Round Fifteen Women’s Premier Division Match Review, Sydney University v Southern Power
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Written by Lachlan Scott
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First Quarter
With the breeze picking up and the sun lowering behind the Sydney cityscape, Sydney Uni looks to tie up a finals berth and put it beyond doubt with a percentage boosting win. Southern Power have had a tricky year so far as they rebuild and will be looking for good team play and gradual improvement as they set themselves up for 2024.
The Students strike while the irons hot, streaming forward with rapidfire handballs and gut running to overwhelm the Power defence. Smith makes an incredible goal saving tackle right on the line but to no avail as Tutt comes streaming towards goal, collects the spilt ball and flicks it through with ease for the first of the day. Goal Sydney Uni.
Possession stays firmly in the Student’s favour at the centre bounce. Power’s pressure is ever present, but precision kicking and looping handballs march the footy down the field. Smith takes a long lead out then sprints from the boundary to lose her opponent, getting on to the final handball and steaming into goal to kick her first. Two goals in two minutes for Sydney Uni.
Power set up a defensive screen from the next centre bounce, with fantastic efforts from Harvey and Kent. The contest drifts to the boundary and a scrum develops as players flood in trying to clear it. Mahoney breaks from the pack, finds Price on the outside with a no look handball. Price fires a low sizzling dart straight into the chest of Smith leading out from goal. And now two goals in two minutes for Smith alone, Sydney Uni have the ascendancy early and this scoreline could be ugly.
Great clearance work down back keeps the Power in the fight. They transition the ball straight down the spine of the ground and hold it in place with a bone crunching tackle by Bentley. A courageous desperation smother by Matthew puts her out of commission as play halts for Dixon to come on in replacement. Johnson is a bulwark down back for the Students, intercepting and shutting down any Power forward forays.
Sydney Uni grind forward again, locking the ball in their forward pocket with repeat stoppages. Mahoney mines the Sherrin out from the contest and lobs a high up and under in the direction of Murray. It overshoots her but she sprints after it, collects off the deck and spins to face goal in one smooth motion. She sees the defenders closing in on her, side steps one, steadies, and slams it home! Fantastic goal through defensive pressure for Murray.
Reinking is owning her space at stoppages, shutting down Student efforts to extract the ball with textbook tackles and constant pressure. Kelly and Hammond Brown battle for ascendancy in the ruck as movement around the ground slows but intensity at the drop of the ball increases. Durante breaks from the back of the pack at the top of the 50m arc. She slingshots around spots Smith, hitting her with a curling kick circumnavigating defenders. Smith again shows off her textbook goal kicking motion and slots through the Student’s 5th in the first quarter.
Harley collects the tap down and sprints across the ground, looking for open forwards. She sees the defence bunched in front of them and kicks just past them over the back giving the forwards first access. Tutt clocks to it straight away, turns, sprints, and collects all in the blink of an eye. Defenders closing in, she receives an immaculate shepherd giving her space and time, lines up the shot and goals.
A dominating performance early for Sydney Uni. The Power have been good around the contest but unable to maintain possession or find avenues to goal.
Quarter Time Sydney University 6.4.40 – Southern Power 0.0.0
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Second Quarter
The tackling pressure from the Power has increased exponentially after the break. Foltman and Cox both laying crushing tackle across the forward 50 arc. They lock the ball forward with multiple boundary throw ins but haven’t been able to pull the trigger and get some points on the board yet.
Cameron is dominating in the ruck for the Students with expert tap downs and repeat efforts at ground level. Finding rovers to slice through the contest, they grind the ball towards the goal line, bullocking through constant tackles and smothers. Smith lurks out the back of the contest at the top of the goal square waiting for the right time to pounce. Hammond-Brown spots her, handballs through traffic, Smith spins and kicks of a step. Goal! From point blank range Smith continues to add to her tally in a massive day out.
Kowski continues to patrol the back line for the Power, cutting off and intercepting long passes to the goal square. They’ve been under siege so far today, but the Power’s defence has improved markedly after being jumped in the first. Foltman having a breakout quarter, making her presence known with countless bumps, smothers and tackles throughout the midfield.
Tutt dives into the contest as if pushes towards the Student forward line again. Handballing through traffic to Mahoney, she sprints forward to support, only to have the ball passed straight back to her. She stops on a dime, flicks it off the deck across her body, sneaking through the legs of flummoxed defenders. Goal Sydney Uni.
Much better defence this quarter by the Power, greatly reducing the Student’s scoring power. They maintained possession a lot better as well but were just that last kick short of putting points on the board.
Half Time Sydney University 8.9.57 – Southern Power 0.0.0
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Third Quarter
The Students come out swinging again to kick start the second half. George kicks from the contest towards Smith locked in a one on one. She’s too tall for her opponent, using the height mismatch to mark at the tip of her reach through contact. She turns and immediately passes it onwards to CausleyTodd sprinting towards goal. Pick up off the deck, two step, Goal! CausleyTodd starting things off with a bang.
In less than a minute they’re forward again, Smith leading out from the goal square at a sharp angle this time. She marks on a strong lead and it doesn’t look like the Power have an answer to her. Marking closer to goal this time she doesn’t look to hand it off, takes her time with the run up, calm and collect. And she slots it straight through, never a doubt in her mind. Two in as many minutes for Sydney Uni.
