lost 0, Drawn 1, 560.63%
A keenly-anticipated fixture in the Womens Premier Division takes place at Weldon Oval on Saturday afternoon, as last year’s Grand Finallists go head to head as Manly play host to East Coast. With both sides well placed and in form in 2023, this game should be a cracker.
Manly go into this game refreshed after the bye last week. The Wolves’ last start was in round 10, when they held UNSW-ES scoreless in the first half on their way to an easy 61-point win at Weldon Oval. Caitlin Johnson, Kate Salmon and Andrea Roditis were the standouts; but there were plenty of Manly players who stood and delivered on the day. After dropping their first two games, the Wolves have won seven in a row, confidence is high; and with the home ground advantage they’re rested and ready for this contest.
East Coast’s last start was also against UNSW-ES, with the Eagles taking on the Bulldogs at Kanebridge last week. And that was a comfortable win for the Eagles, as they took out an easy 65-point result. Summer Hall, Sarah Burns and Chloe Arndt were key performers for the Eagles, as they were the dominant side throughout and returned an easy win. The Eagles are yet to taste defeat in 2023, although they were held to a draw in one game. The Eagles continue to be the benchmark for womens footy in Sydney; but this game will test them.
When these teams met in the opening round of the season, the Eagles repeated the result of last year’s Grand Final and recorded a 15-point win. But this time the Wolves are at home, and they’ll be doing all they can to make that advantage count. There’s no shortage of star power on display from both sides, and this is a big chance to land a blow on a likely finals rival. This game has what it takes to be one of the best games of footy for the season.
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Sydney University v Pennant Hills Demons
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 12:40pm
Sydney Uni (6th) – Played 10, Won 4, Lost 6, 73.63%
Pennant Hills (5th) – Played 9, Won 4, Lost 5, 97.29%
In the context of the battle for the top five, this game between Sydney Uni and Pennant Hills could be of critical importance. Both teams are level on four wins, the Demons holding the Students out of the top five thanks to their better percentage, and the Demons have a game in hand. But this is the sort of game that decides who makes the finals and who doesn’t. This match will be streamed live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page; so wherever in the world you are, you don’t have to miss a thing.
Sydney Uni drew level with the Demons last week when they hosted Macquarie Uni and pulled off a 12-point upset win. The Goannas led by 11 points at the long break, but the Students took control with five unanswered goals in the premiership quarter; led by the impressive form of Maryanne Harley, Kailey Mead and Finlay Menz. It was the scalp the Students needed to claim, one that puts them well and truly in the finals race. And now the opportunity presents itself to enter the top five.
The Demons let a good chance to stay clear of the Students slip away at Gore Hill last week when they led for most of the day but went down to North Shore by three points in a low-scoring thriller. Eleanor Rugg, Jesse Smith and Ellie Cooper picked up plenty of the ball for the Demons, but in the end they suffered the heartbreak of a narrow loss in a game they could so easily have won. They’re still in the five, and have a game in hand; but the Students and the Bombers are chasing, and the Demons will need to get back on the winning list to hold them out.
The winner of this contest moves into the top five, so there’s plenty to play for. It’s games like this one that determine the fate of a season, that determines who are the contenders and who are the pretenders. When the two sides met in round 2 at Mike Kenny Oval, the Demons got up by a point. You can expect another thriller this time round. The winner will have the fate of the season in their hands, while the loser will be depending on other results to go through.
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Macquarie University Goannas v Southern Power
Macquarie Uni Oval, Saturday 2:00pm
Macquarie Uni (4th) – Played 10, Won 5, Lost 4, Drawn 1, 171.71%
Southern Power (9th) – Played 10, Won 0, Lost 9, Abandoned 1, 5.20%
On the grassy amphitheatre that is Macquarie Uni Oval, we see a clash between the two Womens Prems teams that are not aligned with Mens Prems clubs as the Goannas take on the Power. Both suffered losses last week; one is in strong contention while the other is struggling.
Macquarie Uni suffered a shock loss last week at Sydney Uni No 1 when they went down to Sydney Uni by 12 points. The Goannas were leading at half time, but were blown away in the third quarter and not even the heroics of Amanda Farrugia, Sera Kaukiono and Caitlin Fletcher could get them over the line. With Pennant Hills going down, the Goannas could have built themselves a buffer that would make them virtually uncatchable for the finals. But they’re still a game and a half clear of the chasing pack; and have the chance to maintain that gap in this contest.
It’s been a tough year for Southern Power, and it didn’t get any easier last week at Waratah Oval when they were held scoreless by UTS and went down by 131 points. Amelia Martin, Ivy Halliwell and Sienna Smith tried hard; but it was a familiar tale as the Power couldn’t stop their opposition getting another blowout. Clearly they won’t be playing finals this year; but in the remaining rounds they’ll be looking to compete and put in more competitive performances than we’ve seen so far this season. Searching for green shoots, some sign of improvement.
When these teams played each other in round 3, the Power failed to trouble the scorers as the Goannas raced to a 122-point win. Just one of the many struggles the Power have faced this season. They’re playing for pride now, and don’t want to cop another heavy defeat this time. But they’ll face a big challenge against a Macquarie Uni team that’s looking to bridge the gap to third and challenge for the double-chance in the finals.
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UTS Bats v North Shore Bombers
Waverley Oval, Saturday 3:15pm
UTS (2nd) – Played 10, Won 9, Lost 1, 297.97%
North Shore (7th) – Played 10, Won 3, Lost 6, Abandoned 1, 112.74%
The Bats and the Bombers face off at Waverley in a late afternoon fixture with plenty on the line. The Bats are on a roll and could be challenging for top spot, while the Bombers re-entered the finals race last week and are looking for an upset to stay in contention.
UTS are on a roll. They’ve only dropped one game this year, and last week they dominated against Southern Power from start to finish. Jessica Quade was invincible as she finished with a bag of 10 goals; while Hannah Cerezo and Gillian Behan were dominant around the ground. The Bats are second, and if Manly get up against East Coast at Weldon, a win to the Bats will see them go to the top of the ladder. Still a long way to go, but the minor premiership is surely the Bats’ goal from here. But if they are to get there, they can’t afford to drop games like this one.
Meanwhile at Gore Hill last week, North Shore drew within striking distance of fifth-placed Pennant Hills when they came from behind to pull off a thrilling three-point win. Louise Anderson, Charlotte Watton and Tilly Eder played key roles for the Bombers as they lasted the distance to get over the line. If they’d been able to complete the game against Southern Power a week before and won, the Bombers would now be in the five, as they have a better percentage than the Demons and the Students. The Bombers’ luck deserted them that day, and it could cost them a shot at the finals with some tough games ahead, with games against Manly and Mac Uni in the next two rounds; but last week keeps them in the race.
In the opening round of the season at Gore Hill, North Shore led at three quarter time but the Bats finished strongly to take out a 12-point win. It was the start of a great run by the Bats, which has seen them climb into the elite ranks this season. Depending what happens at Weldon, they could be playing for top spot. But the Bombers have taken it up to them once already this season; and the visiting side will be looking for the scalp that will make them genuine finals contenders. The Bats can’t expect to have everything their way in this contest, and the Bombers will be looking for some fight here.
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