AFL Sydney Under 22 – Summer Series Round Three Preview (AFL Sydney vs. AFL Canberra)
Written by Sam Zikman (AFL Sydney)
AFL Sydney Female Under 22’s vs. AFL Canberra Under 22’s
Date: Sunday, March 17
Venue: Blacktown International Sports Park, Oval 1
Entry: Free – come down and support our AFL Sydney teams!
Start time: 3:00pm
Format: 4 * 18-minute quarters (no time on)
Numbers: 18 players on the field, 5 players on the bench (23 players)
Live Stream: AFL Sydney Facebook Page with commentary, from 2:55pm.
AFL Sydney Female Under 22’s Team:
FB: Amelia Bennett (Pennant Hills Demons), Gabriella Stanwix (UTS Bats), Rachel Simpson (St. George Dragons)
HB: Jayme Saggers (Manly Warringah Wolves), Zoe Bush (UTS Bats), Beth Martini (UTS Bats)
C: Zara Hamilton (Manly Warringah Wolves), Summer Hall (East Coast Eagles), Hannah Cerezo (UTS Bats) (VC)
HF: Sophia Kavanagh (Parramatta Goannas), Sophia Gaukrodger (UTS Bats), Saskia Johnson (Sydney University),
FF: Tilley Edwards Hill (UTS Bats) Abbey Martin (East Coast Eagles), Sienna Merry (Manly Warringah Wolves)
FOL: Emelye Blades (UTS Bats), Teagan Germech (East Coast Eagles), Caitlin Fletcher (Parramatta Goannas) (C)
INT: Elly Rudd (Pennant Hills Demons), Olivia Cameron (Manly Warringah Wolves), Ruby Reid (UTS Bats), Jess Whelan (East Coast Eagles), Kate Salmon (Manly Warringah Wolves)
EMG: Aoife Berry (UTS Bats), Poppy Adams (North Shore Bombers), Hannah Woolf (Manly Warringah Wolves) Eloise Carey (UTS Bats)
Head Coach: Kellie Nolan (UTS Bats)
Assistant Coach: Eleanor Rugg (Parramatta Goannas), Chloe Davis (Parramatta Goannas), Alannah McCaffery (Parramatta Goannas)
Match Preview:
What could have been… AFL Sydney was so close yet so far on Saturday vs the GIANTS Academy. The Female Under 22’s team from AFL Sydney played hard contested footy in the first half before breaking lose and setting up a (nearly) match winning lead at 3 quarter time. However, it was not to be with the GIANTS piling on 3 unanswered goals in the 4th quarter to claim victory by 3 points. The GIANTS remained undefeated, while our team tasted their first defeat and will take a 1-1 record in the final round of the summer series this Sunday vs. AFL Canberra.
Gabriella Stanwix (UTS Bats) continued her dominance in the summer with a best on ground performance, she was supported by Jayme Saggers (Manly Warringah Wolves) and Teagan Germech (East Coast Eagles) who once again showed her versatility by being named best a field once again, this time starting from the midfield.
It was great to see Rachel Simpson (St. George Dragons) come in as a late emergency replacement and play a solid game, showing the Dragons have plenty of talent and will be more than ready for the challenge of promotion into Premier Division.
This week’s match against AFL Canberra is critical to the success of both programs summer series, with AFL Canberra yet to claim a win and AFL Sydney looking to firmly place themselves at the top end of the teams within the series. Key to victory will be maintaining control of the footy, with Saggers and Sophia Kavanagh (Parramatta Goannas) likely to play a key role via their skill level and ability to both win the footy and to finish up forward.
I cannot wait to see how this one plays out, Kellie Nolan and Elly Rugg will have a plan in place and the team well prepared for the challenge on Sunday afternoon.
AFL Sydney Male Under 22’s vs. AFL Canberra Under 22’s
Date: Saturday, March 16
Venue: Blacktown International Sports Park, Oval 1
Entry: Free – come down and support our AFL Sydney teams!
Start time: 3:00pm
Format: 4 * 20-minute quarters (no time on)
Numbers: 18 players on the field, 5 players on the bench (23 players)
Live Stream: AFL Sydney Facebook Page with commentary, from 2:55pm.