Chaos ball from the centre square, Cameron taps to herself and blasts it long to Smith. Smith flicks it forward and begins sprinting at full pace towards the goal square. Gelsomino finds herself surrounded by defenders as she collects, flicks it out to Tutt just in front of the behind post. Tutt passes it off to Hammond-Brown who spots Smith arriving in the goal square just in time. Handball over the defenders, Smith collects, single step, snap, goal. The floodgates have opened and don’t look like closing any time soon.
Kowski is having a best on ground game for the Power but she’s unable to stop the tide of Students goals washing over the defence this quarter. Harley kicks off the next forward entry, marking just outside the 50m arc and directing traffic ahead of her. Smith leads away from her, switches back wrong footing her opponent and marks strongly 20m out at a difficult angle. Not difficult for Smith though, as she slots through her 7th of the game in style.
Race shows incredible strength, shrugging off multiple tackles right on the boundary line as she streams up the wing keeping the ball alive. Her kick forward finds Price right on the 50m arc and they lock it forward. Gelsomino is running nascar laps ahead of the contest waiting for the mids to spot her. The ball squirts out in a curling kick, hitting her square as she turns and marks directly in front 30m out. She leans back on the kick sending it high and long, straight over the goal umpire’s head. Goal Sydney Uni.
Power lock the ball on the wing, giving the defence a momentary respite from constant forward entries. Its not long lived however, Mahoney snatching up possession and sprinting from the contest. Her kick inside 50 finds Smith who uses her footy smarts to remember where Durante is and hits laces out without taking a step and looking up for barely a second. Durante has been left alone in a paddock of space, takes all the time she needs, kicking a low darting ball straight at the goal umpire. Goal for the Students and they surround Durante and congratulate her to the sound of Blue and Yellow applause.
There’s no respite for the Power defence yet though. From the centre bounce Cameron taps down to Harley breaking away from the contest. Her kick inside 50 comes to Walsh stuck in double coverage. She brings the ball to ground and taps it out towards Smith. Smith collects from the drop of the ball, handballs to Mahoney streaming past, no opposition now. Step, kick, goal. Sydney Uni continue to add to their tally.
This time the Students midfield floods forward from the centre bounce, Johnson maintaining possession through heavy contact. She handballs off to Price coming the other way with very slick hands. Price’s kick inside 50 finds Gelsomino on the bounce, flick up handball to Mahony as she sprints past. Snap kick across the body from 35 out directly in front, and she’s kicked it! Fantastic kick on the run as the midfield combines perfectly with the forward line.
From the bounce, Hammond-Brown collects the tap and puts it just past Gelsomino, Walsh snaffling the ball off the deck, turns of a step and snaps. The footy tumbles over the heads of defenders and directly into the path of the goal umpire for Sydney Uni’s tenth goal of the quarter.
An overwhelming quarter for the Students, their midfield and forward lines working in harmony for an absolute avalanche of goals.
Three Quarter Time Sydney University 17.11.113 – Southern Power 0.0.0
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Fourth Quarter
The goals keep on coming and they don’t stop coming. Smith again on the receiving end of the forward 50 entry. Sydney Uni have mastered the art of centre clearances after half time. The long kick from the middle coming straight to the contest in the goal square on such a short ground. Forwards bring the ball to ground, Smith collects deftly from the turf, dances through oncoming traffic and smashes through a low kick along the ground and past the feet of the goal umpire. Fanstastic finish.
From the centre bounce Cameron taps down to Harley who blasts a long ball forward, Murray marks on the lead with sure hands. She looks up, judges the distance, spots Smith on her big day out and hits her lace out directly in front. No issue with the kick from Smith as she continues the onslaught to kick two in two minutes.
Again the Students mids swarm forward to overwhelm the defence. Durante ends up with it, sprinting along the boundary line, looking for targets forward. She picks out Smith and kicks across the goal face hit her away from opposition arms. The kick is pinpoint accurate and Smith marks 10m out directly in front. Without pomp or ceremony, she dusts herself off, takes a few steps back, and casually chips through her 10th goal of the match.
A massive day out for Smith with 10 and the Students get the percentage boost win they’ve been looking for. Their spot in finals looking more secure than ever, they’ll be dreaming of upset victories in the weeks to come to better their position. For the Power, stand out performances by Kowski, Foltman and Harvey alongside many others giving their all, knowing where their team is at and still leaving everything they have out on the field.
Full Time Sydney University 20.15.135 – Southern Power 0.0.0
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Final Scores:
Team Name: Sydney University 20.15.135
Goal Kickers: J. Smith 10, S. Tutt 3, M. Mahony 2, A. Causley Todd, K. Durante, E. Gelsomino, N. Murray, E. Walsh
Best: Jasmine Smith, Daisy George, Saskia Johnson, Emma Gelsomino, Natalie Murray, Georgia Mann
Team Name: Southern Power 0.0.0
Goal Kickers:
Best: Brianna Harvey, Jessica Cox, Amy Kowski, Georgia Doherty, Laura Kent, Grace Langkjar
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