AFL Sydney Male Under 22’s Team:
FB: Sean Netting (North Shore Bombers), Max Toohey (North Shore Bombers), Kohan Prenter (South West Sydney Blues),
HB: Joshua Lee (UTS Bats) (VC), Billy Foster (UNSW-ES Bulldogs), Aiden Adams (Manly Warringah Wolves)
C: Koby Grass (UTS Bats), James Tidemann (North Shore Bombers), Hamish Morrison (UNSW-ES Bulldogs)
HF: Angus Edwards (East Coast Eagles), Jayden Gilheaney (Camden Cats), Ethan Grace (North Shore Bombers)
FF: William Gibbs (Sydney University) (VC), Hugo Birks (UTS Bats), Harrison Pitt (Pennant Hills Demons)
FO: Leroy Veerhuis (Inner West Magpies), Blake Ciscato (Inner West Magpies), Taine Wright (Manly Warringah Wolves)
INT: Jackson Tikkeros (UNSW-ES Bulldogs), Jasper Crouch (Manly Warringah Wolves), Jack Rule (Inner West Magpies), Louis Pribula (UTS Bats)
EMG: Tim Organ (East Coast Eagles), Finn Chalmers (North Shore Bombers)
Head Coach: Ben Roberts (Pennant Hills Demons)
Assistant Coach: Kevin Dyson (UTS Bats)
Match Preview:
Here we go! The match of the 2024 AFL NSW/ACT Summer Series we have all been waiting for – In the final weekend of the summer, on the big stage it just must be the massive clash between AFL Sydney Under 22’s and AFL Canberra Under 22’s for bragging rights on which league has the brightest up and coming talent.
Both teams enter this match up 1-1, with AFL Canberra and AFL Sydney both dispatching of the GIANTS Academy while falling short against the Swans Academy. Albeit AFL Sydney gave the Swans heart palpitations in the second half including taking a lead with 5min left in Round 1 of the Summer Series whereas AFL Canberra were soundly beaten across the park and on the scoreboard last Saturday at Blacktown by the Swans.
AFL Sydney flexed their muscles last week, with a victory to the tune of 44 points against the GIANTS. However, Ben Roberts and Kevin Dyson would have had the team focusing on extra goal kicking practice at Blacktown on Monday night at training after kicking 12 behind from 24 shots, ensuring the scoreline defied the dominance of AFL Sydney. A margin the 80’s would have more accurately reflected the Sydney-sider dominance last Saturday at Alan Ray Oval in Ainslie.
Last Saturday, Kale Gabila (Manly Warringah) had footy on a string and after being checked for leather poisoning on the bus ride home to Sydney was declared fit and healthy, and best on ground for the day. Gabila racked up the footy in the second half and led from the front along with his co-captain Ethan Grace (North Shore Bombers). Both Gabila and Grace will be headed for plenty of VFL duty this season (with Gabila called up for the VFL practice game this weekend – unavailable for the Summer Series), and more than likely a position in the hotly contested AFL Sydney Senior representative team come May 18 vs. Canberra and July 20 vs. Tasmania. The ever-reliable Josh Lee (UTS Bats) and Billy Foster (UNSW-ES Bulldogs), another two from this under 22 squad on track for senior rep honors were both critical vs the GIANTS. When the GIANTS started to pile on the pressure it was Lee and Foster who responded with several clutch marks in defensive 50 and a cool head when AFL Sydney needed it. Angus Edwards (East Coast Eagles) and Black Ciscato (Inner West Magpies) did the grunt work around the stoppages, both putting their bodies on the line several times to win back key footy for AFL Sydney. Leeroy Veerhuis (Inner West Magpies) and summer series debutant Jasper Crouch (Manly Warringah Wolves) played solid games in the ruck. It is fantastic to see Kohan Prenter (South West Sydney Blues, under 17 Division One League Best & Fairest in 2023) earn selection for matchday three after coming close to selection in the previous two weeks. Despite being one of the youngest players in the squad Prenter will bring the pressure on Saturday and help get the game on AFL Sydney terms.
Saturday will be physical and high intensity, with the winning league taking home a mental edge prior to the league renewing acquaintances in May for Senior Representative footy (to be hosted in Canberra). The keys to victory this Saturday come 3pm will rest in the midfield, with Taine Wright (Manly Warringah) and Hamish Morrison (UNSW-ES Bulldogs) likely to play key roles. The crowd and social media favourite Jaden Gilheany (Camden Cats) along with Harrison Pitt (Pennant Hills Demons) and Hugo Birks (UTS AFC Bats) will be hard to contain. Big players step up in big games, and this is a big game!
